Dueling Dragons | The Story of Fire and Ice
Halloween Horror Nights 32 is now in full swing at both Universal Orlando Resort and Hollywood. Houses this year feature iconic horror franchises across multiple platforms such as Chucky, Stranger Things, and The Last of Us. Other houses include Universal’s Creative Team original ideas such as Yeti Campground Kill and the Darkest Deal to name a few. But something very unique has happened at this year’s event and it revolves around one of the original houses this year.
“Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate” was announced on July 28, 2023 as one of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights original IP houses. Not only is this an original story by the team at Universal, but it used to be a roller coaster over at Islands of Adventure. Many theme park fans know that this house is based on a defunct attraction that closed its castle gates permanently in 2017. So before you step into the fog this year, here’s a bit of theme park history to help you understand the hype around this haunted house.
Dueling Dragons (1999-2010)
Dueling Dragons was an opening day attraction when Universal’s Islands of Adventure opened on May 28, 1999. The coaster was designed by a Switzerland based company, Bolliger & Mabillard, and featured two individual coasters combined into one attraction. The attraction was located in The Lost Continent section of the park in Merlin’s Woods where it shared a space with a family coaster called The Flying Unicorn and a restaurant called The Enchanted Oak.
Dueling coasters at this time were not a new concept. But the way in which this coaster was constructed made it one of a kind. The attraction centered around the eternal battle of 2 dragons, Pyrock the fire dragon and Blizzrock the ice dragon, and the lengths the renowned wizard, Merlin, went through to warn those who dared to enter the ruins of the castle and ride the dragons.
The Entrance
The original entrance to the attraction featured two large dragon sculptures frozen in battle representing the fire and ice dragon. The statues were positioned in a way where you could see the coasters near miss encounters. On the ground in front of them was a swirling of spells along with the name of the attraction “Dueling Dragons”. At night, the statues had lighting effects for the fire and ice element of the statues. While entering the queue, when viewing the dragons from the opposite angle, The Enchanted Oak could be seen behind them.
The Que
To this day, the que for Dueling Dragons has been one of the most elaborate ones Universal had ever made. The line had you traveling through a forbidden forest to then cross a draw bridge to step foot into a castle. Upon entering the castle, a large stained glass window would come to life and tell the tail of Merlin’s battle with the fearsome dragons and the spell he had casted to keep them at bay. The story goes that two dragons known as Blizzrock (Ice) and Pyrock (Fire) were in competition with one another over possession of a castle and its loot in which the elderly wizard Merlin was the protector over the land in which the castle resided on. Merlin at this point is no longer the powerful wizard he once was as the battles he had fought over the years had slowly taken his magic away. The dragons saw this as an opportunity to attack the castle and fight one another over possession of it. The dragons would only cease their fighting to vanquish any humans who were foolish to enter the castle.
In the next room, Merlin’s spell book is on display as he chants the spell overhead, warning riders that the only way to survive the dragons would be to ride on their back into battle against the other dragon.
The spell went: “Serpent of fire, obey my command. Abandon your hold upon this land. Morrow’s Moon you’ll not withstand. For with anguish syllable spoken, I decry your powers forever be broken.
Dragon of ice, abominable scourge. From this blighted land, diverge. Your frigid stench commence to purge. Or let these mournful magic words, compose your final loathsome dirge.”
The following rooms in the que are rooms within the castle that showcase some of the dragons’ victims and their fates. Walls are lined with skeletons of those who came before you. Ice and scorch marks line the walls and remaining furniture within the castle to scare unwelcome visitors away. The first room was filled with the fire dragon’s victims with poems etched on the walls of their fates. Some of the poems go:
“Sir Egbert of Wessex was quite a man, but burned much faster than he ran”
“Sir Alley entered without his troops, His final words were ‘Alley, oops!’”
“Immortal Sir Gilles was thought to be, Until he wore out his warranty”
“‘Slay the dragons’ Sir Thomas boasted, and boasted and boasted and boasted and roasted”
“Once next in line to inherit the crown, Prince Hubert’s prospects are looking down”
“Newlywed was Young Prince Craven, Think of all the trouble I saved him”
The second room featured the ice dragon’s victims with many of them frozen to the walls or ceilings.
The low rumbling of the dragons can be heard through out the halls as guests make their way down into the castle’s catacombs where the dragons rest in between battles. Piles of bones litter the catacombs as riders final warning that they are approaching the dragons.
At the end of the line is when the choice must be made. Riders are meet with a large sign with the words “Choose thy Fate” (or in Latin “Convocae Fortitudinem Tuum.” ) and either go left for fire or right for ice. Merlin can be heard over head telling riders “At this point of no return, your only choice is freeze or burn.”. This is the last time Merlin is heard as he no longer can protect you from your fate.
The Ride Vehicles (The Dragons)
What would be a roller coaster themed around dragons if the ride vehicles themselves didn’t look like them? The inverted style ride vehicles were designed and theme to look like Blizzrock and Pyrock. The ride vehicles were made from steel and fiberglass. Each vehicle had 8 rows with 4 seats per row holding up to 32 riders per vehicle.
The front row on the ride vehicle was designed to look like a wide open jaw while the remaining 7 rows resembled claws. Above the seats was the body of the dragon with the front row having the face.
Track Layout
Known as the first inverted duel coasters in the world, the coaster could reach up to top speeds for 60 mph. The two track layouts would be unique allowing for two different experiences with the three near miss encounters being what the two coasters had in common. Each coaster was 3,200 feet long, feature 5 inversions, and reached a height of 125 feet. The fire dragon would reach speeds up to 60 mph and a drop height of 125 feet while the ice dragon reached speeds of 55 mph and a drop height 95 feet.
Each of the coasters’ tracks were colored to represent the two dragons with the blue track being for ice and the red track being for fire. The coasters when on the track only had an 18 inch clearance meaning riders would come within a foot and a half of the castle walls and the other opposing dragon. In order to make the trains meet at the three near miss points on the ride, the trains were weighed during the lift by a computer system to make sure they were dispatched right. For example, if the fire dragon’s train weighed more than ice, the fire dragon would speed up in front of the ice dragon to make sure to accommodate for the deceleration it would encounter from the weight.
Dragon Challenge (2010-2017)
Over the years, many knights and wizards had faced against the dragons and failed to tame them. But one wizard would be the one to inevitably slay them both.
In May of 2007, Universal Theme Parks announced the Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter would be making its way to Universal Orlando and plans for the construction were to happen in a section of the Lost Continent. With the construction happening in the Merlin’s Woods area, Dueling Dragons closed for a temporary refurbishment in early 2010 and would later reopen in March of 2010 re-themed as Dragon Challenge.
Upon reopening, gone were fire and ice being replaced by a Harry Potter theme of Hungarian Horntail (Ice) and Chinese Fireball (Fire).
The Entrance
Though the original attraction remained the same, many elements to the entrance and que of the ride were lost to the Harry Potter re-themeing. The entrance where the two dragons battled seeming frozen in time were replaced by walls and a gated entrance. The top of the new entrance featured team flags for the different houses of Hogwarts. In the center above the words “Dragon Challenge” was the golden egg that fans of the Harry Potter books and movies would recognize as the egg contestants needed to retrieve from the dragons during the Triwizard Tournament.
The Que
The forest and castle remained the same after the re-thememing of the attraction, but many of it’s gruesome elements and story were completely gutted. The new que had riders following the story of the 4th Harry Potter film “The Goblet of Fire” as riders stepped into the tent of the Triwizard Tournament. The goal, to steal the dragon’s egg to move on to the next challenge.
Where skeletons and the remains of the dragons’ victims once were, bare castle walls and Hogwart house banners replaced those elements as riders made their way to the dragons.
At the end of the que, the question still remained of fire or ice. But instead were changed to Chinese Fireball (Left) or Hungarian Horntail (Right).
Ride Injuries
At this point in time, theme parks were beginning to battle the loose items that people would bring on to theme park attractions such as cell phones and wallets. Even with Universal placing metal detectors at the entrance to the attraction, some loose items will still find their way on to the ride which would later lead the dragons to their fate.
One such incident took place in July 2011 when a 52 year old rider was struck in the eye by a flying object leaving severe damage that ultimately left him having to have that eye removed. The next incident would happen in August 2011 when another passenger was struck by an object injuring his face and leg.
It was decided in October 25, 2011 that the two dragons would duel no more due to the recent uptick in injuries on the ride. It was during these last few years of operation that the dragons were never seen dueling with one another taking away the unique thrill that this ride had. It was on this day that fans of the attraction knew it was just a matter of time before this attraction would shut down permanently.
Final Days of Operation
Many theme parks that have attractions that are long standing always go under maintenance to keep the ride operational and to abide by safety regulations. When Universal Theme Park rides hit this point in their lifetime, which is around the 15 year mark, the question comes up on whether the attraction should receive a full referbishment or if it should be replaced. With the uptick in injuries on the ride due to loose objects and the popularity of the ride dropping significantly when the dragons stopped dueling, on September 4, 2017, the dragons would take their last victims on their final flight as the ride would permanently close forever.
At the time of the closure, it was unknown what would go into the space the dragons once occupied. Only rumors of a family style coaster themed to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
It was later discovered that the current ride, Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure, would be taking guests on an adventure through the Forbidden Forest on June 13, 2019.
The Dragons’ Legacy
Dueling Dragon’s to this day is still honored through out Universal theme parks. The most noticeable being the mural that is painted at the entrance of Hagrid’s Motorbike Advenutre. The mural features a red and blue dragon and in the center it reads “Dueling Club”.
Merchandise can also be found through out sections of the theme park gift shops. Though it does not say Dueling Dragons, it does feature two dragons that are red and blue.
The biggest call back to this ride is what started this blog post, the inclusion of Dueling Dragons at Halloween Horror Nights 32.
Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate (2023)
Halloween Horror Nights is an annual event held at Universal theme parks in both Orlando and Hollywood. In 2023, the event was celebrating its 32nd year and came packed full of IP and original houses. One of the houses titled Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate was a haunted house based on the story and legacy of the Dueling Dragons attraction at Islands of Adventure.
The story of the house takes place after the events of the original ride.
The house description was the following:
“No matter who you choose, you lose. Two warlocks of great power were turned into dragons after trying to take Merlyn’s spell book. Now you and your friends are caught in their epic battle. You must choose a path and a victor.
The great wizard Merlyn has been transformed into the Enchanted Oak, leaving a power vacuum. When two powerful warlocks invade his castle to steal his spell book, they are turned into dragons of fire and ice. Now guests are caught in the middle of their battle and are forced to choose a path and a victor. But beware, one never knows who will win in “Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate.”
This haunted house is unique as it featured 4 different endings as guests have a choice at the end to choose their fates just like on the original ride, left for fire or right for ice. Depending on which way you go and the position of the scare actors, you either receive an ending where Merlin wins or one where the Warlock has beheaded Merlin. Because of this it is possible to see 4 different endings in total since each side has the two different endings.
