Fast & Furious: Hollywood DriftThis roller coaster features a track length of 4,100 feet, a top speed of 72 mph, and unique car ride vehicles that rotate 360 degrees to simulate drifting. It opens at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 16.
Fast and Furious fans and Universal Studios Hollywood park goers have been watching the Hollywood Drift roller coaster come together for years now. And while anticipation remained high, the videos that circulated online showing the test runs sparked some criticism. People thought this ride looked slow and clunky. I’ll admit that I was one of them.
I have never been so happy to be wrong.
Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift is definitely fast, not at all clunky, and way more intense than I anticipated. Simply put, it blows everything else in the park out of the water.
Gearing Up for Hollywood Drift: The Queue Experience
This ride is going to be huge for the park, and that’s reflected in the ride queue. This is a long one, guys. It took me six minutes to walk through the entire thing when it was completely empty of guests.
But good news: it’s a pretty entertaining setup, especially for a line this long. First, there’s the props. Universal brought in vehicles and props from various Fast and Furious movies and sprinkled them throughout the queue. These also include plaques with QR codes that will link guests to videos that give more info about them.
Outside of these stationary cars, you can also spend your queue time looking at cars in motion. Several spots offer great views of the Hollywood Drift ride soaring alongside or above the line. It’s really cool to see the ride in action so up close before boarding. And let’s face it. When you’re stuck waiting in what’s sure to be the park’s longest line, it’s good to have the constant reminder that what you’re waiting for is going to be worth it. Seeing the excitement of the other riders builds anticipation nicely.
Plus, the views don’t stop there. Building this coaster right into the hillside means there’s a pretty unbeatable view from the back side of the queue, where you can look down and out over the studio. That’s just a taste of what you’ll get when you ride Hollywood Drift.
New Mandatory Locker System for Hollywood Drift
An important queue development debuts at Universal Studios Hollywood for Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift: the mandatory locker system. People who have visited the Orlando park will be familiar with this system from rides like the VelociCoaster. However, this ride marks the first time the system is being used at USH.
Around 85-90% of the way through the Hollywood Drift queue, guests will be required to place all of their belongings in complementary lockers. Yes, I really do mean everything, including your phone. These lockers are double-sided, so you put your things in one side before the ride, and take them out of the other side after you get off. The lockers work by scanning a physical park ticket, or by scanning a paper slip provided by a ride attendant.
After putting items in the locker, guests will pass through a metal detector. So again, make sure you’re putting everything in your locker the first time. You won’t be allowed to get on the ride otherwise.
A Couple Nitpicky Queue Things
While Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift has a pretty good queue, there are a couple updates I’d like to see.
First, despite the car props, the queue feels a little lacking in connection to the Fast and Furious franchise without the representation of its core cast members. As we all know, these movies are about FAMILY. As it’s set up now, the line doesn’t focus on the film’s characters at all. I’d like to see some screens playing movie clips or cast recorded messages sprinkled throughout the queue to really solidify those family ties.
Second, this line is entirely outdoors. Some spots in the shade, some in the sun, some that will change between sunny/shady depending on what time of day you’re there. Either way, anticipating long queues and extended wait times, I’m going to need to see more cooling methods put in place here.
On Board Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift
Now that we’ve made it through the queue, let’s get to the main event. What’s it like on board Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift?
Feelin’ Fast, If Not The Most Furious
Officially, Hollywood Drift tops out at speeds of 72mph, making it the fastest roller coaster at any Universal theme park. (The Jurassic World VelociCoaster in Orlando hits 70mph.) Now, this ride is definitely faster than you might think based on watching it from the ground. However…I will say that while it may technically reach a higher speed than the VelociCoaster, it’s not going to feel faster than that ride.
It feels a little strange to say so, but speed just isn’t the defining feature of this “Fast and Furious” coaster. It’s there. It’s just not what makes the ride stand out.
Still, one of the great things about Hollywood Drift’s design is that since it’s built into the hillside and has load-in happening a story above the ground, you don’t have to spend the first part of the ride doing a slow climb up a hill. You get right into the action, like any good ten-second car. The coaster motion is incredibly smooth from start to finish too. You won’t feel jostled or jerked around. Instead you’re getting a floaty, weightless flying feeling for much of the ride.
Drifting Makes The Ride A Truly Unique Experience
I’m really glad Universal worked so hard to get the spinning motion right here, because the drifting is what takes this ride from good to great.
Disorientation plays a huge part in Hollywood Drift — a total surprise which I absolutely loved. The ride’s most intense G-force moments come not from acceleration but from the car rotating 360 degrees and spinning while flipping upside-down. The fact that you only have a lap bar adds to the intensity, especially when you feel yourself lifting out of your seat and catching air time at multiple points during the ride.
The constantly shifting perspective from the drifting motion means a lot of the ride is spent not looking straight at the track. So every twist, turn, loop, and drop feels like it catches you by surprise. Also, it’s just a fun, memorable moment when your car does a 180 so you’re looking right at the riders in the next car.
Speaking of memorable moments, let’s talk about this ride’s incredible view. Sticking out of the literal mountain and stretching into the air, you just can’t get an experience like this anywhere else. Flipping upside-down and seeing the studio stretch out beneath you is wild.
Ok, but will the drifting make me sick?
I know some people see spinning and worry it will make them dizzy or nauseous. Personally, I love spinning motions and don’t really get dizzy; so when I say that Hollywood Drift didn’t make me nauseous, I’ll admit I might not be the right person to judge that. However, in speaking with others about the ride during the media preview, several people did say they were pleasantly surprised that the drifting motion didn’t make them feel sick like other spinning rides.
If you’re prone to ride nausea because of jerky, whippy motions, or from nonstop fast full-circle spins, I think you’ll be ok on this ride. Hollywood Drift is crazy smooth. While you’re moving a lot and the car does make a full 360 at one point, you’re not spinning in circles like a top. However, if you get sick from being inverted or feeling disoriented, this will not be the ride for you.
A Couple Nitpicky Ride Things
I said before that the speed isn’t the main draw of this ride. That said, I still would have liked the initial launch to have a bit more punch. Hollywood Drift eases you in more than it wows you with its start. Since we are meant to be drawing inspiration from street racing, more speed at the starting line makes sense to me.
Also, I wouldn’t mind a bit more theming on the coaster itself. There aren’t any signs, sounds, or set pieces adding to the ambiance. I don’t consider it a huge loss not to have these elements; like I said, the ride is by design disorientating and you probably wouldn’t spend a lot of time observing them anyway. But a little more decor to give it that Fast and Furious vibe, especially for repeat riders who aren’t as thrown off guard by the motions, could be nice.
Hollywood Drift Is A Huge Win For Universal Studios Hollywood
Overall, Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift is a huge win for UHS. This is undoubtedly the park’s biggest, most intense ride. Simply watching this coaster go by doesn’t do it justice. The drifting gives the ride such a unique and exciting feel. You need to experience this one for yourself!
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