Universal Orlando 2015 by Kelly Monaghan

Author:Kelly Monaghan [Kelly Monaghan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-937011-39-0
Publisher: The Intrepid Traveler
Published: 2015-03-11T04:00:00+00:00

Type:

Twin roller coasters

Time:

1.5 minutes

Height Req.:

54 in. (137.2 cm.)

Short Take:

A shadow of its former self

An easily overlooked stone archway marks the entrance to this immense inverted steel roller coaster, hidden behind the stone wall through which the Hogwarts Express appears to emerge. Actually, two separate roller coasters lurk back there, travelling along separate but closely intertwined tracks that diverge and then converge to potentially terrifying effect.

Note: This ride requires that you stow all your belongings in electronic lockers located immediately outside the entrance, in a shelter disguised as a train station. They are free for a period of time that varies with the queue length, but charge a hefty fee if you overstay your welcome.

This coaster (formerly known as Dueling Dragons) is themed after the first of three tasks comprising the “Triwizard Tournament,” the wizarding competition seen in the fourth Potter tale, Goblet of Fire. Begin by walking the meandering path toward the small (compared to Hogwarts) castle ahead. Along the way, you’ll pass banners supporting Harry Potter and his competitors (Fleur Delacour, Victor Krum, and Cedric Diggory), as well as the Weasley’s flying Ford Anglia, which has crashed into a nearby tree. Pass into the stone structure and you enter the Champions’ Tent, where the Goblet of Fire stands spewing an otherworldly blue flame. Further ahead, you’ll find the Triwizard Cup itself on a pedestal, a trio of golden dragon eggs, and a chamber filled with flickering floating candles. Those who remember the wonderfully macabre theming of the Dueling Dragons queue will be disappointed by the labyrinth of featureless stone walls that follows, but eventually you will be asked to turn left toward the red “Chinese Fireball” or right to the blue “Hungarian Horntail.” While waiting for your coaster, look up at the shadowy dragons battling above the ruined ceiling.

This is an inverted coaster, which means that the cars, completely dressed to look like dragons, hang from a track over your head. Your feet dangle in the air below your seat. When the cars are fully loaded the passengers look as though they are hanging from the dragons’ claws.

The two coasters share the same lift to the top of the first drop, but then the Chinese Fireball track peels off to the left as the Hungarian Horntail swoops to the right. Originally, pairs of trains were dispatched simultaneously, carefully synchronized so that, as they looped and swirled their way around, they met in mid air at three crucial moments. A computer actually weighed each coaster and then made the appropriate adjustments to get the timing just right. All told there were three near misses in the 50 seconds or so it takes to travel from the first drop to the point where the coasters slow down to reenter the castle.

Tragically, following a couple of unfortunate injuries involving flying objects during the near-misses, Universal permanently suspended synchronized operations of the dueling tracks in 2011. Instead, the formerly dueling dragons now fly solo, resulting in a solid, but no longer unique, suspended coaster experience.

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