Here's what Universal's new Jurassic Coaster will look like

January 18, 2019, 2:14 PM · We have our first look now at the track layout for the all-but-confirmed new roller coaster that will be coming to the Jurassic Park land in Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure theme park.

Chip Skambis from Orlando's WFTV has gotten an advance look at the soon-to-be-filed construction permits for the roller coaster, which will twist around the Jurassic Park Discovery Center.

The coaster will load on the old site of the Raptor Encounter in Jurassic Park, which is moving. Most of its run will take place in the space between the Discovery Center and the Camp Jurassic playground, that was once home to the Triceratops Encounter. But the coaster will also run behind the Discovery Center and across the edge of the park's central lagoon, extending as far as to the back of Mythos Restaurant.

No word yet on specs for the coaster, much less a manufacturer. Universal later this year will open a new Forbidden Forest-themed coaster next door in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, so one wonders how this ride experience will differ from that one, beyond their themes. Construction appears imminent, however, as just this month, Universal put up construction walls around the Jurassic coaster site.

We also don't yet have word on whether the Jurassic Coaster will be themed to Jurassic Park or Jurassic World, but the smart money would bet on Jurassic World, as that's the current iteration of Universal's biggest film franchise. Who's up for a run with Blue the Raptor?

Prior permits suggested an 18-month construction time for the project, which would put the new coaster on track (sorry!) for a summer 2020 opening.

Replies (30)

January 18, 2019 at 2:31 PM

Great news! The scale of this project sounds immense. I'm sure that whatever Universal Creative cooks up, theme park fans will have a roaring good time. It'll be dino-mite! :-)

January 18, 2019 at 2:33 PM

As a coaster fan, this is pretty incredible news. However, as a fan of Universal, I have to wonder if adding another roller coaster is the right move at this point. I guess if it offers a unique seating arrangement or something completely different than other coasters it could be a hit. You could also consider that when Dragon Challenge was torn down, that was two (2) roller coasters that needed to be replaced, and with this JW addition, IOA will get back to its original coaster count.

If you are a coaster fan, you used to laugh at the installations in Orlando. The coaster wars were usually reserved to the back and forth between Cedar Point and Magic Mountain. However, there's some serious competition now with Gringott's, 7DMT, SDD, the new Harry Potter Coaster, this new Jurassic World coaster, Guardians, and Tron being built over a 10-year period. That doesn't even include Mako, and whatever else Sea World might have in store over the next few years (or what RMC is doing to Gwazi over in Tampa). Who would have thunk it?

January 18, 2019 at 3:12 PM

Is this supposed to attract more business ... More guests to the park. Building a new themed coaster next to another new themed coaster?

Um ... okay.

January 18, 2019 at 3:27 PM

Interesting placement and can beef up the Jurassic section. We'll see how it develops with the type of coaster involved but this can add more fun to the area (Which, let's face it, has been the River adventure and not much else for non-kids).

January 18, 2019 at 3:44 PM

Fantastic news. Love that section of the park.

January 18, 2019 at 3:57 PM

@TH, I suspect this move is more about increasing capacity rather than attracting guests. Islands lost two coasters in Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge, so now they're building two to make up for the lost guest throughput, if that makes sense.

January 18, 2019 at 4:20 PM

It would be great to have a coaster with state of the art dinosaur AAs chasing you along the track.

January 18, 2019 at 4:34 PM

@TH there’s lots of evidence that this will be part of a Jurassic World rebrand, which would be a big draw. Also it looks like a more intense standard launch coaster while Hagrid’s looks more family friendly with lots of show scenes.

January 18, 2019 at 5:17 PM

@JTrex the T-Rex ... "Capacity?" On my most recent visit the longest wait time at IOA/USF was 20 minutes for Gringot's.

January 18, 2019 at 5:32 PM

Firing up the DeLorean now to travel two years into the future, when I get to write the "Is Universal Building Too Many Roller Coasters?" post.

January 18, 2019 at 5:59 PM

About all of those new screen-based attractions...

January 18, 2019 at 7:56 PM

I kinda wish it was going through the discovery centre, as the ruins of the "original" Jurassic Park. I was extremely disappointed with the DC and wouldn't be sad to see it go.

January 18, 2019 at 8:07 PM

"Who's up for a run with Blue the Raptor" .....

Mmmmm maybe it should be ... Who's up for a run with(on) T-Rex .... and I don't mean the 65 million year old dinosaur !!!

Still dreaming .....

January 18, 2019 at 8:33 PM

Great news! more new attractions coming to Orlando. what a great time for theme parks in central florida.

January 18, 2019 at 10:14 PM

“Too many coasters”?!?!? Hahahahaha! No such thing, Robert! =)

January 18, 2019 at 10:41 PM

Its great to see UO adding a big new thrill coaster. Considering how popular and marketable Hulk is, and Dragons was, i'm sure it will be a big hit.

I rode the Jurassic Park B&M Flying Coaster at Universal Japan and it is extremely intense, even moreso than Tatsu. It is probably the best "overall layout" of all the flyers out there. That being said I would be surprised if this were a flyer considering Manta is next door but even if its not considering what they built in Japan I don't think they will shy away from an intense coaster.

January 19, 2019 at 4:28 AM

I’m with you James! Coasters > Screens

January 19, 2019 at 5:44 AM

Universal builds too many screen rides … and now, Universal builds too many coasters?!?

A 20-minute max wait for IOA/USF is definitely a weekday during the extreme part of the offseason. That's not representative at all of what is average for most of the year.

January 19, 2019 at 6:08 AM

Nice juxtaposition of intense section and a kind of smooth fast section out by the lake. Fits with with normal all is well and then suddenly something goes wrong. Lol people saying it will motorbike themed?? on other forums. I think it will be raptor themed as they have been consistent in all the JP movies and Blue is the star of the JW series. Coasters are also cheap, high capacity and quick to install and non screen based. Good move universal put some thrills back into the park rides.

January 19, 2019 at 10:36 AM

"Firing up the DeLorean now to travel two years into the future, when I get to write the "Is Universal Building Too Many Roller Coasters?" post."

Lol. You just made my day! And the answer is never. You can never have too many roller coasters!

Rumor has it this is going to have a 175' high top hat element (think Xcelerator at Knotts) near the water. Could be an interesting icon on the lagoon to compete with Hulk. Might also encourage people to run to the left instead of run to the right at rope drop. The main question is if this is going to break the Hogsmeade skyline.

January 19, 2019 at 10:55 AM

@TH Creative "Building a new themed coaster next to another new themed coaster?"

"Um ... okay."

You are so right. That is exactly what I thought, when Disney announced they where building the Tron coaster next to Space Mountain. But I guess people like coasters.

January 19, 2019 at 2:06 PM

Yeah. Two themed coasters built next to each other that opened more than 40 years apart is the same scenario as the one at IOA.

(Chuckle)

January 19, 2019 at 6:15 PM

Guess the new slogan at Universal Orlando Resort could be "Screens and Screams," though it prompta me to mention that Universal Studios Japan, already home to the Flying Dinosaur coaster at their version of Jurassic Park, kicked off the fifth annual Universal Cool Japan 2019 event this weekend. The spring session has Lupin the 3rd and Detective Conan limited engagement attractions and there will be four more limited time additions for the summer session. There's a short window mostly in June when guests can experience all of the limited time attractions for this event. Definitely part of what keeps Universal Studios Japan in Osaka ahead of its sister Universal theme park gates in terms of attendance.

January 19, 2019 at 6:18 PM

This looks great and I could not be happier!! Add coasters and screens and keep the little ones at bay. Universal Orlando continues to entice me back time and time again. Best lineup in the theme park industry.

January 20, 2019 at 10:42 AM

I'm not sure what TH's point is. They closed two semi themed thrill coasters that were 20 years old reportedly that originated from ideas originally spitballed from Animal Kingdom's unrealized Beastly Kingdom.

Then they are building what looks like best of class theme wise family coaster based on Potter, and in the adjacent land a themed thrill coaster to replace one of the two thrill coasters they lost. There's a dark ride (Forbidden Journey) between them (and a kid coaster). Both of these new coasters are in some of the best themed lands anywhere.

Space mountain is 44 years old and never has had a complete overhaul, but very much aa classic, Tron seems like a pretty short coaster but really fun, and these literally are right next to each other. I really don't get TH's point.

January 20, 2019 at 11:17 AM

This is Universal’s push to place IOA back on top as the world’s best theme park. UOR has the reigning best deluxe resort in Portofino Bay, best quick service restaurant in The Leaky Calderon and Three Broomsticks, former best table service restaurant in Mythos and the best themed ride in Forbidden Journey. It’s time for IOA to regain its best theme park title. And if there was a best water park award, it would undoubtedly go to Volcano Bay. Just waiting for UFW to open and surpass WDW as the world’s best theme resort.

January 20, 2019 at 1:02 PM

@TH Creative - is your last name Iger?

January 20, 2019 at 1:08 PM

Creative works for Mader Southeast which gets hired for jobs by Disney. Plus his son works for them. Hence his allegiance to the company.

I am surprised by his constant bashing of Universal though. Mader was involved in the construction of Diagon Alley.

January 21, 2019 at 9:54 AM

I hope Universal realized that they performed awfully in the last few years when it came to attractions. Screen-based rides are okay sometimes, but for me, they also feel like a cop-out in many cases. Give us good rides again!

January 23, 2019 at 12:30 PM

Cole Short said "Creative works for Mader Southeast which gets hired for jobs by Disney. Plus his son works for them. Hence his allegiance to the company."

Ohhh -- that explains all the mouse humping.

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