The latest rumor around the Universal Orlando Resort suggests that Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit will permanently close sometime in 2025. This rollercoaster at Universal Studios Florida is getting older, and is not very popular with guests, which means its final days could be near. Let’s take a look at several recent changes that point towards this rumor being true.
Choose Your Own Soundtrack on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is probably best known for being a coaster where you can choose your own soundtrack. When boarding the vehicle, guests can personalize their experience and select a song to listen to while riding. One of the biggest changes to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit recently has been the major reduction in songs.
In September of 2023, the song selection for the coaster dropped drastically. The ride went from offering over 30 songs to just 5. Now there is only one song in each genre. The current list is:
- Classic Rock / Metal: “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance
- Rap / Hip-Hop: “HUMBLE.” by Kendrick Lamar
- Club / Electronica: “Sandstorm” by Darude
- Pop / Disco: “Waterloo” by ABBA
- Country: “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” By Shania Twain
This change was disappointing to many guests, but might be a good indication that Universal Orlando is planning to get rid of the ride soon. The secret song list is reportedly still available, though. Take a look at the guide and song list here.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Opened in 2009
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit opened in 2009 and so has recently hit the 15-year mark. For most coasters, the design lifetime is typically in the 15-20 year range before major refurbishment including complete re-tracking is required. In the last few years, the ride has experienced a lot of downtime, due to weather and technical issues.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Has Frequent Downtime
The coaster cannot operate in certain temperatures or wind speeds, so the ride does experience a lot of delays for weather. The ride also tends to experience technical issues and breaks down frequently. With frequent delays and expensive ongoing maintenance, this ride often creates a lot of problems for Universal Orlando.
Extremely Rough Ride Spurs Complaints and Lawsuits
There is a lot of time and money spent on maintaining this coaster, which isn’t even one of the most popular rides in the park. Many guests agree that this is a ‘one and done’ due to the extreme roughness. A Florida woman has even filed a lawsuit against Universal Orlando claiming she sustained injuries from riding Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.
It seems very unlikely that Universal Orlando will continue to maintain this rollercoaster for much longer due to so many issues. The coaster occupies a unique space at Universal Studios Florida, and it’s possible Universal Creative is already working on plans for a new attraction that can fit into the area.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was considered part of Production Central until Minion Land took over the front of the park last year. Universal Studios Florida underwent some changes with the addition of Minion Land, and now, Rip Ride Rockit is technically located in the New York section of the park. A ride with “Hollywood” in the name being located in the New York part of the park seems like an odd choice and maybe won’t last much longer.
Epic Universe Opening Provides Opportunity for Replacement
When Epic Universe opens in 2025, we anticipate the other parks will start to get new attractions to keep up. Next year would be a great time to replace Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit with something different.
At this time, the permanent closure of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is only a rumor, but all of these signs do indicate that the end is near. Between guests complaining of injuries and even filing lawsuits, and the constant technical issues, there’s really no reason for Universal Orlando to keep this ride open for much longer. Do you think it’s time for the attraction to close permanently or do you hope Universal keeps it open? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned for more updates on this story.
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I heard it gets in the way of backstage areas and hhn lines. Also the ride hasnt been running safely in a long time.