Skull Island: Reign of Kong from construction to opening

[Disneyhead'71]

Didn't know that, thanks for informing me, but that actually provides evidence that is is not going to cost so so much like some other rides. It was just a part for a team tour and now just a very expanded version. It is just an extended segment of the team tour. It will always fall into that category of SDMT where it was good, but not great. For Kong The ride vehicles are nothing special, the story is bad, and every other major screen ride does it better. The queue and exterior are great, but the ride has to be great for that to make a huge difference.

You haven't ridden it, have you.

 

[Matt7187]

You haven't ridden it, have you.

Since you have made it clear that you have ridden the ride already (very jealous btw ), I would like to know what makes the actual ride experience great, besides the AA of course. It looks very fun on the video, but I'm curious what really pops out to you on an actual ride through.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Disney has screens and like Universal they use them for good, but Kong used them to make the cost cheaper, and to build quicker in my opinion.

Completely 100% false.

Everybody has been saying how quick they built this ride. It took them over 2.5 years to build it. Longer than it took to build Diagon Alley. Discussion about this attraction started on Orlando United over 4 years ago.

This attraction was neither quick nor cheap.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Anyway I really don't want to discuss it anymore it is a pointless endless debate, but I think everyone can agree that a balance is good with screens. I just think they did awful on this ride. Sure it looks beautiful and the aa is stunning, but the story as a whole is bad, and the lack of sets disappoints.

Once again, have you ridden it?

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Their budget is clearly nowhere near Transformers. The ride vehicle sucks! It is just like Ellen at Epcot to eat people. They would've used more animatronics etc. I'm tough on Disnwy for NFL, so I gotta be too for Kong. Both look wonderful, and both are disappointing it is as simple as that because both their budgets clearly weren't as high as it needed to be for it to blow your mind.

Kongs budget was 3 times Transformers.

Stop, just stop. Your embarrassing yourself.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Since you have made it clear that you have ridden the ride already (very jealous btw ), I would like to know what makes the actual ride experience great, besides the AA of course. It looks very fun on the video, but I'm curious what really pops out to you on an actual ride through.

Spoiler

my absolute favorite part of the ride is the physical feeling you get when your vehicle is swinging in the vines between Kong and the T Rex. The motion base combined with the visuals is amazing.

What you don't get through YouTube is the actual physical effects they use. The motion base, wind, and water that really sell the experience.

 

[Stevek]

Even then I wouldn't watch a video. We as fans if we're lucky get one new attraction a year, to spoil it by watching a video and not actually experiencing what the designers intended is not my idea of a good time. But to each his/her own of course.

This day and age of instant information takes away from the hard work of literally thousands of people who made one hell of an experience.

Jimmy Thick- Haven't seen Shanghi's Pirates either...Even though I have no plans to go to China...Yet...

You're kidding right? That's like saying, though this is far less impressive, that I should never look at a picture of the Taj Mahal, The Great Wall, The Eiffel Tower...really any landmark that it's very unlikely I will ever visit. Me watching a video of Kong and actually seeing it 5 years from now isn't going to diminish my enjoyment of it because I watched it today. If I knew I was going sometime soon, maybe a different story. But I get it, you're closely attached to the project so it's like having someone unwrap a Christmas present too early.

And blame Brigante for spoiling things...he was the one that felt he was above the rules and recorded the experience. I know, we don't blame the drug dealer (blogger), we blame the one buying the drugs (fanbois).

 

[dweezil78]

You seem to be implying Kong is a cheap ride. And a quick switch out of the ride film to a different theme would be doable.

Have you ridden it?

That's not at all what I'm implying. I'm implying usage of screens are more economically efficient for the reasons I outlined, nothing more nothing less.

 

[BrianLo]

Correct. From what I've read the smaller screen length here compared to Hollywoods that's as long as the tram actually improves it.

I can understand this a bit. I was practically sticking my head out of the tram in an effort to 'see everything'. That made the edges all the more obvious.

I must admit I actually thought the screens were 360 degrees before yesterday or at least went more overhead. It's a total misnomer. The best seats would definitely be in the middle.

 

[BrianLo]

I pretty much try to avoid the on ride videos, but I gave in since I rode Kong 360. Looks lots of fun if the tram tour segment is any indication. Awesome AA, I was worried you wouldn't get a chance to fully appreciate it but that doesn't seem to be the case. Definitely a fleshed out experience.

I think it strongly improves the IOA menu.

Things it isn't that it was billed as early on:

1. A family dark ride. I don't mean it has to be childish, but it's not quite hitting the mark the fandom was advertising it as. Really wanted to see one of those Seuss landing additions.
2. Groundbreaking. Unlike Gringotts though it seems like it works much more cohesively and would be more thrilling. Similar bag of tricks, but they all really work together and seems like some of the best implantation of what Universal does best. It's not breaking the mould but it easily seems like it would be the third best ride UC has ever produced.

I just wish we could skip ahead to Nintendo...

 

[Texas84]

This looks amazing but it just doesn't appeal to me. But I'll try it some day, maybe when the line is down to 45 minutes.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

It's not "The Greatest Thing EVAH!!!!". It is a strong addition to the resort and will be very popular with guests. I would certainly put it in the top 5 at UOR.

For me I put it at #2 after FJ and before Spider-man.

 

[twebber55]

It's not "The Greatest Thing EVAH!!!!". It is a strong addition to the resort and will be very popular with guests. I would certainly put it in the top 5 at UOR.

For me I put it at #2 after FJ and before Spider-man.

just spending a few days at universal it was time for IOA to get something and this will deliver big time. its great that you now have HP on one side of the park and KONG/Spidey/HULK (soon) on the other
hate that i missed it by 6 days

 

[primusjim]

Rode Reign of Kong twice yesterday. Between the two times through, we got to see all the effects in operation. The strangest thing was that the first time, we went outside after load and through the big entrance gates.The second time, instead of turning left to go outside, we went straight into the cave scene, losing a lot of setup dialog. Is there two separate tracks? I like that the queue is basically a recreation of the awesome Dueling Dragons queue that we lost with half- Potter overlay. Great atmosphere, the witch animatronic is the best AA Universal has done yet. Being a huge Halloween Horror Nights fan, I thought the scareactor was a nice touch, I hope they don't chicken out. Here are my thoughts on the ride:

Spoiler

For me, the tunnel portion from the Hollywood tram tour was excellent, the other scenes felt like things added later to try and make this a stand alone attraction, which they were. I can't figure out why the first two scenes feel so akward, but they do. It just doesn't do anything for the story or make you care. Maybe if Kong rescued the woman we see being attacked by the bugs it would tie everything together. And yes, screen fatigue.
Then we have the disembodied head of Kong AA. I know he's supposed to be hanging from a cliff so his face is even with your truck, but it looks incredibly silly. Even if it was static, we need to see some more of his body. Just an arm or hand holding some rock or a tree would really help.
Overall, I thought it was a decent ride. I was hoping for more, especially since I have zero interest in the next two Universal attractions.

 

[Mike S]

Rode Reign of Kong twice yesterday. Between the two times through, we got to see all the effects in operation. The strangest thing was that the first time, we went outside after load and through the big entrance gates.The second time, instead of turning left to go outside, we went straight into the cave scene, losing a lot of setup dialog. Is there two separate tracks? I like that the queue is basically a recreation of the awesome Dueling Dragons queue that we lost with half-*** Potter overlay. Great atmosphere, the witch animatronic is the best AA Universal has done yet. Being a huge Halloween Horror Nights fan, I thought the scareactor was a nice touch, I hope they don't chicken out. Here are my thoughts on the ride:

Spoiler

For me, the tunnel portion from the Hollywood tram tour was excellent, the other scenes felt like things added later to try and make this a stand alone attraction, which they were. I can't figure out why the first two scenes feel so akward, but they do. It just doesn't do anything for the story or make you care. Maybe if Kong rescued the woman we see being attacked by the bugs it would tie everything together. And yes, screen fatigue.
Then we have the disembodied head of Kong AA. I know he's supposed to be hanging from a cliff so his face is even with your truck, but it looks incredibly silly. Even if it was static, we need to see some more of his body. Just an arm or hand holding some rock or a tree would really help.
Overall, I thought it was a decent ride. I was hoping for more, especially since I have zero interest in the next two Universal attractions.

What you took is a bypass route for if it's storming outside.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Kongs budget was 3 times Transformers.

Stop, just stop. Your embarrassing yourself.

So it cost 300 million?

 

[Mike S]

So it cost 300 million?

$150-60 million is what I've read.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Once again, have you ridden it?

No I have not. All I am saying is the budget if they combined screens and sets would've been much higher, and they clearly did not want to go there as it would've cost a LOT more. I don't think it is a bad ride, but it's severely disappointing, the story is generic. I'm sure it has great feelings and realism aspects, but I know that I've been to a lot of theme parks around the world including both Universal Parks earlier this year, and it is getting crazy how they did not use more sets to make this experience come together. Cost had to of been the only issue as all it could do would make it better. I said terrible up above, but that is not what I meant, I meant that it was disappointing, so including the line etc. good ride, but imo it will never have that complete package like Forbidden Journey etc., and I think the primary reason is not using sets.

 

[Daveeeeed]

$150-60 million is what I've read.

Then it is not three times Transformers. Not even double.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Kongs budget was 3 times Transformers.

Stop, just stop. Your embarrassing yourself.

How am I embarrassing myself? I meant for the ride vehicle not the complete ride...