The Fast and Furious franchise has always been filled with surprises, so it was fitting that this week, even though it’s not officially open yet, I finally got a chance to ride its brand new roller coaster. It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. Originally announced in 2023, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood still, as of early August, does not have a concrete opening date. But live testing has been happening for a few days, so when my wife and I headed over to the park this week, we were hoping to ride, but nothing was certain.
For the past few years, though, the only thing that has been certain about this franchise was this roller coaster. As rumors and waiting continue for the 11th Fast film, Los Angeles residents have slowly but surely watched Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift get built over the course of the past three years. Every time you drove down the 101 freeway or were lucky enough to go to the park itself, you saw the steel beams rising out of the hilltop. Cars soaring over the escalators. Work was progressing. This was actually happening. And, as a result, anticipation built every single day. Testing, first without people and later with, began earlier this summer, so we all knew our moment was almost here. But issues with local residents (who complained about the noise) apparently led to some changes and delays, hence the lack of an official opening date. To that end, I can say, after standing under the ride for over two hours, it’s not particularly loud. In fact, it’s actually pretty quiet. The starting block. © Universal Studios Hollywood Oh. Yes. You read that right. I waited over two hours to ride Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift this week, the longest I’ve ever waited for a theme park ride. But it was a conscious decision. I knew the uncertainty of the testing phase could extend the wait, but also, my fandom of the franchise gave me insane FOMO. Humans were riding, so I had to as well. This is something I’ve been waiting on for years, and you only get to ride for the first time one time. Even if it took all night, once I saw that it was open, I was drifting. It also didn’t help, though, that the customary “Wait Time” sign you’d get on a theme park ride wasn’t on, so I had no idea what I was getting into.
