Universal Quietly Reopens Attraction Rumored to Be Erased After Fire Incident
But Something Big Is Missing
Skull Island: Reign of Kong reopened at Universal Islands of Adventure on September 18, but guests are returning to an attraction missing its most recognizable physical element: King Kong himself.
Dueling Park News reported from the park Friday that the ride is operating again, but the massive King Kong animatronic normally encountered during the finale is no longer visible. Black curtains now conceal the area where the figure appears. The reopening follows weeks of downtime, confirmed damage to the animatronic, and a documented animatronic fire at Universal Orlando Resort.
Skull Island: Reign of Kong Reopens With a Major Change
The reopening marks a sharp reversal from where the attraction stood only days ago. Universal Orlando had confirmed that the King Kong figure “sustained damage” during routine maintenance and was undergoing repairs, but the resort had not provided a reopening timeframe.
Inside the Magic previously covered Universal’s confirmation of the King Kong animatronic damage after the attraction had remained closed since August 26. Universal said at the time that it looked forward to welcoming guests back once the work was complete.
Guests are now being welcomed back, but apparently before Kong’s return. According to Dueling Park News, the attraction otherwise runs normally before reaching the finale, where riders instead encounter the black curtains.
That distinction matters. Universal has not announced that Kong has been permanently removed, nor has it said that the curtains represent a permanent alteration to Reign of Kong.
A Fire Was Documented at Universal Orlando
The circumstances surrounding the damage have become clearer since the attraction first went down.
On September 16, Florida Politics reported that an animatronic at Universal Orlando caught fire on August 27, citing an Orlando Fire Department incident report. The fire was reported shortly before 10 a.m., while the attraction involved was closed, and Universal employees had extinguished it before firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported.
The fire report did not identify the attraction by name, an important limitation. It stated that the fire damaged machinery but did not extend to the building. Universal separately confirmed that the King Kong animatronic was damaged during routine maintenance, but its statement did not explicitly identify fire as the cause.
Before those records surfaced, Inside the Magic had covered the original reports that the King Kong animatronic may have caught fire, while clearly treating the claim as unverified at the time. The fire itself is now documented; a direct official link between that incident and Kong remains unconfirmed.
Black Curtains Now Conceal the King Kong Finale
That makes the black curtains particularly noteworthy.
Universal’s own guide to Skull Island: Reign of Kong describes the adventure as culminating in an encounter involving the colossal ape. The physical Kong figure is therefore more than background decoration. It is the final payoff after an attraction dominated by large-scale projected sequences.
Universal has not explained why the finale is currently concealed, whether Kong remains behind the curtains, or whether the animatronic has been removed elsewhere for repairs. Claims that the curtains are specifically intended to hide fire damage would therefore go beyond what has been confirmed.
Still, the timing is difficult to overlook. Guests now see curtains in the exact portion of an attraction whose centerpiece Universal acknowledged was damaged.
The change is also notable given Reign of Kong’s previous operational problems. The attraction experienced repeated downtime earlier in 2026, well before this latest extended closure.
Kong’s Absence Changes the Payoff for Guests
Skull Island remains a current attraction on Universal Orlando Resort’s Islands of Adventure page, and Universal describes the experience as an expedition through a dangerous island populated by colossal creatures.
But for guests who know the ride, losing the physical Kong encounter changes its ending considerably. The figure provided a tangible counterpoint to the screen-heavy portions preceding it, bringing riders physically close to the character before their expedition ended.
Kong also carries a much longer history at Universal Orlando. Inside the Magic’s retrospective on the original Kongfrontation attraction traces the character’s Orlando presence back to Universal Studios Florida’s early years. Reign of Kong restored a dedicated Kong attraction to Orlando when it debuted in 2016.
The current situation does not mean that legacy is ending.
What Happens to King Kong Now?
The biggest unanswered question is whether Universal intends to reinstall the existing animatronic, rebuild damaged components, or make another temporary or permanent modification to the finale.
Universal’s earlier statement said the animatronic was “undergoing repairs,” language that indicated an intention to restore it rather than permanently eliminate Kong. The resort has not publicly announced that those repairs are complete or provided a timeline for the figure’s return.
The reopening at least restores another operating attraction to Islands of Adventure while the park undergoes significant work elsewhere. Inside the Magic has also documented ongoing construction and redevelopment around Islands of Adventure, making Kong’s return to operation meaningful even in an altered state.
For now, Skull Island is open again. Its king, however, remains out of sight—and until Universal explains what is happening behind those black curtains, the future of the attraction’s signature finale remains unresolved.
