Universal's Next Big Coaster Just Went Vertical in Orlando — and the Photos Are Wild

Construction milestones at theme parks have a way of making things feel real. You can read about a ride for months — the specs, the concept art, the hype — but the moment actual track goes up, it clicks. That moment just happened for Universal Orlando’s most anticipated new coaster.

As of this week, the first visible stretch of coaster track has been installed for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Florida, according to Disney by Mark’s April 22 construction update. The track is now visible from inside the park — and if you’re anywhere near the New York section of Universal Studios Florida, you’re going to notice it.

What We’re Looking At

The new track is hard to miss. The support structure is painted a vivid blue, with the track itself finished in bright white. That color combination stands out sharply against the construction site and contrasts with the all-gray scheme used on the Hollywood version of the same ride. Whether that’s a deliberate design choice or just a construction-phase look that will evolve, we don’t yet know — but it reads as bold and distinctly different from what opened in California.

The installed section appears to connect to or extend from the ride’s load area, curving back toward the interior construction zone. Additional fencing has gone up nearby, likely to accommodate ongoing equipment staging as the build accelerates.

A Quick Refresher on the Ride

For anyone who needs the recap: Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is replacing the beloved-but-aging Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, which closed in August 2025 after more than 15 years of operation. The new coaster is a serious upgrade on paper.

The specs are legitimately impressive:

• 170-foot vertical spike — that’s roughly 17 stories in the air, positioned near CityWalk
• 4,100 feet of track
• Top speed of 72 mph, which would make it the fastest Universal coaster in the world
• Rotating vehicles designed to simulate the drifting mechanics the franchise is known for
• 51-inch height requirement

The coaster is targeting a 2027 opening, so we’re still a ways out — but seeing track in the sky signals that the timeline is on track.

Why This Matters for Your Trip Planning

If you’re planning a Universal Orlando trip in 2026, the construction zone for this ride will be part of the landscape. The old Rip Ride Rockit footprint in the New York area of the park is an active build site, and the vertical construction now underway means the presence will only become more visible as months go on.

That said, the surrounding park experience remains largely unaffected — the New York section is still fully operational for other attractions, dining, and entertainment.

The Bigger Picture

This construction milestone is genuinely exciting, not just as a news beat, but because of what it signals for Universal Orlando’s trajectory. Epic Universe opened earlier this year and immediately established Universal as a serious challenger to Disney’s theme park dominance in Central Florida. Now, with a record-breaking coaster going up at Universal Studios Florida and Rip Ride Rockit’s era officially over, the company is investing heavily in modernizing its existing parks alongside its newest one.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift in Orlando isn’t just a replacement attraction. Given the specs — speed, height, drifting vehicle technology — it has the potential to be a genuinely world-class ride when it opens. We’ll be watching every construction update between now and 2027.

Source: Disney by Mark (April 22, 2026)