Overview

• On August 1, the Skull Island: Reign of Kong attraction at Islands of Adventure halted mid-ride, leaving passengers suspended about 13 feet above the ground.
• Universal team members deployed rolling safety ladders and guided guests through a backstage exit path past the inactive animatronic finale.
• TikTok user @harvwhtl’s video revealed the eerie, behind-the-scenes scene before staff asked them to stop filming.
• Affected riders received Express Passes as a goodwill gesture under Universal’s standard compensation protocol for interrupted experiences.
• The incident underscores recurring reliability challenges across Universal Orlando’s parks, from longtime attractions to the newly opened Epic Universe.