Skull Island: Reign of Kong — Attraction in Orlando

A Thrilling Adventure Awaits at Skull Island: Reign of Kong!

Rating: ★★★★★

As an avid theme park enthusiast, I have ridden countless attractions across the globe, but few have left such a lasting impression as Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Universal's Islands of Adventure. This immersive, thrilling ride takes you on an unforgettable journey through the treacherous terrain of Skull Island and brings you face-to-face with the legendary King Kong himself.

Queue Experience: ★★★★★ The journey begins even before you board the ride. The queue is masterfully designed, leading you through ancient ruins, dense jungles, and mysterious caverns filled with tribal artifacts and ominous warnings. The atmosphere is perfectly set with ambient sounds, lighting, and occasional surprises that create a sense of anticipation and adventure. Every detail adds to the immersion, making the wait feel like part of the experience itself.

Ride System and Technology: ★★★★★ Skull Island: Reign of Kong uses state-of-the-art technology, seamlessly blending 3D screens, practical sets, and animatronics to bring the world of Kong to life. The ride vehicles are trackless, adding an extra layer of unpredictability and realism as you traverse the rugged landscape. On-board audio and special effects enhance the overall experience, making you feel like you're truly in the middle of the action.

Story and Characters: ★★★★★ The storyline of Skull Island: Reign of Kong is engaging and well-executed. You're part of an expedition team venturing deep into the heart of Skull Island, encountering various creatures and perils along the way. The ride features a diverse cast of characters, including the fearless expedition leader and the ancient natives, who all contribute to the rich narrative. The star of the show, King Kong, is a sight to behold. The colossal animatronic is one of the most impressive I've ever seen, with fluid movements and lifelike expressions that make you believe you're in the presence of the mighty Kong.

Thrill Factor: ★★★★☆ While Skull Island: Reign of Kong may not be the most intense ride in terms of physical thrills, the combination of immersive storytelling, state-of-the-art technology, and surprise encounters with creatures of Skull Island make for a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat experience. It's a perfect attraction for those who crave adventure and excitement, without the extreme G-forces of a roller coaster.

Overall, Skull Island: Reign of Kong is a must-ride attraction for any theme park lover or fan of the King Kong franchise. The immersive queue, breathtaking technology, engaging storyline, and unforgettable encounters with Kong himself make this ride an unforgettable experience that you won't want to miss. Be prepared to face the mighty king and embark on an adventure...

My family and I waited in line for nearly 3 hours for this ride. While many of the other highly sought rides at Universal have a somewhat entertaining line set up, this ride does not. The line set up is incredibly uncomfortable with limited sights, the redundant sequence of growling noises and script. It is successful in boring the riders while also giving them a headache. Imagine 3 hours, most of which are spent inside a dimly lit, musty smelling space, with nothing to look at except blackish cement and skulls and a constant rumbling as well as the crowd chatter. What a horrible experience. The only actual entertaining part of this set up is a momentary break from the continuous grumbling noises is a tribal witch doctor shouting and pointing into the crowd of riders. This is actually quite well done. I think it could be improved by making the words being spoken actually understandable to the riders.The crates and storage items near the end of the line where also very well done with scary noises and life-like creatures. When we were finally on the ride it started off fairly positively. The script was decent and the shaking and moving of the transport vehicle seemed to be right on with an actual tour through the rugged island landscape. The computer graphics where less than impressive. I can’t believe it is that difficult to create a computer animation in which the characters are actually life sized and to scale with the rest of the ride’s set. This dysfunction reaches a high point when the Kong that has battling other deadly creatures throughout your island tour is significantly smaller than the Kong we meet at the end of the ride. Personally, I think it is a waste of time to wait for more than 30 minutes for this ride and that’s only if you’ve never ridden on it before. I think I’m being quite generous with this time estimate. I probably would have given this ride a 3 out of 5 if it hadn’t been for the multiple disruptions during the actual ride. The screen glitched and froze multiple times and the transport vehicle actually came to a complete stop with the screens freezing and going blank twice for several minutes. When we finally got off the ride, nothing was said by the attendants, no apology or anything to the riders. Talk about terrible customer service! This is a, “never do...

I would like my time and money back, universal! I waited in line for roughly two hours. The sign was advertising a 75 minute wait time, however the ride broke down once or twice during the wait, prolonging the time spent in line. The queue was actually pretty nifty. There were a few startling parts, and I've heard that there are scare actors as well, but they weren't active while I was there. After getting to the front of the line, I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt like a little boy on Christmas morning. I may have pooped my pants a little bit in anticipation of what was next. My first observation of the ride itself was that there were no seat belts in the massive safari vehicle. I didn't necessarily take this to be a bad sign, as there are other rides without them, which are pretty exhilarating. We went through the door into the cave and were prompted to put our 3D glasses on. The cave was essentially just three rooms with big TV screens on either side. The screens played a battle between Kong and a dinosaur. We were sprayed with water. That was probably the most intense part of the ride. A little spritz of water. After we passed through the last room with a screen, there was a giant animatronic Kong and the tour guide advised that we remain calm. At the last minute, the guide said something along the lines of "okay, you can freak out now" and I expected the animatronic to do SOMETHING but before I knew it, we were at the end of the ride. Exit to the left, folks. Hopefully universal switches the staff members working the exit out regularly because if I had to look at so many upset people every day I would probably start getting depressed. I've held an annual pass for 5 years, but I probably won't renew this year. I'm deeply irritated that this is what my money is being spent on. I'll spend a few extra bucks and get a Disney...