Theme Park Bits: 'Fantastic Beasts' Theme Park Ride Rumors, The Incredible Hulk Coaster Returns, And 'The Purge: Election Year' Heads To Universal Studios

In this edition of Theme Park Bits:

Buried at the bottom of a post about NBCUniversal obtaining cable and television rights to the Harry Potter film series for the foreseeable future is this snippet of theme park news, which may very well shatter the hearts of some Universal Studios Orlando fans:

Perhaps not coincidentally, rumors have been flying around Universal Orlando that Islands of Adventure might be about to close its Boliger & Mabillard Inverted Dragon Challenge roller coasters at the end of the summer, in order to redevelop that space for a "Fantastic Beasts"-themed thrill ride. With Universal no longer dispatching the two coasters so that they can "duel," due to past incidents where riders' belongings flew off one train toward riders on the other, the ride simply hasn't enjoyed the popularity it did back in the day when it was the non-Potter-themed Dueling Dragons. Universal hasn't bothered replicating Dragon Challenge in either of its additional Hogsmeade lands (in Japan and Hollywood) to pretty much zero complaints, further illustrating the ride's lack of appeal to the Potter fan base.

As longtime Universal visitors know, Dragon Challenge existed long before The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was even a pipe dream. When it debuted in 1999, it was known as Dueling Dragons and it was located in the section of the Islands of Adventure park known as The Lost Continent and the Harry Potter book series was still young, with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the third book) hitting shelves that year. At the time, Dueling Dragons was one of the most impressive roller coasters on the planet, an immaculately themed experience that saw two trains flying past each other at terrifying proximities. The carefully calculated "near misses" transformed two already strong inverted coasters into something truly special.

When the Wizarding World of Harry Potter arrived and carved out most of The Lost Continent, Dueling Dragons was allowed to remain. After all, the dragon theme fit right in the with the Wizarding World. After a few tweaks to the theme and a redesigned queue, it felt right at home. However, my past few visits to Islands of Adventure have seen absurdly short wait lines for the ride. On more than one occasion, I could literally exit the vehicle and get right back again because there was no one else in the queue. All of the Potter fans were too busy taking in the newer, fresher, more thematically ingrained attractions. A gigantic, stomach-churning roller coaster like Dragon Challenge never quite gelled with the people who contributed to the absurdly long waits for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

And that brings us to right now and this rumor. There is no way Universal isn't contemplating more Harry Potter attractions and there is no way they're not eyeing the massive amount of space Dragon Challenge occupies. The possibilities are endless, especially with the series continuing on with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. And unlike their counterparts at Disney, Universal works fast – they could potentially have a new ride ready to go in just a few years.

This story makes too much sense to not have shards of truth in it, but that doesn't make it sting any less. Dragon Challenge/Dueling Dragons was a great coaster and it was still a very good coaster after they removed the dueling aspect. To see it vanish from the Islands of Adventure line-up would be a crushing blow to those of us who have been riding it for over a decade.

But then again, who am I to say no to a new Harry Potter attraction? Knowing Universal's track record with this property, it would be nothing short of stunning. This rumor is the definition of bittersweet.

But how about some good news concerning the roller coasters of Islands of Adventure? After a lengthy refurbishment that saw every foot of track replaced, the queue redesigned, the ride vehicles updated, and the ride storyline significantly tweaked, the Incredible Hulk Coaster has official reopened. They even held an incredibly cheesy ceremony, complete with a few Marvel superhero guest stars.

While the ride itself is identical to the original layout, the path to the loading station has received a significant upgrade. As you can see in the video below, the blaring music and televisions describing the Hulk's backstory are gone. What was once Dr. Bruce Banner's secret lab is now a government laboratory run by General "Thunderbolt" Ross, the Hulk's arch-nemesis. The muted colors and more sterile environment service this new theme and all of the new effects and props are a huge improvement over version 1.0.

And yes, the instantly familiar sound of the ride vehicle launching out of that tunnel is now accompanied by a loud Hulk roar.

Inside Universal is reporting that Universal Studios Hollywood is going take full advantage of The Purge: Election Year at this year's Halloween Horror Nights, transforming the entire park into one park-wide "scare zone." In the past, visitors could choose to avoid these areas, where costumed characters menace the crowds, but it now sounds like every square inch of the park will provide an opportunity to get startled by a masked maniac. Here's Inside Universal:

The park-wide scare zone will feature heavy references to the American political system, including heavy references to the Democratic and Republican party. Stilt walkers dressed up like Uncle Sam or the Statue of Liberty will roam the area, while both election parties will have their own style of chainsaw wielding maniacs.

For photos from the event's announcement, hit the link above.