The Fast and Furious franchise has always been filled with surprises, so it was fitting that this week, even though it’s not officially open yet, I finally got a chance to ride its brand new roller coaster. It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. Originally announced in 2023, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood still, as of early August, does not have a concrete opening date. But live testing has been happening for a few days, so when my wife and I headed over to the park this week, we were hoping to ride, but nothing was certain.
For the past few years, though, the only thing that has been certain about this franchise was this roller coaster. As rumors and waiting continue for the 11th Fast film, Los Angeles residents have slowly but surely watched Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift get built over the course of the past three years. Every time you drove down the 101 freeway or were lucky enough to go to the park itself, you saw the steel beams rising out of the hilltop. Cars soaring over the escalators. Work was progressing. This was actually happening. And, as a result, anticipation built every single day.
Testing, first without people and later with, began earlier this summer, so we all knew our moment was almost here. But issues with local residents (who complained about the noise) apparently led to some changes and delays, hence the lack of an official opening date. To that end, I can say, after standing under the ride for over two hours, it’s not particularly loud. In fact, it’s actually pretty quiet.
Oh. Yes. You read that right. I waited over two hours to ride Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift this week, the longest I’ve ever waited for a theme park ride. But it was a conscious decision. I knew the uncertainty of the testing phase could extend the wait, but also, my fandom of the franchise gave me insane FOMO. Humans were riding, so I had to as well. This is something I’ve been waiting on for years, and you only get to ride for the first time one time. Even if it took all night, once I saw that it was open, I was drifting. It also didn’t help, though, that the customary “Wait Time” sign you’d get on a theme park ride wasn’t on, so I had no idea what I was getting into.
What I was getting into was a wild, massive queue space filled withFast and Furious adoration. The line has multiple cars and props from the Fast franchise, as well as QR codes for you to learn more about them. The music playing is all the hits from the franchise too, such as “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, “Danza Kuduro” by Don Omar and Lucenzo, and “Act a Fool” by Ludacris. Those things, and the fact I went in the early evening when it wasn’t 100 degrees in Los Angeles, made the wait slightly less painful than it would be usually. (Be warned, though: there is a boring, sterile, glassed-in dead zone two-thirds of the way through the line with no props that feels like zigzag hell. You’ll know it once you enter it.)
It also helped that every few minutes we got to watch people on the ride. The smiles. The terror. It was on full display as the four ride vehicles themed around Fast and Furious cars swooped over the queue again and again. Each time we saw Dom’s Charger, Han’s Mazda, or Brian’s Supra drift across the sky, the adrenaline continued to build. (And, again, the ride is incredibly smooth and quiet unless you are literally standing four feet from it, so we are as confused about those noise complaints as you are.)
When you finally get to the front, Universal provides free lockers to put your belongings in before walking through a metal detector. You are not allowed to bring anything on the ride. Then, it’s to the top and the ride itself.
For context, when it comes to roller coasters, my anxiety is generally pretty low. Outside of that initial tension and anticipation you have clicking to the top of one, I’m usually ready and willing to take on whatever comes next. Here, though, what came next was fear. Glorious, pure, theme park terror.
That begins when you realize Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift doesn’t have a traditional roller coaster start. It just kind of goes. One second you’re putting on your lap bar and the next, you’re upside down looking out over the world. The whole experience is so wild and unique that I was basically in shock the entire time. You spin, you twist, you look down at the ground as you traverse the track backwards. At no time are you exactly sure where you’ve been or where you’re going, and it’s completely thrilling and excellent. Does it feel like racing a car? Not really. But it is certainly fast and definitely furious.
You also realize that, at some point, you’re going to have to defy gravity. Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is built into the side of a mountain, which, on the one hand, offers incredible views of the rest of the park and the San Fernando Valley. But it also makes it feel damned near impossible to swoop down towards the bottom of the mountain and then get back up to the top. Physics doesn’t work that way. So that’s when an almost NOS-like boost about halfway through the coaster speeds you up basically out of nowhere and not only gets you back to the top of the hill, but through a bunch of additional drifts and turns too. You almost can’t believe it’s happening as you rocket to around 70 mph, up and around to the finish.
As the 90-second or so ride concluded, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Or speak, as I had been screaming my freaking head off. Knowing that this coaster, based on one of my favorite film franchises, was going to be basically in my backyard from now until forever (Fast Forever) made me impossibly happy. And that it’s still in the testing phases means things could get even better too. As it stood, there was no music on the ride, for example.
Will I wait two-and-a-half hours to ride Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift again? Absolutely not. I’ll buy an express pass, do single rider, or just skip it until the next visit. But for my first ride, I’m glad I did. The long, grueling experience made for a much better story. Then, thankfully, you realize it’s also a fantastic roller coaster that does the Fast franchise justice. Now, if only Universal could make another movie that did the same thing.
Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift is currently in a “technical rehearsal,” which means it’s “subject to delays or closure at any time” and that “all elements may not be functioning.” The opening is still scheduled for “Summer 2026.” Here’s my ride photo:
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
