‘The History of Kongfrontation’

Banana breath. That was the aspect of the King Kong theme park attraction that has stayed with me the longest over the years. It was the fact that every tour guide made sure to hit in their presentation at some point, and so did seemingly anyone connected with Universal Studios or had previously been on the experience. The world swears by it still, but I never smelled the fragrant odor of a banana wafting from the mouth of a giant robot ape. So it remains a cursed memory as I try to search it to find what so many others bragged about.

For those who have no idea to what I’m referring, it’s the massive King Kong animatronic which was the heart of Kongfrontation. A theme park attraction at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, it wasn’t really a ride but you did move and you experienced stuff…but all from a safe distance and while sitting. Still, it was one of the most popular attractions in Universal Studios Florida history—which most likely makes it one of the more popular in the world. It begin in Universal Studios’ Los Angeles location and then was moved to Orlando, where it reigned supreme from 1990 to about 2002, eventually being replaced by “Revenge Of The Mummy”. Oh and during 1992’s Halloween Horror Nights, it became the “Tramway of Doom” where Darkman would show up. DARKMAN!

To learn more about Kongfrontation, how it came together, it's multiple problems, enduring legacies, and more, please watch the below video by Defunctland. It’s a great YouTube channel for delving into all manner of theme park pasts, whether it’s the forgotten, the familiar, or the infamous. And if you remember the banana breath—actually smelling the banana breath that MechaKong allegedly sprayed on patrons—please let me know on Twitter.