USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
New 'Rockit' high-tech roller coaster coming to Universal Studios Orlando in 2009
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer
March 19, 2008
Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit is set to open at Universal Studios in 2009.
(ARTIST'S RENDERING FROM UNIVERSAL ORLANDO)
Universal Studios is about to build a new signature ride: a high-tech roller coaster full of lights, music, loops, twists and turns -- and a quick trip over the heads of people walking through the nearby CityWalk entertainment district.
The Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit is planned to be big, bright and brash enough to become the new visual symbol for the theme park when the coaster opens in about a year. Universal Orlando officials said Tuesday that it also will feature enough digital technology to appeal directly to what they refer to as the "YouTube culture."
Universal Orlando officials said the coaster will rise 167 feet into the air and feature numerous loops and corkscrew turns. Rockit -- the first big, outdoor thrill ride for Universal Studios -- is set to open in spring 2009.
It will provide another link in Universal Orlando's recent chain of big new attractions. An overhauled version of an old ride, renamed Disaster!, opened in January. The Simpsons Ride, a 3-D fantasy-simulation ride replacing the old Back to the Future, is set to open in a few weeks. And several still-undisclosed attractions are to open together in late 2009 as the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" in Universal Studios' sister park, Islands of Adventure.
The flurry of activity follows a dormant period of nearly three years during which Universal offered no big new rides.
Although it will be the tallest coaster in Central Florida and one of the fastest in the state, the Rockit will be nowhere near the tallest or fastest in the amusement-park business. But like the Incredible Hulk in Islands of Adventure and several other Florida coasters, it aims to use innovation and novelty to make up for any lack of record-setting height or speed.
"We like to go for the best," said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Parks & Resorts' creative division -- though Universal would not comment on the project's cost.
Rockit will offer high-energy video displays in the waiting line; high-intensity, color-changing LED lighting and digital audio and video effects during the ride; and various engineering innovations.
'A whole new level'
And unlike any of the other big roller coasters in Central Florida, Rockit will loom over its park's entrance and beyond. Universal plans to squeeze its track between the Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast ride and the Sharp Aquos Theatre, which houses the Blue Man Group show. From there the track would run along the boundary between Universal Studios and Universal's sound stages, then rise over the fence to twist over the sidewalks of CityWalk, outside the theme park -- a brightly lit, scream-filled advertisement for the park.
"We like to look at this as taking the thrill ride to a whole new level, both physically and figuratively," Woodbury said. "It's iconographic in its position. It's going to do some things no ride has done before. And it combines entry into the digital age with the ability to customize and personalize the ride for each rider."
That particular digital-age feature will allow riders to select their own music and create a music video of the ride. Afterward, a rider could download the video and use it on personal Web pages or video-sharing sites.
But the ride -- which Universal officials had referred to for months by the code name "Project Rumble" -- still draws principally on the basic thrills of a roller coaster: speed, height, loops, corkscrews, twists, turns and drops. Universal officials said Rockit would have several signature moves and a record-breaking loop, though they would not elaborate. The artist's rendering that they released shows the track climbing a 167-foot-tall peak, then corkscrewing downward, twisting eight times.
'It's a natural for us'
The ride's Internet-based theme digresses a bit from Universal Studios' original theme, which was all about "riding" the movies. But Universal officials insisted that the coaster will justify the inclusion of the word "Hollywood" in its name -- a term also adopted earlier this year by Walt Disney World when it renamed its rival movie-studio theme park.
"We've always fancied ourselves as embedded into the Hollywood culture with Universal. It's part of our essence. It's a natural for us," Woodbury said. "The name is very specific to the attributes of the ride. It combines creating your own movie, to customize it; that's the 'rip' part. You can download it to your personal site. And you ride it, of course. You have the 'Rockit' part, which combines the thrill and the music."
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
Construction Updates:
Something's peeking near the Sharp Aquos Theatre where the Blue Man Group performs, I wonder what they could be working on . . .
It looks like this is where the new coaster is going to be. Fairwell fairly new pretty walkway to BMG.
A couple new posters added to the construction wall:
This area is known as the "boneyard" because back in Universal's early years, this used to be a place where they showcased all their cool props from the movies, such as the Flintstones, Casper, and Jurassic Park. It has been currently used to house seasonal events with a temporary stage placed where the construction is going on. Universal will build a replica of the Hollywood Bowl in this area so they wont have to keep building and tearing down a temporary stage. I just hope this coaster doesn't get in the way of whatever event may be playing then.
Speaking of the temporary stage, they'll have to build it again, but this time has to be relocated due to the construction, and will be built against the wall of Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast for Rock the Universe, to be held this weekend!
__________________ "We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. "
William Faulkner
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Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
I love the construction and layouts of Roller Coasters, and this one looks really cool, I just hate the feeling of my toes in my throat so I won't be riding it.
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
It looks like an exciting ride, won't catch me on it though- I hate the feeling of my stomach dropping out on steep drops.
My kids and niece and nephew are really excited though. Hopefully all goes well and it's in smooth operation for our trip next summer.
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
Wow, that ride is going to be mixed in and soaring over lots of other attractions and/or areas of the park...now, that's cool!
Very interesting though....wonder how most families are going to feel trying to have a quiet stroll or just hanging out with screams and 'whooshes' from the coaster cars going by all the time. Only time will tell. But, this is a cool idea.
The train for Universal's Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit will hold 12 passengers. (Universal Orlando / June 16, 2009)
The next new big thing at Orlando's theme parks will be the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios. An opening date has not been made public, but guests anticipate being on the ride -- with its dramatic, straight-up hill, versatile trains, personalized soundtrack and onboard video -- this summer. Rockit creative director Louis Alfieri previewed details of its technical side.
The trains will be shorter than most mega-coasters. Each train will hold 12 passengers. "It's like if you drive a limousine versus a Jeep, " Alfieri said. "Rockit not only has the ability to make a shorter turn, its back wheel is like a skateboard -- so it can pivot, which other roller coasters cannot do.
View from stadium seating. "You're staggered in height," he said. "The intent was that you could get a sense of looking before you are going all through the maneuvers."
No overhead harness. "The entire seat assembly is ergonomically designed so you're completely sandwiched and locked into the seat."
Hold on! "The restraint has two handle bars on it that you can hold onto as tight as you want."
Hands up? "We would not promote that. We want you to hold on."
Song selections will be made onboard. Touch-screens are in the safety bars, but options will be shown in the queue, Alfieri said. Thirty songs will be available from five genres: rap/hip hop, classic rock/metal, pop/disco, country and club electronica. (Universal hasn't specified the songs and artists.)
At queue's end, a moving walkway. Think Universal parking garage. "The way it's set up is that from the moment you get onto the walkway until the train dispatches from the station, you have 45 seconds to get on the train, sit down, pull the restraint down and select your music."
Lots of screens in the waiting area plus "video DJ" characters. "They will introduce each genre of music, each band and will show the music videos of the band that you can select and how to select the music on the roller coaster."
Drown out your neighbor's music. The speakers are near the heads of riders. "The music is so clear, and it's at such a volume right up against your ear that you can't hear the other people's music," Alfieri said. "When you're moving at 65 mph, the wind also helps dampen the other people's music."
Music reflects ride's ups and downs. "The artists gave me the liberty to choose where the songs started and stopped that would be the best experience on the roller coaster," he said. However, the songs have not been rearranged. The ride will last 1 minute, 39 seconds -- unlikely to cover an entire song.
It won't be THAT loud. "The coaster, when it's empty, is completely silent," Alfieri said. "It's just the screamers that you're going to hear." Quiet coaster wheels, sand and pea gravel in the rail and column minimize the noise, he says.
Onboard cameras for the video. "We had to find the camera that could withstand extreme vibration, heat, cold, varieties of movements, being kicked upon and rained upon, and perhaps -- hopefully it doesn't happen, but people may get sick on them," he said.
It's a coaster and a light show. "Every train has its own light show and each section of the track has a different light show," Alfieri said. There can be five trains on the track at the same time.
So it should be eye-catching. Rings going up the tower have a color-changing light show, too. "So all around the park, above the park, out in CityWalk and out to I-4, you're going to get the opportunity to see the Rockit running at night."
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
Hopefully soon. From what I've heard, they don't have all their trains in yet, and they'll need to do about 50 - 100 hours of test runs per train. So after all that happens, then it'll start it's soft openings, and then it'll open to the public.
Rumor has it that: The ride will not be opening officially until late July. Soft openings should start early-mid July.
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
Late July works for me
We'll be there the 27th to the 29th, staying at Royal Pacific, so hopefully it's running and Front of the Line Access gets my kids onto it.
I'll just watch from the safety of the ground (did you see that vertical lift hill?)
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
OFFICIAL SONGLIST FOR RIP RIDE ROCKIT!
Universal Studios has revealed the playlist of music available for its upcoming roller coaster, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, which is set to open sometime this summer. Individual riders will pick a song that will play right in their ears -- but not in the ears of fellow passengers.
As previously announced, there are five genres, with six songs apiece:
CLASSIC ROCK/METAL
"Born to Be Wild," Hinder
"Bring Me to Life," Evanescence
"Gimme All Your Lovin'," ZZ Top
"Kickstart My Heart," Motley Crue
"Paralyzer," Finger Eleven
"Rollin'," Limp Bizkit
CLUB/ELECTRONICA
"Busy Child," The Crystal Method
"Harder Better Faster Stronger," Daft Punk
"Intergalactic," Beastie Boys
"Keep Hope Alive," The Crystal Method
"Le Disko," Shiny Toy Guns
"Pumps Up the Volume," MARRS
COUNTRY
"All Night Long," Montgomery Gentry
"Guitars, Cadillas," Dwight Yoakam
"I Can Sleep When I'm Dead" Jason Michael Carroll
"Living in Fast Forward," Kenny Chesney
"Midnight Rider," The Allman Brothers
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia," The Charlie Daniels Band
RAP/HIP-HOP
"Don't Phunk With My Heart," Black Eyed Peas
"Insane in the Brain," Cypress Hill
"Pump It," Black Eyed Peas
"Rock Star," N.E.R.D.
"Sabotage," Beastie Boys
"Stronger," Kanye West
POP/DISCO
"Bad Girls," Donna Summer
"Glamorous," Fergie
"Hella Good," No Doubt
"I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor
"That's the Way (I Like It)," KC and the Sunshine Band
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
From what I've checked up, it's looking July 22nd would be a key date for this attraction, whether or not it's the official opening or soft openings. Either way, it looks like you should be able to ride by then, but don't quote me on that since I'm just passing along rumors/insider info I've found on other forums
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
Word on the street is that they've finally opened this thing in a 'soft opening' phase, meaning they haven't officially opened it yet, but they are now letting guests ride it here and there. So if you do happen to swing on by USF, see if you can catch a ride on Rip Ride Rockit!
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
I am so upset we missed it. I have a bunch of picture of it sitting empty during our trip. The kids wanted it to be open so badly, they just kept staring at it.
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
I used the single rider line and rode it once today. It was about an hour wait. Overall the ride is fun however it was a little rougher than I thought it would be. No big deal really, just wasn't as smooth as I expected. I was also surprised that the touch screen was already in bad shape! Its only been open two days and there were already lots scratches and a couple holes in the thing! I assume the screen is covered with a clear plastic that can be easily replaced... The screen seemed a little small too.
Also, I would recommend waiting for the front row. If not, the seats are so wide you can't see a darn thing in front of you! I would've liked the music to be a little louder too. Other than that, it's a great ride! I uploaded video to my website if anyone is interested...
Re: USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster
Sorry about you trip Mary, I thought that they would have been ready for a soft opening by the time you got down. Think of it this way though, when you guys head back to go see the new Harry Potter area that is set to open up next year, you'll have another new attraction to look foward to checking out
Oh, and welcome back Mr. Park Sleuth! Thanks for the pictures and your review of Rip Rid Rockit!
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USF's New Coaster - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Rollercoaster 
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