Universal Studios Hollywood to replace ‘King Kong’ with new attraction
Universal Studios Hollywood officials said the “King Kong” attraction, a key element of the movie and television theme park’s back lot tram tour destroyed by Sunday’s fire, won’t be rebuilt and will be replaced with an all-new, yet-to-be-determined attraction.
The studio tour resumed abbreviated operations on Monday, with tram-bound visitors whisked up to the cusp of the burn area and encouraged to snap photographs of the devastated New York back lot streets, which Universal officials said would be rebuilt.
Visitors reported that some elements of the normal tour, such as the “Earthquake — The Big One” attraction and the “Parting of the Red Sea” effect at Park Lake, were not included. Fire trucks and emergency personnel blocked parts of the studio back lot Monday as crews continued their investigation of the blaze.
Built in 1986, the $6.5-million “King Kong” attraction included a 30-foot-tall, 7-ton animatronic gorilla inside a 26,000-square-foot soundstage built to look like a city block, according to The Studio Tour fansite.
Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the
Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland
— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
[Photo: Universal Studios Hollywood]
36 Comments on “Universal Studios Hollywood to replace ‘King Kong’ with new attraction”
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June 2nd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Replace King Kong with Obama
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:17 am
It’s sad to see it go, but like Disneyland, Universal is always looking to improve upon itself. I would love to see a walk through Clover Field attraction. Like the old days you could get out of the tram and walk through some special effect scenes and see the huge monster…that would be great and fit in the New York section perfectly.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:20 am
I personally believe that Universal Studios Hollywood should rebuild King Kong as it is a Universal Studios classic. People think about King Kong when they think about the Universal Studios tour and for Universal to not rebuild it seems foolish.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:27 pm
They should at least to try to rebuilt King Kong ithas been part of the back lot tour ofr many years, but sure there should be a new attraction but at least try to rebuilt King Kong
June 4th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Nothing but J names here…haha! Anyway, I’m just really glad to have been to Universal Studios a month ago to see everything before it was destroyed. RIP King Kong (attraction)!
June 4th, 2008 at 11:48 am
WTF why would you do something like that to a monumental thing it’s sad enough to see the ET ride go but now this what are you guys doing???… why not rebuild the thing but make it look more futuristic like the new king kong film your stupid.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I want King Kong back, I love it and I really dont want it replaced. Please!!!!!!!!!
June 4th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
King Kong is a classic at Universal Studios. I work at the park, and have been working there for 3 years. King Kong is the high light of the whole studio tour. I hope to see King King rebuilt. People all over the worl come to see Kong. It will be sad if we never see him again. PLEASE REBUILT KING KONG!!!!
June 4th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
i would really like for them to make an attraction where you are able to walk around when they are filming a movie or a show. i would really like to see something like that, and to see how they make some special effects and see how they fils a movie and how they make the stunts.
June 4th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
It is sad to see King Kong go down, but Universal Studios should reconsider to rebuild King Kong it has been an attraction for many years now that we all love.
June 4th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
well the universal studios in orlando took the king kong ride out a long time ago and replaced it with a couple great rides! I believe universal will build a great new ride and use it as advertisement to get more guest.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:19 am
O.M.G.. Not rebuild King Kong are you serious.. There is no universal studios with out Kong.. I remember I was 7yrs old when I first went on the backlot tour and I can remember like it was yesterday we weregoing in to this sound stage and the tram was shaking all I remember was this helicopter going down and there Kong waiting for us…i am now 27 and a mother of 2 boys, i so want them to have a memory of Kong too.. Please Rebuild King Kong…
June 5th, 2008 at 5:59 am
I have been going to Universal since the early 70’s and as much I I miss kong parks have to update their rides so that people keep comming back and to appeal to kids they are not museums I can think of dozens of old rides that are already replaced. But the backlot is very unique because most studios have lost theirs. It is the coolest part of the studio to most people and a still has value to Filmmakers . So if they rebuild it completely I will be very relieved because had it been the other side of the lot it would be condos by next year. They already announced that plan
June 5th, 2008 at 8:28 am
universal studios in orlando was absurd enough to take out the king kong attraction and now hollywood universal’s king kong gets singed. this is a very sad moment for universal who had many people from all over the world come to see. this attraction will never be the same so i agree make it futuristic like the movie or make a new attraction but one that will touch the hearts of people like KING KONG once did for me!!!! rip big apple kong!!!!
June 6th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I remember Universal Studios from the KING KONG attracation, which was the best. I would replace the King Kong once again. Terry Pinales
June 6th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
That’s so sad that King Kong is gone. I was hoping to go there soon because the one in orlando is now the mummy. I would do anything to get it back.If not we’ll all miss you King KOng. R.I.P.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Hey every one I am from Ausralia
and if you all want to try and bring back King Kong then you need all to e-mail Universal Studios in L.A.
I have all ready told them it was one
main attracation that people want to see so . !! so People e-mail and bring King Kong back more E-mails
that they Get . there may think about it . Thanks
June 7th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
they should take out the backdraft and replace it with a incredible hulk sound effect stage and put backdraft on the studio tour or put incredible hulk on the studio tour
June 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I’m sorry I didn’t get out to Hollywood to see the attractions before they were destroyed by the fire. Maybe they’ll add an exhibit with the Great One…Frankenstein! But whatever they do, you know it will be 1st Class!!!
June 17th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I was upset about what happened. But like Disney, Universal has to have improvements. Like some people say, the next one will be better. I think a Hulk attraction will be in Kong’s replacement. I’m still extremely upset about that Kong incident, but still I would really like to see Hulk in Universal Studios Hollywood.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:06 am
P.S.: I’ll miss you King Kong. R.I.P. King Kong.
July 6th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
They should replace King Kong with a new roller coaster!!
July 6th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
They should replace King Kong and the New York streets with a new roller coaster!!
July 7th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I DONT WANT KING KONG TO BE GONE
LIKE THE ONE IN ORLANDO BECAUSE
IN ORLANDO THEY CLOSE DOWN SO MANY
GOOD RIDES ABOUT 19 OR 20 OF THEM
KING KONG IS ONE OF THE CLASSIC RIDES THEY EVER BUILD I WANTED TO
RIDE HIM IN CALIFRONIA BUT THERE
WAS A FIRE I WAS SCARED BECAUSE THEY MIGHT REPLACE IT LIKE THE ONE
IN ORLANDO I STILL LOVE
BACK TO THE FUTURE BUT IT WAS GONE THE SIMPSONS RIDE IS NOT MY TYPE BECAUSE I LIKE THE OLD RIDES THE KING KONG RIDE OPENED IN 1990
AND BACK TO THE FUTURE THE RIDE OPENED MAY 2 1991 BEFORE I WAS BORN KONG IS MY BOY I DONT WANT HIM TO GO LIKE ALL THE GOOD RIDE
YOU GUYS LIKE THE OLD RIDES BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE FIRST AND I WAS GOING TO RIDE BACK TO THE FUTURE IN CALIFORNIA BUT IT WAS CLOSE DOWN TOO SO I SAY DONT LET THEM TAKE KONG DOWN JUST SEND THEM
A E-MAIL TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
July 16th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
why did the #1 king Kong tour burn
down just because of a retarded fire
they should rebuild king Kong and because that was my favorite universal tour out of all of them that were made before and the king Kong was my favorite because of the sound stage moving tram and falling helicopter …but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE rebuild king Kong but if they cant they mix it the hulk and Kong…..rip king Kong we’ll miss you.
July 29th, 2008 at 12:12 am
:[ i didnt eve get to ride it yett!
the fire killed it for me
>:[
August 27th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Every year Ive been to Universal at least twice. If they dont even try to rebuild kong, I might not go again for the rest of my life.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:48 pm
i love that king kong!
long live the kong! lol =]]]
October 5th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
When I heard that the King Kong tour ride got on fire I was very sad beacause that was my favorite ride at Universal Studios Tour.I want the people at Univeral Studio Tour to rebuilt a more exciting and updated ride. Please rebuilt, rebuilt, rebuilt The Universal King Kong ride!!!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Okay this really sucks, ive just came back from Unversal Studios in Orlando, Florida october 2008 and they still have the new york scenes like those bulidings> i wanted to punch the owner so bad it almost made me cry> i really loved the ride at least rebulid it>>to much money well to bad lmfao.
January 3rd, 2009 at 9:04 pm
King Kong should definately be rebuilt, but it should be improved upon. Make it more like the 2005 version.
February 15th, 2009 at 11:32 am
I am so sad….I just found out that King Kong is done. Wanted to go next month to Universal Studios just for that ride during a long weekend trip. I haven’t been there in about 5 years. Too bad I’m in Pennsylvania. I might have known this was going on, and I could have gone one last time.
April 4th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Universal Does have a lot of fires, but Disney never got a single fire!
^-^
April 4th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
KING KONG IS GOING TO COME BACK WITH A NEW SET, KING KONG:8th…….
in 2010 Universal Announced
May 6th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
come back king kong
July 16th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Why do we have all this old information on the Funland blog? Especially when some of the theme parks have new attractions that we should be talking about?