Gabrielle Russon
Universal Studios Florida is closing Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit — a roller coaster with a musical soundtrack — in early September for a new attraction, the theme park company confirmed Friday.
Universal’s plans to demolish the coaster, which opened in 2009, were made public and became fodder on social media this week.
Universal said it plans to release details about Rip Ride Rockit’s replacement in the future.
The 167-foot-tall, $45 million Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is located in the front park of the park, making it a highly visible ride, especially during concerts or parades. It has a thrilling 167-foot lift hill, but what makes it different is riders get to pick their own music.
When it opened originally, it had 30 different songs to choose from including “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band, the Orlando Sentinel reported at the time.
Over the years, the list of songs got shorter. The Sentinel reported last year only five songs remained, including “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor and “Stronger” by the controversial Kanye West.
Universal wanted to bill the ride, which was once called Florida’s most technologically advanced coaster, to the YouTube generation. The ride was equipped with video cameras so passengers could record themself riding and buy music videos of the experience. Sometimes, it had trouble early on and the video filming didn’t stick over time. Thrill seekers probably didn’t mind.
Both Disney World and Universal Orlando are undergoing a big transformation.
For Universal, it is months away from the May 22 grand opening of Epic Universe, a theme park built from the ground up near the Orange County Convention Center.
Meanwhile, Disney World is adding a Villains Land at the Magic Kingdom and other rides while it closes longtime attractions, such as Tom Sawyer Island. Disney recently announced it is closing its Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Hollywood Studios to convert it into a Muppets-theme ride.
“Tough year to be a roller coaster based on rock music,” one person quipped on X this week.
2 comments
SuzyQ
December 28, 2024 at 9:19 am
All Floridians, actual Floridians, not the usual posters on this politically biased leftwing platform, should thank America’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, for his leadership and stewardship of the free state of Florida. I remember when the usual suspects, to wit, leftwingers, were predicting how Governor DeSantis would destroy Florida’s tourism and entertainment industries, only to disappear after Florida set one record after another in nearly every metric.
JD
December 28, 2024 at 1:21 pm
As a small business owner living in Florida, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I have to ask—why is this rise in tourism inherently a good thing for *all* Floridians? While it’s true that tourism metrics are up, I’ve personally seen the downsides: increased costs of living, housing shortages, overcrowded roads, and strain on local infrastructure.
How exactly did Governor DeSantis and his policies contribute to this tourism growth? Florida has always been a top destination due to its beaches, theme parks, and warm weather—factors that have been attracting tourists long before his tenure. Additionally, the pent-up demand for travel post-pandemic played a significant role in the rebound of tourism, something that many states experienced.
For those of us who live here, this growth has not translated into meaningful improvements in quality of life. Instead, we’ve been burdened with higher costs for housing, food, and other essentials. Tourism-driven growth often disproportionately benefits large corporations and leaves small businesses like mine grappling with the ripple effects of rising expenses and an increasingly crowded state.
So, while it’s nice to see impressive statistics, I would argue that they mean little unless they directly enhance the lives of everyday Floridians. What tangible benefits have you, or other local residents, seen that outweigh the negative impacts? It’s worth considering whose interests this “success” truly serves.
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