In Jurassic Park, Velociraptors were intimidating, kinda scary, and definitely fascinating in the way they interacted and hunted as a pack (that kitchen scene, am I right?). Fast forward to Jurassic World, where we then got to see Velociraptors in a different way, sharing pack mentality with humans. And now, with the new Jurassic World VelociCoaster in Universal Islands of Adventure, we get to be up close to these social predators and experience first-hand their cunning intelligence like never before.
The storyline for VelociCoaster takes place shortly before the events of the first Jurassic World film. “More teeth!” That’s the mandate Claire Dearing has been instructed to add to the Jurassic World park. Her solution, while the Indominus Rex is being developed, is the VelociCoaster. The coaster’s premise is that this is the first time in Jurassic World’s history that the Velociraptors are on public display, making the Raptor pack Blue, Delta, Echo, and Charlie the stars of the attraction.
To accompany you on your journey into the paddock, I compiled the below Raptor report with details on each of the Velociraptors you’ll encounter, along with some fun facts about how they were brought to life.
Blue
You’ll encounter Blue leading the pack as you race through the paddock on the ride. Easily the most recognizable of the four, she is grey with iridescent blue stripes running the length of her body (from which she got her name). Her unique DNA is taken from the African black-throated monitor lizard, giving her distinct markings that set her apart from her other littermates. She’s the largest, the most intelligent, and the most deadly. Fun fact: She can snatch meat from hooks placed 15 feet in the air above her — just like a Bengal tiger!
Delta
Delta is one of the Raptors you will be able to see in the ride queue. She makes for a rather intimidating presence as she is the second largest and second oldest of the Raptor pack. You can recognize her by her mottled green and dark beige skin. She also has significant avian components in her DNA.
Raptor Report: The Velociraptors come to life in various forms from bronze statues and life-like figures to ground-breaking visual animation. Special effects in the ride accentuate the Raptors throughout — like fire highlighting the entrance statues and an air effect creating the feeling of the Raptors breathing in the queue. The Raptors are even made to react to you as you’re walking by using innovative technology.
Echo
Just like Delta, you can get up close with Echo, so close you can see the fine details of her scars and markings. Her coloring is a mottled blue and beige, but the best way to identify her is by the lip scar across the left side of her face. She is the second youngest in the pack.
Raptor Report: The biggest challenge to the Creative team was how to bring the Velociraptors to life. To help achieve this, a custom-made scent of what we believe a Raptor would smell like was created and is used throughout the attraction!
Charlie
Charlie is the baby of the pack and you’ll see her bringing up the rear in the paddock as you narrowly escape the pack’s claws. She is not only the youngest, but also the smallest of the four Raptors. You can spot Charlie by her green skin with vertical black stripes down her back, which is the result of using green iguana DNA in her genetic coding.
Raptor Report: As you encounter the Velociraptors in the paddock, take a look at their eyes. They were designed to catch the glimmer of light using gold flakes and precious metals. They look so lifelike that you may find yourself a bit unnerved when their intelligent gaze lands on you.
While these four Velociraptors are the stars of this attraction, this isn’t the only area where you can encounter Raptors in Jurassic Park at Universal Orlando Resort. You can find even MORE Velociraptors throughout the Jurassic Park area in Islands of Adventure. Get up close with Jurassic World’s Blue or the baby Raptors Sierra and Tango over at Raptor Encounter, watch baby Raptors hatch in the Jurassic Park Discovery Center, and watch out for more over on Jurassic Park River Adventure.