Dragon Challenge, Steel roller coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida.
Dragon Challenge was a steel roller coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. The installation consisted of two separate tracks with dark red and light blue rails that crossed and intertwined multiple times while riders hung upside down in seats attached to the rails.
The coaster opened in May 1999 under the name Dueling Dragons as part of the Lost Continent area within the park. In 2010 it received the new name Dragon Challenge after The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened nearby and was permanently closed in 2017.
The two tracks, Chinese Fireball and Hungarian Horntail, represented different dragon species from the Harry Potter series through their design and speed capabilities.
The ride lasted about two minutes and twenty-five seconds per run on either of the two tracks. Guests could choose between the red and blue side with each route offering a different sequence of inversions and turns.
The two tracks launched simultaneously during the first eleven years of operation and passed so close at three points that riders could nearly touch one another. This feature was later disabled for safety reasons so that trains departed individually.
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