First ‘Fast & Furious’ Roller Coaster Will Go 70 Miles Per Hour

It appears that few film series could be more fitting for a roller coaster than the Fast & Furious franchise. Their storyline revolves around speed and excitement, much like what makes an exceptional roller coaster ride.

Despite being a blockbuster series in Hollywood for 25 years, Fast & Furious has barely motivated the creation of theme park attractions. The few that have been made aren’t particularly fast, though one is so unsatisfactory that it may have left some visitors quite upset, even to the point of feeling angry – a sentiment you can understand if you look up “The Fast and the Furious: Extreme Close-Up”.

The experience at Universal Studios Hollywood will undergo a transformation starting next year, with the debut of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. Although the ride was earlier announced by the company, today they revealed the initial details about what visitors can anticipate from this exciting attraction.

As stated in a recent announcement, the “Fast & Furious” roller coaster boasts an innovative 360-degree spin for each ride vehicle and propels passengers to a speedy 72 MPH over a 4,100 feet long, intricately designed track. This track has been carefully crafted with sound reduction technology to provide an exhilarating experience.

The upcoming automobiles will offer a smooth, illusionary feeling of floating cars, where visitors will experience a thrilling whirl at incredibly high speeds on a winding airborne track that traverses various parts of the amusement park.

In the recently released animatic from Universal, you’ll notice how the system operates. Each car within the ride moves independently and rotates as it travels along the track, giving the sensation of “drifting”.

Universal unveiled a design concept sketch for the ride layout and structure, reminiscent of a high-performance Fast & Furious garage.

The evidence will come from the actual ride itself, but it seems this attraction has the feel of a Fast & Furious themed ride, in contrast to the closed Fast & Furious: Supercharged (which is still operational at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando). The vehicles resemble those from the Fast & Furious films, and the drifting cars add an intelligent touch.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is scheduled to open at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2026.

Every Epic Universe Ride Ranked

11. Fyre Drill

Experience Fyre Drill, an entertaining boat ride that merges elements of water gun fights and shooting galleries like Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. In this ride, each passenger gets their own handle-controlled water cannon to spray targets as they approach. Your objective is to aim accurately, either hitting the correct target or, from another perspective, missing it, which triggers a range of mist, splashes, and soaks.

Fyre Drill provides an excellent way to beat the heat during summer days. The thrill of hitting a distant bullseye with a powerful water blast is quite rewarding. However, be warned that while fun, this ride shares similarities with other park attractions. If you prefer to stay dry (or only slightly damp), it’s wise to carry a poncho along.

10. Constellation Carousel

A truly great amusement park wouldn’t feel complete without a carousel. The one in Epic Universe is intriguing, though. While it shares the same vintage Victorian aesthetic as Celestial Park, its ride interior departs significantly from traditional carousels. Unlike the usual horses mounted on rotating poles, the animals and vehicles here seem to move up and down independently, not being fixed to the base of the carousel itself. It’s a fresh twist on a classic theme park attraction.

9. Dragon Racer’s Rally

This “Sky Fly” experience allows visitors to simulate riding on their personal dragon trainer. Each seat comes equipped with adjustable wing controls that move up and down, causing the rider’s seat to rock or even flip in mid-air while the entire gondola arm swings around and ascends/descends.

It’s a fun modern take on traditional Red Baron-style attractions, and it is considered one of the most innovative among the three rides available at Epic Universe’s Isle of Berk. In reality, controlling the wings can be quite challenging. Despite my initial struggles, I soon realized that I am not yet ready to master dragon training.

8. Yoshi’s Adventure

Come on, check out that ride vehicle! Can’t you just imagine, if you grew up playing Nintendo games, how much you’d want to hop on the back of that cute dinosaur? On this gentle omnimover, Yoshi guides you through a pipe and past animated scenes. The task for riders is to search for three differently colored eggs scattered around and press the matching buttons on the console in front of you. Find them all and you’ll receive a golden egg in Universal’s Super Nintendo Land app!

Though it’s mainly designed for young children, this ride is vibrant and entertaining, and the interactive element (which isn’t excessively challenging, kids will find them easily) keeps you engaged more than this tranquil attraction might otherwise.

7. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

This marks the third version of Universal’s Mario Kart attraction, following its debut in Japan and Hollywood. Compared to its West Coast counterpart, this ride maintains the same design, but the queue line is significantly longer and packed with even more Nintendo references. As for the ride itself, some may find it an acquired taste. The thrill of hopping onto a life-sized (yet four-seater) Mario Kart is truly exhilarating, but instead of a fast-paced roller coaster, Universal opted to focus on the gaming aspect of the franchise and transformed their Mario Kart into a dark ride experience. Competitors aim to collect the most points by firing virtual shells at game characters that appear in an augmented reality headset. The learning curve can be steep initially, but once you get the hang of it – especially if you embrace the competitive spirit – it’s a blast!

6. Mine Cart Madness

At Epic Universe, unlike Universal Studios Hollywood’s Super Nintendo Land, there’s a separate area inspired by the “Donkey Kong Country” video game series. This area includes one unique ride called Mine Cart Madness. On this ride, guests travel through an old temple ruin on a track that seems precarious and damaged in places; it even appears as if a fake track hovers above the real one used by the mine cart. The sensation is quite authentic, particularly for younger visitors, and this innovative, cutting-edge attraction convincingly simulates a runaway mine cart careening through an ancient mine, complete with rough jolts and unexpected drops.

5. Curse of the Werewolf

On this whirling roller coaster, you’ll be hurled through Darkmoor’s forests. Each car in the train rotates separately, creating a sense of randomness and making each ride unique, adding an enjoyable element of surprise to the experience. The use of animatronics and sound effects also contribute to the eerie ambiance; remember to look up when you pass through the large tunnel.

4. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders

Finding suitable roller coasters for kids can be quite a challenge due to their unique preferences. As a parent myself, I’ve learned this through my own experiences with my children. If a ride appears too frightening, they lose interest. On the other hand, if it seems overly basic or slow, they feel cheated. It’s all about striking the perfect balance between excitement and manageable intensity.

Hiccup’s Wing Gliders manages to achieve this equilibrium beautifully, offering high speeds, an extended water-flying segment adorned with splash effects, and multiple unexpected launch elements. The soothing voice of Jay Baruchel as Hiccup (or a convincing imitation) further reassures riders that they’re in for a fun ride, and he keeps his promise.

3. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

From the inception of the first Spider-Man dark ride at Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios pioneered an innovative approach to dark rides, integrating guests’ vehicles with lifelike screens and practical special effects, including animatronics. The debut Harry Potter attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, advanced this technology, while the second, Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts, merged it with an indoor roller coaster.

In the upcoming Epic Universe’s Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, this concept is taken to new heights. Guests embark on large flying elevators reminiscent of scenes from the Harry Potter films, assisting the franchise’s primary trio of heroes in their battle against the villainous Dolores Umbridge (portrayed by Imelda Staunton). This attraction showcases some of Universal’s most convincing illusions yet, and its entrance, which transports you via “floo” from 1920s Paris to 1990s London before emerging into the grand hall of the Ministry of Magic, is a breathtaking sight that surpasses the “wow” factor of many entire rides at other amusement parks.

2. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment

In this dark ride titled Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, Universal Studios draws on their extensive experience with Halloween Horror Nights to create an authentically frightening and humorously dark attraction. Guests will find themselves in an ominous replica of the Frankenstein Manor, navigating its damp-laden rooms filled with luminescent equipment, crates brimming with organs, and lab rats. The journey culminates in Victoria Frankenstein’s laboratory, where she seeks to redeem her family’s reputation by capturing Dracula. Riders become unwitting participants in her experiment, which predictably takes a terrifying turn involving all the iconic Universal Monsters. The intricate attention to detail in the ride and surrounding castle is truly astonishing; it feels like stepping into a dream or nightmare for any horror enthusiast.

1. Stardust Racers

At Epic Universe, while the four themed lands are its primary attraction, the park’s standout ride – and arguably the best overall – can be found outside these lands, within Celestial Park.

Stardust Racers, the park’s top roller coaster, is not linked to any movie or TV series (although a Flux Capacitor is attached to the back of each train as an Easter egg). This ride is a cutting-edge, dual-launched coaster, featuring two identical tracks that weave and loop over and under each other. Each track offers the same exhilarating experience, and the added thrill comes from racing against another train on the opposite track. The moment when the two vehicles spin around one another will make you feel like high-fiving someone on the other train – they get so close that it seems almost possible! (For an extra dose of excitement, sit in the front row.)

2025-06-12 22:55