^I too wondered about those stairs. Perhaps they didn't want guests getting too close to the dragons and kids trying to climb on them? Well, no need to worry about that now. SUCH A WASTE!
Dragons Not Dueling?
- Thread starter White Rabbit
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- Apr 20, 2008
- 156
- 3
People would be idiots and would hit their heads on the Dragons. So to avoid being sued, they just used the already built ADA ramp to the side for everyone to use.
When Dueling was Dueling....... sigh.I agree. Especialy since they....well.....
:'(
- Dec 29, 2009
- 2,374
- 33
You know what they should have done, they should have just changed both of there colors and skin into stone, put the Dragon Challenge enterance in the middle and get rid of the pillers, keep the queue the same exept for the loading dock. Make that the Champion's Tent. NOT THE WHOLE QUEUE!!!
I understand that the queue sucks, but they shouldn't have kept it how it was. The skulls/bones have nothing at all to do with the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and the ice/fire chambers really had nothing to do. I feel like this attraction was cheated, and maybe if it wasn't... the lack of dueling wouldn't be such a big deal.
By just adding a simple storyline, like Ron and Hermione are detouring us through a dungeon to give us some information, they could have kept all that cool creepy stuff. The building should be rethemed to the back of grandstands. We pass through some well-lit halls featuring information on the Triwizard Tournament explaining that the first task is a mystery so that it will test our daring. Ron and Hermione lead us off into the dark paths, which get scarier as we descend just like the original queue, telling us that we have to face a dragon, and Hermione tells us about the Horntails and Fireballs. We get to the splitting point and the lights are brighter and we choose our dragon. Then we enter the champions' tent where someone tells about the golden eggs. Ta-da! Theming issue fixed. While they're at it they should build rockwork and fire blasters around the coaster arena. I know none of this will happen but I can wish.
Man I wish that picture hadn't been posted... Funny, when I was over a few weeks ago and walking through the queue it struck me how much I miss what it used to be like. That U-turn that goes down to the right in front of the giant door... I walked past it and felt so bad. Looking at that picture makes it even worse.
Does anyone have any good pics of the inside parts of the old queue? Don't think I ever took any.
Does anyone have any good pics of the inside parts of the old queue? Don't think I ever took any.
- Dec 29, 2009
- 2,374
- 33
- Apr 20, 2008
- 156
- 3
Went to the park yesterday and went over to Dragons to check it out. Undercover security was in the outside line (around where the corkscrews are) and the attendants asked me to wear my sunglasses. I did once on Ice and one Fire, and on my Fire ride, they stopped the train on the transfer track and told a guest to wear their glasses.
I haven't been on this ride since it was Duelling Dragons, so i can;t really comment on the new queue from personal experience. But i have seen plenty of photo's and videos and i got to say Universal, were you having a bad day when you designed the new queue? Come on, you did fab with the old queue, so why not with the new? I agree, some sort of simple story line would be great. Fair enough the Triwizards tent is a nice addition, the rest of the queue seems basically empty to me. It won't hurt you to add a few more items in the queue.
so if a guest threw something i wonder if anyone has looked to see what might have been thrown. i guess if its just coins its no evidence either way. but im curious if anything was found physically or on video.
When I was there a last week I talked to a couple of TMs. I asked one of them if they would ever duel again and he just said "I would certainly hope so." I then said "this is all because of that guy who got hit in the eye" to which he replied "I have no idea what you're talking about wink wink."
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Just a little fun fact:
When IOA first opened, this ride was advertised heavily as "The world's first and only dueling inverted coaster." The queue was built extremely long to handle the expected guest flow due to the ride being so "different." The dueling is what made this coaster so unique and fun to ride. I've been on the ride before with one side down, and it's not nearly as fun. Now, don't get me wrong, I've been on the ride well over a hundred times, and the dueling maneuvers are still exciting.
Honestly, it's just another inverted coaster without the dueling. Well, it's another very short inverted coaster.
When IOA first opened, this ride was advertised heavily as "The world's first and only dueling inverted coaster." The queue was built extremely long to handle the expected guest flow due to the ride being so "different." The dueling is what made this coaster so unique and fun to ride. I've been on the ride before with one side down, and it's not nearly as fun. Now, don't get me wrong, I've been on the ride well over a hundred times, and the dueling maneuvers are still exciting.
Honestly, it's just another inverted coaster without the dueling. Well, it's another very short inverted coaster.
I just got off the ride and both trains went up at the same time before it was my turn to board. But my train and the rest after me were not dueling.
- Apr 20, 2008
- 156
- 3
^That happened to me today, however my train got dispatched the same time as the other one. I got excited because I thought the controls attendants accidentally sent the trains together, so I thought we were going to duel. However, the lift is now programmed opposite of what it has been for years. Ice was slightly ahead of us (like 3 rows ahead), and we actually slowed to the ka clink, ka clink, and the other train sped up. We stayed at the slow crawl until I saw the other train drop off the lift, then our train sped up to it's normal speed.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that I rode again and this time we were ahead of the other train. We did the same thing, they slowed to a crawl, and we sped up to pass them. I just thought that controls had to wait to stagger the trains, but I guess now the computer knows not to send them together, so they can send trains whenever they're ready now.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that I rode again and this time we were ahead of the other train. We did the same thing, they slowed to a crawl, and we sped up to pass them. I just thought that controls had to wait to stagger the trains, but I guess now the computer knows not to send them together, so they can send trains whenever they're ready now.
