Lotte World's new Kong X Godzilla ride delivers thrills beyond screen
Models pose in front of a photo zone featuring an animatronic figure from Kong X Godzilla: The Ride at Lotte World Adventure in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Lotte World Adventure
Deep inside Lotte World Adventure in southeastern Seoul's Jamsil, a massive metal door slides open to reveal a dark hallway. Monitors flicker with technical data, while alarms hum faintly in the background. This is Base M-42, a fictional secret outpost of Monarch, the research organization tracking giant monsters known as Titans.
The theme park is set to officially open its newest multimedia dark ride, Kong X Godzilla: The Ride, this Friday. Ahead of the grand opening, Lotte World held a special media preview, allowing reporters to step into the boots of a rookie Monarch agent and experience what is arguably the park's most ambitious project to date.
The new ride marks the world’s first attraction built around Legendary Entertainment's Monsterverse IP, bringing popular characters Kong and Godzilla to life in an immersive indoor setting.
Models pose in front of a ride vehicle for Lotte World's upcoming attraction Kong X Godzilla: The Ride, Thursday. Courtesy of Lotte World Adventure
Covering roughly 5,120 square meters on the third floor of Lotte World Adventure, the project represents the largest single-attraction investment in the park’s history.
While Lotte World did not disclose the exact cost, officials confirmed that it comfortably surpassed the 50 billion won ($34 million) spent on Pharaoh's Fury back in 2005.
"The core strength of a theme park lies in its rides and shows, providing experiences that people cannot find in their daily lives," Lotte World CEO Kwon Oh-sang said during a press conference on Wednesday. "We have been making continuous investments to strengthen our fundamental competitiveness."
Participants get a briefing from an animatronic figure in the queue before entering Kong X Godzilla: The Ride at Lotte World Adventure in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
The experience starts before visitors board the ride.
They pass through detailed maintenance areas and a research lab, where a short briefing introduces the movie's backstory and helps anyone catch up before starting the adventure.
After riding a vehicle called a Heave, visitors explore Hollow Earth, an underground world where giant Titans live. To stay safe on the trackless ride, everyone must put their personal belongings in lockers before getting on.
Once seated inside the eight-passenger dynamic vehicle, riders are plunged into a chaotic battle between prehistoric giants for the next 11 minutes across a 320-meter route.
What sets this ride apart from traditional roller coasters is its focus on story and sensory immersion rather than sheer speed or vertical drops.
The trackless vehicles move freely across the floor via wireless communication, perfectly synchronized with massive screens measuring up to 22 meters long. The vehicle swoops, turns and tilts as Kong leaps across waterfalls and battles hostile creatures.
Seen is a photo zone displaying figures of Lotte World's upcoming attraction Kong X Godzilla: The Ride. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
One of the features is a giant Kong head figure that comes into view as the vehicle moves forward. At key moments, it roars with a vibration you can feel under your feet.
Generally, the new attraction is well-designed so that people unfamiliar with the Monsterverse can easily enjoy the visual spectacle. After escaping Hollow Earth, the exit route leads directly into Titan-themed food stalls and an exclusive merchandise store, featuring items like Battle Axe headbands and Godzilla-themed snacks.
Visitors browse goods related to Kong X Godzilla: The Ride at Lotte World Adventure in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul
Through this massive release, Lotte World aims to broaden its visitor base beyond young children and families to include young adults, movie buffs and international tourists.
"Currently, overseas visitors account for about 15 percent of our total guests," Kwon said. "By launching world-class attractions that meet global standards, we aim to offer unique experiences and further increase the proportion of international tourists."