{"id":830505,"date":"2026-07-28T02:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T02:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/830505\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T02:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T02:45:11","slug":"fast-furious-hollywood-drift-just-soft-opened-at-universal-studios-hollywood-and-you-can-ride-it-maybe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/830505\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Fast & Furious\u2019: Hollywood Drift just soft-opened at Universal Studios Hollywood and you can ride it\u2014maybe"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you were driving through the Valley this afternoon and thought you heard the sound of screaming, you weren\u2019t mistaken. Universal Studios Hollywood<\/a> surprised theme park goers today with the chance to be among the first to board Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift<\/a>\u2014as evidenced by footage of huge crowds<\/a> mobbing the entrance.<\/p>\n

The long, long-awaited thrill ride\u2014the park\u2019s first outdoor, high-speed coaster\u2014was officially announced three years ago\u00a0and was slated to finally open this summer, without any official opening date attached. And while the ride isn\u2019t officially open to the public (and, in fact, there\u2019s still no full-blown opening date yet), it\u2019s in \u201ctechnical rehearsals\u201d mode, which basically\u00a0functions like a\u00a0soft opening.<\/p>\n

So, should you stop what you\u2019re doing, head to\u00a0the theme park and shell out the price of admission ASAP? Well, not necessarily. We reached out to Universal about the soft opening and confirmed that the ride is indeed in technical rehearsals as of this afternoon\u2014though if you visit sometime between now and the date of the ride\u2019s still-to-be-announced official opening, there\u2019s no guarantee that it\u2019ll be running all day, every day. If you just can\u2019t wait\u2014or you\u2019re an annual passholder\u2014it might be worth a try, but if you want some assurance before buying a ticket, you\u2019re probably better off waiting until the ride is officially open.<\/p>\n

\""Fast
\nPhoto by Rich Polk\/Getty Images for Universal Studios Hollywood”Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” First Look At Roller Coaster <\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first time that the theme park has quietly unveiled an eagerly anticipated attraction via previews. Super Nintendo World<\/a>, the\u00a0most recent\u00a0major addition to Universal Studios Hollywood pre\u2013Hollywood Drift, welcomed visitors about a month before its official opening date in 2023,\u00a0using the same technical rehearsal method, as well as pass member previews, to fine-tune operations.<\/p>\n

Regardless, the fact that Hollywood Drift is up and running at all is big news and is sure to attract huge crowds\u2014and a ton of screams. Though the theme park promised the ride would be \u201cconstructed with sound reduction technology\u201d back when it was first announced, just this month, reports surfaced of Toluca Lake residents complaining about hearing the sound of screams from the very first test rides. Rumors even claimed that the conflict might push back the opening further. Luckily, it looks like those were unfounded<\/a>, according to the L.A. Times, though it\u2019s still TBD how that drama will play out.<\/p>\n

\""Fast
\nPhoto by Rich Polk\/Getty Images for Universal Studios Hollywood”Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” First Look At Roller Coaster <\/p>\n

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has been enticing park goers and passersby for years now, with its construction progress taking place in plain sight, crossing over and under the series of escalators that take visitors between the upper and lower lots. Last summer, I got a first look at a ride vehicle, a Dodge Charger, which has since been joined by Mazda RX-7, Nissan Skyline GT-R and Toyota Supra models\u2014all\u00a0based on cars from the Fast & Furious franchise. The vehicles\u00a0spin 360 degrees while on the track to create the \u201cdrift\u201d sensation\u2014quite an engineering feat for a roller coaster\u2014while traveling 72 miles per hour.<\/p>\n

\""Fast
\nCourtesy Universal Studios Hollywood”Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift” rendering <\/p>\n

The park\u2019s only other high-speed coaster, Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride, opened back in 2004 (RIP E.T. Adventure), and it still holds up and is pretty much perpetually packed. And the family-friendly Flight of the Hippogriff, while too brief at less than a minute long, is still a great coaster. So I have high hopes for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. Stay tuned for official opening date news.<\/p>\n