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Dragon Challenge

1999 establishments in Florida2017 disestablishments in FloridaAmusement rides based on film franchisesDueling roller coastersFormer Warner Bros. Global Brands and Experiences attractions
Former roller coasters in FloridaHarry Potter in amusement parksInverted roller coastersInverted roller coasters manufactured by Bolliger & MabillardIslands of AdventureLicensed properties at Universal Parks & ResortsRemoved roller coastersRoller coasters in Orlando, FloridaRoller coasters introduced in 1999Roller coasters introduced in 2010Roller coasters manufactured by Bolliger & MabillardRoller coasters operated by Universal Parks & ResortsRoller coasters that closed in 2017Steel roller coastersUniversal Parks & Resorts attractions by nameUse mdy dates from September 2017
DragonChallengeEntrance
DragonChallengeEntrance

Dragon Challenge, formerly named Dueling Dragons (1999–2010), was a pair of intertwined inverted roller coasters in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida, United States. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland, the ride was a dueling roller coaster featuring two tracks – one side was called Chinese Fireball and the other Hungarian Horntail – that were themed as two chasing dragons. Its layout involved two trains sharing adjacent lift hills, with each traversing unique courses. Trains on the Chinese Fireball track reached a maximum speed of 60 mph (97 km/h), while trains on the Hungarian Horntail reached 55 mph (89 km/h). Both tracks featured five inversions and an identical ride duration of 2 minutes and 25 seconds. The ride debuted as Dueling Dragons during the grand opening of Islands of Adventure on May 28, 1999. It was located in The Lost Continent area, and the dueling trains were named Fire and Ice. After a renovation period, the attraction reopened in March 2010. It was renamed Dragon Challenge for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter grand opening on June 18, 2010. During much of the ride's history, the trains were dispatched simultaneously, creating three near-miss encounters along the courses. Multiple incidents in 2011 involving injuries to riders, who were hit with loose objects, resulted in an operational change to dispatch trains separately to avoid close encounters. Universal Orlando officials, citing that the ride had reached the end of its service life, made the decision to close Dragon Challenge permanently on September 4, 2017. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure opened in its place in 2019.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Dragon Challenge (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Dragon Challenge
Universal Boulevard, Orlando

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Wikipedia: Dragon ChallengeContinue reading on Wikipedia

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Latitude Longitude
N 28.473611111111 ° E -81.473333333333 °
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Universal's Islands of Adventure

Universal Boulevard 6000
32819 Orlando
Florida, United States
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universalorlando.com

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Orlando Resort)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Orlando Resort)

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a themed area spanning two theme parks—Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida—at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. The area is themed to the Harry Potter media franchise, adapting elements from the film series and novels by J. K. Rowling. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was designed by Universal Creative from an exclusive license with Warner Bros. Entertainment. The first phase was officially announced for Islands of Adventure on May 31, 2007, and after a two-and-a-half-year construction period, the area officially opened to the public on June 18, 2010. The area's flagship ride is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which exists within a re-creation of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It takes riders on a journey through Harry Potter's wizarding world. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter also contains Flight of the Hippogriff, a family roller coaster, and formerly included Dragon Challenge, a pair of inverted roller coasters, which was replaced in 2019 by a new roller coaster, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. The area also features a re-creation of Hogsmeade containing many gift shops and restaurants from the novels including Dervish and Banges, Honeydukes, Ollivanders, Zonko's Joke Shop (though it houses Honeydukes), the Three Broomsticks, and the Hog's Head. The second phase was initially announced on December 6, 2011, as a significant expansion of the existing Wizarding World of Harry Potter. On May 8, 2013, it was officially announced that a substantial portion of phase two would be constructed in the adjacent Universal Studios Florida theme park with a full scale working replica of the Hogwarts Express taking guests between the two lands. This phase's flagship ride is Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, a 3D dark ride/simulator based on Gringotts Bank, the wizarding bank that appears in the book and film series. Its design is similar to Transformers: The Ride and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man rides but built on a roller coaster track. The remaining features are themed around London and Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley officially opened on July 8, 2014.