Back  -  Home

Dueling Dragons

             If you were to ask someone who has been to Universal's Islands of Adventure what ride you absolutely couldn't miss, the Dueling Dragons roller coaster will more than likely be their answer.  You'll find this amazing dual coaster attraction smack in the center of the Lost Continent island. You'll pass a few other rides and attractions on your way through, but you can't miss the Dueling Dragons unmistakable entrance, featuring monstrous statues of the two dragons facing off.

            What really helps make this ride enjoyable all the way through is how they decorate the line you wait in. All while you wait your turn on the coaster, you will venture through the castle where the dragons are kept. The tale of the dragons is magical and mystical, explaining the fight between the fire & ice powers each dragon holds. As you push through, you will see victims and remains of the castle and those who couldn't escape the beasts' grasps. Finally, you will have to choose between a fiery fate or an icy despair.

            Now the real fun begins as you get strapped in. The Dueling Dragons roller coaster is inverted, meaning the track is above you while you dangle underneath. As you climb up the 125 foot hill, the opposite coaster will come even with you to make the ride a little more thrilling as the coaster's twist and turn through each other for the ride. The fire coaster has 6 inversions while the ice coaster has 7, but 3 inversions for each of them are interactive with the opposite coaster. By this, I mean that three different times in the 2 1/2 minute ride you feel as if the other coaster is on the same track rather than almost an entirely different ride.

            The only real difficulty of this ride is the choice you have to make between the two coasters. The fire coaster is much faster and has much stronger G-forces in its inversions. On the other hand, the ice coaster has more gut-wrenching inversions and a cool finish where it seems as though you are about to fly into the castle wall. Either way, you're sure to have an amazing time as you face the wrath of the Dueling Dragons.