Is Dueling Dragons coming back universal?

The Dragon's Return Starting August 30, 2023, Universal Orlando Annual Passholders will have access to unique Dueling Dragons merchandise at Universal Studios Florida. The new items include a t-shirt, scented candle, and other surprises as part of the Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights.



No, the original Dueling Dragons (later renamed Dragon Challenge) is not coming back to Universal Orlando Resort. The legendary B&M inverted "dueling" coasters were permanently closed in 2017 to make way for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure. The physical tracks were completely scrapped due to ongoing maintenance issues and the fact that the "dueling" aspect—the ride's main selling point—had been suspended years earlier for safety reasons after loose items hit passengers on the opposing train. However, Universal fans are getting a "spiritual successor" in 2025/2026 with the opening of Stardust Racers (formerly known as Starfall Racers) at the new Epic Universe park. This new dual-track coaster features a "celestial" theme and utilizes a high-tech "dual-launch" system to simulate the "near-miss" moments that made Dueling Dragons so famous. While the dragons themselves are gone, the "racing coaster" DNA is very much alive in Universal's newest and most ambitious park expansion.

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For the uninitiated, the Dueling Dragons ride was a pair of intertwined roller coasters at Universal Islands of Adventure, open from 1999 to 2010.

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July 2017: Universal says it's closing Dragon Challenge in September, replacing it with something else in 2019. 2019: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, a completely new coaster, opens on the former grounds of Dueling Dragons.

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The proverbial other shoe dropped in December of 2011, when Universal announced that Jaws and the entire Amity area would be closing to to be replaced by 'an exciting, NEW, experience” which was soon revealed to be the Diagon Alley expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

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Are theme park rides safe? Overwhelmingly, yes. Safety is at the forefront of everything we do, Wahl said. Even new cutting-edge thrill rides marketed as the fastest, longest or steepest have to follow safety standards set by industry experts.

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About the cessation of the dueling coasters For more than a decade, the signature thrill of Universal Orlando's “Dragon Challenge” has been the ride's three near-collisions, in which the attraction's two intertwined roller coasters, speeding along their tracks at up to 60 mph, pass within 18 inches of each other.

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Q: Is the VelociCoaster the scariest rollercoaster? Yes, the VelociCoaster is the scariest roller coaster at Universal Orlando Resort. Other coasters come close, like The Incredible Hulk Coaster, but we believe that the scariest roller coaster at Universal is VelociCoaster.

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Universal Studios theme park will open a land based on DreamWorks Animation characters in 2024, Universal Orlando announced Thursday. Visitors can expect to see interactive play spaces and attractions based on “Gabby's Dollhouse,” “Shrek,” “Trolls” and “Kung Fu Panda,” the resort said.

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