Photos/Video: Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Soft Opens Bringing in World Class Coaster Fun to Universal Studios Hollywood

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has officially started technical rehearsals, and Laughing Place had the chance to check out the new roller coaster!

Any kid who grew up going to Universal Studios Hollywood has dreamed of the day a massive roller coaster would race down the hillside. With the park being located in an active studio, it always seemed like a pipe dream, as large outdoor roller coasters create significantly more noise than the indoor experiences found throughout the rest of the park. However, back in 2022, concept artwork for a massive outdoor coaster leaked online dubbed Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. In summer of 2023, Universal confirmed the project was happening, and fans have been impatiently watching as the massive thrill coaster began taking over the park. 

The Intamin Multi-Dimension launch coaster speeds down the hillside of Universal City reaching speeds of 72 MPH, the fastest roller coaster at any Universal park in the world. Featuring an incredibly unique controlled spinning or “drifting" ride vehicle, guests ride over 4,000 feet of track with four inversions and multiple launches.

Well, today, after plenty of speculation surrounding the park delaying the opening due to noise complaints, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift soft opened for the first time, inviting guests to experience the park’s new headlining attraction. At approximately 3:30PM on July 27th, Benjamin Salisbury, the Upper Lot Sr. Director of Upper Lot Attractions (and Brighton Sheffield on The Nanny) pulled away the barricade as a swarm of theme park nerds shoved their way into the queue. Between chants of “fam-i-ly” and an indescribable amount of Halloween Horror Nights shirts, the next chapter of Universal Studios Hollywood had officially arrived. 

Upon entering the queue, a massive tunnel splits riders into Single Rider, Standby, and Express queues (note Express is limited to VIP Tours at this time). Most of the queue is located outdoors, with massive prop cars, street art, and street signage found all around. While the queue is a bit of a maze of switchbacks, it also spectacularly intertwines with the twisted mess of track. No matter where you are standing in the queue, Hollywood Drift can be seen, well, drifting from up above. 

What’s interesting about the cars and props is that each individual display has a QR code for guests to scan, which I presume offers information about what exactly the prop is.

Where the queue shines is a unique bridgeway that brings guests up close and personal with Hollywood Drift. Trains are constantly zooming by, flipping and launching with screaming riders and amplifying the excitement for those waiting to step aboard. 

The energy in the queue was electric when the first train with guests exited the station.

As with nearly every major Universal coaster, Hollywood Drift uses metal detectors, so no loose articles are allowed! Thankfully, the park implemented the ingenious locker system found on Velocicoaster, utilizing double sided lockers. After placing your loose articles away and stepping through a metal detector, fans walk through a covered workshop full of car tools and a safety video showcasing what Hollywood Drift has to offer. 

The dual loading station, which we saw pictures of a few months ago, also features massive murals, giving the brick building a bit of color and character. 

Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering, does Hollywood Drift live up to the hype? The answer is an unequivocal YES. Hollywood Drift is a silky smooth, disorienting, thrill unlike anything else. Combining the best parts of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Velocicoaster, Hollywood Drift has secured itself as a world-class attraction. While the airtime isn’t as intense as the top hat on Velocicoaster, Hollywood Drift has several surprising moments of intense floater/mild ejector that are often experienced while spinning. The little wave turn just after the midcourse was a surprising highlight of the coaster, and the moments that fans dubbed “slow” from testing footage never feel that way. The pacing is impeccable, slowly building the entire ride closing out with a “mosasaurus roll” type barrel roll just before the break run that ties up the experience with a perfect bow. 

For theme park nerds that find themselves with motion sickness, this ride is not for you. Where Cosmic Rewind tends to use its controlled spinning to focus your attention on projections and props, Hollywood Drift is all about throwing you around. Bring Dramamine if you tend to get sick. But even if you do get motion sickness, the ride is 100% worth the nausea you may experience afterwards. 

While Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is now in technical rehearsals, the ride isn’t officially open yet. Please do not plan a trip to the park until after Universal Studios Hollywood announces the attraction’s opening date. Also, if you happen to be in the park during technical rehearsals, please be kind to the Team Members who are getting into the groove of operating the ride. 

For those looking to drift their way to Universal Studios Hollywood, Laughing Place recommends Mouse Fan Travel. 

Read More Universal Studios Hollywood:

• Dead, Deader, Deadest: First Original House Announced for Halloween Horror Nights 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood
• Fortnite's Fortnitemares Comes to Life at Halloween Horror Nights with All-New Scare Zone
• Deadites Bring Terror to Halloween Horror Nights with Haunted House Based on "Evil Dead Burn"