You may be wondering: Hulk vs VelociCoaster, which is better at Islands of Adventure?
Universal Orlando Resort truly has some great attractions under their belt that keeps us coming back again and again for the chase of thrills and adrenaline.
Today we are chatting about two of their juggernaut coasters, Hulk vs VelociCoaster located in Islands of Adventure, in this article.
Marvel has been a staple in theme parks for years now.
Even so much that one of the first stops for Islands of Adventure for guests is Marvel Superhero Island.
You’ll find some familiar heroes here along with their various attractions, with the main draw being Hulk. Similar to a Jurassic Park over across the lagoon.
The land is immersive and has so many wonderful things to do and see.
However, when you see the rush of guests at your early park entry first thing in the morning, chances are they are going straight to VelociCoaster.
But out of these two coasters, Hulk vs VelociCoaster, what makes them stand out among the rest?
And which of the two coasters are the best?
Let’s buckle up, pull the yellow rope and get started on the battle of Hulk and VelociCoaster.
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VelociCoaster vs Hulk at a Glance:
| VelociCoaster Roller Coaster | The Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster |
| Track: Steel | Track: Steel |
| Height: 155 feet (ft) | Height: 110 ft |
| Drop: 140 ft | Drop: 104.9 ft |
| Length: 4700 ft | Length: 3700 ft |
| Speed: 70 MPH (miles per hour) | Speed: 67 MPH |
| Time: 3 minutes | Time: 2 minutes and 15 seconds |
| Inversions: 4 | Inversions: 7 |
| Opening Date: June 10, 2021 | Opening Date: May 28, 1999* |
| Manufacturer: Intamin | Manufacturer: B & M |
Overall, VelociCoaster has a slight edge over The Hulk so keep reading to see why!
Hulk vs VelociCoaster: History of VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando Resort
VelociCoaster was a true mysterious sleeper hit for Universal Orlando.
This project hit the ground running during the global pandemic with very little news or warning about what it was or what was to come.
The closure of the Triceratops Encounter marked the beginning of significant changes, as it had been a fixture for nearly a decade.
As a result, the primary attractions in the area became the Jurassic Park River Adventure, Raptor Encounter, and a highly engaging play area for children, which featured the Pteranodon Flyers attraction designed specifically for kids.
Back in 2018, they filed permits to start tearing down Triceratops Encounter, and fans started buzzing that something cool was on the way.
Universal decided it was finally time to switch things up and got in touch with the team at Intamin to help them design their new coaster.
They previously worked with them on Harry Potter and Escape from Gringotts and Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure.
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Construction of VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando
Once Universal finished the demolition of the site, the construction walls went up in January 2019. However, things went south when the project docs got leaked online.
Universal kept the construction going through spring 2019, with land getting cleared and a bridge being taken down nearby.
The first bits of track, for what everyone thought was a roller coaster, showed up in June and were tucked away out of sight.
Fans jumped on the news that Universal trademarked “VelociCoaster,” the name of the coaster that was still under wraps and going by Project 791.
Construction kept going through the early parts of 2020. With certain photos online, you could see concrete being poured on the foundation along with the track and supports sitting on to the site.
VelociCoaster: Rough Challenges
However, the pandemic happened and stalled construction briefly.
At this time, fans were saying that the construction timeline felt a lot like the Tron Lightcycle/Run at Magic Kingdom since both projects kicked off around the same time.
Tron was ready to kick off for the resort’s big 50th bash.
Both of them hit the brakes during the pandemic. Just to give you an idea, the WDW 50th celebration went from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2023. Tron Lightcycle Run finally opened on April 4, 2023.
The construction of VelociCoaster kicked back into gear super quickly after that pandemic pause.
Most of the work on the roller coaster was done when Universal got the green light to open back up.
Something funny is that throughout the whole thing, the park totally denied that the coaster was even happening.
Even after they finished the tallest point, the top hat element (which we could clearly see).
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VelociCoaster Comes to Life at Universal Orlando
Once the tallest point of the coaster was topped and completed in early July 2020, in September the park officially announced the coaster as the tallest and fastest launch coaster in Orlando.
The construction walls came down in February 2021, and this new area of the park opened to a ton of hype and excitement in June 2021. Which our team here at ThemeParkHipster was able to witness!
In the end, it snatched up the title as the fastest coaster in the park, taking over from the Hulk coaster.
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Backstory of VelociCoaster
You are transported from Islands of Adventure into the land of Jurassic World, as seen in the second trilogy of the same name.
Claire Dearing, the manager at Jurassic World, has this awesome idea. It’s totally safe and super fun, letting guests race alongside the raptors in their paddock.
Imagine how swimmers hop into shark cages to “swim” with sharks in the ocean; that’s pretty much what she was thinking about.
Similar to the Indominus Rex from the film, this coaster is meant to spark interest again in Jurassic World and bring customers in.
Because the queue plays a big factor into the story, let’s move on to it.
Queue of VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando
You kick things off in the lower level of the Discovery Center, where two raptor statues welcome you.
As you move along, you’ll spot a larger raptor statue with the coaster zipping over the top hat hill behind it.
You’ll walk into a room featuring six windows as you spot one of the coasters zooming past with some raptors hot on its trail.
As you move into the next room, Dr. Henry Wu kicks off a video presentation about the park and how they look after the dinosaurs.
Next up, you walk into an exam room and spot two raptors all muzzled up, getting ready for a check-up.
After you stash your stuff in the lockers next door, you’ll stroll past posters of all the cool stuff in Jurassic World. Some are real, and some are fake (I wished the fake ones were real).
As you head up the stairs, you’ll meet Claire, who’s gonna fill you in on what’s coming up next.
She brings in Owen Grady, the animal behavior guy who trained those raptors you’ll be running with. Instead of supporting her, he actually gives you a hard time about it.
He warns you to be vigilant, as animals that dangerous and humans shouldn’t be so close.
While you’re there, you can check out clips of the raptors in their pens getting wrangled. After that, you head over to the loading dock.
Universal Orlando VelociCoaster Roller Coaster Stats
This steel launch coaster was manufactured by Intamin and designed by Universal Creative.
- Model: LSM Launch Coaster
- Height: 155 feet
- Drop: 140 feet
- Track Length: 4,700 feet
- Time: 3 Minutes
- Inversions: 4
- Speed: 70 MPH
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Hulk vs VelociCoaster: History of The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal Orlando
Hulk Coaster is a bit more seasoned and has a longer time to settle down its roots, being one of the opening day attractions for Islands of Adventure.
This coaster has certainly earned its place and respect in the park’s history, being the first B&M coaster to feature a Marvel superhero and to have a launch coaster design.
But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the Marvel hero.
History of The Incredible Hulk Coaster
Plans for Islands of Adventure started as early as 1991 and by 1993, it was decided that one of the major lands for the park would be based on Marvel Comic books.
Each land in Islands of Adventure is based on a story or books, so it was a perfect fit.
The pressure of being an epic coaster rested on the Hulk, and he was totally up for it.
A major goal in making the ride was to mimic the feeling of getting shot out of a cannon. They worked on prototypes with Universal Creative and MTS systems between 1995 and 1996.
They finally got it done when they kicked off the park project in 1997. The supports were all set up with top-notch rigging, but B&M was totally in charge of the whole thing.
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Construction of The Incredible Hulk at Universal
The construction wasn’t covered as in depth during its heyday due to that time being the slow rise of social media and technology vs VelociCoaster.
Construction went well everything was smooth sailings when the Incredible Hulk coaster opened up at the park on May 28, 1999.
A few guests did mention that the ride was a bit bumpy, tossing them around and giving them headaches.
In August 2015, refurbishments went into place extensively with a new opening date in the summer of 2016.
Changes that Happened on the Hulk Roller Coaster at Islands of Adventure
This involved switching up the storyline, and we’ll get into that, plus the entrance, the queue line, swapping out some track sections, and giving the trains some cool upgrades with onboard audio and lighting effects.
Plus, the old tracks and trains that were replaced were destroyed.
In April 2015, they brought in metal detectors, and now guests have to stash their stuff in lockers located right across from the attraction before heading in.
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Queue and Backstory of The Incredible Hulk Coaster
You walk under a cool statue of the Hulk holding one of the ride cars above his head when you enter this roller coaster.
The coaster tracks he’s holding are the same ones from before the ride got its makeover.
You step into the high level lab of General Thaddeus Ross, the guy behind the Gamma project that brought the Hulk to life.
He’s been totally fixated on the Hulk and Bruce Banner, who happen to be the same person, and he’s always on the lookout for them.
You guys are up next for Ross’s experiment! As you wander through the lab, there’s this gamma ray in the middle that lights up and goes off every now and then.
TV screens display test subjects getting hit with radiation and the crazy effects it has on them, transforming them into hulking beasts.
Universal Orlando The Incredible Hulk Coaster Roller Coaster Stats
This awesome steel coaster was made by Bolliger & Mabillard and designed by Werner Stengel, who’s been behind a ton of record-breaking coasters for years.
- Model: Custom Sitting Coaster
- Launch System: Tire Propelled Launch
- Height: 110 feet
- Drop: 104.9 feet
- Track Length: 3,700 feet
- Inversions: 7
- Time: 2 minutes and 15 seconds
- G Force: 4
- Speed: 67 miles per hour
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My Final Thoughts on the Hulk vs VelociCoaster Battle!
We cannot deny that between Hulk vs VelociCoaster, these two coasters are absolute juggernauts and must-do’s for locals and visitors alike.
But which is the better of the two?
Hulk Roller Coaster Stats
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
- Launch System: Tire Propelled Launch
- Height: 110 feet
- Drop: 104.9 feet
- Track Length: 3,700 feet
- Time: 2 minutes and 15 seconds
- Inversions: 7
- Speed: 67 miles per hour
VelociCoaster Roller Coaster Stats
- Manufacturer: Intamin
- Launch System: LSM Launch Coaster
- Height: 155 feet
- Drop: 140 feet
- Track Length: 4,700 feet
- Time: 3 Minutes
- Inversions: 4
- Speed: 70 miles per hour
We have to acknowledge the roots that Hulk placed to help put Islands of Adventure on the map, and that the coaster is still a big draw to the park.
It had been in the top 50 steel coasters for Golden Ticket every year between 1999-2012.
It essentially walked so VelociCoaster could run with the raptors as one of the first launch coasters.
VelociCoaster broke down the door and has rarely, if at all, had a complaint from guests or riders.
Many a visit have I been at opening hour, watching guests race between getting to Hagrid’s and VelociCoaster.
It has ranked Top Steel Roller Coaster every year so far with Golden Ticket since it opened, but it’s still a baby compared to Hulk. It is a must-do and truly beloved.
But when it comes to which is better, Hulk vs VelociCoaster? I will leave that up to you. Let us know in the comments section below!
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
Victoria is a professional solo traveler here to make your solo trips as stress free AND enjoyable as possible for you.
She has over 5 years of Disney and Non-Disney travel experience and was featured by POPSUGAR as one of the Top 50 Black Disney Creators you should follow.
She is a Proud Native to Baltimore, Md but always will call Disney World home.
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(Original Article Date: September 25, 2023 /Updated by Editor on February 17, 2024