Photo Update: Jurassic Park ‘Velocicoaster’ tops off highest point
The construction on the rumored “Velocicoaster” roller coaster is moving along fast. Just a few weeks ago, we were checking out other milestones, and now the highest point of the coaster is complete. Universal Orlando has marked this momentous occasion with a Jurassic logo flag.
This top-hat maneuver has been a talking point since the coaster name was first leaked. Now, with this portion complete, the coaster is one step closer to opening.
Seen here, the top-hat is a major part of this attraction. We currently do not know the exact height of the top-hat, but we can easily say that it is one of the tallest attractions at Universal Orlando Resort.
But, just because it is the tallest point of the attraction, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the most intense portion. This coaster will feature sharp turns, drastic maneuvers, and multiple inversions.
Another widely talked-about portion of the ride is the heartline roll. This maneuver is near the end of the attraction and will take guests upside-down just feet above the water.
This image gives a great view of the mass of steel that is the “Velocicoaster.” The top-hat maneuver on the left will take guest skyward before plummeting to the flurry of turns on the right side of the image. The heartline roll is seen in the center of the image above the water. This is not a “kiddie coaster” and should be seen as a major thrill addition to Universal Orlando’s lineup.
Speaking of the flurry of turns, here is another view of the over-water turns. This is seen from the outdoor seating area of the Three Broomsticks restaurant in Hogsmeade. The recently-completed top-hat maneuver can be seen in the far background. This portion of the track features an inversion and a wild twist-back turn.
These aggressive turns and wild track pieces will certainly add to the thrill level of the coaster. The twist-back turn seen in the center leads us to believe the coaster train will be relatively short. We expect a coaster train closer to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit instead of the longer trains seen on the Incredible Hulk.
This set of over-water turns will lead to a swift downward turn. From here, guests will go into the heartline roll over the water. Even with the small hump seen here, expect to get momentary air-time.
Even though Universal had to place this coaster in a very specific footprint of the park, it is so nice to see they are maximizing their track. In this entire image, there is not one use of straight flat track. Every single piece here is a twist, an incline, a turn, a decline or an inversion. So, from all of us coaster fans, thank you Universal for the effort we have seen so far.
The immense work can also be seen near the load/unload building. This area went from trees to a concrete and steel forest.
In the center of the steel forest is this newly-added watchtower prop. While it would have been awesome for this to have been the actual tower control of the ride, safety is more important. The real tower control will probably be hidden elsewhere on the load/unload structure.
Workers can be seen near the beginning of the ride adding even more steel. The white covers atop the track are good indicators as to where more steelwork will happen. Also, seen at the bottom of the image, a wire mesh structure is beginning to take shape. This will most likely be a themed rock upon completion, but we aren’t entirely sure right now.
@bioreconstruct on Twitter recently got a shot of the remaining pieces left to be added to the coaster. This staging area is at the construction site for the Universal’s Epic Universe, another exciting project.
He also got an aerial view of the top-hat maneuver with the load/unload structure in the background.
The “Velocicoaster” still has not been announced by Universal, but it is clear that they are moving full speed ahead toward finishing this project.
How excited are you for this new project? Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure opened last year, but will this “Velocicoaster” become the new park favorite? Let us know your thoughts below.
