Status Operating Type Steel Height restriction 1.07 m Duration 5 minutes | Opened 8 July 2014 Track length 600 m | |
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Opening date July 8, 2014 (2014-07-08) Similar Harry Potter and the Forbi, Hogwarts Express, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Revenge of the Mummy, Dragon Challenge | ||
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is an indoor steel roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida, a theme park located within the Universal Orlando Resort. Similar to dark rides, the roller coaster utilizes special effects in a controlled-lighting environment and also employs motion-based 3-D projection of both animation and live-action sequences to enhance the experience. The ride, which is themed to the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, became the flagship attraction for the expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter when it opened on July 8, 2014.
Contents
- Harry potter and the escape from gringotts ride universal studios orlando florida
- History
- Ride experience
- Cast
- Awards
- References
Harry potter and the escape from gringotts ride universal studios orlando florida
History
Universal Parks & Resorts, in partnership with Warner Bros., officially announced the addition of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Islands of Adventure on May 31, 2007. The area officially opened in the Islands of Adventure theme park on June 18, 2010. The Harry Potter-themed area saw attendance at Islands of Adventure rise by as much as 36% in 2010. According to Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel, this led to resort executives pondering "when to expand Wizarding World and how to keep business balanced between Islands and Universal Studios Florida". In April 2011, Brady MacDonald of the Los Angeles Times speculated that an area expansion would include the addition of Diagon Alley and a Gringotts-themed dark ride in place of the Lost Continent themed area in the park.
On December 6, 2011, Universal park officials confirmed that an expansion would take place and described it as "significant". The announcement was made four days after the park confirmed the removal of Jaws, a ride scheduled to close permanently on January 2, 2012. Demolition of the Jaws ride and the surrounding Amity area began soon after its closure. After the site was levelled, work began on land reclamation as well as the construction of a series of buildings, including a large show building for the Gringotts ride.
Further details about the expansion were announced on May 8, 2013, confirming new feature attractions themed after Diagon Alley and London. On January 23, 2014, the name of the area's flagship attraction was revealed to be Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. It was later described as a "virtual reality roller coaster" by Entertainment Weekly as additional details were released in May 2014. The new ride opened on July 8, 2014, alongside other attractions in the new Diagon Alley section of the park. The building housing the attraction features a 60-foot (18 m) dragon statue perched over the entrance that utilizes special effects to simulate the breathing of fire.
Ride experience
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is a steel roller coaster with a track length of approximately 2,000 feet (610 m). The ride encompasses motion-based vehicles, detailed sets, physical effects, and 3D projection screens similar to those found on Transformers: The Ride and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. The ride takes guests through the vaults of Gringotts as you face several characters from the Harry Potter films leading to a face-to-face encounter with Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange.
Cast
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts features many of the main characters of the film series, which were reprised by their respective actors, except for Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson:
Awards
In Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts has made it into the Top Five Dark Rides since it opened in 2014.