It’s almost time to join the hunt. In a video posted to its social media accounts, Universal Orlando Resort finally revealed that its highly anticipated thrill ride known as VelociCoaster will officially be open to the public on June 10.
VelociCoaster is a high-speed roller-coaster adventure in which guests race against a pack of velociraptors. It is set to be Florida’s tallest and fastest launch coaster. The ride stands out from the landscape of Islands of Adventure due to its prominent top hat, which stands at a whopping 155 feet. This makes it the second tallest attraction in the park (Doctor Doom’s Fearfall in Marvel Super Hero Island reaches a maximum height of 184 feet). However, VelociCoaster’s drop will send riders plunging towards the ground at an 80-degree angle, making it the steepest drop at the resort.
The ride will feature two launch sequences. The first launch will catapult riders from zero to 50 miles per hour in three seconds, which is the exact same speed as the final launch in Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. The second launch will hit a top speed of 70 miles per hour to propel riders up the main hill.
VelociCoaster also boasts many inversions that will be the first of their kind. Riders will be flipped upside down for 100 feet and do a 360-degree barrel roll just above the park’s central lagoon. Overall, the ride is expected to include around 12 seconds of airtime, or G-forces that cause riders to feel like they are being lifted out of their seats (the top hat’s drop is likely the main contributor). Of course, riders won’t actually be sent flying; the ride vehicles include lap bar restraints to keep riders safely strapped in place. Another thrill ride at Universal that uses lap bars rather than over-the-shoulder restraints is Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.
Much of the ride’s storyline has been kept under wraps, but it is confirmed to be set within the Jurassic World universe. In a video recorded by Orlando Informer, you can hear the voice of actor Chris Pratt (who plays Owen Grady, the protagonist of the Jurassic World trilogy) telling riders to “get ready to launch” at the beginning of the ride. It is unknown whether Grady and other Jurassic World characters will appear in video form throughout the ride like they do in Universal Studios Hollywood’s Jurassic World: The Ride. If they do not appear in the ride itself, it is likely that they will make an appearance in the ride’s queue.
The attraction can be found at the edge of the Jurassic Park section in Islands of Adventure. It will be the first ride in the area to be themed specifically to the Jurassic World franchise rather than the original Jurassic Park franchise. Riders will not be permitted to bring their personal items onto the attraction. Instead, they will have the option of storing their belongings either in free lockers located in the queue or in rental lockers inside of the nearby Jurassic Park Discovery Center.
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