Fun Times At Universal Orlando

Get set for the most technologically advanced, and yes:  the coolest, roller coaster ever!  Admittedly, I haven’t ridden every roller coaster in the world.  I saw a picture of the tallest… but I digress.  Dueling Dragons at Universal Orlando gives you twice the riding experience:  Dual coaster, one named fire and the other named ice.

“A stroll through this forest can be a dangerous proposition,” says Merlin.  “Living within it are two fierce dragons.  One breathes fire; the other breathes ice.  In order to escape, you must prove your bravery by mounting the back of one of the creatures and riding it to freedom.”  Hence the legend behind the fire and ice coasters:  two dragons living in an enchanted forest.  Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure really took a lesson from the Mouse who shall remain nameless on this one.  They’ve created a legend, and a themed queue that would rival any created by Disney.  In fact, the queue at Dueling Dragons holds the dubious honor of being the longest and most elaborate waiting line in the world.  Not a distinction I’d go out of my way to earn, but there it is.  And the queue is long, I have to admit.  If the line reaches outside of the entrance, you’ll probably be waiting about 2 hours.  I’d advise using Universal Express, or riding later in the day when many people’s feet have given out for the day.

The seats for the coasters are suspended from the track, so your feet will be flopping in the wind as you ride.  The fire and the ice dragons are on different tracks, and they take off at the same time.  Well… aproximately at the same time.  This is really cool:  a computer calculates the weight of each coaster and adjusts the time of take-off and the speed, so that the near misses will happen exactly on time.  What near misses?  Three times the two tracks nearly collide, with only about 12 inches between them.  If you want the best view of the misses, ride in the front cars.  Be warned, though… there’s a separate line for those who want to ride in front, and it’s pretty long. 

No matter which dragon you choose, you’re in for a wild ride.  There are lockers out front.  Use them if you wish to keep your possessions.  And don’t ride in the rain.  I made that mistake once.  I swear that light drizzle felt just like hail.

Kids have to be 54″ to ride Dueling Dragons.  Most kids won’t hit that height until at least 9 years old, so be prepared to split up while the adults ride.  There’s a roller coaster just down the path from Dueling Dragons called the Flying Unicorn that’s more the speed for younger children.  Might want to take turns.