Demolition Has Peeled the Side Off Poseidon’s Fury, Exposing the Steel Skeleton of Its Final Show Chamber at Islands of Adventure
From 1999 until it closed for good in May 2023, the only way to see the inside of Poseidon's Fury was to walk through it. Now the torn open side of the show building is visible from ground level, over the construction walls.
Photographer bioreconstruct shared new ground level photos of the demolition at Universal Islands of Adventure, published Tuesday by WDW News Today, and they show how much of the structure is now open to the air. Where there used to be a wall, there is now a black steel skeleton, exposed to daylight, with a catwalk still hanging from the ceiling of what was the attraction's climactic Chamber of Poseidon.
The side of the Poseidon's Fury show building has been stripped away, exposing the steel framing inside. The land's carved restroom sign sits in the rockwork below. Photo by bioreconstruct, via WDW News Today.
What the ground level view shows
Earlier aerial photos from bioreconstruct had already revealed what was left of the Chamber of Poseidon from above. These new pictures take a side view, and the damage reads more clearly from that angle: the exterior walls end in ragged edges with metal and debris still clinging to them, loose cabling and ductwork hang inside, and the interior framing stands bare.
Progress since the aerials looks like more clearing than knocking down. As WDW News Today puts it, "it looks like more of that debris has been removed in the past few days, but more of the building itself has not been torn down."
Inside the exposed show building: bare framing, hanging conduit and ductwork where the final show scene used to play out. Photo by bioreconstruct, via WDW News Today.
The walls are right up against Mythos now
bioreconstruct also captured demolition outside Mythos Restaurant, the rock walled dining room that Theme Park Insider named the #1 theme park restaurant in the world from 2003 to 2008 and again in 2018, per Universal's own blog. An excavator is now parked behind construction walls almost directly beneath the restaurant's golden globe sign.
Mythos is still serving. Per WDW News Today, "Though construction walls have encroached on the restaurant and trees were removed from outside, it is not scheduled to close until next year. A snack stand outside Mythos has closed, however."
One more piece of the land's theming went with this round: a themed directional sign has been removed from outside the restaurant.
An excavator sits behind construction walls below the Mythos Restaurant sign. The restaurant is not scheduled to close until next year. Photo by bioreconstruct, via WDW News Today.
A small piece of good news: the restrooms are back
In a rare reversal for this land, something reopened. Per WDW News Today: "The restrooms have been closed for a few weeks, with a sign directing guests to restrooms in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Crews have shifted construction walls, making the restrooms available once again."
The Lost Continent restrooms are open again, with a Pardon Our Dust wall running alongside the entrance. Photo by bioreconstruct, via WDW News Today.
How much is already gone
Poseidon's Fury closed permanently in May 2023. It opened with the park in 1999, when The Lost Continent was one of the park's six original islands, though it sat dark from August 2020 until March 2022 before its final run of shows. The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad theater has been completely demolished, and crews are now working through Poseidon's Fury itself.
Universal still has not announced what will replace The Lost Continent.
Sources
- WDW News Today: More Debris Removed From Poseidon's Fury, Themed Directional Sign Gone From The Lost Continent
- WDW News Today: Lost Continent Restrooms Reopen at Universal Islands of Adventure
- Inside Universal: More Construction Walls Added to The Lost Continent Following Additional Closures
- Inside Universal: Poseidon's Fury Re-Opens at Islands of Adventure After Nearly 2 Year Closure
- Universal Orlando blog: A Deep Dive Into Mythos Restaurant
Image credits: All photos by bioreconstruct, via WDW News Today.
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