There is a tribute to the fallen dragons in Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. On one of the walls in the queue (I think it’s in the standby queue), there’s some graffiti that says “Dueling Club” with the heads of blue and red dragons.
Good!, should be be a tribute stand next to it, reminding us of the dueling dragons, with a reading plate and pictures, fun fact apart from red dragon in aventura spain, and even the vekoma slc prototype el condor in holland, this was my favorite (b&m coaster, as ice felt like a dance and id ride it for hours, fire was intenser with positive g forces, i wish it had a zero g- rolled by an inverted coaster overbank turn into a dive loop, onto the straights, i loved them, i also though the theming and colors on ice, especially on the trains looks better, and that zero g roll. i never managed to get on them dualing, but they could'v put nets and screens, even if difficult, because of tight tolerances they needn't be thick, the structures to hold transparent screens could be themed with dragon art or 3d holgram fire effects+sounds lights, during the rides, statues and more / better dragon artwork woul've come across that the dragons were infact wyrms winged sleek long tailed serpentine Dragons. the way they danced around each other reminded me of aang learning fire weilding in the animation series avatar legend of aang book fire, by exactly such wyrms. and their dueling was a dance between fire and ice.
At least they paid the beasts tribute. Just got back from there last weekend. By the time we made it to Islands of Adventure, the storm clouds were hanging over and had most of the rides shut down for weather (and my brother was being pissy.) Had no idea they closed my coaster as we naturally didn't stick around to long at that point. So bummed as I was definitely looking forward to that ride the entire trip 😫🙏
I remember my favorite part of the ride being the climb up three lift hill. The two trains would always trash talk or yell at each other before we battled. It felt personal haha
My high school band class went to Islands of Adventure in 2003, and pretty much the entire class would be on the two tracks at once, trash-talking all the way up like you say. And when we happened to be there, there was hardly any line, so it felt like you could just walk right up and get on again and again, trying out both of the rides multiple times. Great times!
I rode this back in the dueling days, right after it had been raining so there were no lines. We just kept getting on and switching tracks. Great memory.
I have a very similar memory, from back in summer 2000. My dad and I rode over 20 times, switching between Fire and Ice. Not a single person in the queue besides a few other people who had the same idea.
Dueling Dragons should be in the conversation for best Invert and while I think the dragons fall short of Montu, Afterburn and Raptor, when they dueled they gave an unmatched experience.
I visited Islands of Adventure in summer 2000 when I was 11. I don't remember what the circumstances were that made the park so empty, but there were no lines for any rides- perhaps it had been raining. My dad and I alternated between the two dragons for a total of I can't remember how many rides...at least 20. I can't be certain anymore, but I think Ice was my favorite. I remember running through the seemingly 10 mile long queue admiring the theming and thinking about how much it would suck if I had to wait in a full queue line. That's one of my fondest memories involving theme parks growing up. Dueling Dragons were indeed an unmatched experience.
Having worked with people in Universal Orlando who were there, I can say for sure that the major reasons it closed were as follows from the executive office view. 1. The ground the ride was on was slowly growing unstable from poor grading. They would have had to demolish everything just to fix all of that in the first place. 2. Because of the previously mentioned issue, the ride was at risk of literally shaking iself apart if both coasters ran at once, thus causing huge liability and lawsuit concerns. 3. The Universal execs straight up wanted a new shiny Harry Potter ride to attract people into the park, and with the Dragon coaster being handicapped, they had the perfect excuse once riders per hour dropped.
That's terrible... the ground itself slayed the dragons and the money aspect just confirmed the decision but at least it will be beloved for a long time since so many people miss it
@bigevilworldwide1 you have a great point! Its expensive but considering how much rides are used they need to be expensive to run well so im just glad they were replaced with someone good
Why didn't they just relocate the ride? I mean, some other amusement park could have bought it. This is the part I do not understand. I remember X-Flight migrated to Kings Island after Geauga lake closed. So why didn't they do something like that? Where are the tracks right now? What did they do with all the track parts?
@@JayckobHernandez She's kind of a hack. There's no way anyone can convince me either that all of the ideas for Harry Potter were exclusively her's on her own.
Somehow with covid rules supercharged had the longest wait times my last time in universal. I hadn’t watched any videos and completely wasted my time in line for that attraction. I place that attraction below the old fear factor interactive
the sorry excuse for a ride was one of the worst experiences I've had at a theme park. The wait was excruciating because only one or two busses were in rotation and the poor attendants had to sanitize every bench every round. After what felt like all day waiting, the "ride" was cheap, visually ugly, and as thrilling as a week old tuna sandwich. Will never ride it again, and I feel bad for everyone who worked hard on it.
6:21 from this angle the tracks looks like the dragons’ breaths firing at each other. This ride was so good, I remember having the express pass and riding each one back and forth.
This coaster was awesome, all the memories, there really wad nothing cooler than a set of duling B&M Inverts. Don't get me wrong, Hagrids was a good replacement but God I miss this thing.
@@logo115 Agreed. Canada doesn't have the amusement culture that the USA has, and Canada's Wonderland, being the biggest amusement park in Canada, would have really drew in the crowds, similar to the crowds Behemoth and Leviathan brought in
I’ll never forget riding Fire in the front once and not getting my harness in as much as I’d like. However at the bottom of the drop the high positive G’s snapped the harness into place where I had wanted it. Fire wins for me!
On the opposite side of that coin, I hate when the restraint gets pulled in uncomfortably tight, the ride starts and it's too late to do anything about it.
Hi from IOE 🤗 Awesome video! It made Brian's day that you mentioned him! Thanks. ☺ Dragons were "his girls" and will always be his favorite project ever. Its dueling code lives on in our retrofit of Racer 75. 💖
@@ElToroRyan Honestly, that means the world to him to hear that. That was a life-changing project for him that has always been and always will be close to his heart. He's closing in on a resume of having programmed almost 75 coasters and DD remains at the top. So glad he can keep the spirit alive when we work on racing coasters. ☺ You did a great job on the video!
Dueling Dragons was sooo good 😭 As soon as they removed the dueling aspect I knew its days were numbered. Both Ice and Fire were great coasters, but the dueling was the wow factor. Very fond memories of this ride!
I got to ride the red track when they were themed as Dragon Challenge and I had no clue what I was in for. The floater airtime on the first encounter happens at the exact moment that you're startled by the blue train on the zero G roll right underneath you and the combination is unlike anything I've experienced. The whole ride was thrilling and intense but smooth beyond belief. My mom will gush about it every time we have a conversation about coasters.
I've never felt more alone then right now scrolling for a single comment mentioning the relation of the dueling dragon to Bring It On: In It To Win It. That was my immediate association with the roller coaster
As such a technically minded guy myself, and being on a coaster kick recently. This is BY FAR the best coaster breakdown/review/history content I've seen.. Keep up the good work man, you're killing it!
Haha who's gonna pay over $30 million for a dueling B&M?? No one needs that high of a capacity besides the universal parks. Just can't see anyone other park wanting them. If you want a dueling coaster you'll need a cheaper manufactuer imo
As Ryan mentioned, the reason it stopped dueling was because of safety. Even with metal detectors, lockers, and all the warnings, loose items will always sneak through and all it takes is one incident to stop dueling forever. Sadly coasters like this would never even be built today because of loose article safety concerns. Why build something when it’s biggest point of appeal is very likely to be shut down?
I’m so sad to hear it closed. I went to universal as a kid and this and the hulk were the only rides I was to short to go on. It was my bucket list to go back and ride the dragons one day😭
Me too. I went when I was 8 years old and I was about 2-4 inches too short to go on most of the bigger rides (Hulk, Dueling Dragons, etc.) So my brother and father went along and I remember being upset that day I couldn't enjoy all the big fun rides. Well my family never went back to Universal after that. By the time I was able to get there on my own (with my now husband) it had already been closed. I'm so sad I'll never get to ride it. I remember the entrance being so fucking cool.
@@Rishro29 yeah the entrance was awesome. I had these big shoes with wheels in them that boosted me up like 2 inches and I was still to short. My brother got a shirt from the gift store that he still has to this day.
I grew up in Orlando so I rode these a lot. Hulk had that nasty shimmy that would shake your ears (they got rid of it but now it's slower and just kind of hurts). This was my favorite ride (I haven't been in a few years so I haven't ridden Hagrid or Velocicoaster)
When I was a little kid, I wanted Duelling Dragons to be the first coaster I ever rode. I was absolutely crushed when they removed duelling. I remember building a trashy little replica in Rollercoaster Tycoon as tribute to the fallen dragons.
I still have one of the red/blue t shirts so I'm sure it existed. Loved the ride, but like all inverted coasters, you really needed to be on the front row to get the full experience. I preferred Ice, but I know lots of people loved Fire
When they added the metal detectors I thought for sure that was with the plan to let the dragons duel again 😔. Didn't make sense to me why a coaster that didn't interact with any guests off-ride got the no loose articles treatment
They probably _hoped_ to, but there turned out to be another problem with the dragons dueling: halfassed grading during the original earthworks for the ride was finally coming back to bite Universal. The ground beneath the supports had gotten saturated enough to start sinking and destabilizing, making the combined vibrations of the two tracks running at once dangerous; even running only one side at a time was problematic.
This coaster is why I'm an enthusiast, and I never even rode it. Its closure is what set me down this path. I missed my chance to ride, and I will never stop wishing I could get to ride it. However, it brought me to the community of theme parks, which introduced me to coasters I never even thought possible. It was then I realized how much I was missing out by being scared of these things. However, just this year, I was able to ride its cousin across the lake. It felt... poetic in a way. While I've been on coasters I'd consider superior in intensity, I conquered that which I never thought I would. Rest in peace, Dueling Dragons.
I wear my tie die Dueling Dragons shirt literally every time I go to the parks, and I feet multiple comments from TMs and sometimes guests. It's amazing how people go nuts when they see a DD shirt, that's the legacy it left that makes it a legendary set of coasters that will be beloved and remembered for many years to come.
just discovered your channel and have been binge watching for over two hours! great content and I love your insight and take on Dueling Dragons. I have great memories riding both sides with family when IOA was still a new park, and then the spring break trip we took in college riding them back to back with no lines. I was not a believer in Hagrid's and told my brother who is also a roller coaster lover that "this better be good." I agree, it was a solid replacement and outside of Velocicoaster (my new IOA fav) is now my second fav at the park. Keep up the great work!
Even though I've never ridden it when it was duelling, I still considered it a great ride! And I agree, that drop of the camelback in the red side was just nuts! Best part of the coasters!
I always felt that Ice/Hungarian Horntail was the more exciting track. Also, part of why DD lost its dueling privileges (along with the already mentioned loose articles problem) was how the track foundations were slowly sinking. Eventually, those near-misses would have become collisions.
Back when I got to ride them around 2003 I always wondered what would happen if someone who was like 8ft. tall with super long legs got onto one of the tracks. Would their feet graze the other side when the two come together for the loop? It always seemed so close!
Thank you so much for this video, I agree with everything you said about it's removal. I was sad watching this - I do miss those coasters. At least Hagrid's is amazing. I still remember going on Dueling Dragons for the first time in 2001; the experience was unparalleled. I can vividly remember the entrance and queue line, and the excitement of going on it for the first time. I rode Ice the first time, and went on fire in later visits; both were fantastic.
Gah I'll never forget riding Fire over and over again with my buddies from Youth Group in 2007. Felt like my legs were gonna get torn off every ride from the positive G's - and I loved it. Rode Ice First and never turned back to it after my ride on Fire - it just felt so much more intense. That slanted immelman with the wrap around helix was so dope - I'm surprised it didn't make me grey out. Had tons of fun in line in the beautiful castle, me and my bros laughing cause of the constant comments from a British family about "all the nooks and crannies" lol. Only visited IoA once but Dueling Dragons was easily the best part of that trip. And yes I'm finna flex as well - I every ride that day was a duel ;)
I remember that line queue freaking me out as a kid too, but this was one of the coolest roller coasters I've ever rode including The Incredible Hulk which were both at Island Adventures.
Declan c Kumba all the way. And that’s not just because of my account name. Kumba is very forceful and in my opinion (apparently everybody else thinks otherwise) very smooth.
Kumba from BGT as much as I LOVE ❤️ kumba, I get a bit of head banging each time I ride it. I feel like if they fixed that issue kumba would be tied with montu as my number 1. Montu also has certain elements that I love more like the batwing and the imomen going over that pathway
I remember I marathoned this coaster one night and was able to get a front row duel with my brother on the other train. Probably some of the greatest interactions on a coaster ever! Amazing coverage of both ride experiences by the way. It felt like I was back on them lmao
I was way too young and scared of coasters to ride the dueling dragons when we first went to universal in the early 2000s, but my dad seemed to really like it and i got a plush fire dragon from the giftstore, so it has a special place in my heart. Later ended up riding the dragon challenge version several years later, I had a pretty good time, but i wish they had kept the dueling aspect😭
I need to hear the block explanation. Every. Single. Video. By far my favorite part of the video is you explaining the technical components of the ride lol
Oh man, I remember riding Duelling Dragons back in 2001 or so. Our biggest family vacation, it was definitely one of the highlights. What a great coaster, what a great concept. Sorry to hear it's gone the way of the dodo.
I'm so lucky to have these credits. These were incredible when they dueled. Individually, they were top 10 inverts in the world, but when they ran together, there was nothing like them and there still hasn't been anything like them since.
Just had a thought... they could've themed it so that two dragons that were supposed to guard eggs had escaped their enclosures before the task could begin and were now fighting one another and of course the rider is whichever dragon they chose.... changed the color a bit, maybe tweaked the inside, banned all items in pockets so they could actually duel again and that would've been a hit. But nope.
There’s info saying the ground was in a bad state and if they duel the roller coaster could fall so they took it out, fixed the ground and decided to make a Harry Potter themed one because it would make more money
YES!! Another great vid from my current favorite RU-vidr!!! I am very lucky. I got to ride both when it dueled in 2006. It was phenomenal and if they were around and dueled today I think they may still be in my top 15 coasters.
I really liked the ice side! I feel like the fire side is when I decided the ride was probably what Quidditch felt like, but the ice side was smoother and FELT longer. I only rode it once while it was still Dueling Dragons, but Dragon Challenge was still dueling the first time I rode the HP re-skin. (2010, 6 months after Hogsmeade opened). That being said, while I miss this glorious B&M monstrosity, I LOVE Hagrid's, like, a lot.
Loved Dueling Dragons thought it was definitely a one of a kind hands down. Sadly the only B&M coaster to close and be ripped out too. I think Hulk is better than Hagrids but it’s no denying Hagrids is a show stealer (well when it works)
very happy to have gotten to ride this, this coaster was my intro to the inverts and my first B&M, and increased my love for roller coasters, I was terrified of going upside down and not having control of the situation, but thought about it. you've got more of a chance to get hurt on the way too the park than inside of it, so I rode both tracks and loved it, really good ride, sad to see it go. wish I could rode when it was dueling
I was lucky enough once to ride the fire dragon in the front row back when they did still duel and that was the coolest experience, especially the two vertical loops..roller coastering directly into another coaster until you both pull up at the last second
Thanks for making this video. I was really sad to hear that this ride had been removed. This is a tough call for me, but if you consider it one ride, it's the best coaster I've ever been on. Inverted, B&M, five inversions and three encounters with the other train. It was a masterpiece, and I can't believe it's gone. I still can't decide if I liked fire or ice more. You make some good points about fire, but the close encounter with the castle wall and cobra roll on ice were pretty exciting too. I'll never forget being in the front row, coming down low, heading straight for the other train and then looping away.
The ride also got EXTREAMELY bumpy and was definitely at the end of its life span :( I was hoping for a refurb but instead it got removed :( Can't wait to ride hagrid's though!
my favorite ride as a kid! i remember when my dad would tell me we were travelling to florida and i would get so excited to ride this ride again. i miss it so much.
When it was announced this coaster was being torn down and scrapped I was so upset but I’m happy I rode it. I got on it my one and only time before the dueling was removed
I got to ride the red dragon back in the early 2000s on a marching band trip and I LOOOOOVED IT SO MUCH! I cried when we got off because it just.....it was so good, I just couldn’t contain myself.
I remember that footage way back in the day when all the coaster nerds were excited about IOA - it was Steel Phantom back then and I found it amusing that they used a green filter
I remember reading about these when they opened and at the time the reviews I read preferred the Ice side because of "the wall", seeing the cobra roll as a couple of extra near-miss elements. But then when I was actually fortunate enough to go in 1999, my friends and I all preferred to hit up the Fire side. It didn't hurt that the fire side was basically a walk-on, but even before I could have recognized any of the elements, the Fire side was clearly the better of the two. I'm with you on the removal--I'd be more mad if they still had dueled, or if their replacement wasn't a really great ride/experience. But Hagrid's slaps, fits the theming better, and I can't feel too bad about it. (I am really curious how Hagrid's block zones/capacity works if you'd be game to explain that more someday)
I compare the capacity and general zones to Disney’s space mountain except a lot more elements involved. The reason it sucked for a while is because so many elements had to be perfect or the computer would stop everything and cascades were so common in waves
@@ryanvanasse I’ll be sure to try it! If it’s anything like space mountain, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. I love the technicalities and machinery of these things.
dueling dragons was the first major rollercoaster i’d ever ridden on and i have it to thank for helping me conquer my fear of rollercoasters! so grateful i got to experience it multiple times while it was still dueling.💖
Dueling Dragons had such an initial impact on me the only other coaster that had a bigger one was El Toro! Incredible coaster that I will always remember fondly!
It's a shame these coasters couldn't find a second life elsewhere. But it probably wouldn't have been worth the trouble for another park to try to take them. I never got to ride either side (never been to FL before).
I was so fortunate to get this credit! I almost only rode Ice but fortunately I was able to convince my dad to let me do the fire side and wow the fire was a step up from the ice! It’s sad to see these gone, but very fortunate to have this credit. Of my 56 credits, I got a lot of defunct ones (vortex, firehawk, dragon challenge fire, ice, Colossus(SFMM))
Knowing what we now know about Rowling and how she's willing to hurt people for her ajenda I wouldn't put it past her to have sabataged Dueling Dragons. I'm 100% serious.
They were fun. It was nice in the off season when u could ride both time after time with no wait. LOL. Great channel. I am glad that I found u. Keep up the good work !!!
Presumably couldn't take the risk of someone not putting something in the locker and it injuring another rider. Never underestimate how selfish people can be.
As a kid i had a paper copy of the Islands of Adventure map and would always pore over it, hoping i could visit one day. The most intriguing ride was Dueling Dragons-an intense, dueling pair of modern (at the time) inverted coasters was something out of my dreams! I finally visited as a teen in 2011 and ever since, the blue track has been my favorite steel coaster ever. RIP to the dragons but they had a good life. Excellent video!
I've only been to Florida once in August 2000 and the Dragons were one of my favourite rides despite riding them before 9am and feeling quite queasy. Happy memories....
I worked on Dueling Dragons in 2003/2004. It was always such a thrill, when opening in the mornings and doing mandatory test runs, to ride solo in the front! Such fond memories. Fire was my favorite, thanks to the camel back, but I also very-much loved Ice. It was an epic coaster.
Fire was always my favorite. So graceful with lovely air time. Dueling dragons was such an incredible pair of coasters. The queue was an absolutely stunning experience.
