History
Originally a scene for the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tram Tour, Kongfrontation has been credited as being the catalyst for the Universal Studios Florida project (which has since evolved into the Universal Orlando Resort). Universal originally envisioned the attraction as the crown jewel of the Florida park. While the attraction drew substantial crowds, it had an unreliable track record due to the complex special effects involved. Universal engineers attempted several times to improve reliability, which ultimately required removing functionality of Kong by limiting his movements and some of the background effects.
Kongfrontation was a signature piece of Universal Studios Florida, more than any of the attractions that remain there today, and the idea to close such an attraction struck many fans of the ride as being "unreal". Despite many protests and complaints from fans, Kongfrontation officially closed on September 8, 2002. There has never been a solid reason given by Universal for the closure, although it is speculated that maintenance issues, high staffing costs and the costs of repairs and upkeep are the main reasons. The attraction joined a list of original and popular Universal Studios Florida attractions that have since been retired and replaced, including Ghostbusters Spooktacular, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, Back to the Future: The Ride, Earthquake: The Big One and Jaws.
Read more about this topic: Kongfrontation
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