King Kong Encounter

The show began as the tour tram entered the soundstage into a world of New York City where they stopped in front of an apartment building facade. Guests watched a breaking news report about Kong's rampage on television monitors located inside of the building's windows showing live coverage of the destruction and it showed footage from ABC News, anchored by Sander Vanocur, of King Kong on the loose in the city. The giant ape was destroying the city, including throwing two elevated trains off the platforms of the rail track. New York City Police Department (NYPD) authorities could do nothing to stop him who was heading towards the Brooklyn Bridge.

A news chopper that carried reporter Kelly King (Sheree J. Wilson) was circling overhead and covering the story when Kong suddenly swatted at the chopper, causing it to come crashing down from above and exploding only a few feet away from the tram. As the tram rounded a corner, it drove out onto the Brooklyn Bridge, putting guests at eye-level with the giant animatronic ape. An NYPD helicopter fired upon Kong to protect the tram, but this enraged the beast who then shook the bridge and ripped the suspension bridge cables apart in an attempt to grab the tram. Miraculously, guests managed to escape the clutches of Kong as the tram exited the soundstage just in the nick of time.

Kong animatronic's head, 2006.

The 7-ton, 30-foot-tall Kong figure in the attraction was the largest and most complex animatronic figure in existence for many years. Kong was designed by legendary Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr. The detailing was so rich that Kong even had banana-scented breath. The attraction broke new ground and paved the way for the complex themed attractions of today and was the inspiration behind the former Kongfrontation attraction at Universal Studios Florida. The Kong sequence was also featured in the film The Wizard starring Fred Savage and Christian Slater.[2]

Universal Studios Tour began building its $7-million, computer-controlled, 30-foot animated King Kong in December 1985 to be housed in his own lower-lot studio that duplicated Lower East Side New York.[3] The attraction opened on June 14, 1986 and was completely destroyed by a fire in the early morning of June 1, 2008.[4] As of June 3, 2008 Universal Studios Officials had stated that the experience would not be rebuilt, but would instead be replaced by a new contemporary attraction. This had caused outrage among fans of the giant ape, which prompted Universal's decision to bring Kong back to the tour in the form of an all new 3D film experience. Following the loss of Kong, the Earthquake tour scene is featured more often in Universal Studios Hollywood promotional materials and the Collapsing Bridge tour scene was reopened.