King Kong Project Update: A Truly Massive Building
The mysterious new attraction that is currently being built in the plot of land near Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure continues to amaze onlookers (we refer to it as being "mysterious" due to the fact that no formal announcement has still been made by the Universal Orlando Resort). The main building that will house a groundbreaking new ride continues to grow every single day, and has now almost reached the pond behind the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride.
One of our Readers, Jared B. (who we thank very very much!) just sent to us a panoramic photo showing the current look of the building. Remember to click on the photo to view it in full size (it's big!):
Here you are a closer look at the image, which was cropped to have some details clearly stand out:
As you can see, the exterior theming of the building has already started (as you can clearly see in photos number 2 and 3), and the building was greatly extended on the right side. We wouldn't be surprised to see the building become even bigger in the next few weeks.
That's all for now. We would like to thank once again our Reader Jared for sending us this great photo.
It's big enough to house King Kong!
ReplyDeleteCould be a parking garage.
ReplyDeleteRight now it looks a lot like a local big box store. Goes up quick, big empty space fill it with anything you want.
I'm uh, not sure screwing wall sheathing/drywall to the metal studs is quite the same as "theming.'
No matter, the thrills will come from what they throw together inside.
This is how Potter started and that turned out incredible, theming wise (inside and outside) and attraction wise.
ReplyDeletewith the expansion near the J.P's water, how thinks this is just a JP expansion? either way i'm excited but if they add 1000 shops like they did with HP in universal ill be mad. why does one selection need so many shops and only one ride? seems like a poor use of space.
ReplyDeleteDiagon Alley is the wizarding worlds shopping district. That's why it has so many stores. The logic is there thematically and because of demand.
ReplyDeleteWhen it was Amity there was only one attraction. Now there's Escape from Gringotts and the Hogwarts Express.
I'll take Diagon Alley over the chintzy boardwalk themeing of Amity any day.
Sorry I dont like hp and havent seen any of the movies after the first. What you said made sense but in a theme park we need shows and rides. Shops are nice but on 90percent of my trips I dont even step into a shop and when I do its to acoid the rain. While jaws was one one ride, it was a huge ride in space. I would think with that amount of space more could have been done. And maybe because my not a fan of hp but that ride sucks. The roller coaster elements are awesome but they are only 5 seconds worth of coaster on a already short ride
ReplyDeleteMaybe you'd be better off at six flags!
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts is an amazing ride experience. The technology used there is groudbreaking. Theme parks are not just rides... The theming is extremely important, and Diagon Alley is the most inmersive land ever created in a Theme Park. Jaws and the Amity area were both dated.
ReplyDeleteAnd is obvious that you don't know what is happening in Universal. Diagon Alley offers 2 rides (Gringotts and Hogwarts Express), 3 shows (Celestina Warbeck, The Tale of the 3 Brothers and the Tale of the Fountain of Fair Fortune) and of course, many shops. There is many places to use the interactive wands too... I don't see any waste of space in there.
i dont consider hogwarts a "ride" even though i go on everytime i visit as its a nice experience. as for the wands, not everyone buys them, one for the cost and two it it seems like something you would buy for a kid to do or a big time fan of hp. as for the shows, not a fan of stand up shows. a nice sit down show is awesome just to take a break and build up energy for the rest of the day(i tend to visit both parks in the same day. i finish one and do half of the other) and i completely agree with the technology used in EFG however 90% of the people who has been on it would admit the ride is too short. in my own opinion and again just an opinion i would ride it everytime i go if the wait is 45 minutes and below however the ride is usually at the hour mark (which helps us get to the family favs) or the ride is broken. when i went recently they were escorting people out of the line due to the breakdown.
ReplyDeletei completely understand you point of the theming and and I actually love it even though i the only thing i know about hp is who hp is(not the actors name). still would have love to see a show or 3d ride/show(depending on what you consider them) based on the story. one thing i remember (not in details) about hp was when he first learned he was a wizard was at a zoo. i think that would be a cool experience to relive unless im thinking of another movie.
Hey Mike,
ReplyDeleteSince you've spent all this time talking about HP and saying you know nothing about the series - give it a chance. Watch the movies, or if you want a more immersive experience, read the books! They're great. That's why Universal has spent millions on these two lands. Which they did a great job on! Dare I say - magical? Yes, the ride is short but it gave us something Forbidden Journey didn't - an encounter with Voldemort (he's the bad guy of the series) and Bellatrix (another villain).
I'm taking my six year old godson this weekend and he's more excited every day to go help Harry Potter beat "He-who-must-not-be-named".
Seriously, give the series a chance and then go back and explore the area - it'll mean much, much more.
an awful lot of complaining when you dont have to go to the park period. as a florida resident im glad the park is the way it is i sure do miss the old classics such as ghostbuster(now twister), nickeloden(bluemangroup), the revenge of the mummy(kongfrontation), back to the future(simpsons),jaws(wwohp), wild wild west show(fear factor) but hey times have come and go at least this park isnt like the hollywood studios where everything is on top of each other and the studio tour is the only good attraction. if you dont like it dont go back on the ride simple as that but as long as there is something new to experience there will be something going away
ReplyDelete-end rant
Okay, now, Mike, the reason that the park had decided to rid the Jaws ride and the surrounding Amity area was due to a decline in popularity. The new area is, quite obviously, guaranteed to draw huge crowds; and it has. As for the complaints about the many shops that coexist within Diagon Alley, I would like to cite Captn Obvious, Diagon Alley is known as the wizarding worlds shopping district. Ergo, lots of shops.
ReplyDeleteAnother point that i would like to touch up on its the fact that, even though the expansion only introduced two rides (as the Hogwarts Express IS considered an attraction), it is only an expansion; not an entirely new park. And as for Escape from Gingotts being a "short ride", it is, in fact a total of five minutes long. That is the actual ride, not including the elevator or even the pre-show.
Also, the ride was not intended to be and exhilarating ride. It was meant as another E-Ticket attraction for families with children not quite tall enough for Forbidden Journey's 48 inch height requirement (EFG is only a 40 inch height requirement). And, what the ride may lack in roller coaster thrills, it makes up in with its' fantastic technological advances and 4KHD 3D screens. This advanced technology explains the large amounts of downtime thet the ride faces. Mind you, FJ faced the same issues when it first opened (and still does).
As for the long wait times:
IT IS A NEW RIDE!
This entire new section is not even six months old yet and has already given more than a million visitors a welcoming. I ca say that, having been there at 6:00 in the morning on opening day and then having to wait five and half (5 and 1/2!) hours, a mere hour or two hour wait is child's play...
Don't bash a greatly themed land full of great technological advances in the field of theme park engineering if you can't even respect the stories that inspired such events and locations.
Lets stop talking about the HP Areas and start talking about this new JP Area, I Though it would just be another shop but now its looking up to be a ride, And if you take a look at picture #2, It seems as if their is a hole in the building?? Possibly this could be some sort of rollercoaster {Hopefully} And thatwould be where the track comes out of. What are your guys ideas :D D: :D
ReplyDeleteI really hope that is a roller coaster and simulator mix ride. It would be awesome to see elements from Disney rides such as Everest, Big Thunder Mountain and Seven Swarfs Mine Train combined with the simulator experience of King Kong 360 in Universal Studios Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteI want to see animatronics! I love Universal's new rides but I think the parks need more diversity.