Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster (USF) - Opening 2027

[TheCodeMan95]

I'm gonna be honest - I don't think your average generic theme park tourist cares about this stuff.

They care about "big coaster go fast"

 

[Mike S]

Great news.

Without going through every page has it already been pointed out that the ride could be in Production Central rather than New York or is the entrance not going to be where Rockit’s entrance was?

Also what if Pokémon replaced Supercharged/San Francisco?

 

[DrStarlander]

I'm gonna be honest - I don't think your average generic theme park tourist cares about this stuff.

They care about "big coaster go fast"

If so then Universal over-spent at Epic Universe by 5 or 6 billion dollars. They could have built a Six Flags park and raked in all that profit.

 

[Brian G.]

How would anyone new know this? If you're going to have a park with that many layers, that conceptually complicated, just explain it for heaven's sake. Why so secretive?


It's not "that kind of park" unless they do something to convey it. That's my point. You can't "remember" something you've never learned because you are a new customer.


Again, "never presented" is all about history, past familiarity of the park. Set that aside. They are attracting new customers from all over the world, every day, even more now with Epic. It needs to work now, and present something now that makes sense for new customers with no knowledge.

They don't need to spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, just spend a frickin' million dollars on sprinkling around a few cues.

Anyway, we disagree, I get it.

They don't need to know Chicago doubling for New York by default, because it doesn't matter, but if they want to learn, they can.

USF was literally built as a movie studio/theme park. The streets and soundstages didn’t need justification. You were touring sets, seeing effects demos, and riding through recreations of scenes. It’s the basic logic of a studio park. I mean, as you enter New York, there's a giant facade of the New York skyline.

Soundstages, production-style buildings, and street facades are the explanation.

As I said before, because it's a "Studio Park", it can afford to move the goalposts, sense be damned. Some areas are immersive worlds. Others are about the production side. What you're seeing is the park's modern evolution layered over the original studio DNA.

At the same time... the customer also buys tickets to Adventure Island in Tampa, thinking it works for Islands of Adventure, despite explaining it till the cows come home.

But ultimately...

They care about "big coaster go fast"

Great news.

Without going through every page has it already been pointed out that the ride could be in Production Central rather than New York or is the entrance not going to be where Rockit’s entrance was?

No.

 

[Mike S]

No.

So the entrance won’t be at the same spot as Rockit?

Ok.

 

[OLSinFLA]

Speaking as someone who doesn't live in California or Florida, I enjoy visiting a theme park celebrating movie-making in Hollywood where they actually make movies.

Going to a theme park in Florida that's themed around movie-making is...no. Totally inauthentic and tired. But if that's what they're going for, they'd better put a crapload of klieg lights and director's chairs and other film-making stuff out on those streets to sell me that the NY area is a backlot and not a NY themed area of a theme park.

But is this a big deal? Not much in theme parks is a big deal. But the way I see it, this is like a van pulled up to Comcast headquarters with a bunch of cash and the execs there waved it away, saying. "No thank you." It was free value.

Just another example of why executives should not be allowed anywhere near decisions.

Considering the resteraunts are sets (Half-finished ceilings, flats for walls) I think its pretty obvious New York is supposed to be a backlot set, not the real city

 

[HalfGlass]

I'm gonna be honest - I don't think your average generic theme park tourist cares about this stuff.

They care about "big coaster go fast"

Exactly. Universal is not going above and beyond to cater to the theme park enthusiast who needs thematic accuracy.

Why is the Minion Mayhem ride next to Villain Con? Different timelines and characters. Why is JW and JP in the same land?

And honestly, when parks have tried to be accurate like Pandora and Galaxys Edge, the sense of fun and immersion takes a hit. They limit themselves with being beholden to the limitations of realism. To use both of those examples, the lack of notable music, rationalization of why “humans” are there, the need to be accurate to a time period so that it feels like canon, etc

And in this case, it’s literally the nuance of a word in the title of the ride that we’re spending pages debating. 97% of people will just say “man that ride was great”

…or puke like I will.

 

[Brian G.]

I do want to stress that I think a studio park is really the exception to the rule when it comes to shifting thematic goalposts.

And even with everything I’ve said about what USF is and has always been, I still don’t think the name should be Hollywood Drift. I think it creates confusion because of the Hollywood version of the park, and reusing that terminology muddies the waters.

 

[fryoj]

To think that a ride name would turn "Uni fans" into "Disney fans anytime something they ignored every time they went to the park got removed"

 

[TheGentTrent]

Great news.

Without going through every page has it already been pointed out that the ride could be in Production Central rather than New York or is the entrance not going to be where Rockit’s entrance was?

Also what if Pokémon replaced Supercharged/San Francisco?

Production Central is officially history per the latest maps.

 

[Lucky Planet]

looking at the summary of the mummy ride,

"Guests enter the ride by entering the Museum of Antiquities facade, browsing through the film setup of a fictional sequel titled Revenge of the Mummy.
-The inside queue morphs into a 1940s archaeological dig inside an Egyptian tomb, where guests climb to the second floor to board mine carts"

so the story of the mummy is that we are in a New York museum witnessing the recording of a movie sequel but then travel back in time and travel from New York ( or florida) to Egypt in 1940s?

because I don't think most people really pay that much attention, I honestly never thought about the 1940s, I know we enter the museum and then the queue is like a film set up then we go to the excavation part which I thought was just part of the museum?
but the plot of the ride is time travel too? ( I'm not being sarcastic, I never thought about it)

 

[Brian G.]

looking at the summary of the mummy ride,

"Guests enter the ride by entering the Museum of Antiquities facade, browsing through the film setup of a fictional sequel titled Revenge of the Mummy.
-The inside queue morphs into a 1940s archaeological dig inside an Egyptian tomb, where guests climb to the second floor to board mine carts"

so the story of the mummy is that we are in a New York museum witnessing the recording of a movie sequel but then travel back in time and travel from New York ( or florida) to Egypt in 1940s?

because I don't think most people really pay that much attention, I honestly never thought about the 1940s, I know we enter the museum and then the queue is like a film set up then we go to the excavation part which I thought was just part of the museum?
but the plot of the ride is time travel too? ( I'm not being sarcastic, I never thought about it)

It's a film. We're experiencing a film set.

"Browsing through the film setup of a fictional sequel titled Revenge of the Mummy."

 

[belloq87]

I'm gonna be honest - I don't think your average generic theme park tourist cares about this stuff.

This should never be an argument for not theming something well.

Exactly. Universal is not going above and beyond to cater to the theme park enthusiast who needs thematic accuracy.

Isn't that what a world-class destination is supposed to do?

Universal does not operate amusement parks, some of this stuff is supposed to matter (especially when there is no sound financial argument in the other direction).

 

[Brian G.]

This should never be an argument for not theming something well.


Isn't that what a world-class destination is supposed to do?

Universal does not operate amusement parks, some of this stuff is supposed to matter (especially when there is no sound financial argument in the other direction).

Well, in this case, we're really exhausting the discourse over the name and the intricacies of USF's Studio/Theme Park DNA.

 

[belloq87]

I think that's actually a symptom of a park with an identity crisis. Either it's "still"* a Studios park, or it's a park capable of offering the greatest themed land with the highest level of immersion in Florida (Diagon Alley).

* I don't think a "Studios" park inherently precludes a consistent level of theme in individual attractions, either. It's not like anybody's seriously asking for a F&F coaster to be themed to the nines, like Everest, Big Thunder, or Hagrid's (It's not an IP that lends itself to that in any way). But there's still a minimum baseline that the attraction could hit to feel cohesive where it's being placed.

 

[Blue]

I don’t think the name itself is a problem; both Universal and Disney have reused names for similar attractions (Mummy, Space Mountain, etc).

But putting a Hollywood-themed attraction in New York when there is already a Hollywood land a few minutes away is just puzzling… especially right after opening their “most immersive theme park” yet. I don’t think USF being a studio park really works an excuse.

 

[jarmor]

This just seems like a terrible idea. Why name two coasters opening within years of each other the same thing?

LIke. . .

I guess it's like the real New York having a neighborhood called Jamaica that is not the real island of Jamaica lol

Except Jamacia isn't exclusive to just an island. We have Paris Texas as well. Jacksonville NC and FL.

My only thing is we have been griping about how much of a Hodge podge the studios park is and they it needs better cohesiveness. I could see if they are saying they are filming a new film "F&F hollywood drift" and this "scene takes us to new york where blah blah". Kinda like how the mummy is being filmed on location and as we traverse the queue it transports us to egypt.

 

[mccgavin]

To think that a ride name would turn "Uni fans" into "Disney fans anytime something they ignored every time they went to the park got removed"

You know, I think some of the responses here might be a bit of an overreaction, but this comment is uncalled for. If there is any place where discussing the nuances of a park's theme is warranted, it is on a theme park forum. People talk about this or the removal of rides online because it is something they genuinely care about.

Nobody says it has to matter to you, and ultimately these companies will do what they want to do. Still, you have the option to not engage in the conversation if it does not interest you, rather than mocking people for their opinions.

 

[Tbad556]

I do want to stress that I think a studio park is really the exception to the rule when it comes to shifting thematic goalposts.

And even with everything I’ve said about what USF is and has always been, I still don’t think the name should be Hollywood Drift. I think it creates confusion because of the Hollywood version of the park, and reusing that terminology muddies the waters.

Starting my comment by reiterating that my stance falls in line with the above.

For all of the "how do guests know that" comments, it's worth noting that it is pretty clearly described online.

The Blockbusters Are on the Loose in New York City​

The streets of the Big Apple are full of movie moments. While you’re on set, get cast in Revenge of the Mummy, or face Jimmy Fallon in a fun-filled race through New York City.

-----

It's also worth noting that Fallon is very clearly taking you directly onto the set of the 30 Rock building & Studio 6B itself, Mummy is littered with "Hot Set" esque signage, decor, pre-show video explaining the plot, and even incorporates Reggie on the ride. I'm not here to argue that it's beautifully integrated, but I also don't think it's fair to argue it's some big secret to guests.

 

[Bobharlem]

Workwall updated today: