Hollywood Drift Universal Studios Florida Coaster Opens 2027
Universal Orlando Resort says an all new outdoor roller coaster called Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will open at Universal Studios Florida in 2027, replacing Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. The announcement matters most to travelers building Orlando, Florida, itineraries around headline thrill rides, and to repeat visitors who plan one or two "must do" attractions per day. At a high level, the practical move is to adjust expectations now, treat 2026 as a transition year for that corner of the park, and watch for a specific 2027 opening window before you lock in nonrefundable tickets and hotel nights.
The change is not just a new name on a map, it is a full ride swap with a different operating profile. Universal says riders will feel 360 degree drifting and will climb a 170 foot vertical spike that rises near Universal CityWalk, which implies a large, visible structure and a high capacity, high demand draw once it opens. Universal also ties the Florida project to a parallel Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster planned at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2026, signaling a broader franchise push rather than a one off refresh.
Who Is Affected
Families and adult groups planning Orlando trips in 2026 and 2027 are the main audience, especially travelers who pick travel dates around new openings, and visitors who use Universal Studios Florida as a one day add on during a longer Florida vacation. If your plan relied on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit for a predictable high thrill slot, that option is already gone, and the replacement is not scheduled until 2027, so your lineup should shift toward other anchors and shows.
Repeat visitors and theme park focused travelers are also affected by the timing of another nearby change. Universal says Fast & Furious Supercharged at Universal Studios Florida will permanently close in 2027 as the resort makes way for the new coaster, which means one existing Fast & Furious branded attraction will remain available for some period before the handoff, but not indefinitely. Travelers who care about "last chance" rides should treat 2027 as the decision year, and should not assume the closure date will align neatly with a vacation already on the calendar until Universal posts a final operating day.
Travel advisors and group planners should expect the announcement itself to influence demand patterns. Universal tends to sell vacations as a resort wide product, so even if your clients stay mostly in Islands of Adventure, higher resort occupancy can still push up hotel rates, tighten dining reservations, and raise the cost of last minute changes. That demand effect is usually strongest around opening season, and it can spill into air and ground logistics through Orlando International Airport (MCO) as travelers cluster on the same weekends.
What Travelers Should Do
If you are traveling in 2026, plan your Universal Studios Florida day without Hollywood Drift as a guarantee, and do not assume that the work site will be invisible. Build in extra walk time for detours, and keep at least one flexible block in your day so you can pivot if pathways or showtimes shift. If you are traveling mainly for thrill rides, align your day with existing anchors, and treat any Hollywood Drift construction views as a bonus rather than a reason to overpack the schedule.
If you are targeting 2027 specifically for Hollywood Drift, use decision thresholds that protect your budget. If Universal announces only a broad "2027" window, avoid booking the first two weeks of a trip solely around the coaster unless you can change dates without penalties. If a month or season is announced, then it is reasonable to book around that window, but still assume soft openings and early operational adjustments can limit availability, especially during peak school breaks.
Over the next 24 to 72 hours, monitor Universal's official updates for three items, the first detailed ride specs for the Florida layout, the first hints of an opening season inside 2027, and the first concrete timing guidance for the permanent closure of Fast & Furious Supercharged. If you are already holding a reservation for a 2027 trip, set a reminder to recheck once Universal posts a final operating day for the closing attraction, because that is when day by day planning becomes much more reliable.
How It Works
Large coaster replacements tend to reshape a park in layers, even before the new ride opens. The first order effect is capacity and geography, a removed coaster reduces the number of high thrill options, then construction walls and work zones can redirect foot traffic, which changes where lines build and how long it takes to move between lands. In this case, Universal's description of a vertical spike rising over the outskirts of CityWalk suggests the ride's footprint and skyline presence will be meaningful, and that the work zone will be close enough to affect the guest experience around that approach.
Second order ripples show up across the broader travel system tied to Orlando vacations. When a major new attraction is announced, traveler behavior shifts, people book earlier, and peak weekends fill faster, which tightens the market for on site hotels, popular off site inventory, and the price and availability of airport transfers. That is why the announcement matters even if you do not care about the Fast & Furious franchise, the announcement is a demand signal that can raise trip friction for everyone at the same resort.
A third layer is portfolio coordination between Florida and California. Universal says Universal Studios Hollywood will debut its own Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster in 2026, and Universal Studios Florida will follow in 2027. That sequencing can influence where enthusiasts travel first, and it can shift spring break and summer travel decisions as guests choose one coast or the other based on which version is open. For travelers who may also face weather disruption risk when flying to Florida in winter, it is worth keeping an eye on Weekend Winter Storm Threat Builds Across US South and East when you time short, high cost park weekends.