Attractions Magazine first reported that Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is now under construction at Universal Studios Florida, with Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit demolished to clear the site. Universal Orlando Resort’s January announcement confirmed that the new attraction is a roller coaster, will replace Rip Ride Rockit and will include a 170-foot vertical spike.
That makes this more than a routine refresh of the area. The former coaster has been cleared away, and the new build is taking over the same patch of Universal Studios Florida with a very different profile: an outdoor coaster centred on a spike that sends riders nearly 17 stories into the air over the edge of Universal CityWalk. Universal said more information would be shared in the months ahead.
What the 170-foot spike means
In coaster terms, a vertical spike is a straight section of track that rises directly upwards and stops, rather than carrying the train over a traditional hill crest. On Hollywood Drift, that element is the ride’s defining feature so far. At 170 feet, it is the tallest named part of the project and the detail most likely to shape the ride’s skyline from inside and outside the park.
Attractions Magazine also noted that the new ride is drawing guests towards the edge of the New York area rather than using the Music Plaza-adjacent station that served Rip Ride Rockit. That shift matters because it shows Universal is not simply swapping one coaster for another in the same visual slot; it is reworking how the land is entered, seen and used.
What happens next
For now, the confirmed facts are straightforward: Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is under construction, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is gone, and the 170-foot vertical spike remains the element that best defines the project. Universal’s next update will come when the company is ready to share more.
