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VelociCoaster

Coordinates: 28°28′17″N 81°28′19″W / 28.47127°N 81.471999°W / 28.47127; -81.471999
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VelociCoaster
VelociCoaster from across the lake
Universal's Islands of Adventure
LocationUniversal's Islands of Adventure
Park sectionJurassic Park
Coordinates28°28′17″N 81°28′19″W / 28.47127°N 81.471999°W / 28.47127; -81.471999
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateApril 30, 2021 (2021-04-30)
Opening dateJune 10, 2021 (2021-06-10)[1]
ReplacedTriceratops Encounter
General statistics
TypeSteel – Launched
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerUniversal Creative
ModelLSM Launch Coaster
Lift/launch systemLSM
Height155 ft (47 m)
Drop140 ft (43 m)
Length4,700 ft (1,400 m)
Speed70 mph (110 km/h)
Inversions4
Max vertical angle80°
Height restriction51 in (130 cm)
Trains4 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
ThemeJurassic World
WebsiteOfficial website
1st Launch0 to 50 mph (0 to 80 km/h) in 2 seconds
2nd Launch40 to 70 mph (64 to 113 km/h) in 2.4 seconds
Pre-show hostsClaire Dearing
Owen Grady
Single rider line available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Closed captioning available
VelociCoaster at RCDB

VelociCoaster (marketed as Jurassic World VelociCoaster) is a launched roller coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Manufactured by Intamin and themed to the Jurassic World film franchise, the ride officially opened on June 10, 2021. It is located in the Islands of Adventure's Jurassic Park area, occupying the site of the former Triceratops Encounter attraction. VelociCoaster features two high-speed launches powered by linear synchronous motors, a signature 155-foot-tall (47 m) top hat, four inversions, and a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).[2][3][4]

History

Construction

Universal Orlando hired Intamin to construct a new ride to replace the inactive Triceratops Encounter attraction, which was closed for nearly a decade.[5][6][7] The initiative, dubbed "Project 791" in permits filed by the park,[5] would be the third collaboration between both parties following Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (2014) and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (2019).[8][9][10] The permits filed in 2018 called for the demolition and site clearing of Triceratops Encounter, signaling to the public that a new attraction may be coming.[5] Construction walls were erected in January 2019, and project documents were leaked online shortly after showing an overhead layout of a proposed roller coaster project.[11][12]

Construction entered full swing by the spring of 2019, with the removal of Triceratops Encounter and the clearing of unused land in and around the park's existing Discovery Centre building.[13] A bridge connecting The Lost Continent and Jurassic Park areas was also razed.[14] In June 2019, the first pieces of track for the unannounced coaster were delivered and stored offsite.[15] In July 2019, Universal Parks & Resorts filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the name "VelociCoaster", which fans quickly deduced to be the name of the new unannounced coaster.[16]

In early 2020, following months of concrete groundwork and further preparation, the project went vertical, as the extensive collection of track and supports already in storage were delivered to the construction site and installed.[17] Construction would temporarily pause during the initial COVID-19 lockdown and later resume at a rapid pace. Much of the construction was completed by the time Universal Orlando Resort was cleared to reopen in June 2020, attracting the unreserved attention of park guests and local media.[18] The 155-foot (47 m) tall top hat element, the highest point of the ride, was topped off and completed the following month in early July.[19]

Announcement and further preparation

Sign for the VelociCoaster, displaying the June 10 opening date

Amid a vast amount of media attention and coverage, Universal remained silent on the new attraction, which was becoming increasingly evident as construction continued.[citation needed] On September 28, 2020, Universal formally announced the new ride as Jurassic World VelociCoaster, billing it as a "new species of roller coaster" and the tallest and fastest launch coaster in Florida.[20][21] It was confirmed that the ride would feature twelve airtime moments, a 100-foot-long (30 m) zero-g stall, and a barrel roll over the lagoon for its finale.[22]

Universal continued to release new information on VelociCoaster ramping up to the ride's 2021 scheduled opening. In December 2020, closeups of the trains were published, and early testing was underway.[23][24] In January 2021, VelociCoaster hosted its first riders.[25] More details surrounding the specs of the new coaster were released shortly after, including its 140-foot (43 m) drop at an 80-degree angle and the use of a lap bar instead of an over-the-shoulder restraint.[26] The first launch accelerates guests from 0 to 50 mph (0 to 80 km/h) in 2 seconds, and the second one adds an acceleration boost from 40 to 70 mph (64 to 113 km/h) in 2.4 seconds.[27][28]

Construction walls around the construction area were taken down in late February 2021, giving park guests better views of the new coaster.[29] In April 2021, VelociCoaster's official opening date was revealed to be June 10, 2021.[1] A soft opening to press and enthusiasts was hosted on May 7, 2021, and the ride was well-received.[30] An official on-ride point-of-view video was released to the public on May 28.[31] The attraction opened on June 10, 2021, with lines reaching over four hours in length.[32]

Ride experience

Queue

The queue begins outside the lower floor of the Discovery Center. Two raptor statues are on display at the entrance.[33] The paddock features glowing neon lights, and the coaster can be occasionally seen launching outside the building. For lines that stretch outdoor, there is an extended queue area that provides close-up views of the coaster's track, as well as shade and cooling fans.[34] Inside, guests see more raptor statues and eventually move into a room with six windows overlooking the ride track. A video projection special effect is used to show a Velociraptors chasing each coaster train as it passes by. Inside one of the windows, guests can find a clipboard and a radar gun. In another is a cup with permanent ripples referencing the first Jurassic Park film.[33] Guests then enter a room with a video presentation by Dr. Henry Wu. There are a few lockers with various items, such as football equipment, raptor toys, and books.[33] Guests enter an examination room where two animatronic Velociraptors are caged and muzzled.[33]

The examination room is followed by the lockers area, where guests can secure loose articles. They are unique for their two-way design, in which a door swings open on one side to insert belongings, and then swings open on the other side as guests exit the ride and retrieve them.[34] In addition, a family room can be found in this area, where guests can wait here while others ride the coaster. The family room contains a TV monitor that plays the Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous series by Netflix.[35] Prior to reaching the metal detectors, there are advertisement posters of fictional Jurassic World attractions, such as Gyrosphere Valley, T-Rex Kingdom, and the Mosasaurus show. The posters also show attractions that exist at Islands of Adventure, such as Jurassic Park: River Adventure.[33] After passing the metal detectors, guests walk up a flight of stairs into a final pre-show room displaying a video with characters Claire Dearing and Owen Grady.[36] In the video, Grady rebukes the idea of taking a ride on VelociCoaster and tries to discourage guests as well. The room features various Jurassic World props on display including zappers, net guns, a waiver and a dino tracker.[33] Guests then reach the station, where they board the train.

Layout

The loading area is to the west of the queue. Once exiting the station, riders take an S-turn into the pre-launch sequence, where Owen warns the riders one last time and Velociraptors can be seen on either side of the track. As the Velociraptors escape, riders are launched from 0 to 50 miles per hour (0 to 80 km/h) in 2 seconds. Immediately after the launch track, the train passes through a Jr. Immelmann through some rock work. The train dives down and back up through a dive loop. The train turns to the left as it dives under itself and snaps back to the right, where the on-ride camera is located. The train heads through an overbanked turn and rises up into an off-axis airtime hill. The ride rises through the rock work via a turnaround, and completes a downward s-bend, where the train passes Blue and Charlie, 2 of the 4 Velociraptors seen on the ride. The train goes through another overbanked turn and hits a sharp S-bend, passing Delta and Echo, and going through some more rock work. Following a slow outerbanked hill, the ride enters its second launch, propelling riders from 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) in 2.4 seconds. Following the launch, the ride climbs to its tallest point, a 155-foot (47 m) tall top hat. The ride plummets down a 140-foot (43 m) drop at an 80 degree angle, and turns to the right and snaps back to the left to complete the 100-foot (30 m) long zero-g stall. The ride then rises up into a 125-degree overbanked turn, then heads into an outerbanked airtime hill. The ride enters a 113-degree overbanked turn and passes over a speed hill. Following this, the ride enters its signature element, a heartline roll (dubbed the "Mosasaurus Roll") at 53 mph (85 km/h). This is followed by an off-axis airtime hill before reaching the brake run. As the train returns to the station, Owen thanks the riders before being called to a situation at the River Adventure.

References

  1. ^ a b Kleinhenz, Marc (April 6, 2021). "Jurassic World VelociCoaster's opening date REVEALED". Orlando Informer. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  2. ^ McReynolds, Landon. "Hold onto your butts: Universal Orlando shares details about Jurassic World VelociCoaster". Click Orlando. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  3. ^ Carter, Ashley (September 28, 2020). "Universal Orlando Officially Announces New Jurassic VelociCoaster, Reveals More Details". mynews13.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  4. ^ Dufrense, Alessa (December 9, 2020). "VelociCoaster Rock Work Will Be Terrifyingly Close to Riders". InsideTheMagic. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Murillo, Tyler (November 4, 2018). "What Kind of Coaster Will Arrive in Jurassic Park?". worldofuniversal.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  6. ^ Nelson, Dustin (September 29, 2020). "The First Jurassic World Roller Coaster Is Full of Raptors & Looks Intense". thrillist.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Marden, Duane. "VelociCoaster  (Universal Orlando)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  8. ^ "VelociCoaster is Going to Change EVERYTHING at Universal Orlando Resort. Here's Why". Theme Park Tourist. November 14, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  9. ^ Nick Weisenberger (July 22, 2014). "Coasters-101: Escape from Gringotts Secrets Revealed". Coaster101. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  10. ^ "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure". IAAPA.org. August 1, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  11. ^ Skambis, Chip (January 19, 2019). "New Jurassic Park roller coaster headed to Islands of Adventure, documents show". WFTV. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  12. ^ Stella, Alicia (January 18, 2019). "Jurassic Park Roller Coaster Update and Track Layout Revealed for Islands of Adventure". OrlandoParkstop. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  13. ^ Marc N. Kleinhenz (September 25, 2020). "Jurassic World VelociCoaster REVEALED". Orlando Informer. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  14. ^ Stella, Alicia (March 4, 2019). "Jurassic Park Roller Coaster Waterfront Changes and Updated Track Layout for Islands of Adventure". OrlandoParkstop. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  15. ^ Young, Josh (June 25, 2019). "TPU Exclusive: Jurassic World Coaster Track Arrives in Orlando". themeparkuniversity.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  16. ^ Carter, Ashley (July 31, 2019). "Universal Trademark Filing Hints at New Coaster Name". mynews13.com. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  17. ^ Stella, Alicia (March 20, 2020). "Jurassic Park Roller Coaster Construction & Rumor Update – March 2020". OrlandoParkstop. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  18. ^ LeCompte, Brianna (June 7, 2020). "Check Out the Construction Progress on the Jurassic Park Coaster at Universal Orlando!". allears.net. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  19. ^ White, Tharin (July 9, 2020). "Photo Update: Jurassic Park 'Velocicoaster' tops off highest point". AttractionsMagazine. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  20. ^ Glenn, Brian (September 28, 2020). "Universal Orlando shares first-look and details on Jurassic World VelociCoaster; opening 2021". insideuniversal.net. Retrieved December 30, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Nolfi, Joey (September 29, 2020). "Universal unleashes new Jurassic World: VelociCoaster thrill ride details". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  22. ^ Tremaine, Julie (September 29, 2020). "Meet The VelociCoaster, Universal Orlando's Newest Thrill Ride". Forbes. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  23. ^ Corless, Tom (December 4, 2020). "FIRST LOOK: Universal Offers Close-Up of Jurassic Park VelociCoaster Roller Coaster Trains". WDW News Today. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  24. ^ White, Tharin (December 13, 2020). "Watch the Jurassic World Velocicoaster testing at Universal Orlando". AttractionsMagazine. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  25. ^ @OrlandoInformer (January 25, 2021). "Step aside, test dummies – VelociCoaster is now testing..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. ^ "Universal Orlando Shares New Details About Jurassic World VelociCoaster". www.mynews13.com.
  27. ^ Niles, Robert (May 2, 2021). "Universal's Jurassic World VelociCoaster Opens for Previews". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  28. ^ Biesiada, Jamie (September 29, 2020). "Florida's fastest, tallest roller coaster coming to Universal Orlando". Travel Weekly. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  29. ^ Carter, Ashley (February 24, 2021). "Universal's VelociCoaster Construction Walls Come Down, Revealing More of Ride". Spectrum News. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  30. ^ Marc N. Kleinhenz (May 7, 2021). "Jurassic World VelociCoaster's soft-openings BEGIN". Orlando Informer. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  31. ^ "OFFICIAL JURASSIC WORLD VELOCICOASTER POV". YouTube. Universal Orlando Resort. May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  32. ^ Kennedy Wynne, Sharon (June 10, 2021). "There's a 4-hour wait for new Jurassic coaster at Universal, better than some new rides". Tampa Bay Times.
  33. ^ a b c d e f "10 Easter Eggs at Jurassic World VelociCoaster".
  34. ^ a b "Unofficial Guide to the Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando".
  35. ^ "Universal's new Jurassic World: VelociCoaster is a terrifying run with the raptors".
  36. ^ "One-word review for Universal's new VelociCoaster: Relentless".
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