At last month’s D23 Expo, Disney finally threw down the gauntlet and announced Star Wars expansions in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. They’d sat back for too long and needed to move forward with new E-ticket attractions that capitalized on the franchise. I’m certain Disney will deliver amazing experiences on both coasts. There’s a catch to the excitement, however.
Judging by their normal construction time, Disney probably won’t open those new lands for at least five years. They’ll be releasing a new Frozen ride and Pandora: The World of Avatar in the meantime, but those additions won’t generate the same excitement as Star Wars. Meanwhile, a determined competitor up the road senses weakness and is ready to strike. A giant ape named Kong should help those plans.
Next year, Universal will reveal the Skull Island: Reign of Kong attraction at Islands of Adventure in Orlando. Although many theme park fans are excited, I’m not sure we completely realize its potential impact. This is not a copy of the popular King Kong 360 3D portion of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. It will incorporate a similar use of large screens to immerse guests, but that’s just the beginning.
An Immersive Experience
Situated behind a huge façade shaped like Kong’s head, the large structure will do more than put you in front of a 3D movie. It will follow the trend of Universal’s Harry Potter attractions and use the queue to enhance the story. Guests will walk through the jungle queue to board ride vehicles.
In the first preview video, Executive Producer Mike West repeats the word “massive” several times to emphasize the scope. Peter Jackson was involved with the planning, and the attention to details looks stunning even from the little we know from construction photos. This should be a complete experience that ranks among the most impressive rides in Orlando.
I was lucky enough to ride the original Kongfrontation at Universal Studios during a family trip in 1991. The park was still young, and there were breakdowns throughout the day. We waited for a long time for Kong, but it was worth it. The giant animatronic Kong (with banana breath!) that threatened visitors was a stunning achievement, and I still have clear memories of the experience.
It’s thrilling to have the giant ape returning to Florida once again. All indications are that Universal Creative is building a Kong animatronic that should appear near the end of the attraction. If they can pull it off and avoid Yeti-like problems, it could be a huge draw for guests of all ages.
Better Days for Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure (IOA) is a unique park with so much to offer, and it deserves a lot more attention. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter offered a boost, yet attendance was mostly flat in 2014. Diagon Alley, Transformers, and Despicable Me pulled crowds to the Universal Studios park. Next year, the tide should turn dramatically for IOA. Along with Kong, Universal will open an improved version of its Incredible Hulk coaster.
The success of Jurassic World should continue to bring fans to the Jurassic Park area. And we can’t forget Potter. Kong will make IOA a more complete park and distribute guests effective throughout the park. It will help eliminate bottlenecks and increase the time spent in the park.
Another positive is Kong’s 34-inch height requirement. I don’t expect many pre-schoolers to meet Kong, but it shows that Universal is targeting more than thrill-seekers. By focusing on the sensory experience over jerky motions, they should have longer lines and enhanced longevity. The mix of excitement and top-notch theming could make Kong a fan favorite. Judging by their recent efforts, I’m pretty sure Universal won’t go cheap here. There’s too much at stake to fall short. Attacking Disney with more than Harry Potter will show that the game has completely changed.
Serious Financial Support
A key reason for Universal’s success is consistent recent ownership. Comcast has announced that they will open an attraction every year in Orlando, and a new version of Hollywood’s Fast & Furious: Supercharged will arrive in 2017. We cannot underestimate the power of that franchise. Comcast recognizes the potential for growth, especially with chances for huge increases in attendance.
Harry Potter’s arrival in Hollywood next year will probably have an even larger impact financially than Kong. It also could hurt Disney’s bottom line by pulling locals away from Disneyland and especially California Adventure. This is hardly a one-sided race now.
The exciting part of this conflict is the lack of a loser in this battle. Universal is pushing Disney to keep innovating or risk looking outdated. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens aren’t sitting back and are creating exciting attractions like Mako. Even Six Flags is upping their game and opened a top-notch dark ride this year with Justice League: Battle of Metropolis. If guests can afford the prices, new experiences will be everywhere. Reign of Kong is just the beginning, so let’s enjoy this thrilling new era.
Sources: Universal Orlando Blog, Moviefone Interview with Mike West
It’s good to see that Disney finally has a true theme park competitor in Universal. The result will be a better guest experience at both company’s properties.
There was a 10-12 year span in the 1990s and 2000s where Disney tried to do things on the cheap and hope no one would notice. Everyone noticed. Lackluster parks like DCA, Hong Kong Disneyland and Animal Kingdom struggled to attract visitors and required billions in upgrades to bring them up to par. Comcast/Universal seems to have learned from this and is commiting the resources to get their new areas and attractions done right the first time.
Here in southern California I’ve seen rapid improvements at Knott’s Berry Farm and Sea World. While these parks don’t necessarily compete with Disney and Universal, their management seems to understand the need to evolve and stay current with the bigger parks.
I think the worst offender for Disney during that time was the Walt Disney Studios in Paris. They’ve added some things recently, but it was pretty sad when we went in 2006. I’m glad to see that a lot of parks are getting more attention now, though it’s a slow process.
It’s cool that Matt Ouimet (who used to run Disneyland) is pushing Cedar Fair to make Knotts shine again. I haven’t been there as an adult, but it’s definitely on my list.