As a Florida resident who grew up with these two legendary coasters in their prime before the dueling aspect was discontinued, it saddens and angers me that people were too selfish to follow the rules and ended up not only depriving a man of his sight for the rest of his life, but also causing the attraction to become a shell of its former self before being removed altogether.
This. They were my favorite rides at the park -- and because there were two the lines moved quickly all day long (if there even were any)... Veloci and Hagrid are alright, but it's not the same without the front row dueling coasters.
Its so bad anymore that when I was there earlier this year, all rides with any kind of loop required you to go through metal detectors and lock up any items.
Same!!! I think I went on this as a kid. I loved this roller coaster when it came out. I haven't been on a rollercoaster in years though. Too paranoid lately. 😅
I can't imagine, after an incident not long prior where a loose object flying off the ride caused a man to go blind, having the audacity and self importance to think, "Well, I'm not going to take my loose items out of MY pockets, that rule isn't for ME," and then causing someone ELSE to get injured because you couldn't be bothered fo secure your belongings before riding.
@@Skorpychan Honestly, it's mostly just human hubris, but the "The rules don't apply to me specifically," mentality seems to be ESPECIALLY prevalent in America. I blame the "we're the best country in the world because we're FREE" mentality that's drilled into us from infancy.
This accident is why Universal parks coasters that go over guest areas now have metal detectors in their queues. ALL items must be stored into free lockers before riding. Refusal to do so may get you banned from Universal property. They take this very seriously.
I think it should start getting people ARRESTED. Failure to use the locker or secure your sh*t properly is tantamount to randomly shooting a rifle in the air in the middle of town. Either way, you actually have a relatively low chance of actually hurting someone, BUT those bullets and personal items are moving very fast and they ALL have to come down somewhere! ;o)
Just came back from universal last month for the first time. They do not play. It wasn’t no big deal, but I was trying to figure out why metal detectors after people were already in the park. Makes sense now
@@jsdzx Told ya they don’t mess around. Guests will never see, or even care about, the possible safety risks involved with a metal object flying through the air toward someone until it happens to them personally.
The dragon challenge/dueling dragons coaster was my favorite coaster I have ridden on in my entire life. I rode that coaster first when I was 9, years before it was turned into a Harry Potter Themed ride. It was the smoothest rollercoaster I had ever gone on. And I do not like rollercoasters but I do loved this one. However I remember how in the beginning employees of the park repeatedly told everyone to not bring items that could easily slip out of grasp, pockets or off of our bodies. They would repeat this rule over and over until it was drilled into your memory for life. There was a reason for that and it’s not because the ride was at fault, it was because flying objects at high speeds can cause serious injury to people. You can’t really blame a the ride if people refuse to listen. Sure they could make the carts enclosed but still, is it really the park’s fault or the people who refuse to follow the rules?
It was my favorite coaster, also. The Ice ride was smoother than Fire, in my opinion. But, it was the first coaster I got my son to ride, which made him a fan of coaster rides. Such a shame they felt it best to tear it down. ☹️
From protective inner pockets in jackets, to those belt/fanny packs that ZIP UP, there's literal dozens of ways to secure stuff on your person... AND the park adds lockers for stuff you can't secure... AND people STILL manage to f**k it up and get someone else injured or even potentially killed... There are times when I ABSOLUTELY HATE humanity in general to its rotten self-indulgent core! If you open a new great water slide, I guarantee some idiot's going to go down it head-first with a THOUSAND signs warning not to do it... AND not an hour later, some idiot's going to be doing the same thing with his KID ON HIS BACK! People SUCK! ;o)
Those other 2 “later” accidents…it wasn’t the parks fault. It was people who didn’t want to follow the rules that are at fault. This past year at cedar point, if a guest had a phone out during a ride, they would stop the ride and remove the guest from the ride and ultimately the park. That didn’t stop people though and I was almost struck in the face by a flying cell phone on a roller coaster. Had a girl in front of me not grabbed it, it would have been bad. Follow the rules, people, they are there for a reason!
The same thing happened to me at Cedar Point, except I was the person who intercepted the phone. We were at the end of the ride, and I managed to pin it against the floor of the car with my foot after batting it out of the air. It belonged to a young teen girl who had no idea she’d lost it. She didn’t seem to care that she could have seriously injured or killed someone.
Yep alot of the roller coaster footage on TH-cam is obviously taken with a cell phone hard to tell people not to do it when it's normalized and gets views. Used GoPro's aren't that much and are secure and you can actually enjoy the ride while recording but ya know... Most people recording aren't making particularly good well thought out content.
I disagree, it was partially the park’s fault. The design of the ride is dangerous in general and makes you more prone to being hit by objects. Universal also charges for lockers instead of providing it for free so guests are more likely to try to avoid it. They also did not have metal detectors back then despite their extreme rides, which at least they do now.
@@Mehk The rules APPLY TO YOU TOO, PRINCESS. Get over yourself. From inner pockets of a jacket, to a damn belt/fanny pack you've GOT dozens of ways to avoid those damn lockers. You're not special and neither is anyone else. If you can't follow the rules STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE PARK!!! Christ... YOU are exactly the kind of person who makes EVERYTHING more damn dangerous than it needs to be for everyone around you. Why don't you idiots ever just stick to shitting in your own swimming pools??? ;o)
It wasn't "horrible luck" it was the stupidity and selfishness of an idiot that did not follow the posted rules. Although posted rules limits the liability of Universal it does not limit suing the rider that disregarded following the rules. I recommend suing them for everything they have. This man is permanently injured by a negligent, selfish, stupid, person.
I still remember when I was young going to the park and it being somewhat empty with hardly any lines. I must’ve rode at least a hundred times going back and forth between the two coasters. It’ll always have a special place in my heart.
I remember this ride being called “Dueling Dragrons.” It was my favorite coaster and I would go back and forth multiple times riding first row between the two. Ice was my favorite one! Lots of fun!!
That's quite a sad one again, that people cared more about their phones and stuff than safety, when I first saw the way the rides came so close to each other I thought they must have collided, but no this wasn't the fault of engineers, just stupid people ignoring signs as always. Smh
always wondered why Universal was so strict on their loose article policy compared to other parks but now I understand why and completely support it. I've been hit with phones on rides and it sucks. It sucks that people are too ignorant to just follow a policy that keeps everyone safe. Wish people weren't so selfish sometimes
I remember riding this ride when the dueling was still a thing. It was one of my favorite coasters. It’s so sad that people are so selfish and because of their actions, not only did they shut this coaster down but people got injured! Imagine being that person who thought ‘this rule doesn’t apply to me’ and cause someone to go blind. Living with that guilt for the rest of your life because you were too selfish.
@@JetFire9 democrats? why political? you assume the person was even from the US. What you should say is "Thats selfish shitty people for you". Selfish shitty people can come from anywhere.
Only if they go over a guest area. That’s why you see nets under Velocicoaster and The Incredible Hulk as well. Hagrids doesn’t go near other guests so they don’t have metal detectors on that one.
I got to ride it in March of 2011 for my 15th birthday, after it was part of the harry potter section but before the dueling aspect was removed. These were my favorite coasters in the whole park, and it makes me sad to know that it ended up closing because people are selfish and stupid about leaving their personal items off the ride.
Today, Universal now strictly enforces the banning of loose articles entering rides by use of metal detection. And yet some people still try to get away with it. On a recent trip, a couple of guests were loudly arguing with an attendant who operated one of the metal detectors, because they were told to go back to the lockers to stash away their belongings. This was on a ride where the lockers were located outside the ride’s entrance, unlike the Velocicoaster, where the lockers are located within the queue. If this system was introduced way back then, who knows? Dragon Challenge may not only have kept its dueling aspect but also remained in operation a bit longer.
Thank you very much for sharing this video... I appreciate it!! I loved Dueling Dragons and was heartbroken when the coasters were removed! I had never heard of any of these accidents!! How sad, my thoughts/prayers go out to those hurt. So sad!! This ride was truly epic!! I can remember loving both the 🔥 and 🧊 sides back in the early 00's, constantly flipping back and forth as to which I liked better... Both were amazing and groundbreaking for their time!
It’s crazy to me that I’ve been going to theme parks and riding roller coasters since i was around 8 years old. Even at such a young age i knew not to take any lose articles onto the coasters. Smh people are so selfish and honestly just disgusting.
I didn't know about this before which now explains Universals draconian approach to loose items on their coasters now. First time I went on Rip Ride Rocket it was a full search like you were at the airport. They were going to find that phone or those keys and you had to lock them up. I didn't understand at the time because I had rode so many coasters before without having to give up my basic belongings.
I was glad I got to ride the Dueling Dragons when my high school choir and band went to Island Of Adventure during one of our Florida trips (we also went to Disney as part of their Magic Music Days event). In one of the math classrooms at my high school, there was a painting of a blue dragon and a red dragon on one wall and I liked the blue one best so I had to ride on the Ice Dragon coaster.
I remember going on both coasters back in 2000, on the fire coaster, a lady behind dropped both her sandles on the first loop. Went on again to do the ice track and another lady behind had a plastic bag which she dropped along the way.
I really expected the incidents to involve the design because of how close they are yet it was all because of human negligence …. I feel so bad for the guy that lost his eye because of that
I rode these a bunch of times. One track was better than the other, the ice dragon was a more fun ride IMO. When they separated the starts it completely destroyed what made the ride great. Edit: one was better, I can’t remember red or blue but one seemed to put you in the seat harder & the other was boring.
First accident should have used lock out tag out. it should be engrained practice for any kind of inspection. I work in the waterpark industry where I have to do inspections of waterslides and I make sure to lock out a ride so I don't get flushed away from someone turning it on while I'm inside.
One of the periodic maintenance tasks from b&m was to visually inspect the foundations as trains passed over them. This put you in the ride track as vehicles were cycling. Dangerous stuff!
It’s so shameful that people can’t just follow the rules and leave loose objects off the ride. If you have something you absolutely don’t want to leave behind when you go on a roller coaster then wear clothing that has pockets with zippers. Not only are you endangering yourself but you’re endangering all the other passengers on the coaster who are just trying to have fun
I actually heard about this one before. It was because of this that the two coasters never ran at the same time ever again and why it was redesigned when they made the Harry Potter area. I had gone to the park before they stopped running them at the same time and it was so cool and really fun.
I lived in Orlando from 2000 to 2004, and those costers were some of my favorites. Like a comment below mentioned, because of some selfish people not following the rules this amazing attraction ended up closing.
Dragon Challenge still had plenty of years left of life in it, and Universal could’ve sent the two coasters to separate parks, but sadly they just chose not to. It really upsets me that Universal scrapped the ride prematurely in its life cycle. They said the ride had “reached the end of its service life” but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. I honestly hope no other B&M’s are sent to the scrapyard before the end of their life expectancy, and I just hope that most of the older B&M’s continue to operate for a little longer, because the way I see it, the wounds from Dragon Challenge being scrapped prematurely still ain’t healed, not even Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure will make up for it. I’ll give it 4 or 5 more years. 10 if I see another B&M get scrapped prematurely, which god forbid should that happen.
If you are riding a coaster, don't bring anything in your pockets unless you have a secure pocket (velcro, zipper, clasp, etc). Things like a couple of tissues, maybe a piece of paper if you use the ADA passes, other harmless stuff is one thing. But even small hard stuff can cause serious damage on some coasters. If you want to bring stuff and not bring a bag, I'd suggest getting a fanny pack or one of the cross body versions. It'll hold just as much if not more than your pockets, can easily be tucked away while yoyre on a ride, and most rides if they force you to bring your bag with you, you can safely keep it on.
I'm so glad I was able to ride these coasters. Inverted is my favorite style and this ride was absolutely incredible. It still makes me sad knowing it's gone.
Damn. I love this park and have been maybe 3-4 times (I live like 2 hours away in Sarasota, FL just south of Tampa) and its honestly rlly sad. First time I've heard of these accidents too smh...
My brother and I were so disappointed that the coasters were removed. We had been wanting to ride these coasters since the park opened. I wish another park had picked them and had them rebuilt there. There was nothing else like this, it was one of a kind.
Living in Daytona Beach, we were annual passholders at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure and went at least 4x a year - (we weren't Disney fans - lol) - this was my FAV ride in the park!
Just a side note on the ride tech struck by the ride. He was knocked unconscious and had a severe head injury but did recover and STILL works here! He had leaned in to examine something on one of the pillars or was listening for an odd sound, can’t remember which.
The first time I went to Universal Orlando, it was shortly after the Wizarding World section had opened, but before Dragon Challenge was de-synchronized. It was super packed, yet the Dragon Challenge was practically a walk-on.
I rode these coasters both before and after the potter refit and they are fun coasters. The problem here is that you can tweak things on the coasters like not launching at the same time which if you as me kind of lessens the ride but it’s still fun. Unfortunately what can’t be fixed is stupid. I don’t understand how people can be so selfish about following the rules. I personally find it sickening.
I went to IoA in september 2011, didn't ride this coaster bc I was young and scared at the time. It's crazy that one month prior to my visit, Carlos (my dad's name by the way) was leaving this attraction and loosing his sight forever bc some idiot didn't follow the rules. In 2012 I went again and decided to give it a try... after the first drop I fainted lol Woke up when the ride was over, with some Universal employee staring at me and waiting for me to leave the car, so that other visitors could board it. It's funny that literally no one offered me any help to get out of the roller coaster, nor asked me if I was okay (I was 15 and alone). I remember that I laid down right next to Three Broomsticks, and that I stayed there for 15 minutes with my head spinning like crazy lol
This is/was arguably the best roller coaster I have ever been on. Used to just do laps and ride it over and over as a kid. Sad it closed down in the way it did.
Just went to Universal last summer and I can't believe how many ADULTS needed to be sent out of line because they refused to completely empty thier pockets. You're getting on this ride too, do you care if you kill or hurt yourself atleast? No better Karma than a person who gets hit by the very same ride they were told not to bring loose articles on
I’ve always wondered where this ride went, I didn’t go to universal that often, some ppl told me I was wrong and there wasn't a dragon coaster, this proves me wrong, really sad things turned tho
I went on dueling dragons quite a few times as a kid and i dont remember them banning loose items. It was a long time ago, but i only remember strong encouragment to properly secure items, not outright forbidding them. Actually remember they would make you pay for storage lockers, and would semi regularly stop the ride to look from stuff that had dropped. Might be mistaken, but this is news to me. Hadnt ridden it since 07.
none of these are due to the ride's mechanical safety, pretty much all of these are due to human error, trespassing, or not following the ride's rules in one way or another.
I rode that ride in 2014, on the way up I saw a phone on the floor of the ride. Some how for me was upsetting, why people doesn’t follow the rules. When I heard about the closing of that ride I was sad since I love it….
I’m a huge coaster enthusiast! And for selfish reasons alone I just don’t like loosing my personal items period! I would not even consider the idea of them injuring someone. It’s for that reason, I use one of those dumb ( I’m now 49 and still do lol) hip/butt packs tho mines super cool, for hiking or climbing with lots of zipper sections lol, or a similar mini hiking backpack. Plus wear cargo pants or shorts with zipper pockets for cash/card and truck key. If I store that in my front pocket zipped, and secure. So I don’t get it. Just make sure your shits secure or not on you…. It’s that easy.
If Universal'd had the balls God gave a golf bag and done the metal detectors and free mini-lockers they have for RMC coasters like Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance, this ride would still be running.
So ironic that people now groan and complain about metal detectors and storage lockers. If you just kept you damn phone secured in a pair of cargo shorts or a deep pocket, these two coasters would still be be here in their glory.
i only got to ride this ride once back in 2017 like a month right before it closed because my family and i went to universal for my 11th birthday. even though i went on it once, i loved it so much :(( i don’t think i’ve been on a rollercoaster that insane after that and i love crazy rollercoasters lmfao
I actually got to ride this right before the name change, so that would have been December of 2009 if I recall correctly. I loved this coaster. It's just too bad that preventable, repeated accidents resulted in its demolition.
That was a cool coaster too. Like what did that person gain for keeping his phone on him? If he got a message, would he even feel the vibration or hear the sound? If he did would he even try to message them back? The guy is an idiot who only thought about himself, he got a loved ride destroyed, and blinded a man.
I was lucky enough to experience this ride when it duelled, it was great, there was nothing else like t being so close to another train added a unique thrill. It's a shame its gone but was a great coaster whilst it was around.
There used to be a net under the first Twist of the hulk because people's items would fall off them. Idk if it's still there, or if they do the locker thing like someone else mentioned. It's been over a decade since I've been back to Florida
This was an awesome ride. I was able to ride it when it dueled (and a bunch of rides when it was just running single) ... it sucks a bad as you are thinking you won't get to ride it
My favourite coasters as a kid, although I 100% clipped someone else’s foot with mine during the dueling section pre-removal, having super long legs wasn’t the best for this ride 😅
I believe the coaster closed because the loss of interest in the coaster. It was old and didn't have patron interest and the ride was feeling pretty rough too. It was also prime location and was reimagined into Hagrid. I remember riding the dragon challenge, after people lost cell phones, the park added metal dectectors, to all of the high-speed looping coasters including dragon challenge, the Hulk, Velopcicoaster, rip ride rocket, all high-speed coasters with loops. I think Universals takes this stuff real serious. I think patrons don't realize how dangerous simple things like keys and phones can be.
i must have rode this ride 200 times over the years... and loved from first to last... im hoping someone will build another one...one of the very best...would take it over harry potter ride hands down...
I don’t blame universal or the ride for these accidents. I blame those selfish people for not putting away their phones or other items before going on the ride. Like damn can you not go 30 minutes of your time without a phone? I miss this roller coaster so much if universal had metal detectors like they do today dragon challenge would still be there but it did get a all time great replacement with hagrids so it isn’t all to bad but I still wish it was there tho 😢
Went to Universal last month (February 21-25) with my daughter's hig school band and we had to put our stuff in a locker (not free) before getting in line for any ride. It was our 1st time ever going but I figured it had to do with loose items falling off rides.
If you can't design a ride to account for the stupidity of guests you should not be designing roller coasters. A sign is not a preventative measure. I love roller coasters, but these accidents, especially the one where the guy went blind, are easily prevented. You don't need to have people get injured before you realize how to correct the problem.
I loved this ride so much. I only ever got to ride it once unfortunately, probably why my love for it is so great😭I want that feeling again smh. It’s almost got the same layout as Batman from our six flags here in GA tho. Just without the duelling aspect obviously.
As a Florida resident who grew up with these two legendary coasters in their prime before the dueling aspect was discontinued, it saddens and angers me that people were too selfish to follow the rules and ended up not only depriving a man of his sight for the rest of his life, but also causing the attraction to become a shell of its former self before being removed altogether.
And to think the idiot who was the reason for the man's sight to be lost, is probably out there clueless and enjoying life care free. Angers me too.
This. They were my favorite rides at the park -- and because there were two the lines moved quickly all day long (if there even were any)... Veloci and Hagrid are alright, but it's not the same without the front row dueling coasters.
Its so bad anymore that when I was there earlier this year, all rides with any kind of loop required you to go through metal detectors and lock up any items.
Same!!! I think I went on this as a kid. I loved this roller coaster when it came out. I haven't been on a rollercoaster in years though. Too paranoid lately. 😅
True I adored that ride always went blue ice but don’t know for any reasons except liked the colour!!!
I can't imagine, after an incident not long prior where a loose object flying off the ride caused a man to go blind, having the audacity and self importance to think, "Well, I'm not going to take my loose items out of MY pockets, that rule isn't for ME," and then causing someone ELSE to get injured because you couldn't be bothered fo secure your belongings before riding.
American culture in a nutshell.
@@Skorpychan Honestly, it's mostly just human hubris, but the "The rules don't apply to me specifically," mentality seems to be ESPECIALLY prevalent in America. I blame the "we're the best country in the world because we're FREE" mentality that's drilled into us from infancy.
@@kattriella1331 No, it’s because people aren’t held accountable for their actions in the US…
@@kattriella1331 I blame the natives, for not murdering all the settlers on arrival.
@@Skorpychan I bet they wanted to
This accident is why Universal parks coasters that go over guest areas now have metal detectors in their queues. ALL items must be stored into free lockers before riding. Refusal to do so may get you banned from Universal property. They take this very seriously.
I think it should start getting people ARRESTED. Failure to use the locker or secure your sh*t properly is tantamount to randomly shooting a rifle in the air in the middle of town. Either way, you actually have a relatively low chance of actually hurting someone, BUT those bullets and personal items are moving very fast and they ALL have to come down somewhere! ;o)
it actually is a pretty great current system all things considered. and you can still wear a fanny pack on Hagrid's! 🎊
Just came back from universal last month for the first time. They do not play. It wasn’t no big deal, but I was trying to figure out why metal detectors after people were already in the park.
Makes sense now
@@jsdzx Told ya they don’t mess around. Guests will never see, or even care about, the possible safety risks involved with a metal object flying through the air toward someone until it happens to them personally.
I shoot my handgun off in the air all the time
How unfortunate for Carlos that of all places, he gets hit on his good eye. How sad, unlucky, and unbelievable.
Life is a cruel bitch sometimes..
The dragon challenge/dueling dragons coaster was my favorite coaster I have ridden on in my entire life. I rode that coaster first when I was 9, years before it was turned into a Harry Potter Themed ride. It was the smoothest rollercoaster I had ever gone on. And I do not like rollercoasters but I do loved this one.
However I remember how in the beginning employees of the park repeatedly told everyone to not bring items that could easily slip out of grasp, pockets or off of our bodies. They would repeat this rule over and over until it was drilled into your memory for life.
There was a reason for that and it’s not because the ride was at fault, it was because flying objects at high speeds can cause serious injury to people.
You can’t really blame a the ride if people refuse to listen.
Sure they could make the carts enclosed but still, is it really the park’s fault or the people who refuse to follow the rules?
It's a shame. Such a unique ride.
Selfish people ruined everything 😔
I never got to ride it.
It really was smooth.
It was my favorite coaster, also. The Ice ride was smoother than Fire, in my opinion. But, it was the first coaster I got my son to ride, which made him a fan of coaster rides. Such a shame they felt it best to tear it down. ☹️
From protective inner pockets in jackets, to those belt/fanny packs that ZIP UP, there's literal dozens of ways to secure stuff on your person... AND the park adds lockers for stuff you can't secure... AND people STILL manage to f**k it up and get someone else injured or even potentially killed...
There are times when I ABSOLUTELY HATE humanity in general to its rotten self-indulgent core!
If you open a new great water slide, I guarantee some idiot's going to go down it head-first with a THOUSAND signs warning not to do it... AND not an hour later, some idiot's going to be doing the same thing with his KID ON HIS BACK!
People SUCK! ;o)
Those other 2 “later” accidents…it wasn’t the parks fault. It was people who didn’t want to follow the rules that are at fault. This past year at cedar point, if a guest had a phone out during a ride, they would stop the ride and remove the guest from the ride and ultimately the park. That didn’t stop people though and I was almost struck in the face by a flying cell phone on a roller coaster. Had a girl in front of me not grabbed it, it would have been bad. Follow the rules, people, they are there for a reason!
The same thing happened to me at Cedar Point, except I was the person who intercepted the phone. We were at the end of the ride, and I managed to pin it against the floor of the car with my foot after batting it out of the air. It belonged to a young teen girl who had no idea she’d lost it. She didn’t seem to care that she could have seriously injured or killed someone.
Yep alot of the roller coaster footage on TH-cam is obviously taken with a cell phone hard to tell people not to do it when it's normalized and gets views.
Used GoPro's aren't that much and are secure and you can actually enjoy the ride while recording but ya know... Most people recording aren't making particularly good well thought out content.
I disagree, it was partially the park’s fault. The design of the ride is dangerous in general and makes you more prone to being hit by objects. Universal also charges for lockers instead of providing it for free so guests are more likely to try to avoid it. They also did not have metal detectors back then despite their extreme rides, which at least they do now.
@@Mehk The rules APPLY TO YOU TOO, PRINCESS. Get over yourself. From inner pockets of a jacket, to a damn belt/fanny pack you've GOT dozens of ways to avoid those damn lockers. You're not special and neither is anyone else. If you can't follow the rules STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE PARK!!!
Christ... YOU are exactly the kind of person who makes EVERYTHING more damn dangerous than it needs to be for everyone around you. Why don't you idiots ever just stick to shitting in your own swimming pools??? ;o)
We’re all just not mentioning the reflexes on the rider who saved OP?
I’m definitely grateful that I was able to ride it when it dueled, just stinks that not everyone did. Still one of my favorite coasters ever built.
I always waited for the front. Rode it about 3 times like that. Super fun coaster.
Back then though cell phones weren't as common.
Getting blinded in his second eye. What horrible luck. I hope this man got a nice settlement and is living a good life. Blessings to him.
Blind.... Not a great life.
It wasn't "horrible luck" it was the stupidity and selfishness of an idiot that did not follow the posted rules. Although posted rules limits the liability of Universal it does not limit suing the rider that disregarded following the rules. I recommend suing them for everything they have. This man is permanently injured by a negligent, selfish, stupid, person.
I still remember when I was young going to the park and it being somewhat empty with hardly any lines. I must’ve rode at least a hundred times going back and forth between the two coasters. It’ll always have a special place in my heart.
Yes, and they had the reride door before they started charging for express. You could lap this thing with no wait all day.
I remember this ride being called “Dueling Dragrons.” It was my favorite coaster and I would go back and forth multiple times riding first row between the two. Ice was my favorite one! Lots of fun!!
That's quite a sad one again, that people cared more about their phones and stuff than safety, when I first saw the way the rides came so close to each other I thought they must have collided, but no this wasn't the fault of engineers, just stupid people ignoring signs as always. Smh
always wondered why Universal was so strict on their loose article policy compared to other parks but now I understand why and completely support it. I've been hit with phones on rides and it sucks. It sucks that people are too ignorant to just follow a policy that keeps everyone safe. Wish people weren't so selfish sometimes
But how else am I suppose to record the awesomeness and keep it as a memory to watch back on
@@KahoobbThere’s glasses people could wear that have cameras. Honestly Universal could sell those, since they let you wear glasses on the rides
@@Kahoobb You might remember it better because you would experience it more intensely due to n not trying to photograph it at the same time.
I remember riding this ride when the dueling was still a thing. It was one of my favorite coasters. It’s so sad that people are so selfish and because of their actions, not only did they shut this coaster down but people got injured! Imagine being that person who thought ‘this rule doesn’t apply to me’ and cause someone to go blind. Living with that guilt for the rest of your life because you were too selfish.
I doubt that person cared. They might have been sad over their phone, but not the injured person. Thats how a lot of people are.
That’s democrats for ya!
@@JetFire9 democrats? why political? you assume the person was even from the US. What you should say is "Thats selfish shitty people for you". Selfish shitty people can come from anywhere.
It is astonishing how people can't seem to follow the simplest rules like, take everything out of your pockets. Yes, everything. Even that 🙄
This is why all of the more extreme coasters on the property now have you go though a metal detector and a metal wanding
Only if they go over a guest area. That’s why you see nets under Velocicoaster and The Incredible Hulk as well. Hagrids doesn’t go near other guests so they don’t have metal detectors on that one.
I got to ride it in March of 2011 for my 15th birthday, after it was part of the harry potter section but before the dueling aspect was removed. These were my favorite coasters in the whole park, and it makes me sad to know that it ended up closing because people are selfish and stupid about leaving their personal items off the ride.
Fate f**** with all of us, but it must have been in a particularly foul mood when it caused an item to hit that guy in his one good eye
Extremely unlucky 😬
I'm still shook. What are the odds... the only thing more amazing would be if it struck him in his bad eye instead lol
Today, Universal now strictly enforces the banning of loose articles entering rides by use of metal detection. And yet some people still try to get away with it. On a recent trip, a couple of guests were loudly arguing with an attendant who operated one of the metal detectors, because they were told to go back to the lockers to stash away their belongings. This was on a ride where the lockers were located outside the ride’s entrance, unlike the Velocicoaster, where the lockers are located within the queue.
If this system was introduced way back then, who knows? Dragon Challenge may not only have kept its dueling aspect but also remained in operation a bit longer.
Thank you very much for sharing this video... I appreciate it!! I loved Dueling Dragons and was heartbroken when the coasters were removed! I had never heard of any of these accidents!! How sad, my thoughts/prayers go out to those hurt. So sad!!
This ride was truly epic!! I can remember loving both the 🔥 and 🧊 sides back in the early 00's, constantly flipping back and forth as to which I liked better... Both were amazing and groundbreaking for their time!
You're welcome, thanks for Watching 😎
Dueling dragons was a favorite ride for me, and to see it's completely gone is very heartbreaking.
It’s crazy to me that I’ve been going to theme parks and riding roller coasters since i was around 8 years old. Even at such a young age i knew not to take any lose articles onto the coasters. Smh people are so selfish and honestly just disgusting.
I didn't know about this before which now explains Universals draconian approach to loose items on their coasters now. First time I went on Rip Ride Rocket it was a full search like you were at the airport. They were going to find that phone or those keys and you had to lock them up. I didn't understand at the time because I had rode so many coasters before without having to give up my basic belongings.
I was glad I got to ride the Dueling Dragons when my high school choir and band went to Island Of Adventure during one of our Florida trips (we also went to Disney as part of their Magic Music Days event). In one of the math classrooms at my high school, there was a painting of a blue dragon and a red dragon on one wall and I liked the blue one best so I had to ride on the Ice Dragon coaster.
I remember going on both coasters back in 2000, on the fire coaster, a lady behind dropped both her sandles on the first loop. Went on again to do the ice track and another lady behind had a plastic bag which she dropped along the way.
I really expected the incidents to involve the design because of how close they are yet it was all because of human negligence …. I feel so bad for the guy that lost his eye because of that
I remember riding this over and over as a kid, my dad on one coaster and me on the other. I'm sad it's gone.
I rode these a bunch of times. One track was better than the other, the ice dragon was a more fun ride IMO. When they separated the starts it completely destroyed what made the ride great.
Edit: one was better, I can’t remember red or blue but one seemed to put you in the seat harder & the other was boring.
Fire was better. That inversion with the helix out before the loop was insane. Blue was more tame in my opinion
First accident should have used lock out tag out. it should be engrained practice for any kind of inspection. I work in the waterpark industry where I have to do inspections of waterslides and I make sure to lock out a ride so I don't get flushed away from someone turning it on while I'm inside.
One of the periodic maintenance tasks from b&m was to visually inspect the foundations as trains passed over them. This put you in the ride track as vehicles were cycling. Dangerous stuff!
It’s so shameful that people can’t just follow the rules and leave loose objects off the ride. If you have something you absolutely don’t want to leave behind when you go on a roller coaster then wear clothing that has pockets with zippers. Not only are you endangering yourself but you’re endangering all the other passengers on the coaster who are just trying to have fun
That absolutely sucks, what an unlucky guy!
The unluckiest.
I actually heard about this one before. It was because of this that the two coasters never ran at the same time ever again and why it was redesigned when they made the Harry Potter area. I had gone to the park before they stopped running them at the same time and it was so cool and really fun.
I lived in Orlando from 2000 to 2004, and those costers were some of my favorites. Like a comment below mentioned, because of some selfish people not following the rules this amazing attraction ended up closing.
Dragon Challenge still had plenty of years left of life in it, and Universal could’ve sent the two coasters to separate parks, but sadly they just chose not to.
It really upsets me that Universal scrapped the ride prematurely in its life cycle. They said the ride had “reached the end of its service life” but that couldn’t be any further from the truth.
I honestly hope no other B&M’s are sent to the scrapyard before the end of their life expectancy, and I just hope that most of the older B&M’s continue to operate for a little longer, because the way I see it, the wounds from Dragon Challenge being scrapped prematurely still ain’t healed, not even Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure will make up for it.
I’ll give it 4 or 5 more years. 10 if I see another B&M get scrapped prematurely, which god forbid should that happen.
Is it true that it wasn't at the end of its life cycle? It was made at the same time as Hulk, and Hulk got rebuilt didn't it?
If you are riding a coaster, don't bring anything in your pockets unless you have a secure pocket (velcro, zipper, clasp, etc). Things like a couple of tissues, maybe a piece of paper if you use the ADA passes, other harmless stuff is one thing. But even small hard stuff can cause serious damage on some coasters. If you want to bring stuff and not bring a bag, I'd suggest getting a fanny pack or one of the cross body versions. It'll hold just as much if not more than your pockets, can easily be tucked away while yoyre on a ride, and most rides if they force you to bring your bag with you, you can safely keep it on.
I'm so glad I was able to ride these coasters. Inverted is my favorite style and this ride was absolutely incredible. It still makes me sad knowing it's gone.
Pretty sad when people don’t follow the rules and other people get hurt or worse on these rides.😢
“Everyone misses out, after one disobeys”
From Orlando, this was my favorite coaster when it dueled. Miss it!
Damn. I love this park and have been maybe 3-4 times (I live like 2 hours away in Sarasota, FL just south of Tampa) and its honestly rlly sad. First time I've heard of these accidents too smh...
My brother and I were so disappointed that the coasters were removed. We had been wanting to ride these coasters since the park opened. I wish another park had picked them and had them rebuilt there. There was nothing else like this, it was one of a kind.
Living in Daytona Beach, we were annual passholders at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure and went at least 4x a year - (we weren't Disney fans - lol) - this was my FAV ride in the park!
Just a side note on the ride tech struck by the ride. He was knocked unconscious and had a severe head injury but did recover and STILL works here!
He had leaned in to examine something on one of the pillars or was listening for an odd sound, can’t remember which.
It's amazing he was able to survive that.
This is so sad, it’s truly not hard to follow basic safety rules. This was always one of my favorite universal coasters
I went on the ride before it was opened and after, it was actually called Dueling Dragons.
Very sad to here about the man going completely blind, I hope that man can still live a decent life.
The guy who lost the eye is one of the most bizarre, freakish accidents I've heard! What are the odds on that one?
The first time I went to Universal Orlando, it was shortly after the Wizarding World section had opened, but before Dragon Challenge was de-synchronized. It was super packed, yet the Dragon Challenge was practically a walk-on.
I rode these coasters both before and after the potter refit and they are fun coasters. The problem here is that you can tweak things on the coasters like not launching at the same time which if you as me kind of lessens the ride but it’s still fun. Unfortunately what can’t be fixed is stupid. I don’t understand how people can be so selfish about following the rules. I personally find it sickening.
Guests need to stop breaking the rules
Restricted areas around rollercoasters are off limits for a reason.
I went to IoA in september 2011, didn't ride this coaster bc I was young and scared at the time. It's crazy that one month prior to my visit, Carlos (my dad's name by the way) was leaving this attraction and loosing his sight forever bc some idiot didn't follow the rules. In 2012 I went again and decided to give it a try... after the first drop I fainted lol Woke up when the ride was over, with some Universal employee staring at me and waiting for me to leave the car, so that other visitors could board it. It's funny that literally no one offered me any help to get out of the roller coaster, nor asked me if I was okay (I was 15 and alone). I remember that I laid down right next to Three Broomsticks, and that I stayed there for 15 minutes with my head spinning like crazy lol
This is/was arguably the best roller coaster I have ever been on. Used to just do laps and ride it over and over as a kid. Sad it closed down in the way it did.
Just went to Universal last summer and I can't believe how many ADULTS needed to be sent out of line because they refused to completely empty thier pockets. You're getting on this ride too, do you care if you kill or hurt yourself atleast? No better Karma than a person who gets hit by the very same ride they were told not to bring loose articles on
I’ve always wondered where this ride went, I didn’t go to universal that often, some ppl told me I was wrong and there wasn't a dragon coaster, this proves me wrong, really sad things turned tho
This is one of my favorities!favorites!! Never knew had accidents
I went on dueling dragons quite a few times as a kid and i dont remember them banning loose items. It was a long time ago, but i only remember strong encouragment to properly secure items, not outright forbidding them. Actually remember they would make you pay for storage lockers, and would semi regularly stop the ride to look from stuff that had dropped.
Might be mistaken, but this is news to me. Hadnt ridden it since 07.
none of these are due to the ride's mechanical safety, pretty much all of these are due to human error, trespassing, or not following the ride's rules in one way or another.
Dueling dragons was my favorite coaster. I’ve been on it a hundred times at least! People refuse to follow the rules. How very tragic.
I rode that ride in 2014, on the way up I saw a phone on the floor of the ride. Some how for me was upsetting, why people doesn’t follow the rules. When I heard about the closing of that ride I was sad since I love it….
I’m a huge coaster enthusiast! And for selfish reasons alone I just don’t like loosing my personal items period! I would not even consider the idea of them injuring someone. It’s for that reason, I use one of those dumb ( I’m now 49 and still do lol) hip/butt packs tho mines super cool, for hiking or climbing with lots of zipper sections lol, or a similar mini hiking backpack. Plus wear cargo pants or shorts with zipper pockets for cash/card and truck key. If I store that in my front pocket zipped, and secure. So I don’t get it. Just make sure your shits secure or not on you…. It’s that easy.
If Universal'd had the balls God gave a golf bag and done the metal detectors and free mini-lockers they have for RMC coasters like Twisted Timbers and Steel Vengeance, this ride would still be running.
So ironic that people now groan and complain about metal detectors and storage lockers.
If you just kept you damn phone secured in a pair of cargo shorts or a deep pocket, these two coasters would still be be here in their glory.
i only got to ride this ride once back in 2017 like a month right before it closed because my family and i went to universal for my 11th birthday. even though i went on it once, i loved it so much :(( i don’t think i’ve been on a rollercoaster that insane after that and i love crazy rollercoasters lmfao
I rode this in 2013 when it was Dragon Challenge, and had no idea about the history behind it until later. I miss this coaster
Ah this explains why they stopped running this coaster with both at the same time. I always wondered.
Man we loved that ride! So sad that it’s been replaced because people couldn’t listen to instructions.
Such a good coaster, glad I got to ride it before it was shut down
Great video! Subscribed 11-12-22 👍🏼
Thanks so much, and welcome 😊
Suchhh a great ride! So upsetting people Ruined it for us all
loved this ride as a kid. Harry Potter world is super cool but the lines are crazy
It seems so unlikely to get hit by an object at that point of the ride considering the path and ride angle of the two coasters passing each other.
I actually got to ride this right before the name change, so that would have been December of 2009 if I recall correctly. I loved this coaster. It's just too bad that preventable, repeated accidents resulted in its demolition.
I miss those rides. Great video.
Thanks for Watching 😃
I really hope they re-make this ride one day and strictly enforce a no loose object policy like Eejanaika, This coaster looked so dope...
That was a cool coaster too. Like what did that person gain for keeping his phone on him? If he got a message, would he even feel the vibration or hear the sound? If he did would he even try to message them back?
The guy is an idiot who only thought about himself, he got a loved ride destroyed, and blinded a man.
This was a fun coaster on Fire and Ice, Rest In Peace Duelling Dragons!
3:00 Badcock oh no that's unlucky
I wonder what was the thing to replace this ride
The Hagrid motor bike ride 😊
I was lucky enough to experience this ride when it duelled, it was great, there was nothing else like t being so close to another train added a unique thrill. It's a shame its gone but was a great coaster whilst it was around.
I loved this ride! That said, Hagrid's motorbike is now my favorite ride ever so it was a worthy sacrifice.
There used to be a net under the first Twist of the hulk because people's items would fall off them. Idk if it's still there, or if they do the locker thing like someone else mentioned. It's been over a decade since I've been back to Florida
This was an awesome ride. I was able to ride it when it dueled (and a bunch of rides when it was just running single) ... it sucks a bad as you are thinking you won't get to ride it
This is why I’m never riding a roller coaster 😭✌️
Awesome video 👍😃
Cheers 😎
My favourite coasters as a kid, although I 100% clipped someone else’s foot with mine during the dueling section pre-removal, having super long legs wasn’t the best for this ride 😅
Damn what a shame this ride no longer exist. Least am happy I was able to ride this coaster at least once in my lifetime
I believe the coaster closed because the loss of interest in the coaster. It was old and didn't have patron interest and the ride was feeling pretty rough too. It was also prime location and was reimagined into Hagrid. I remember riding the dragon challenge, after people lost cell phones, the park added metal dectectors, to all of the high-speed looping coasters including dragon challenge, the Hulk, Velopcicoaster, rip ride rocket, all high-speed coasters with loops. I think Universals takes this stuff real serious. I think patrons don't realize how dangerous simple things like keys and phones can be.
i must have rode this ride 200 times over the years... and loved from first to last... im hoping someone will build another one...one of the very best...would take it over harry potter ride hands down...
3:31 was the technician deff?! How is it not possible to hear the car at 100 km/h circling around?!
NGL...I miss riding this rollercoaster!
I don’t blame universal or the ride for these accidents. I blame those selfish people for not putting away their phones or other items before going on the ride. Like damn can you not go 30 minutes of your time without a phone? I miss this roller coaster so much if universal had metal detectors like they do today dragon challenge would still be there but it did get a all time great replacement with hagrids so it isn’t all to bad but I still wish it was there tho 😢
Went to Universal last month (February 21-25) with my daughter's hig school band and we had to put our stuff in a locker (not free) before getting in line for any ride. It was our 1st time ever going but I figured it had to do with loose items falling off rides.
If you can't design a ride to account for the stupidity of guests you should not be designing roller coasters. A sign is not a preventative measure. I love roller coasters, but these accidents, especially the one where the guy went blind, are easily prevented. You don't need to have people get injured before you realize how to correct the problem.
The problem is no matter what they do loose items will eventually get on the ridw
I miss the dueling dragons so bad!😢
Got to ride it when it was dueling. However, Hagrid's is my favorite due to the OUT THERE riding position
People suck. We ruin everything. I wish they would’ve found the responsible parties and prosecuted them to the FULLEST extent of the law.
the owner of that cellphone should be charged
where i can see the sync videos?
This is why we cannot have nice things.
Thanks :)
I loved this ride so much. I only ever got to ride it once unfortunately, probably why my love for it is so great😭I want that feeling again smh. It’s almost got the same layout as Batman from our six flags here in GA tho. Just without the duelling aspect obviously.