Track Goes Vertical: First Coaster Supports Rising for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Orlando
If you’ve been waiting for the “is anything actually being built?” phase of Universal Orlando’s next big coaster project to end, today’s your day. The first vertical coaster supports for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift are in the ground at Universal Studios Florida, and the first stretch of actual coaster track has shown up on-site — visible in fresh aerial photography from this month.
Photo: WDW News Today
Supports go vertical in the New York section
The first batch of supports went up earlier this month near the expected ride entrance in Universal Studios Florida’s New York section, where Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit used to thread through the skyline. The supports are painted blue — a color Inside Universal flagged in their April 14 update, ahead of the broader aerial-photo coverage that landed this past week.
For the long-time park watchers: this is the first time a piece of the new ride has actually looked like a coaster from the guest side of the fence. Up until now, the project has been:
- August 17, 2025 — Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit closes for good after 16 years.
- Late 2025 – early 2026 — Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit’s structure was removed and the site cleared in the months following closure.
- February 2026 — Coaster footers and service-building footings poured.
- March 2026 — Block work begins on what WDWNT described as a backstage service building (not a guest-facing show building); footers continue to multiply across the site.
- April 2026 — First supports installed; first stretch of track stages on-site.
What we know about the ride itself
Image: Inside Universal
Universal hasn’t officially detailed every spec yet, but here’s what’s been confirmed across credible reporting and permit filings:
- What it’s replacing: Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, which closed on August 17, 2025 after 16 years of choose-your-own-soundtrack rides through New York.
- Headline element: A 170-foot vertical “spike” that sends riders nearly 17 stories up over the outskirts of Universal CityWalk — a clear signal Universal isn’t scaling the footprint down from Rockit.
- Ride vehicles: Rotating ride vehicles that spin 360 degrees along the track to simulate drifting.
- Track length: The Hollywood version of the ride runs about 4,100 feet; Universal hasn’t separately confirmed Florida’s exact total, and WDWNT notes the two layouts won’t be identical.
- Sound-reduction tech: WDWNT’s February 2026 update referenced sound-reduction technology in the Hollywood version’s spec sheet; whether Florida’s installation uses the same package hasn’t been separately confirmed by Universal — a real open question given the 170-foot spike rising next to the Universal CityWalk overhang.
- Opening: 2027. Universal hasn’t narrowed the window beyond the calendar year.
Why this matters now
Two reasons. First, the visual transformation: New York at Universal Studios Florida has felt half-empty since Rockit came down. The first vertical steel changes the skyline back, which matters for guests who’ve been wondering “wait, what’s going in there?” on every visit since last summer.
Second, the timeline confidence: track delivery + supports going up at the same pace puts a 2027 opening firmly in “on track” territory. Universal’s big public 2026 attention is — correctly — on Epic Universe’s ramp to full capacity. Hollywood Drift was always going to be Orlando’s next-up after that, and the construction cadence is matching the public schedule.
If you’re planning a 2026 visit, you won’t ride this. If you’re planning a 2027 visit, this is shaping up to be one of the resort’s headliner reasons to come.
Sources
- Inside Universal — First Supports Installed for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift
- WDW News Today — First Stretch of Coaster Track Installed
- WDW News Today — Aerial Photos Reveal Track Updates
- WDW News Today — Blockwork Begins on Show Building
- WDW News Today — Coaster Footers & Service Building Progress (Feb 2026)
Image credits: WDW News Today, Inside Universal. Click through to each source story for additional construction photography.
