coaster

Universal Studios Hollywood’s landscape-changing, park-altering new thrill ride, Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, is officially open. The coaster boasting spinning, drifting cars along 4,100 feet of track had been in a soft launch phase since late July. But as of Wednesday morning, the theme park has declared the ride fit for daily operation.

“It elevates us to a new level,” says Jon Corfino, the park’s lead creative executive. “When we first started thinking about this 10 years ago, we recognized that. It’s our first big outdoor coaster. It changes the complexion of who we are, even the visual nature of who we are. You can see this from the freeway.”

The theme park hosted a private ribbon-cutting ceremony — in this case, a metal chain cutting to better represent the action-focused, garage-like grit of the “Fast & Furious” film franchise — on Tuesday evening. Mark Woodbury, the chairman and chief executive of Universal Destinations & Experiences, and Scott Strobl, executive vice president and general manager of Universal Studios Hollywood, together sliced the cable.

‘“Fast & Furious’ has delivered 25 years of high-speed thrills and big blockbuster movie moments and it was the perfect story for us to build this incredible, one-of-a-kind innovative attraction,” Woodbury said, noting a similar coaster, set to open next year, is under construction for Universal’s Florida resort.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift towers over the theme park.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

The coaster reaches a top speed of 72 mph, the fastest coaster in Universal’s global portfolio, and places riders in authentic, mini-re-creations of real cars that can rotate 360 degrees to create the drifting sensation of a stunt vehicle. With four inversions that bring guests upside down, Hollywood Drift is decidedly intense.

Wait times on Wednesday were hovering around 90 minutes. “I’m a big fan of the movies, and I think this is the best coaster in Southern California, hands down,” said L.A.’s Peter Lee, 43, as he was exiting the attraction on Wednesday. Lee has ridden the coaster 10 times since late July, but wanted to attend its opening day to purchase a picture of himself on the ride on its first proper day of operations.

Phillip Lambert Duke, 42, of Orlando, came to Universal Studios Hollywood to experience the West Coast edition of Halloween Horror Nights but said Hollywood Drift will be a highlight of the trip. “It’s fantastic,” Lambert Duke said. “It’s beautiful. I love how all the cars move independently of one another. “

Yet Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has also attracted some unwanted attention from the neighboring community of Toluca Lake, where residents have cried foul at the sound of rider screams emanating from the coaster. “Untenable,” “disturbing” and “like someone is getting murdered” have been a few of the ways longtime Toluca Lake homeowners have described the noise of riders.

An upside down rider enjoying Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

A number of Toluca Lake residents sent a media alert and hosted reporters in their neighborhood on Wednesday’s opening day to showcase just how disruptive the screams could be. Standing in the backyard of a house situated near a neighboring golf course, rider screams are certainly audible, and residents said the consistency of them is destroying their quality of life.

“It’s a constant stress,” said Colby Jensen, 55, a Toluca Lake resident of 26 years. Jensen said some residents have begun exploring their legal options, citing both the emotional duress of hearing constant screams and also a fear of potentially lower property values.

“It’s not just a noise, like the freeway, which is in the background,” Jensen said. “It’ll be quiet for a minute, and then you’ll hear this cacophony of screams. It inherently raises your blood pressure and stress level and it’s unnatural to hear that.”

Sofia S., who declined to give her full last name, said she just returned home to Toluca Lake after graduating from Indiana University. The 22-year-old noted the coaster has made it difficult to work from home.

“I have a little dog, and she’s barking a lot more because she thinks people are trying to come into the house,” she said.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift was designed as one of the quietest thrill rides ever constructed so as not to disrupt the working studio below and the communities nearby. Its track has been filled with pea gravel to mitigate rumbles, and multiple walls and glass-outfitted curved shields have been placed on or near its layout. Universal has even stated that it can rotate the cars so riders scream away from the nearby neighborhood at particularly extreme moments. Such measures have been welcomed by the community, but they’re not enough, say many neighbors.

Universal has scheduled a community meeting with residents for Sept. 30. The park also last month pledged to build additional sound barriers to further dampen rider screams.

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift has been the most anticipated theme park attraction of 2026.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

At Tuesday’s media event, Universal executives declined to discuss community concerns or efforts to alleviate them, but later issued a statement acknowledging that community feedback has been an important part of the process.

“Testing completed to date confirms the attraction is operating in compliance with sound ordinances applicable to Universal property, which are more stringent than city and county codes,” the emailed comment reads.

Toluca Lake residents dismiss criticisms that this comes with the territory of living next to a theme park, noting for much of its history Universal focused on indoor attractions and has previously worked with the community, such as adjusting the audio on its “WaterWorld” stunt show.

Fred Iberri, who said he’s lived in his inherited Toluca Lake home since the early ’70s, said everyone has a right to peace in their home.

“People say, ‘If you don’t like it, it’s your choice to live next to a theme park.’ That’s not true. Universal hasn’t had a coaster outside until three months ago,” Iberri said. “I’ve been here for 52 years, my family for 90, and Toluca Lake has been a peaceful neighborhood until three months ago. Anyone who says that doesn’t know us or the neighborhood. It’s not so easy for seniors to just pick up and move.”

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It’s an exciting time for Southern California coaster fans. Universal Studios Hollywood is on the verge of officially opening Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, and Knott’s Berry Farm this summer unveiled the refurbished Montezooma: The Forbidden Fortress. Now Six Flags’ Magic Mountain is getting in on the coaster action.

Coming in 2027 to the Valencia park will be Thrill Glider, a first of its kind thrill ride designed by coaster manufacturer Vekoma exclusively for Magic Mountain.

Magic Mountain in a release describes Thrill Glider as introducing a new coaster category, one that combines a motorbike-like seating arrangement with suspended coaster technologies. Riders will board what the park is referring to “hoverbikes,” essentially bike vehicles designed to simulate a flying sensation by being suspended from the track. Riders will be seated in a prone, face-forward position that will hang from the track above.

Concept art for Thrill Glider, which will boast bike-like vehicles and a sci-fi backstory.

(Six Flags Magic Mountain)

The ride will feature 20 different coaster elements and is slated to last 80 seconds. Speeds will reach 50 mph, and the coaster will boast five inversions that will take guests upside down. The various inversions will include a barrel roll, a zero-g roll and an overbanked stall turn, hinting at a heavily twisted track that will create drifts and swinging. There will be at least 12 moments, Six Flags promises, in which riders will experience airtime lifts.

“It is the latest milestone in Six Flags Magic Mountain’s renaissance and a reflection of the park’s enduring role as an industry innovator,” said Brian Oerding, park president of Six Flags Magic Mountain in a release.

The ride will come with a heavy sci-fi-inspired narrative. The story: The ride is a new technology from a fictional inventor, Rebecca Silva, who will introduce guests in the waiting area to what is described as a “Futurist Pavilion.” Throughout the queue, riders will encounter “holographic presentations and scientific exhibits,” culminating in the discovery of a new energy source, detailed by illuminated blue energy lines, that will power the ride.

The goal, says Six Flags, is to provide an optimistic view of the future, albeit with many sudden dives and weightless moments. The ride will feature multiple launches, reach a height of 107 feet and traverse 3,380 feet of track, which is more than a half mile.

Concept art of Magic Mountain’s new Thrill Glider, which will reach a top height of 104 feet.

(Six Flags Magic Mountain)

A specific opening window has not been detailed, but the ride is currently under construction. It will be located on the former site of the Golden Bear Theatre and will overlook the recently refurbished kiddie area, Looney Tunes Land.

Thrill Glider is arriving at a moment when Six Flags has been garnering national attention. Magic Mountain’s X2 remains shut down while state safety officials continue an investigation involving the attraction.

The ride, first opened in 2002 as X, has been the subject of controversy and at least one high-profile lawsuit stemming from a 22-year-old man’s death. Six Flags bills the ride as “a right of passage for the ultimate daredevil” that goes up to 76 mph. A CNN report recently took a look at other, more recent injuries allegedly stemming from the attraction.