We were recently treated to a tantalising new update on the storyline of the new Skull Island: Reign of Kong ride by Universal Orlando, but we were still left wondering about one of the key aspects of the ride: what would the ride vehicles look like for this revolutionary ride?
Yesterday we were rewarded with our answer!
This time the update was to do with an exciting foray into trackless ride vehicles for this new attraction, which already features loads of brand new ride technology that guests will never have experienced at the park or anywhere else before. This is the first time Universal have done a trackless ride and they’re really going all-out on it: the ride vehicles will be 40 feet long, 13 feet tall and weigh an incredible 17 tons!
The reason Universal have opted for a trackless ride vehicle is to keep the fully immersive ride experience as authentic as possible. With the queuing area and colossal 3D screens making you feel as if you really are in the heart of the jungle on Skull Island, it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine boarding a huge expedition bus to go off in search of the legendary and terrifying Kong, is it? Each of the ride vehicles, despite their weight, can be controlled on both their axels, meaning the ride vehicles can make sharp turns and delve into parts of the jungle that no track ride could get to.
There will be five ride vehicles, each carrying up to 72 passengers at a time, and driven by five different character drivers. Each character has its own unique storyline, meaning that every time you go on the ride with a different driver, you have the potential to have a completely unique ride experience! The characters are Becky (a cowgirl and loose-cannon who will lead you right into the dangers of Skull Island), Will Denham (a fresh-faced and adventurous cousin of a movie director), Jinks Costanza (an ex-con from New York City who doesn’t take the island’s mysteries lightly), Kalana (a descendant of the island's natives) and Doc (a palaeontology student and world-traveller).
To hear more about how Universal have put together this monstrous ride, watch this video on the making of Skull Island:
There’s still no official date for the opening of this colossal ride apart from ‘summer’ 2016, so keep checking back for further updates and announcements on our blog.
To purchase tickets for a trip to Universal Orlando Resort this summer, please check out our Universal Orlando Resort pages.
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