Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Soft Opens at Universal Studios Hollywood

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It’s open — sort of. Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has begun technical rehearsals with the general public, better known as a soft opening, at Universal Studios Hollywood.

The Fast and Furious Hollywood Drift soft opening means people are riding it. It does not mean it’s officially open, and the distinction matters if you’re planning a trip around it.

Here’s what a soft opening actually is, what the ride does, and what early riders are saying.

Quick Summary

• Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has begun soft openings at Universal Studios Hollywood
• A soft opening is a technical rehearsal, not a guaranteed daily operation
• The coaster features 360-degree rotation technology
• Top speed reaches 72 MPH across 4,100 feet of aerial track
• The track winds over sections of the park including the Starway escalators
• Universal has not announced an official opening date

What a Soft Opening Actually Means

This is the part people misunderstand, so let’s be precise.

A soft opening is essentially a technical rehearsal of a new attraction, or a final release candidate test for the ride. All the major components are installed and operational, but some tweaks, changes, and updates will occur prior to the grand opening.

Critically: soft openings are never promised.

There is no guarantee the ride will open. It might open for a period of time, all day, or not at all, depending on any issues or changes. There is no set schedule and no guarantee it will be open until it officially opens — which Universal Studios Hollywood has not yet announced.

Don’t Plan a Trip Around a Soft Opening

Be direct about this: if riding Hollywood Drift is the reason you’re buying a ticket, wait for the official opening announcement.

Soft opening periods are genuinely unpredictable. The attraction can run for three hours on a Monday and not at all on Tuesday. Team Members at the park often don’t know the schedule either, because the decision gets made in real time based on how the systems are performing.

If you’re already going anyway, check the app in the morning and be ready to move quickly if it’s operating. That’s the right way to approach a soft opening.

What the Ride Does

The technical specs are genuinely impressive:

• 360-degree rotation technology designed to create a seamless sensation of drifting cars as guests spin in motion
• Speeds up to 72 MPH
• 4,100 feet of elaborate aerial track
• The layout winds over sections of the theme park, including the multi-level Starway escalator that connects the Upper and Lower Lots

That Starway detail is the one that will define this ride’s reputation. Racing a coaster train directly above the escalators that every guest uses to move between park levels means the attraction is constantly visible and audible to people who aren’t riding it.

Universal planned this deliberately. During an earlier behind-the-scenes tour, Universal Creative Vice President Jon Corfino explained that the team carefully planned sightlines to make the coaster a visual centerpiece even for guests who aren’t riding: “No matter what you’re going to see down here, these cars are going to be whipping around. The coaster is the star.”

Early Reactions

Inside Universal shared their quick review after a first ride: they described it as an incredibly smooth ride, called it a killer coaster they expect to be a massive hit, and said the views are unmatched.

Two things in that reaction are worth pulling out.

“Incredibly smooth” is meaningful for a spinning coaster. Rotating vehicles introduce forces that can make a ride feel rough or disorienting if the rotation isn’t well-tuned against the track profile. A smooth first impression suggests the engineering is working.

“The views are unmatched” speaks to the hillside placement. Universal Studios Hollywood sits above the San Fernando Valley, and a coaster built on the hillside above the Upper Lot has sightlines no other attraction in the park can offer. That’s a genuine differentiator.

Why This Coaster Matters for Universal Studios Hollywood

Hollywood Drift is one of the most ambitious expansion efforts in Universal Studios Hollywood’s history.

The park has been constrained by geography for its entire existence — built on a hillside with far less flat land than Orlando, split across Upper and Lower Lots connected by escalators. Major outdoor roller coasters are hard to build there, which is why the park has so few.

Building a 4,100-foot coaster on that terrain, and turning the constraint into a feature by routing it over the escalators, is a real engineering accomplishment.

What Happens Next

Universal has not announced an official opening date. The attraction is scheduled to open this summer.

What typically follows a soft opening period:

• Increasing operating windows as technical confidence grows
• Media previews shortly before the official opening
• An official opening date announcement, usually with limited lead time
• Grand opening events for a project of this scale

Watch Universal Studios Hollywood’s channels for the announcement.

The Bottom Line

The Fast and Furious Hollywood Drift soft opening has begun at Universal Studios Hollywood, with the public riding a coaster that reaches 72 MPH across 4,100 feet of aerial track using 360-degree rotating vehicles that simulate drifting.

Early impressions describe it as exceptionally smooth with unmatched views.

Soft openings carry no guarantees, so don’t build a trip around it. If you’re already visiting, check the app each morning and be ready to move. The official opening announcement should follow soon.

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