Skull Island: Reign of Kong - General Discussion

[Brian G.]

So not sure if there was a setback, but was at the park today and no outside portion for Kong. No rain or lighting in sight for 100 miles so wasn’t weather related. Anybody else go recently? We’re going to Epic tomorrow and Tuesday but will be back at Islands Wednesday so hopefully it’s going outside again then.

They've been known to skip if it was too hot outside, but the high of 92 isn't exactly that (in Orlando terms, at least). May have just been a hiccup today.

 

[_rnblove]

So not sure if there was a setback, but was at the park today and no outside portion for Kong. No rain or lighting in sight for 100 miles so wasn’t weather related. Anybody else go recently? We’re going to Epic tomorrow and Tuesday but will be back at Islands Wednesday so hopefully it’s going outside again then.

I’ll be going tomorrow. This is the first i’m hearing that they’re running B mode since the return. I actually have quite a story to tell you all about the return of the outdoor scene. I will be telling that story soon as i haven’t had time to type it out lol. But hint hint, the team members and techs at the ride are outstanding

Tomorrow i’ll let you all know what the jump is when i go

 

[Mad Dog]

They've been known to skip if it was too hot outside, but the high of 92 isn't exactly that (in Orlando terms, at least). May have just been a hiccup today.

They often don't run it outdoors when there's no crowd early in the morning or late in the evening. Generally, if they only run 1 or 2 trams, no outdoors. 3 or 4 trams then outdoors is included. Thunder and lightening, no outdoors. Before the outdoors was reworked, that's how it ran according to the Kong TM's I spoke to over the years. So generally, I avoided early mornings with short lines since the attraction is vastly better with the outdoor section.

 

[Clive]

They often don't run it outdoors when there's no crowd early in the morning or late in the evening. Generally, if they only run 1 or 2 trams, no outdoors. 3 or 4 trams then outdoors is included. Thunder and lightening, no outdoors. Before the outdoors was reworked, that's how it ran according to the Kong TM's I spoke to over the years. So generally, I avoided early mornings with short lines since the attraction is vastly better with the outdoor section.

This is also consistent with my experience. They didn't run the outdoor portion even during OI meetups.

 

[Brian G.]

They often don't run it outdoors when there's no crowd early in the morning or late in the evening. Generally, if they only run 1 or 2 trams, no outdoors. 3 or 4 trams then outdoors is included. Thunder and lightening, no outdoors. Before the outdoors was reworked, that's how it ran according to the Kong TM's I spoke to over the years. So generally, I avoided early mornings with short lines since the attraction is vastly better with the outdoor section.

That was before the fix, though. I understand them trying to avoid running it out there with all the issues it was causing.

 

[_rnblove]

That was before the fix, though. I understand them trying to avoid running it out there with all the issues it was causing.

Yeah when i went a few days ago they were running it outdoors even with just 2-3 trucks on the path AND when it was just about time for the park to close. usually what i hear is that they like running B when wait times go sky high but even then they stay away from that unless its outrageous

 

[Tbad556]

It was running with the outdoor portion when I was there on Thursday FWIW.

 

[saint.piss]

I was working here Tuesday and it was operating then. Watched it quite a few times.

 

[ibanezjp]

To add more to my original post, this was at 12:30 today and it was a 40 min posted wait. Sounds like from what everyone has said, I’m guessing they had a little set back as it should have been running. We watched for a while too outside before getting in line and didn’t see any go outside. Eager to hear if it’s back working tomorrow.

 

[_rnblove]

To add more to my original post, this was at 12:30 today and it was a 40 min posted wait. Sounds like from what everyone has said, I’m guessing they had a little set back as it should have been running. We watched for a while too outside before getting in line and didn’t see any go outside. Eager to hear if it’s back working tomorrow.

I am too but there is a chance of rain tomorrow which could squander a chance of them running it outside, but we will see

 

[_rnblove]

Good afternoon all!!! As promised I’m here at the Island

Have no fear, the trucks are still running A-mode, however today the gates into the caves are stuck permanently open and they aren’t running many trucks at all

 

[ibanezjp]

I would also like to report that yesterday when I was back, it was running outside!!! Finally got to do it in A mode after a few years. Yes!!!

 

[TheGentTrent]

I would also like to report that yesterday when I was back, it was running outside!!! Finally got to do it in A mode after a few years. Yes!!!

Well…A- mode. Still no glasses.

 

[_rnblove]

Ok everyone. I promised I had a story to tell about the Island about a week ago. It has to do with the repairs and such so here it is!

When I went back to experience the ride with the outdoor scene working again I was with some buds of mine and we went about 3 times, but before we went on it the third time I mentioned to them that I wanted to get pictures of the trucks going outside. (since it was nighttime and the wall looked gorgeous) A team member named George overheard what I was saying and came up to me and my buds and asked if we wanted to get closer to the wall to grab pictures!! I said yes, and he graciously escorted me and my friends through the extended queue (which I had never been in before) to grab photos of the trucks going by just a few feet away from us!!!!! So while I'm taking photos we start talking with George and I start telling him about how excited I was to see everything working again since I had never seen the ride in full operation before I was an AP in very early 2024.

Then George starts telling us the story about the repairs and how they happened. And before you know it I could barely believe what I was hearing. Back when the ride stopped operating A-mode, George had been working at the attraction for sometime now and was upset that a significant portion of the ride was inoperative and was concerned for the overall guest experience. He starts telling us that the maintenance and show techs had no interest in repairing the ride at all for some time to come, certainly not before Epic Universe opened, and this continued to bother him. He then tells us that a whole host of negative guest feedback was taking place and he said he saw his opportunity to start rallying Universal to make the repairs, so what he would do was anytime a guest remarked about the attraction's inoperation of A-mode, he would encourage them to take their complaints to guest services and to remark that on any survey they would receive, and before you know it, this man had accumulated an entire list of guest complaints. But he didn't get these complaints for nothing. He got them because he was trying to arrange a meeting with the maintenance and show techs and the managers, and once he showed proof to them that this was an urgent matter, he quite literally was able to get them all in a room where they discussed how the changes would be made. He said he was so proud to get this meeting to take place and that he was able to convince Universal to make something happen. It also explains why there were many survey takers at Skull Island a couple months before the repairs took place.

Before you know it, repairs started, and while George had been long gone from working the ride when repairs started, we literally caught him on the ONE day he requested to come back to the ride to see it fully operating again, and his managers arranged it for him to come back for a day so he could celebrate. (he works at Epic Universe now!)

He remarked that the repair costs to fix Skull Island were not in the six figures but easily in the millions of dollars. He said there were so many moving pieces to make this repair happen like lining up sewage pipes, RFID sensoring, brand new concrete, and that the main reason why they needed to conduct the repairs was because the road was damaging the truck's axles and canopy (which explains why there are some tears in it). He said the repairs had nothing to do with the tires and the temple gates (as some news outlets falsely reported was the main issue.)

And that is the story everyone. While Universal likely had it in the cards all along to fix the ride, we have George to thank for his tireless efforts to make this attraction come back to life. He worked really hard and I'm writing all this as a huge gigantic shoutout to him to showcase how proud we all should be that a team member took it upon themselves to put in the best effort to provide excellent guest experience to theme park-goers because he knows how important those repairs were to some people!!!!! Some other team members there (whose names I can't remember) also did remark that the 3D is not coming back and neither are the scare actors. Concerns about guests getting too jumpy with the actors were absolutely grounded in truth, and it was also remarked that the actors kept hitting their heads on the rocks when coming back in so there were to many safety hazards there. As for the 3D, it seems as if that is not in the realm of possibility now either. Their main focus was returning the main ride path.

I also mentioned to George that none of the fire outside was on at night even though there were very clear skies, and he said that sometimes when the indoor torches surrounding the bones or the outdoor fire elements aren't active, they're usually just faulty and they usually come back with time without having to call maintenance. But what was so great was right after I mentioned the outdoor fire before our last ride for the night, they TURNED IT ON!!!!!!! It made for an absolutely epic entrance into the caves and I have a feeling they did it for us Just another great example of guest experience.

So thank you George for an unbelievable and outstanding time at Skull Island last week! It was the most fun I've had at the ride EVER. We all owe a great debt to him for making this all happen again. He is a great team member and deserves the world!!! GO GEORGE!!!!!

P.S., here are those photos we took!!!!!

 

[belloq87]

1. We need to get George into a management position.

2. That Universal (apparently) didn't feel any urgency at all, initially, to get the ride into top shape is... not ideal, and mildly concerning. Thankfully, they eventually did the right thing.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

2. That Universal (apparently) didn't feel any urgency at all, initially, to get the ride into top shape is... not ideal, and mildly concerning. Thankfully, they eventually did the right thing.

I'm sure Universal had it on their list, but wasn't the main priority.

My biggest issue with WDW, UOR, Six Flags, Cedar Fair, SWO... they don't have contingency plans or provide a buffer in their operating budgets each year to spend on issues like these. They have to wait a 1-2 year cycle for budget approval, and the guest experience takes a hit in the interim.

 

[Brian G.]

Ok everyone. I promised I had a story to tell about the Island about a week ago. It has to do with the repairs and such so here it is!

When I went back to experience the ride with the outdoor scene working again I was with some buds of mine and we went about 3 times, but before we went on it the third time I mentioned to them that I wanted to get pictures of the trucks going outside. (since it was nighttime and the wall looked gorgeous) A team member named George overheard what I was saying and came up to me and my buds and asked if we wanted to get closer to the wall to grab pictures!! I said yes, and he graciously escorted me and my friends through the extended queue (which I had never been in before) to grab photos of the trucks going by just a few feet away from us!!!!! So while I'm taking photos we start talking with George and I start telling him about how excited I was to see everything working again since I had never seen the ride in full operation before I was an AP in very early 2024.

Then George starts telling us the story about the repairs and how they happened. And before you know it I could barely believe what I was hearing. Back when the ride stopped operating A-mode, George had been working at the attraction for sometime now and was upset that a significant portion of the ride was inoperative and was concerned for the overall guest experience. He starts telling us that the maintenance and show techs had no interest in repairing the ride at all for some time to come, certainly not before Epic Universe opened, and this continued to bother him. He then tells us that a whole host of negative guest feedback was taking place and he said he saw his opportunity to start rallying Universal to make the repairs, so what he would do was anytime a guest remarked about the attraction's inoperation of A-mode, he would encourage them to take their complaints to guest services and to remark that on any survey they would receive, and before you know it, this man had accumulated an entire list of guest complaints. But he didn't get these complaints for nothing. He got them because he was trying to arrange a meeting with the maintenance and show techs and the managers, and once he showed proof to them that this was an urgent matter, he quite literally was able to get them all in a room where they discussed how the changes would be made. He said he was so proud to get this meeting to take place and that he was able to convince Universal to make something happen. It also explains why there were many survey takers at Skull Island a couple months before the repairs took place.

Before you know it, repairs started, and while George had been long gone from working the ride when repairs started, we literally caught him on the ONE day he requested to come back to the ride to see it fully operating again, and his managers arranged it for him to come back for a day so he could celebrate. (he works at Epic Universe now!)

He remarked that the repair costs to fix Skull Island were not in the six figures but easily in the millions of dollars. He said there were so many moving pieces to make this repair happen like lining up sewage pipes, RFID sensoring, brand new concrete, and that the main reason why they needed to conduct the repairs was because the road was damaging the truck's axles and canopy (which explains why there are some tears in it). He said the repairs had nothing to do with the tires and the temple gates (as some news outlets falsely reported was the main issue.)

And that is the story everyone. While Universal likely had it in the cards all along to fix the ride, we have George to thank for his tireless efforts to make this attraction come back to life. He worked really hard and I'm writing all this as a huge gigantic shoutout to him to showcase how proud we all should be that a team member took it upon themselves to put in the best effort to provide excellent guest experience to theme park-goers because he knows how important those repairs were to some people!!!!! Some other team members there (whose names I can't remember) also did remark that the 3D is not coming back and neither are the scare actors. Concerns about guests getting too jumpy with the actors were absolutely grounded in truth, and it was also remarked that the actors kept hitting their heads on the rocks when coming back in so there were to many safety hazards there. As for the 3D, it seems as if that is not in the realm of possibility now either. Their main focus was returning the main ride path.

I also mentioned to George that none of the fire outside was on at night even though there were very clear skies, and he said that sometimes when the indoor torches surrounding the bones or the outdoor fire elements aren't active, they're usually just faulty and they usually come back with time without having to call maintenance. But what was so great was right after I mentioned the outdoor fire before our last ride for the night, they TURNED IT ON!!!!!!! It made for an absolutely epic entrance into the caves and I have a feeling they did it for us Just another great example of guest experience.

So thank you George for an unbelievable and outstanding time at Skull Island last week! It was the most fun I've had at the ride EVER. We all owe a great debt to him for making this all happen again. He is a great team member and deserves the world!!! GO GEORGE!!!!!

P.S., here are those photos we took!!!!!

 

[Mad Dog]

Ok everyone. I promised I had a story to tell about the Island about a week ago. It has to do with the repairs and such so here it is!

When I went back to experience the ride with the outdoor scene working again I was with some buds of mine and we went about 3 times, but before we went on it the third time I mentioned to them that I wanted to get pictures of the trucks going outside. (since it was nighttime and the wall looked gorgeous) A team member named George overheard what I was saying and came up to me and my buds and asked if we wanted to get closer to the wall to grab pictures!! I said yes, and he graciously escorted me and my friends through the extended queue (which I had never been in before) to grab photos of the trucks going by just a few feet away from us!!!!! So while I'm taking photos we start talking with George and I start telling him about how excited I was to see everything working again since I had never seen the ride in full operation before I was an AP in very early 2024.

Then George starts telling us the story about the repairs and how they happened. And before you know it I could barely believe what I was hearing. Back when the ride stopped operating A-mode, George had been working at the attraction for sometime now and was upset that a significant portion of the ride was inoperative and was concerned for the overall guest experience. He starts telling us that the maintenance and show techs had no interest in repairing the ride at all for some time to come, certainly not before Epic Universe opened, and this continued to bother him. He then tells us that a whole host of negative guest feedback was taking place and he said he saw his opportunity to start rallying Universal to make the repairs, so what he would do was anytime a guest remarked about the attraction's inoperation of A-mode, he would encourage them to take their complaints to guest services and to remark that on any survey they would receive, and before you know it, this man had accumulated an entire list of guest complaints. But he didn't get these complaints for nothing. He got them because he was trying to arrange a meeting with the maintenance and show techs and the managers, and once he showed proof to them that this was an urgent matter, he quite literally was able to get them all in a room where they discussed how the changes would be made. He said he was so proud to get this meeting to take place and that he was able to convince Universal to make something happen. It also explains why there were many survey takers at Skull Island a couple months before the repairs took place.

Before you know it, repairs started, and while George had been long gone from working the ride when repairs started, we literally caught him on the ONE day he requested to come back to the ride to see it fully operating again, and his managers arranged it for him to come back for a day so he could celebrate. (he works at Epic Universe now!)

He remarked that the repair costs to fix Skull Island were not in the six figures but easily in the millions of dollars. He said there were so many moving pieces to make this repair happen like lining up sewage pipes, RFID sensoring, brand new concrete, and that the main reason why they needed to conduct the repairs was because the road was damaging the truck's axles and canopy (which explains why there are some tears in it). He said the repairs had nothing to do with the tires and the temple gates (as some news outlets falsely reported was the main issue.)

And that is the story everyone. While Universal likely had it in the cards all along to fix the ride, we have George to thank for his tireless efforts to make this attraction come back to life. He worked really hard and I'm writing all this as a huge gigantic shoutout to him to showcase how proud we all should be that a team member took it upon themselves to put in the best effort to provide excellent guest experience to theme park-goers because he knows how important those repairs were to some people!!!!! Some other team members there (whose names I can't remember) also did remark that the 3D is not coming back and neither are the scare actors. Concerns about guests getting too jumpy with the actors were absolutely grounded in truth, and it was also remarked that the actors kept hitting their heads on the rocks when coming back in so there were to many safety hazards there. As for the 3D, it seems as if that is not in the realm of possibility now either. Their main focus was returning the main ride path.

I also mentioned to George that none of the fire outside was on at night even though there were very clear skies, and he said that sometimes when the indoor torches surrounding the bones or the outdoor fire elements aren't active, they're usually just faulty and they usually come back with time without having to call maintenance. But what was so great was right after I mentioned the outdoor fire before our last ride for the night, they TURNED IT ON!!!!!!! It made for an absolutely epic entrance into the caves and I have a feeling they did it for us Just another great example of guest experience.

So thank you George for an unbelievable and outstanding time at Skull Island last week! It was the most fun I've had at the ride EVER. We all owe a great debt to him for making this all happen again. He is a great team member and deserves the world!!! GO GEORGE!!!!!

P.S., here are those photos we took!!!!!

Thank you!!! And this report verifies many of our comments, and concerns, at the time the outdoor section was closed. And it appears we were right to be concerned when nothing was being done initially. Once again, thank you for all of your reporting on this. Kong without the outdoor section was certainly a major lesser experience, and the significant fall of people in stand by lines showed that yes, the guests were unhappy with what the ride had become. . And thank you to George for changing mgt. minds.