| Watch the on-ride POV |
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| The non inverting loop element | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Maurer Rides GmbH | ||||||||||||||
| Product | X-Car Music | ||||||||||||||
| Designer / calculations | BRPH | ||||||||||||||
| Onsite construction | PCL Construction Services, Inc. | ||||||||||||||
| Type | Steel | ||||||||||||||
| Riders per train | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Hourly capacity | 1850 | ||||||||||||||
| Propulsion | Vertical chain lift hill | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 167 feet | ||||||||||||||
| Top speed | 65 mph | ||||||||||||||
| Length | 3800 feet | ||||||||||||||
| Inversions | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| Drop angle | 65° | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1:39 | ||||||||||||||
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a steel roller coaster located in Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida, USA that is expected to close in September 2025. Riders get to choose their own track of music to listen to on the ride.[1] It reaches 167 feet tall and is the first roller coaster to feature a non inverting loop. While on the ride, a video is taken of the guests and the person next to them. They can buy a picture, the video and an animated e-mail of the ride upon exiting. It is the largest X-Car coaster ever built.
History
In March 2008, Universal Studios Florida announced the addition of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.[2]
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was planned to open in the spring of 2009, but the opening was delayed.[3] The attraction first opened to guests for "technical rehearsals" in the evening of August 15, 2009.[4] It officially opened a few days later on August 19.[5]
The ride received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the unique elements, but criticized the rough ride, theming and the amount of brake runs. A number of its features were barely working. There were other operational issues, such as slower-than-expected loading times that diminished capacity and led to long lines.[6]
In September 2010, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was shut down indefinitely. Maurer had issued an alert warning that stress testing of their X-Car ride vehicles had found that the coupling bars holding the trains together wouldn't be fatigue endurable.[7] The attraction eventually reopened on October 28, 2010 with refurbished trains to improve the ride experience.[8]
For the 2015 season, metal detectors were added to the queue line, along with The Incredible Hulk Coaster and Dragon Challenge as a preventative measure to reduce the likelihood of a guest having any loose articles falling onto the tracks, lift hill mechanisms, other riders, and guests on paths below the tracks.[9]
In early 2017, trim brakes were added to the first drop.[10]
On December 27, 2024, Universal announced that the ride would be closing in September 2025 to make way for a new experience.[11]
Design
| Elements |
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Ride experience
Before entering the queue line, all guests must walk through a metal detector. Free lockers are provided for mobile phones and other belongings as they are not permitted on the ride. While queuing, videos explaining how to select a song are shown to guests.
In the station, the ride operators aim to never stop a train. Guests board the ride via a moving platform, whose speed is synchronized with the trains. Once seated, guests select a song from a menu featuring a variety of artists using a touchscreen. As an added bonus, riders are also able to select secret songs that require a three-digit code to be entered. The rider does this by holding down the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit logo for 10 seconds, and then a ten-digit keypad will appear on the screen. Riders then enter the three-digit code, and the secret song will play once the ride begins. Riders must know the codes in advanced as no menu displays to select one.[12] As the train leaves the station, the choices are locked - a random song is selected for those who fail to choose.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit begins with a vertical lift which peaks at a height of 167 feet. While the ride has a vertical lift hill, it does not contain a vertical drop. A rather less-steep initial drop leads into the non inverting loop. A number of twists and four mid-course brakes follow, offering a good view of the park.
At the end of the ride, riders disembark via another moving platform. At the exit, guests are offered a "music video" consisting of clips of them experiencing the ride that includes clips filmed via a front camera and rear facing per seat cameras on each train. The music video, however, does not include any of the three digit secret songs, and a replacement track will be used.[13]
Trains
7 trains with 2 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows, for a total of 12 riders per train.
The ride uses X-Car trains which feature large lap bar restraints. Embedded in each restraint is a touch screen which allows riders to choose the music they wish to listen to on the ride.
Images
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The ride's entrance -
The test seat -
View from the Twister: Ride It Out queue line -
The back of the ride
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_2015_01.jpg)
_2014_01.jpg)
References
- ↑ https://www.universalorlando.com/Rides/Universal-Studios-Florida/Hollywood-Rip-Ride-Rockit-Roller-Coaster.aspx
- ↑ "'Rockit' will roll 'em at Universal".
- ↑ "Universal pushes back opening of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster".
- ↑ Universal Studios' Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster finally opens to guests – Video and Photos - Attractions Magazine (Wayback archive)
- ↑ Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster now officially open - Attractions Magazine
- ↑ "Mystery swirls around Universal's closed roller coaster".
- ↑ "Universal's Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster closed indefinitely".
- ↑ "Rip Ride Rockit Now Re-open! - Orlando Tourist Tips".
- ↑ Metal detectors become permanent at 3 Universal rides
- ↑ "Tweet from bioreconstruct".
- ↑ "Hello! Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit will close in early September 2025 to make way for a new experience. More details will be available at a later date. #AskUniversal". X. Universal Orlando Resort. 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
- ↑ Acuna, Kirsten. "There's a secret music playlist you can listen to at Universal's Rip Ride RockIt roller coaster — here's how to unlock it". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
- ↑ "The Rough History of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit | Expedition Universal Studios Florida". Expedition Theme Park.
External links
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
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