Kong ride trucks to be king-sized
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Museum of Fine Arts Boston staff members put finishing touches on the art installation called “Breathing Flower” at the museum Wednesday. The 20-foot-wide inflatable lotus flower is the work of artist Choi Jeong Hwa of Seoul and is part of an upcoming exhibition called “Megacities Asia,” to be open to the public from April 3 through July 17.
Associated Press
Kong ride trucks to be king-sized
ORLANDO, Fla. >> Universal Orlando is revealing big news about its King Kong attraction: The ride vehicles for Skull Island: Reign of Kong, opening this summer at Islands of Adventure theme park, are huge. And they won’t be riding on a rail.
Released details for the Skull Island trucks indicate that they will hold up to 72 passengers in 12 rows. They will be 40 feet long, 13 feet tall and weigh in at 17 tons.
According to the attraction story line, the vehicles will be used to transport theme-park visitors to the homeland of Kong, also the home base to an array of other creatures.
“This is Universal Orlando’s first trackless ride vehicle,” Mike West of Universal Creative says in a “Making of Skull Island” video. “When you depart on your adventure to Skull Island: Reign of Kong, there won’t be a rail or track in sight.”
West also says that “behind the wheel” will be one of five different drivers, each with a different story, which will make for varied experiences on the attraction. Drivers include Becky (a cowgirl), Will Denham (adventurous cousin of a movie director), Jinks Costanza (ex-con from New York), Kalana (descendant of the island’s natives) and Doc (paleontology student).
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Universal has not revealed an opening date for Skull Island, which has been erected between the Jurassic Park and Toon Lagoon sections of IOA.
Carnival to begin cruises to Cuba
NEW YORK >> The world’s largest cruise line is getting approval from Cuba to start “cultural exchange” trips to the island starting in May.
With hotels in Cuba in short supply, Carnival Corp.’s new brand, Fathom offers travelers another option.
A 704-passenger ship will initially visit ports in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. The ship is relatively small for the industry; most carry 3,000 passengers. There’s no casino or Broadway shows. And guests won’t be snorkeling. Instead, they must spend at least eight hours each day involved in some type of cultural experience.
Prices for the seven-day voyages start at $1,800 per person, considerably higher than Caribbean voyages of similar length but less than the $2,990 Carnival originally sought when it received a license from the U.S. government licensed in July.
