Universal Is Building One Of Its Most Exciting New Coasters, and the Progress Is Undeniable
Rip Ride Rockit closed on August 17, 2025. Demolition started three days later. By late October, the coaster was completely gone. Construction on its replacement began before the old ride was even fully down. That pace told you everything you needed to know about how seriously Universal was treating this project, and the April 2026 construction updates confirm that the urgency has not let up.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is the confirmed replacement. The Orlando version is a separate project from the Universal Studios Hollywood iteration of the same name, opening in summer 2026. What is being built at Universal Studios Florida is a full-scale high-speed roller coaster, and as of late April, it has crossed the threshold from abstract construction site to something you can actually see from inside the park.
What the April Photos Show at Universal
Coaster track and support beams are now visible from the New York area of Universal Studios Florida. The track features navy blue supports with a grey track surface. The portion currently installed resembles the brake run configuration seen on the Hollywood counterpart. Construction walls have pushed further into the guest-facing New York area from the attraction entrance, indicating the footprint continues to expand.
The structural frame for the coaster station is rising. A flat concrete platform adjacent to the station is consistent with a switch track, supporting the theory that the current track installation is for trains returning or departing the station. The two-story maintenance building remains the most visually advanced structure on site. Concrete footers extend to the CityWalk side of the property.
Track elements believed to be part of the switch system for the attraction’s vertical spike element are also visible. That spike is expected to reach an estimated 170 feet.
The majority of the remaining coaster track is staged offsite, ready for transport. What is visible now is just the beginning of months of installation ahead.
Blue track supports for Hollywood Drift are now visible from CityWalk at Universal Orlando, marking a major construction milestone for the new coaster: https://t.co/tyWWHF3gNS pic.twitter.com/TPTKvgu8sV
— Attractions Magazine (@Attractions) May 12, 2026
What the March Photos Showed
The late-March update laid the foundation for everything April delivered. Electrical conduit made its debut on the construction site during that period, a significant milestone that signals that permanent power and ride system infrastructure are beginning to take shape underground. A new service building appeared near the center of the footprint. The station building was advancing faster than any other element on site, with foundation work underway and the frame beginning to rise.
Steel beams were being staged along a crane pathway running through the site. The construction extends behind the Jimmy Fallon attraction and in front of two soundstages, raising ongoing questions about how Halloween Horror Nights operations will be managed this fall, given how much of the event’s traditional infrastructure overlaps with the active construction zone.
What Is Happening With Supercharged at Universal
While Hollywood Drift goes up, Fast & Furious Supercharged is quietly winding down. Universal has confirmed a permanent closure in 2027, and recent changes inside the attraction suggest the transition has already started.
The Mona Lisa prop, previously located deeper in the queue and preshow sequence, has been relocated to the first garage scene. The original space has been entirely blocked off with black curtains, with no signage explaining the change. Sections closing off, props relocating, and layout simplifying. These are the steps of a phased wind-down, not a refurbishment.
Hollywood Drift is not replacing Supercharged directly. The two attractions occupy separate footprints, and Universal has not announced what will take over the Supercharged space after 2027.
What Comes Next
Universal has not announced an opening date for Hollywood Drift in Orlando. Based on current construction progress and the complexity of a full-scale coaster installation, a 2027 opening appears most likely.
The Rip Ride Rockit footprint is unrecognizable at this point. What is replacing it is starting to look like exactly what it is. Universal is not slowing down.
