The attraction was first constructed 20 miles away inside the massive 281,000-square-foot hangar where Howard Hughes built his 200-ton plane dubbed the Spruce Goose and where James Cameron filmed several scenes for "Titanic" and "Avatar." A mock tram filled with balloon-headed mannequins was fabricated to aid technicians in tweaking the audiovisual systems.
"King Kong 360 3-D" is expected to breathe new life into the venerable 46-year-old tram tour, which includes stops at the Bates Motel from "Psycho" and Amity Harbor from "Jaws." Attendance at Universal Studios Hollywood dipped from 4.6 million in 2008 to 4.3 million in 2009, according to the most recent report from the Themed Entertainment Association.