Ride Testing Begins at Universal Kids Resort

Ride testing has begun at Universal Kids Resort. I’ve been waiting for this moment since I took my first photos of the site 25 months ago, back when it was nothing more than a dirt lot. Sure, I love watching loaders, telehandlers, and cranes do their thing. But it was undeniably cooler seeing Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin actually spin. For a full 30 seconds this evening, the ride came to life.

I was photographing Bikini Bottom when the movement caught my eye. The park always has kinetic energy. But until now, it’s been the construction kind, not actual rides moving under their own power.

I know testing has likely happened before. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of Mr. DNA, and those gondolas have changed positions plenty of times. Just never when I’m standing there. Tonight, I got lucky.

After grabbing the above video, I hustled to the other side of the park, hoping to film without the ever-present chain link fence in the foreground. I found my favorite spot. And waited.

Across the street, a landscaping crew was testing new sprinklers. It was about 55 degrees, and they were casually walking through the spray like it was July.

I wandered about 100 yards away to snap photos of the recently finished Swings Over Del Mar, but trucks and topsoil made decent photos impossible. I think Universal is onto me.

So I retreated to my original spot. Nothing. I eventually moved on, glancing back at the Jurassic World Adventure Camp skyline every 10 seconds. I was ready to sprint back, but the ride sat motionless.

I’m treating 30 seconds of spinning like a grand opening. Surely we can stretch that to 45 tomorrow.

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