Universal Orlando Permanently Changes Dragon Challenge Roller Coaster After Injuries.

WDWmazprty

WDWmazprty

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Check it out:


http://thedisneyblog.com/2011/10/20...agon-challenge-roller-coaster-after-injuries/


Universal Orlando Permanently Changes Dragon Challenge Roller Coaster After Injuries
Posted on October 20, 2011 by John Frost


Universal Orlando has permanently changed the nature of one of its most popular attractions after a pair of guest injuries on the roller coaster. Dragon Challenge, formerly Dueling Dragons, will never duel again. Instead it will become a chase with cars being dispatched so that they no longer pass close to each other.

The two trains of the coaster used to pass close to each other several times, including one moment when there was just a few feet between the feet of passengers. It was at this moment when flying objects injured passengers on the attraction. After the second reported major injury, Universal announced the attraction, a key part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area at Islands of Adventure, would change their dispatch procedure during the course of the internal investigation.

With the investigation completed, that change has now been made permanent.

There is, of course, a lawsuit and it will be interesting to see if Universal decides to settle in order to keep details of its investigation out of the public. What do you think of the changes? Does it make you feel safer?

More on the nature of the injuries and the lawsuit at the Orlando Sentinel.
 
P

Philo

Well-Known Member
WORST. NEWS. EVER.

It's important to realise that the coasters are not unsafe - it's the people who ride them that make it unsafe.
 
Blueskyze

Blueskyze

Well-Known Member
I second that - BOOOOOO!!!! I haven't been on it since it changed themes, but that was the COOLEST part of Dueling Dragons! I loved it.
 
Lynn1030

Lynn1030

Well-Known Member
Awww, that was the best part! We always waited for the front row and would be disappointed when they didn't time them right.
 
Bravo 229

Bravo 229

Member
This is just sad. Its not as fun of an experience now that you have to sit there in the harness and wait until the opposite coaster goes through the track.
 
Rowdy

Rowdy

Member
Drop a faint see-through net in between where the coasters are going head on. Problem solved, and they can still duel.
 
c-one

c-one

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
I have to agree. The "dueling" aspect of the ride is its best feature but UO needs to protect the riders. Hopefully, they'll find some way (someone mentioned netting) but until then, I think they made the right call. Put yourself in the place of the injured party and ask yourself how you would react? If I were hit in the face by flying debris while on Dragon's Challenge, I would not be a happy customer. As I understand it, the ride policy is being changed because of at least one serious injury, which I interpret to be more than just a bloody nose.
Click to expand...

Yes, as in someone lost an eyeball. Seriously.

I do wonder why, if this ride is so dangerous, it's taken 11 years of operation for something like this to happen. The public does not know the whole story.
 
EvanAnderson

EvanAnderson

Active Member
^The ride is not dangerous, it's dumb people who ruin it for everyone else. The article stated in the ride's 12 years of being operational, the ride has had 5 major injuries, excluding the 2 from the loose articles, so that's 7 reported injuries to the ride in 12 years. That makes the ride pretty darn safe.

When the first incident happened (the eye) they closed the ride and inspected everything, to make sure nothing from the actual ride could have fallen. When it was deemed safe, it reopened, and a similar accident happened a week later, where a rider in the front row at the same location got hit with something on his inner thigh which swelled up from the force of the object hitting him. That's when Universal closed it again and saw nothing wrong with the ride, and realized that someone must be doing this on purpose. They put more Team Members in the castle to scan for loose articles, having sunglasses and glasses be worn, people sit on their hats, and having guests open their hands to the ride operators. They had undercover security in the outside portion of the queue to scan for suspicious behavior.

So I understand Universal's decision. If it really was a person being stupid and trying be funny by intentionally hurting others, then keeping the dueling aspect of the ride would only motivate them to do it again.
 
c-one

c-one

Well-Known Member
I know it's not dangerous -- that's why I said it's odd that it took 11 or 12 years to get to this point. Still, very strange and unfortunate. There's got to be a better way.
 
dave&di

dave&di

Well-Known Member
c-one said:
Yes, as in someone lost an eyeball. Seriously.

I do wonder why, if this ride is so dangerous, it's taken 11 years of operation for something like this to happen. The public does not know the whole story.
Click to expand...

IMO the 1st accident was a genuine accident, I then think once this was made public some idiot thought it would be funny to drop something when riding. Its too much of a coincidence that 2 accidents happen so close after all these years. Unfortunately I think the right decision has been made as there will now always be someone being a copy cat!
 

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