Using the newest technology out there, Universal Studios Hollywood's King Kong attraction is a thrilling, unique, intense 3-D experience. The previous King Kong attraction, opened June 1986, was destroyed by a fire in June 2008.
The King Kong ride was created by Peter Jackson, who produced the 2005 King Kong movie. Like before, guests will go on the studio backlot tour, but will now enter a sound stage. The ride will take guests into the middle of the jungle on Skull Island. In the jungle, there will be an epic King Kong/Dinosaur battle. It's a motion sensor ride, but it's also in 3-D. One feature is that the screens are 360. They're 40 feet tall and 180 feet long. The display uses 60 frames a second. (A normal movie uses 24.) The ride touches all five senses, so it's really like being in the jungle at Skull Island.
"You'll see something you never imagined," Ron Meyer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Studios, said. "You're immersed in it. You're living it. You're in the middle of it."
Many celebrities walked the red carpet, including Bob Burns, who brought along the original King Kong (see picture). The 16-inch model inspired the original movie. Also, there was Jack O'Halloran, who was in the 1976 remake of King Kong.
There were also animals from the Wildlife WayStation at the opening event. The Wildlife WayStation, based in Southern California, helps protect wildlife and educate the public about wildlife protection. One animal was Banana (pictured), a 75-pound albino Burmese python who belongs to the Wildlife WayStation.
The studio tram holds 167 guests and takes them on a 45-minute tour. Besides going on the King Kong ride, guests will see the newly reopened New York Street, which also burnt down in the fire. They will see other historic movie landmarks, too, such as the Psycho house and the Bates Motel. Also, there are attractions in the park such as "The Mummy" roller coaster and the Jurassic Park water ride.
The ride opens to the public July 1. It's really a breakthrough in technology that can't be seen anywhere else.
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