| Islands
of Adventure is one of the most talked about theme parks. When it
comes to themeing, few (if any) do it better. In fact I'm fairly
confident in saying that the theme at IOA is as much of an attraction
as the rides. No other section of the park exemplifies this quite
as well as the queue for the Dueling Dragons roller coaster(s).
The queue itself was originally very, very (did I mention very?)
long. In fact it was almost 2 miles long and was capable of holding
a 4 hour line for the ride. This may have been a bit of overkill.
I'm sure lines get good and long on busy days, but in 5 visits to
the park between 1999 and 2002, I've never waited more than 10 minutes
for a ride. In June of 2000 the park opened their Flying Unicorn
coaster which stood on the same ground much of the outside portion
of the Dueling Dragons queue used to occupy. No need to despair,
though. What's left is an efficient (as effecient as possible) outdoor
walk to the castle and the entire theme indside still exists. Once
inside you learn the story of the two dragons (Fire and Ice) and
of their legendary battles. You see firsthand the destruction the
beasts are capable of. You're warned to go back. You're told not
to proceed. Finally as you make your way into the heart of the castle,
you must make a choice. Which dragon do you ride into battle? "Choose
thy fate" and get ready for one of the best and most unique
roller coaster rides you'll ever experience.
I wanted to share this experience
through photos and on my last visit to the park took my camera (just
the little digital one) along for the hike through the eloborate
catacombs that make up the Dueling Dragons queue. You find 30 photos
here detailing much of that experience. If you start at the first
photo and click your way through, you'll get what amounts to a "virtual
tour" of the queue areas. If one of the photos to the right
catches your eye, feel free to click it and check out the pics in
any order you find entertaining - the castle is so well done that
any single photo stands on it's own just fine.
One final note. I used my small
digital camera with a flash to take these photos. The results, while
totally acceptable, don't rival what these photos would look like
if done with a better camera and technique. However, lugging a tripod
into the castle is not advisable as you'd really be in the way of
other guests. The main difference is that these photos turned out
much brighter than the actual castle is on the inside. While this
certainly helps with being able to see everything, much of the "ambience"
of the castle is lost. The lighting is very dim (especially after
the bright Florida sun has been attacking your eyes all day) and
it really adds to the creepiness and vibe of the whole experience.
But I digress, enjoy these photos from the Dueling Dragons queue
area and castle. |
