{"id":260,"date":"2016-02-11T18:34:54","date_gmt":"2016-02-11T17:34:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bm-list.oldehanhoff.nl\/?page_id=260"},"modified":"2021-09-18T09:18:54","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T08:18:54","slug":"dueling-dragons-ioa","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bm-list.oldehanhoff.nl\/?page_id=260","title":{"rendered":"Dueling Dragons (IoA)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dueling Dragons (Now called Dragon Challenge)<\/i><\/strong> is a pair of intertwined inverted roller coasters in what was then called the The Lost Continent <\/i>area of Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure. The ride is themed to two chasing dragons, one side being Fire <\/i>and the other Ice<\/i>. It features a layout in which the two trains share adjacent lift hills but then traverse two unique courses. The ride was designed by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland and opened on May 28, 1999. Fire dragon reaches a top speed of 60 mph, and Ice dragon reaches a top speed of 55 mph. Both versions feature five inversions. The total ride time is about two minutes and 25 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During much of the ride’s history, the trains were dispatched simultaneously, providing three near-miss encounters along the courses. However, after two injuries related to loose objects hitting people, the roller coasters are now dispatched separately. After a renovation period, the attraction reopened in mid-March 2010, and was officially renamed as Dragon Challenge with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter<\/i> grand opening on June 18, 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Overview of the ride layout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Statistics:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Track:<\/th>Fire Dragon<\/td>Ice Dragon<\/td><\/tr>
Length:<\/th>3,200 ft<\/td>3,200 ft<\/td><\/tr>
Height:<\/th>125 ft<\/td>125 ft<\/td><\/tr>
Drop:<\/th>115 ft<\/td>95 ft<\/td><\/tr>
Inversions:<\/th>5<\/td>5<\/td><\/tr>
Speed:<\/th>60 mph<\/td>55 mph<\/td><\/tr>
Duration:<\/th>2:25<\/td>2:25<\/td><\/tr>
Elements:<\/th>Chain Lift Hill
Immelmann
Immelmann
Loop
Corkscrew
Corkscrew<\/td>		Chain Lift Hill
Zero-G Roll
Cobra Roll
Loop
Corkscrew<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fire Dragon:<\/strong>
Upon departing from the station, the train makes a slight left turn leading into the transfer track section before beginning to climb the 125-foot (38 m) lift hill. Once at the top and after going through a pre-drop, the train makes a sharp 115-foot (35 m) left-hand drop back to the ground. Then, the train goes back up, through an Immelmann followed by a slight downward right turn before entering an air-time hill (this was the first of three near-miss points with the Hungarian Horntail train when the roller coasters duelled). Next, the train drops back down turning left slightly leading into a second Immelmann. After a downward right helix and a short section of straight track, the train goes through the second former near-miss point with the other train, a vertical loop. After the loop and another section of straight track, the train makes a right turn leading into the third and final former near-miss element which is a corkscrew. Then, the train makes a left turn followed by a small drop leading into another section of straight track before entering the final element in the coaster layout, another corkscrew. The train then make a left turn into the final brake run. Following a left turn, the train returns to the station where the riders unload and the next riders load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ice Dragon:<\/strong>
Upon departing from the station, the train makes a slight right turn leading into the transfer track section before beginning to climb the 125-foot (38 m) lift hill. Once at the top and after going through a pre-drop, the train makes a sharp 95-foot (29 m) right-hand drop back to the ground. Then, the train goes through a 270 degree right overbanked turn before entering a Zero-gravity roll which was the first of three former near-miss points with the Chinese Fireball train. Then, the train makes a slight right turn heading straight into a wall before entering a Cobra roll. After a straight section of track, the train enters the second former near-miss point with the other train, a vertical loop. The train then makes a right turn into the final former near-miss point, a corkscrew. Next, the train makes a right turn followed by a left turn leading into the final brake run. Following a right turn, the train returns to the station where the riders unload and the next riders load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n