A new roller coaster themed to the "Jurassic Park" franchise, the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, will open next summer at Universal Orlando Resort's Islands of Adventure park.
The coaster will be Florida's fastest and tallest launch coaster, Universal said, sending riders more than 150 feet in the air at up to 70 mph. It will also be the first coaster based on the franchise.
The VelociCoaster will have an original story, featuring the cast of the most recent films in the series: Chris Pratt as Owen Grady, Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Dearing and BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu. Jurassic World is unveiling the next evolution of its "carnivore expansion," and riders will go on a high-speed hunt alongside a velociraptor pack.
The coaster will have more than 4,700 feet of track. It will feature two launches, one that will reach 70 mph in 2.4 seconds; a 360-degree barrel roll above the Islands of Adventure lagoon; a "zero-gravity inverted stall," sending riders upside-down across 100 feet of track, a "maneuver that is the first of its kind;" Universal's steepest drop yet at 80 degrees; and 12 seconds of airtime, when riders are lifted from their seats, throughout the ride.
The new coaster joins several other attractions at Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure: Jurassic Park: River Adventure, and Raptor Encounter.
However, the pandemic may take a bite out of future attractions: At least one expert who supplies parks with rides and attractions has said that parks, facing severe drops in attendance and revenue, may forego buying decisions in the next year or two.
The Jurassic World VelociCoaster was designed by Universal Creative alongside filmmakers from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment.