Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster (Opening 2026)

[ladiesman217]

Two, it’s just the dive loop and the banked curve down before the final inversion.

If that's the case, then what are the extra supports on the first drop for? They're not touching the coaster track and they are designed in a very similar manner to those on the dive loops. (Also the aforementioned banked curve is a dive loop, may not look like that from the park but from very far away and off the hill, it's certainly an inversion. May have something to do with the positioning on the hill)

 

[Viator]

If that's the case, then what are the extra supports on the first drop for? They're not touching the coaster track and they are designed in a very similar manner to those on the dive loops. (Also the aforementioned banked curve is a dive loop, may not look like that from the park but from very far away and off the hill, it's certainly an inversion. May have something to do with the positioning on the hill)

The first drop after the starting launch, or the drop into the main portion of the coaster after the little curve around?



The supports near the starting launch area for the main halfpipe scream shield, and the halfpipe shield is being installed now. I'd say give it a little bit of time.

 

[Viator]

DP:

For those heading to the park today--the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift gift shop, titled "Exchange 101", will officially open for operations beginning today.

 

[Viator]

 

[Freak]

Is this where the roller coaster will exit into?

 

[ladiesman217]

Is this where the roller coaster will exit into?

By the look of it, no. The gift shop will be a stand-alone in a similar manner to how Velocicoaster doesn't exactly exit into its gift shop. The exit of the ride will be the stairs seen by the final brake run/block zone before entering the station.

 

[DrStarlander]

The Fast & Furious "101 Exchange" gift shop may be a work in progress, especially since the ride isn't open yet. But if not, it seems underbaked to me. As it is, it looks like it could be a skateboard lifestyle/clothing store in any Southern California mall (think Vans, Zumiez, Hollister...). Arguably it's less flavorful than these retail stores can be.

It could be enhanced as an IP-driven thematic environment with several things:

Diegetic Lighting
It's a retail store and it has the functional track spot lighting necessary to highlight the merchandise. Great. But what it's missing is the diegetic lighting -- the lighting fixtures that would be in the auto shop that we are pretending where the lighting is coming from. The diegetic lighting (fluorescent tubes, or warehouse pendants) would of course be illuminated, but just enough to be believable. Some neon, which would have come from a beer sign in a real garage, would add some spice and sexiness, and look enticing through the windows. Without diegetic lighting, it's not a believable thematic space.

Thematic History
The space doesn't look like it has any real history of usage. Some evidence of it having been a working garage would help bring us into the world, for example residual painted signs on what is now very unembellished brick. Or stains on the flor of oil and grease (doesn't have to be gross, it can be subtle).

Disruption & Subversion
The IP's psychographic is about individuality, not following all of society's norms and decorum, being a "bad boy" and rule-breaker. But there is nothing about the shop that conveys any of this. It's all very nice and tidy and even the display of props up high is kind of "cute" in its jaunty array of "car things". Even in a typical auto shop -- where they aren't firing machine guns and blowing things up -- there can be elements of disruption, individuality, and subversion. For example, the stickers plastered on this column.

Realistic Props
Finally, more about that shelf of props: I'm seeing this in the Disney Parks too, lately. There is this visual merchandising approach which feels shallow and divorced from immersive themed entertainment, where some team is brought in to "decorate" spaces. So they collect and display a bunch of on-theme stuff in a Red Robin / TGI Friday's / '80s "fern bar" way, sprinkling it around on walls or up-high shelves...and it's clear the people doing the visual merchandising don't actually know what the things are and whether they make sense or have thematic legitimacy. A more knowing approach to set dressing is necessary, and it's not quantity but quality that delivers the story-telling.

 

[Freak]

The Fast & Furious "101 Exchange" gift shop may be a work in progress, especially since the ride isn't open yet. But if not, it seems underbaked to me. As it is, it looks like it could be a skateboard lifestyle/clothing store in any Southern California mall (think Vans, Zumiez, Hollister...). Arguably it's less flavorful than these retail stores can be.

It could be enhanced as an IP-driven thematic environment with several things:

Diegetic Lighting
It's a retail store and it has the functional track spot lighting necessary to highlight the merchandise. Great. But what it's missing is the diegetic lighting -- the lighting fixtures that would be in the auto shop that we are pretending where the lighting is coming from. The diegetic lighting (fluorescent tubes, or warehouse pendants) would of course be illuminated, but just enough to be believable. Some neon, which would have come from a beer sign in a real garage, would add some spice and sexiness, and look enticing through the windows. Without diegetic lighting, it's not a believable thematic space.

Thematic History
The space doesn't look like it has any real history of usage. Some evidence of it having been a working garage would help bring us into the world, for example residual painted signs on what is now very unembellished brick. Or stains on the flor of oil and grease (doesn't have to be gross, it can be subtle).

Disruption & Subversion
The IP's psychographic is about individuality, not following all of society's norms and decorum, being a "bad boy" and rule-breaker. But there is nothing about the shop that conveys any of this. It's all very nice and tidy and even the display of props up high is kind of "cute" in its jaunty array of "car things". Even in a typical auto shop -- where they aren't firing machine guns and blowing things up -- there can be elements of disruption, individuality, and subversion. For example, the stickers plastered on this column.

Realistic Props
Finally, more about that shelf of props: I'm seeing this in the Disney Parks too, lately. There is this visual merchandising approach which feels shallow and divorced from immersive themed entertainment, where some team is brought in to "decorate" spaces. So they collect and display a bunch of on-theme stuff in a Red Robin / TGI Friday's / '80s "fern bar" way, sprinkling it around on walls or up-high shelves...and it's clear the people doing the visual merchandising don't actually know what the things are and whether they make sense or have thematic legitimacy. A more knowing approach to set dressing is necessary, and it's not quantity but quality that delivers the story-telling.

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I don’t disagree that adding a few things like a neon open sign would help the aesthetics (I LOVE me some neon!). At the same time…it’s a gift shop themed to Fast and Furious. It’s supposed to be set in a warehouse. I don’t know what more you’re really expecting haha

 

[DrStarlander]

I don’t disagree that adding a few things like a neon open sign would help the aesthetics (I LOVE me some neon!). At the same time…it’s a gift shop themed to Fast and Furious. It’s supposed to be set in a warehouse. I don’t know what more you’re really expecting haha

Well, I tried to be very specific. They decided to set the attraction in a warehouse that's about 70 to 80 years old. So overall I'm looking for the history that preceded the F&F crew coming in to occupy the building, and also some evidence of them (their personalities, exploits) since they've occupied the warehouse. Not a brand new retail/clothing store in a mall, essentially.

 

[KlownzNskullZ]

Well, I tried to be very specific. They decided to set the attraction in a warehouse that's about 70 to 80 years old. So overall I'm looking for the history that preceded the F&F crew coming in to occupy the building, and also some evidence of them (their personalities, exploits) since they've occupied the warehouse. Not a brand new retail/clothing store in a mall, essentially.

Yeah, I don’t think this IP needs lore like that lol. They are street racers turned spy ️

 

[DrStarlander]

Yeah, I don’t think this IP needs lore like that lol. They are street racers turned spy ️

Really? 11 movies and $7 billion in box office and a ton of characters? I'm not sure how shooting low is a winning strategy, does someone at Universal Creative need to get off work early or something?

 

[Pacific]

I'll say, it feels kind of sterile.

 

[Jake S]

Yeah, I don't think it's a dealbreaker that the gift shop is dull and uninspired, but it's a little disappointing that the company with designs on going after Disney is designing dull and uninspired gift shops.

 

[Viator]

I think it's honestly missing a tiny bit of grime and more industrial lights.

That's basically it.

 

[Mad Dog]

Myself, I dislike when they design queue/gift shops/ lands after dirty old garages or old decaying industrial sites. ie. Batuu,
Fast & Furious garage, etc.
Those are settings that invoke depressing feelings, like getting your car repaired or an ugly closed factory marring the landscape.
Realism is not necessarily good.
I'm probably not going to be inclined to purchase merchandise in those environments.

 

[DrStarlander]

Myself, I dislike when they design queue/gift shops/ lands after dirty old garages or old decaying industrial sites. ie. Batuu,
Fast & Furious garage, etc.
Those are settings that invoke depressing feelings, like getting your car repaired or an ugly closed factory marring the landscape.
Realism is not necessarily good.
I'm probably not going to be inclined to purchase merchandise in those environments.

I get what you're saying. In this case, unlike, say, Harry Potter or Minions or Super Nintendo, this property has a realism setting, and a gritty one at that. The IP is all about giving audiences a chance to visit modern society's underbelly and see criminals in action, and ride along with them. So, the IP inherently has a realistic, grimy milieu. Fans are going to expect some aspect of that, but it doesn't need to be dirty or depressing (with the right thematic details, Easter eggs, character references, music and pops of color, it can be a fun even party vibe).

But what I think fans would most want is just some specificity -- that this is a Fast & Furious store, not just a generic mall or outlet pop-up store.

I hear you that you'd probably not buy merch in a garage/factory-themed store that's dirty and weathered. But I think on the flip side there are a lot of guests who may go in once, and if they see it's sterile, they may never pop in again. My take is that the way these stores work is to entice guests in, even if they're not planning on buying something, because they're curious and exploring and then they see something they want to buy. How many guests go into Honeydukes "to check it out" and end up walking out with some candy? If the F&F shop had an actual muscle car up on a lift, wouldn't that boost foot traffic? To be clear, my point is about bringing the IP (and placemaking) to life and delivering on entertainment retail, not just "make it grimy."

Frankly, bigger picture, I think there's maybe a missed opportunity in not doing something like SWGE's Savi's Workshop or Droid Depot where you get to step up to a workbench and interact with a witty, snarky F&F type character in an auto/body shop and make a customized RC Car by picking wheel rims, colors, sticker embellishments, tricking out your RC controller, etc., and see it go on a "test drive" on a suspended roadbed above the store. What a fun way to bring the F&F to life and provide something for the kids too young to ride the coaster.