Misplaced Pages

Kongfrontation

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

Kongfrontation was a ride located at Universal Studios Florida theme park in Orlando , Florida . As one of the original attractions featured during the park's grand opening on June 7, 1990, it quickly became one of the most popular. It was closed in 2002 to make way for Revenge of the Mummy , which opened in its place in 2004. Kongfrontation was based on the 1976 King Kong film and King Kong Encounter , a defunct attraction once located at Universal Studios Hollywood . It was themed to the evacuation of civilians from Kong's rampage on Roosevelt Island .

#874125

72-506: For the grand opening of Universal Studios Florida , the Kongfrontation attraction would be themed to the 1976 film King Kong , which was a remake of the 1933 original . Totally Fun Company and MCA Planning and Development led development and design of the ride. Two King Kong animatronic figures were built for the attraction and were scaled to be 39 feet (12 m) tall with an arm span of 54 feet (16 m). The one used for

144-466: A New York City Subway station, Manhattan's Roosevelt Island Tramway station and a surrounding city block (intricately detailed from garbage cans and graffiti covering the walls, to fully stocked storefronts). However, the queue line would frequently be updated to include modern-day movie posters and advertisements. This updating did not extend to the news reports playing on the queue line's TVs, which would show commercials for shows that were current as of

216-406: A Queensboro Bridge backdrop. During Halloween Horror Nights II at the park, the attraction was converted into an attraction known as Tramway of Doom , which featured appearances by the character Darkman . Guests were also permitted to walk on the ground during Halloween Horror Nights XI , in a show titled The Oozone Fright Club , where guests entered an employees only area of the queue line for

288-477: A giant ape, as the guests proceeded through the line queue, they would continually hear about King Kong's location along with his path of destruction. By the end of Kongfrontation's run, guests were bombarded with three decades at once. The queue made its way up a long ramp and ended at the elevated Manhattan station of the Roosevelt Island Tramway . Upon arriving at the station, guests boarded

360-477: A homage to the Jaws attraction and Amity section that was available to so many visitors over the years, references to both are sprinkled throughout Diagon Alley, one being a set of shark jawbones appearing behind the herbs and potions of Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary. The restrooms for Amity Island are also still open outside Diagon Alley. Nickelodeon Studios became a Blue Man Group attraction and live show in 2007. In 2021,

432-404: A large lagoon . The eight surrounding themed areas, clockwise from the entrance, are Minion Land on Illumination Ave, New York, San Francisco, London/Diagon Alley, World Expo, Springfield, DreamWorks Land, and Hollywood. Each area features a combination of rides, shows, attractions, character appearances, dining outlets and merchandise stores. Opened on August 11, 2023, this new area encompasses

504-436: A large, open-air aerial tram vehicle. There, a live guide aboard the tram informed them that they were being evacuated off of Manhattan Island and over to Roosevelt Island during Kong's attack. The tram's radio was tuned to the police emergency frequency so that guests could be informed of Kong's location in the city. The giant ape was destroying the city, he had already destroyed two elevated trains, buildings, houses and he

576-597: A parade and concert series inspired by New Orleans ' Fat Tuesday party is held at the park. The parade takes place in the evening and consists of park employees and other appointed park guests throwing beads to other park guests. Rock the Universe is the park's Christian music festival, featuring two days in January or February (as of 2019, prior years held this event in September. This was likely done in response to

648-507: A restaurant The Leaky Cauldron and several "signature shops". These include, Ollivanders Wand Shop , Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes , Borgin and Burkes , Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions , Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment , and Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour . Sometime after June 2005 the optical illusion of the Space Shuttle was removed from this part of the park. As you headed towards World Expo from San Francisco it

720-473: A result of the complex special effects designed for the ride. Universal engineers made several attempts over the years to improve reliability, which ultimately led to reduced mobility and functionality of Kong animatronics and background effects. Universal Studios Florida closed Kongfrontation on September 8, 2002. The attraction was gutted and Revenge of the Mummy took its place in 2004. King Kong returned to

792-451: A theme park and working production studio. Several movies, television series, commercials, music videos, and other forms of media have been produced onsite throughout its history. Nickelodeon Studios was one of the early pillars behind the working studio concept, and it was featured in various locations throughout the park in the form of soundstages . Popular kids' shows such as Double Dare were produced on location, and guests could tour

SECTION 10

#1732775757875

864-606: A time frame in which they want to ride. Fast & Furious: Supercharged opened on April 23, 2018. Diagon Alley is the second half of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Opened on July 8, 2014, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley/London features two attractions, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts and the Hogwarts Express , which connects the area to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. Diagon Alley also features

936-549: A variety of food and beverage options. A third outlet, named Cafe La Bamba , operates seasonally. NBC Media Center and The Wicked Experience, a seasonal survey attraction that allows guests to preview upcoming NBCUniversal films and shows, is located within the Hollywood section in a "Garden of Allah Villas"-themed area. A DreamWorks Animation -themed area named DreamWorks Land includes characters from Shrek , Trolls and Kung Fu Panda . It opened on June 14, 2024, as

1008-414: A well-known annual event during the fall season called Halloween Horror Nights , where the park transitions to a Halloween theme featuring haunted houses and scare zones on select nights. One of the park's biggest draws is Diagon Alley, a Harry Potter -themed portion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that opened in 2014. E.T. Adventure , another notable attraction, is the only remaining ride in

1080-406: Is a hard-ticketed event where the park transforms into a haunted playground. Featuring costumed actors, scare zones, haunted houses, special effects, and themed shows—all inspired by popular horror films, TV shows, and original concepts. The event takes place annually in late September, October, and early November. Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's, formerly known as Macy's Holiday Parade,

1152-639: Is a month-long event in December featuring authentic balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in celebration of Christmas at the park. The parade was rebranded in 2017, adding holiday floats, balloons, and choreographed characters based on Illumination's Despicable Me franchise, as well as the Madagascar and Shrek franchises from DreamWorks Animation. Generally in February through to April,

1224-515: Is essentially a sequel to the 1954 series , and was the latest in the line of works featuring the Lassie character, which debuted in the 1943 film Lassie Come Home , followed by several more movies and the aforementioned television series, which ran from 1954 to 1973. The series centers on the McCulloughs, a middle-class family living in suburban Glen Ridge, California. The McCulloughs are

1296-481: Is expected in 2025. The success of its sister location, Universal Studios Hollywood , in the 1980s fueled the desire to build a similar park in the Orlando area to compete with Walt Disney World . Two of its early projects were partially developed by famed Hollywood director Steven Spielberg , and many themed attractions over the years were developed in close collaboration with the directors, producers, and actors of

1368-612: Is in addition to the cost of park admission, and there are limited quantities available each day. Guests with Universal Express are given priority boarding status and enter a separate line queue at attractions that support it. The standard Universal Express pass allows guests to access the Universal Express line once per attraction, while the more expensive Universal Express Unlimited has no such restriction. The park has had some unscheduled closures. These included: In 2023, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida won

1440-667: The Transformers film series (2007–present) and Hans Zimmer 's score for The Simpsons Movie (2007). While, the SpongeBob StorePants gift shop plays compositions from the APM Music library; with most of the tracks are from SpongeBob SquarePants (1999–present). Universal offers an optional, pay-per-person pass known as Universal Express , which gives guests access to shorter lines at many attractions throughout its theme parks. The cost for Universal Express

1512-484: The entertainment industry . Universal Studios Florida was the first of three theme parks to open at Universal Orlando Resort , joined later by Universal Islands of Adventure in 1999, and Universal Volcano Bay in 2017. In 2019, it ranked eleventh in the world – sixth in North America – for overall attendance among amusement parks with approximately 10.9 million visitors. A fourth park, Universal Epic Universe ,

SECTION 20

#1732775757875

1584-531: The 'Best Halloween Event of 2022' at the Golden Ticket Awards. The New Lassie The New Lassie is an American family drama series which aired in first-run syndication from September 8, 1989 to February 15, 1992. The series stars Will Estes (then using his real name of Will Nipper) as Will McCullough, Lassie 's new master. Real life husband and wife Christopher and Dee Wallace-Stone co-starred as Will's parents. The New Lassie

1656-573: The Blue Man Group show would also be retired, leaving the original Nickelodeon Studios building empty for the first time since opening until 2022, when the Grinchmas show was moved into that theater. Universal Studios Florida has featured a number of well-known costumed characters throughout the park over the years, including: Universal Studios Florida features several seasonal events throughout its operating calendar. Some are included in

1728-472: The Mummy featured footage of Brendan Fraser and Arnold Vosloo , and multiple members of The Simpsons cast collaborated on The Simpsons Ride . Other examples involved directors, such as Steven Spielberg's assistance on the development of several rides including E.T. Adventure , Back to the Future: The Ride , and Jaws . Universal Studios Florida was originally designed to function as both

1800-586: The Parents (both 2000), Conrad Pope ’s score for Pavilion of Women and Patrick Doyle ’s score for Bridget Jones's Diary (both 2001) are also featured. While Jerry Goldsmith 's score for The Mummy (1999) is played near the Revenge of the Mummy attraction. The former Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone, mainly used a medley of already existing music that are licensed by Universal Music Publishing Group including Horner's An American Tail score. Throughout

1872-511: The Roosevelt Island station. Although Kong was never actually defeated, the news report indicated that he was making his way away from New York City, thereby alleviating the threat. Guests exited the attraction and traveled down a series of ramps into a King Kong themed gift shop called Safari Outfitters Ltd. There, a Kodak photo opportunity booth was located where guests could pose with King Kong, who appeared to grip them in front of

1944-739: The Stars. Ride the Movies. (1990–1998); No one makes believe like we do! (1990–1998); Ride the Movies (1998–2008); Jump into the Action (2008–2012); Experience The Movies (2012–2015) and Vacation Like You Mean It (2013–2019). The slogan was last changed in 2020 to "Let Yourself Woah" for the Universal Orlando Resort. It was eventually applied to all global tourist locations, including Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal Studios Florida features eight themed areas all situated around

2016-544: The TV station WWOR-TV were integrated into the ride and queue line as MCA/Universal owned the station at the time the attraction was designed. The helicopters that were used in the ride were molded from actual helicopters and were true to size. For the queue, real newscast video footage from WWOR-TV is played on queue monitors. Production for the audio was handled by John Miceli, Tony Miceli, and David Kneupper, along with Magic Lantern Productions and later Soundelux . Although WWOR

2088-494: The Universal Orlando Resort in the summer of 2016 with the opening of an attraction at Islands of Adventure called Skull Island: Reign of Kong . Guests entered the attraction through a facade recreating Pennsylvania Station as it appeared in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. Within the six-story walls of the massive show building, guests would find themselves in an elaborate production set simulating

2160-577: The animatronics roared. The ride system was developed by Arrow Dynamics , who subcontracted the manufacturing out to Intermountain Lift, Inc. The soundstage show building covered an area of 62,000 square feet (5,800 m) and a height of six floors. The slabs used to construct the exterior walls of the building are the largest of its kind ever used for construction. To make the city setting appear as realistic as possible, fifty facades were modeled after Manhattan's Lower East Side circa 1976. News reports from

2232-419: The backlot studio concept was becoming less of a draw for visitors. With each new attraction, Universal gradually moved away from the incorporation of the fourth wall convention, where cast and crew directly addressed guests. Instead of a behind-the-scenes filmmaking experience, the perspective shifted in the direction of putting guests in the middle of the action. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – with

Kongfrontation - Misplaced Pages Continue

2304-506: The cancellation of the event in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma.) of concerts with leading contemporary Christian, Christian rock , and Christian rap artists live at the Universal Music Plaza Stage . The Summer Concert Series occurred occasionally from 2013–2018 and featured a variety of popular musical acts performing live at the Universal Music Plaza Stage . Various Universal Pictures film scores are played in

2376-514: The comedy film Oscar , after a disgruntled employee set a fire that destroyed most of the set at the Hollywood location. For a brief time, Universal Studios Florida featured a backlot tour tram ride attraction, called the Production Studio Tour, with elements that were similar to the version at Universal Studios Hollywood. Guests toured active production set facilities in use for film and television. Disney heavily invested in

2448-416: The completion of Hogsmeade in 2010 and Diagon Alley in 2014 – accelerated this transition and reflects the park's modern strategy and approach to the guest experience. Despite the evolution and growing emphasis being placed on the theme park aspect, some soundstages at Universal Studios Florida remained active. In 1999, Wheel of Fortune was relocated to the park for three days of filming, helping to promote

2520-419: The creation of Universal Orlando Resort with the addition of Islands of Adventure , Universal CityWalk , and several hotels. In 2000, The Rank Group sold its 50% stake to Blackstone Capital Partners for $ 275 million, who in turn sold it to NBCUniversal in 2011 for $ 3.165 billion, giving the company 100% ownership of the resort. Slogans marketed by Universal Studios Florida over the years included: See

2592-523: The daily park admission, while others are separately-ticketed events. Grad Bash and Gradventure are two separate events held in April and May at the park. Grad Bash is an event for graduating high school senior classes who can gather for an exclusive, all-night party at both theme parks of Universal Orlando Resort , live performances, dance parties, and live pre-parties at the Universal Music Plaza Stage . After Disney 's retirement of Grad Nite, Grad Bash

2664-463: The existing Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction and Super Silly Stuff store, as well as the new Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast attraction, Minions' Cafe, Pop-a-Nana popcorn stand, Freeze Ray popsicle stand, Bake My Day sweets shop, and an Illumination Theater facade for character meet-and-greets. The New York section of the park features several dining outlets: Finnegan's Bar and Grill and Louie's Italian Restaurant which were designed for

2736-499: The facilities for a behind-the-scenes experience. Film production also occurred onsite. Psycho IV: The Beginning was the first film to be produced at the Florida park location while it was open to the public, and visitors during the park's first month of operation were able to get a glimpse of live production. In 1991, John Landis was forced to move from Universal Studios Hollywood to Universal Studios Florida to finish filming

2808-406: The films they are based on. An early layout and design of the park also incorporated active production studios, similar to the Hollywood location, which provided guests a behind-the-scenes look at film and television. As the interest to produce films in the Orlando area quickly faded, the design of the park transitioned to a more immersive, first-person perspective. Universal Studios Florida operates

2880-559: The idea after attempts to partner with a skeptical Paramount Pictures failed to materialize. The Studio Tour in Los Angeles continued to thrive, especially with the addition of a new, massive scene based on the 1976 film King Kong . It opened in 1986 as King Kong Encounter and became an instant hit with guests, boosting attendance and prompting Universal to revisit the idea of building a theme park in Orlando. That same year, former Disney Imagineer Peter Alexander, who worked on

2952-461: The interactive film and live-action show Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies . The current location of Diagon Alley was once a section of the park named Amity Island, based on the fictional seaside town from Jaws , which contained the park's Jaws attraction. The area was completely demolished to make way for the Diagon Alley portion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction. As

Kongfrontation - Misplaced Pages Continue

3024-456: The life-size King Kong animatronic and later became an executive at Universal Creative , met with his friend and renowned director Steven Spielberg to discuss the creation of a Back to the Future simulator ride. Star Wars creator George Lucas , who recently helped Disney design the well-received Star Tours attraction at Disneyland , had previously boasted to Spielberg that Universal

3096-416: The light, and in doing so, revealed that Kong had cut the tram off. He proceeded to grab, lift and subsequently drop the tram after being fired upon by the circling police helicopter. After narrowly escaping the enraged beast for a second time, small television monitors lowered from the tram's ceiling and guests watched themselves on the ride as part of a breaking news report as the tram safely made its way into

3168-777: The main front entrance of the park. These include John Williams ’ scores for Jaws (1975), Always and Born on the Fourth of July (both 1989). Alan Silvestri ’s score for the Back to the Future film series (1985-1990), James Horner ’s scores for An American Tail (1986), Casper and Apollo 13 (both 1995), respectively. Additionally, James Newton Howard ’s score for Waterworld (1995), Burkhard Dallwitz ’s score for The Truman Show (1998), Trevor Jones ’ score for Notting Hill , Christopher Young ’s score for The Hurricane (both 1999), Danny Elfman ’s score for The Family Man and Randy Newman ’s score for Meet

3240-475: The overall studio backlot theme. Their projected opening day lineup would include Kongfrontation , Jaws , and the Spielberg-Alexander collaborative project, Back to the Future : The Ride . A large theme park with separate attractions was a new concept for Universal, and their creative team ran into multiple obstacles during development and testing. Among the casualties from the early troubles

3312-406: The owners of the then-present-day descendant of Lassie. Real life spouses Christopher and Dee Wallace-Stone played Chris and Dee McCullough, with Will Estes (credited by his given name of Will Nipper) and Wendy Cox appearing as their young son Will and teenage daughter Megan respectively. Jon Provost , who starred in the original Lassie series, portrayed Chris' brother Steve McCullough who

3384-415: The park as well as Starbucks Coffee and Häagen-Dazs which are commercial franchises. There are also two merchandise shops: Sahara Traders and Rosie's Irish Shop . The first two feature merchandise related to attractions within this area. Also located here is a statue of longtime MCA/Universal executive Lew Wasserman , honoring his achievements and history while head of Universal. As Nickelodeon

3456-630: The park film scores from different film studios are played, due to exclusive licenses . This includes Williams’ score for the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011) at the park's main entrance and in Diagon Alley . Additionally, Elfman’s scores for Beetlejuice (1988), the Men in Black film series (1997–present) and the theme for The Simpsons (1989–present). Steve Jablonsky 's score for

3528-529: The park in its grand opening to the public on June 7, 1990. Originally intended to be a scene for the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tram Tour , Kongfrontation's success and quick ascension to becoming the most popular ride at the park has been credited as the primary catalyst that spurred development at Universal Studios Florida. While the attraction drew substantial crowds, it did have an unreliable track record as

3600-429: The park which debuted with the park's grand opening in 1990. In 1982, Universal contemplated the idea of opening an amusement park in Florida to compete with Disney . They considered building a similar version of their Studio Tour tram ride located at Universal Studios Hollywood , retaining the studio backlot tour theme to set it apart from what Disney was offering at Disney World . However, Universal abandoned

3672-577: The park's most recent area, replacing Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone. Notable retired attractions include Kongfrontation , Back to the Future: The Ride , The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera , its replacement Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast , A Day in the Park with Barney , its replacement DreamWorks Destination, Jaws , Twister...Ride it Out , T2-3D: Battle Across Time , Shrek 4-D , and Fievel's Waterslide. Universal Studios also housed other unique attractions that are now retired, like Nickelodeon Studios and

SECTION 50

#1732775757875

3744-497: The public relations sector, described as a "nasty feud" by the New York Times in 1989. Universal had publicly revealed their plans for Orlando ahead of Eisner's announcement, but Disney was in a better position to fast-track construction and open sooner. This forced Universal to rethink their approach and abandon the tram tour concept design for the park. Instead, they opted to build standalone attractions while retaining

3816-456: The ride's 1990 opening, like Out of This World and The New Lassie . Overhead television monitors displayed a special WWOR-TV news report of King Kong's attack, entitled "Kong on the Loose". Real-life news anchor Rolland Smith reported that the giant ape King Kong had escaped its confines and was wreaking havoc on the streets of New York. Kong had already destroyed two elevated trains and

3888-403: The roof of the tram to rumble and sends the chopper crashing and exploding into the bridge. Narrowly escaping the attack, the tram finally crossed over the river to Roosevelt Island, the sound of giant footsteps seeming to follow. A second helicopter hovering nearby shone a bright searchlight directly at the tram, inhibiting the view of what lay ahead. The tram operator urged the chopper to turn off

3960-469: The same working studio concept, but shortly after Universal Studios Florida opened, filming at the parks and even in the state was becoming less attractive. Producers complained of the logistics, expenses, and limited available resources. Consequently, Universal ended the Production Studio Tour only five years into the park's history in 1995, and Nickelodeon's TV production moved to California in 2005. Smaller shows and commercials continued to be produced, but

4032-651: The show, and then had to exit to the ground where another haunted maze awaited. The first street scene of the attraction was used as the Doom City Battlezone on the martial arts television show WMAC Masters . Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida , that opened on June 7, 1990. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal , it features numerous rides, attractions, and live shows that are primarily themed to movies, television, and other aspects of

4104-438: The street sequence weighed approximately 13,000 pounds (5,900 kg), while a lighter figure weighing approximately 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) was used for the bridge sequence of the ride. Both Kongs were built on both analog and digital platforms, which resulted in the ability to perform 62 separate functions. A smellitzer device was installed in each Kong figure, which emulated banana -scented breath emitted toward riders as

4176-531: The tram passed the power pole, it tipped over and its electrical transformer exploded, unleashing a shower of sparks and fire, which ignited the derailed elevated subway train. Rounding a bend and nearing the East River, the tram encountered Kong hanging from the Queensboro Bridge . A police helicopter hovering nearby opened fire on Kong to protect the approaching tram. Kong retaliated which causes

4248-583: The upcoming debut of Islands of Adventure . Nickelodeon returned temporarily in 2008 for the shooting of My Family's Got Guts . The 2010–11 season of RTL Group 's Family Feud was filmed on site, coinciding with the show's debut of new host Steve Harvey , but the show was relocated in 2011 to Atlanta, Georgia . The revival of Howie Mandel 's Deal or No Deal in 2018 was filmed in Soundstage 21 for CNBC . Local and national commercials were also shot at various soundstages. Universal Studios Florida

4320-413: Was a preemptive move to counter Universal's planned introduction into the Orlando market. Universal claimed that Eisner took advantage of his prior access to their plans for Orlando, borrowing some of the concepts, but Disney denied Eisner ever saw them. They also noted that planning for Disney-MGM Studios began in 1981, long before Eisner was hired. The corporate war between the two had spilled over into

4392-407: Was a water geyser from a broken fire hydrant, broken steam pipes, crashed and overturned cars, and a subway train partly derailed from its elevated track. A police chopper described the scene around the tram over the radio, alerting that Kong was approaching the tramway and that he was grabbing a power pole. Kong's silhouette could briefly be seen as a spotlight shone on a building ahead of the tram. As

SECTION 60

#1732775757875

4464-403: Was acquired by MCA/Universal from its prior corporate owners, RKO General , there were concerns about using the audio from broadcasts for entertainment purposes. Voiceover talent Ron Knight, who also contributed to E.T. Adventure and Jaws , stepped into the voiceover role for a WWOR reporter and also provided voices for police characters featured throughout the ride. Kongfrontation opened with

4536-399: Was built for an estimated $ 630 million, with 50% ownership in the hands of MCA Universal and 50% belonging to The Rank Organisation leisure company. While owned by Seagram , MCA Universal would again partner with The Rank Group (corporate successor to The Rank Organisation) a decade later in a major $ 2.5 billion expansion that would transform the park into a resort. The expansion led to

4608-491: Was headquartered in the park at the time, the opening credits for Roundhouse and All That (two of its shows) were filmed around this area of the park. In August 2015, Universal announced that it would replace Disaster! with a new attraction based on the film franchise The Fast and the Furious . The company later revealed that this attraction would use Universal's new "Virtual Line" system, allowing guests to select

4680-470: Was held for five nights in 2012. Gradventure is aimed to junior high/middle school graduating students. Gradventure and Grad Bash was originally held with graduating high schoolers go to islands of adventure and graduating middle school students go to Universal Studios Florida. For 2024, this was changed to both middle and high schoolers can visit both parks. The event has most attractions open and regular guests cleared out. Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

4752-632: Was incapable of building such a ride. Spielberg and Alexander gladly accepted the challenge and began working on the ride's concept. Universal was already working on the design for its backlot tram tour attraction in Florida, which would include multiple scenes depicted at the Hollywood location. In 1987, Disney CEO Michael Eisner – previously the CEO at Paramount when Universal pitched their Florida park idea several years earlier – announced intentions to create their own studio backlot tour at Walt Disney World . The new area, to be called Disney-MGM Studios ,

4824-425: Was knocking down anything in his path and authorities could do nothing to stop him. A police dispatcher then contacts the tram operator, ordering him to stop as they are headed directly into the neighborhood where King Kong is, but the conductor protests it cannot be halted as the ride is preprogrammed. The tram traveled above the streets of downtown New York City where guests could view Kong's path of destruction. There

4896-598: Was later adopted by the McCullough family, and began going by his middle name of Steven (Steve). Guest stars with a Lassie past included Roddy McDowall , who had starred in the first movie Lassie Come Home (1943) and Tommy Rettig , who had played Jeff Miller in the early years of the original television series (later syndicated as Jeff's Collie ). Other guest stars included Leonardo DiCaprio and Todd Bridges . The collie featured in The New Lassie

4968-510: Was one of the many designated photo spots throughout the park. There was a hanging platform that you would place your camera on and take the picture. The Shuttle would look as though it was sitting on the top of Back to the Future: The Ride . Springfield used to be classed as a part of the World Expo until 2016. Hollywood's two dining outlets are recreations of actual Hollywood outlets. Schwab's Pharmacy and Mel's Drive-In offer guests

5040-544: Was rapidly approaching the East River with authorities seemingly powerless to stop him. Clips from the 1976 film version of King Kong , portraying the beast's rampage, played during these newscasts, as did alerts from the Emergency Broadcast System telling everyone in the city to remain indoors due to what was lurking outside. After the initial breaking news that New York City was being attacked by

5112-472: Was revealed in a later episode to be the adult Timmy Martin in an episode guest-starring June Lockhart in a reprisal of her role as Timmy's foster mother Ruth Martin. In the episode titled "Roots", Timmy reveals that he was never officially adopted by the Martins, and thus couldn't go with them to Australia when they moved there (at the beginning of season 11 of the original Lassie series). Subsequently, he

5184-598: Was the Back to the Future ride, which had its opening delayed by nearly a year. Many of the attractions over the years were developed in close collaboration with directors, producers, and actors from the films on which they were based. In many cases, actors reprised their roles, contributing new dialogue and footage to fill pre-show queues and action sequences within the attractions. Rip Torn and Will Smith contributed to Men in Black: Alien Attack , Revenge of

#874125