Zamperla Jumping Towers Installed in Universal Kids Resort’s Jurassic World
Crews have finished installing the Zamperla Jumping Towers at the Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas. The family-friendly drop ride joins Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin, the Cretaceous Coaster, a free-play area, and more in the Jurassic World–themed land.
Interestingly, both towers have been installed before, but never at the same time. The first tower, T1, went up in May, only to be swapped out for T2 in late August. The changeover was so subtle that I didn’t even catch it until I started reviewing photos for this story.
Ride details
The Zamperla Jumping Towers are a drop ride, but at just 33.5 feet tall, they’re much more accessible to young guests than the 199-foot Tower of Terror or 185-foot Doctor Doom’s Fearfall. Unlike those larger attractions, the Jumping Towers also spin as they lift and drop guests, creating a mix of bouncing and twisting motions. You can see one in action on Zamperla’s YouTube channel.
Each Tower seats up to 16 riders, with four guests on a side. Children must be at least 36 inches tall to ride, or 42 inches if unaccompanied. With two towers operating, the attraction can handle up to 768 guests per hour. Ride lasts about 90 seconds, following a 60-second load time.
Attraction design
The Zamperla has an industrial vibe. Painted gray with yellow diagonal stripes, they’re labelled with a blue, neutral font. The dark blue seats also have a minimalist design. This attraction is a stark contrast to Jurassic World’s other tower attraction, Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin. That ride’s bright primary colors are more of what we expect from a kids’ park theming. But I dig the look of the Jumping Towers, even if I’m not that target demographic.
What’s the name?
Pteranodrop. Universal just filed for the trademark. Hat tip to Aahs_n_Oohs for spotting it.
If you know how to pronounce that, please let me know. For now, I’m going with “TARE-ah-no-drop.” Or maybe we should just let the kids decide.
Our original story had us contemplating Jurassic World Lookout Towers, another recent Universal trademark. At first, Aahs speculated the name was for the land’s playground. Concept art shows a large elevated area around the Zamperla ride, with elevated wooden platforms and corner towers. But he also wondered if the entire area – the Zamperla towers and playground – could end up being named Jurassic World Lookout Towers. His first instinct was correct. The Zamperla Jumping Towers are Pteranodrop. The playground will be called Jurassic World Lookout Towers.
As many of you know, Aahs is a wealth of information (theme park and otherwise). As he and I discussed names for the Zamperla, he shifted gears and began speculating about the surrounding playground’s design. Here’s a brief recap of what he shared with me:
The playground towers are likely no more than 10 feet tall, and since Universal has designed its other play areas to be wheelchair accessible, ramps would almost certainly be included.
Accessibility guidelines generally require one foot of ramp length for every inch of rise, with a maximum of 30 feet before a flat rest area is needed. That means if the towers reach 10 feet, at least four 30-foot ramps would be required to make them accessible.
Discussions like this are why I’m thrilled that Aahs contributes to our little site.
Back to all the towers. The Pteranodrop and its proximity to the Jurassic World Lookout Towers – as well as the nearby Cretaceous Coaster and Double Helix Spin – will make Jurassic World one of the most popular lands at Universal Kids Resort.
