Universal Studios Hollywood · Upper Lot
King Kong 360 3-D
A Peter Jackson-directed 3D tunnel sequence built into the Studio Tour, and the loudest four minutes in the park.
Ride facts
- Type
- Film
- Height
- Any height
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Motion sickness
- Moderate motion risk
- Getting wet
- Stay dry
- Indoor / outdoor
- Indoor
- Air conditioned
- No
- Rider Switch
- Not offered
Last verified July 2026
What it is
King Kong 360 3-D opened in 2010 on the site of the old King Kong Encounter, which burned down in the 2008 backlot fire. It is not a separate attraction — you cannot queue for it, and there is no way to ride it without riding the Studio Tour. The tram drives into a purpose-built tunnel, the doors close, and you are inside a Peter Jackson-directed sequence projected onto enormous curved screens on both sides at once.
The premise is that the tram has strayed onto Skull Island during a fight between Kong and three V. rexes. The screens wrap the full width of the vehicle, the tram platform pitches and rolls underneath you, and there are physical effects — wind, spray and heat — layered on top. It is the most aggressive four minutes of anything at Universal Studios Hollywood, and it happens to people who did not think they were getting on a thrill ride.
The technical achievement is real: it was one of the largest 3D projection installations ever built when it opened, and the scale still lands. Whether you enjoy it depends almost entirely on how you feel about being shouted at in the dark.
What riding it is actually like
The tram slows, the guide gives a short warning, and you go through a set of doors into darkness. There is a moment of nothing, then the screens come up on both sides simultaneously and the vehicle drops into a pitch that feels much steeper than it is.
What follows is four minutes of Kong and the V. rexes fighting across and above the tram, with the vehicle sliding, rocking and lurching in time with the action. Water and air effects hit you at close range. The sound is at concert volume with heavy low frequencies you feel through the bench seat.
The doors open, the daylight is a shock, and the guide picks up the commentary as if nothing happened. Most adults find it impressive rather than frightening. A meaningful number of children under seven do not, and there is no exit.
Is King Kong 360 3-D scary?
This is the single most frightening thing on the Studio Tour for young children. The tram enters a tunnel, everything goes black, and 3D screens on both sides put you in the middle of a fight between King Kong and three V. rexes at close range, with the vehicle pitching and the sound at full volume. It lasts about four minutes and cannot be skipped once the tram is moving.
Scores are editorial, on a 1–5 scale, judged against what frightens a typical four- to seven-year-old rather than an adult.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair
- Stay in your wheelchair or ECV
- Audio description
- Not offered
- Handheld captioning
- Not offered
- Assistive listening
- Not offered
- Sign language
- Not offered
- Service animals
- Must use a kennel or wait with a companion
Experienced from the Studio Tour tram, so accessibility follows the tour. There is no way to leave the tram or opt out once it has entered the tunnel.
Tips that actually help
- There is no separate queue and no way to skip it. If a child in your group cannot handle it, the decision is whether to ride the Studio Tour at all, not whether to ride this.
- Warn a nervous child at the start of the tour, not thirty seconds before. The tunnel arrives quickly and the guide's warning is brief.
- The middle rows of the tram get the least distorted 3D. The very front and the very back sit off the projection's sweet spot.
- If you get motion sick from 3D screens, close your eyes and look down. Four minutes passes quickly and the rest of the tour is gentle.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- Whenever you ride the Studio Tour — there is no independent access.
- Typical wait
- No separate wait; it is a segment of the Studio Tour.
- Express Pass
- Standby only
King Kong 360 3-D: common questions
Can you ride King Kong 360 3-D without the Studio Tour?
No. It is a tunnel sequence built into the Studio Tour route, with no separate entrance, queue or exit. The only way to experience it is to ride the full tram tour.
Is King Kong 360 3-D scary?
It is the most frightening part of the Studio Tour for young children. The tram goes fully dark, screens on both sides put you inside a fight between King Kong and three V. rexes at close range, and the sound is at concert volume. It lasts about four minutes and there is no way out.
Is there a height requirement?
No, because it is part of the Studio Tour, which has no height requirement. That is exactly why it catches families out — nothing about the tour's rating prepares you for this segment.
Does it make people motion sick?
Some people, yes. The combination of full-width 3D projection and a pitching vehicle platform is a common trigger. Closing your eyes and looking down works, and the effect passes quickly once the tram leaves the tunnel.