Personal opinion i don't think it will be removed in 2025 but it will definitely close that year (maybe after HHN?) With Epic universe opening next year i can't imagine they'd want to close such a big ride at Studios
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Universal Orlando (Studios/IOA/Epic Universe) : General Discussion
- Thread starter Alastair
- Start date
Personal opinion i don't think it will be removed in 2025 but it will definitely close that year (maybe after HHN?) With Epic universe opening next year i can't imagine they'd want to close such a big ride at Studios
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Deleted member 17985
Just for a larf, thought I'd share these recent snaps of famed song warbler Mariah Carey riding Hagrids and getting a full barnet reconstruction carried out by a heat tool wielding craftsperson before the train even hit the station. My 12 remaining strands of hair are generally just thankful for getting to feel the wind in their last days on Earth.
Lots of talk/rumours have been building recently that rip ride rocket will be getting removed in early 2025. It’s been a problematic ride for the resort, doesn’t really fit the direction the resort is going (themed experiences) and is a maintenance nightmare. I certainly wouldn’t miss it as it’s not a good ride.
The talk is they will be replacing with another Intamin launched coaster with floridas version of the fast and furious ride going in at Hollywood. Apparently they would also close the poorly rated current Fast and Furious attraction and reuse that building as the queue, station etc and then would use the Rip ride rocket site for much of the layout. They will have to work out a way to get it round the mummy building and the Hogwarts express tracks (I imagine they can have the track cross above the Hogwarts train tracks).
The talk is they will be replacing with another Intamin launched coaster with floridas version of the fast and furious ride going in at Hollywood. Apparently they would also close the poorly rated current Fast and Furious attraction and reuse that building as the queue, station etc and then would use the Rip ride rocket site for much of the layout. They will have to work out a way to get it round the mummy building and the Hogwarts express tracks (I imagine they can have the track cross above the Hogwarts train tracks).
Zeock
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
Rip Ride Rockit was never extremely well-regarded, so hopefully something superior is put in its place.
Dhev123
TS Member
I mean does the park really need another launch coaster? They already have hulk, velocicoaster, hagrid, stardust (x2), werewolf, mummy, HTTYD etc to name a few
Launched coasters tend to fit their themed narrative of the rides and theme they go for than coasters with large lift hills.
Intamin where listed in a permit for doing some work in the park a couple of months again for an unknown project. Could be related to this as it is rumoured Intamin have been contracted to provide the replacement. I think highly likely will be one of the drifting/extreme spinning coasters similar to what’s being built in Hollywood.
Intamin where listed in a permit for doing some work in the park a couple of months again for an unknown project. Could be related to this as it is rumoured Intamin have been contracted to provide the replacement. I think highly likely will be one of the drifting/extreme spinning coasters similar to what’s being built in Hollywood.
Danny
TS Contributor
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Absolutely going to be in the minority but I'll miss HRRR. One of the first major coasters that got me over the hill of riding 'big' coasters when I was much younger, a unique icon on the Universal skyline and there's just something outrageously fun about blasting through the night sky in Orlando with Sandstorm vibrating into your ears.
Leigh
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- EGF
After the playlists were slaughtered the writing has been on the wall for rip ride rockit. I didn’t hate the thing but I also didn’t much care for it either - it just meandered around slightly uncomfortably between book sections. Plus there’s the fact it never came close to hitting its monstrous capacity targets.
I would suggest, with both other parks having multiple big Intamin LSM coasters, that an Intamin mega on the same veins as Hyperion (but extended to nine cars per train for Orlando capacity reasons) would be a suitable replacement - very high capacity, visually stunning and offering something different from the other Orlando parks.
I would suggest, with both other parks having multiple big Intamin LSM coasters, that an Intamin mega on the same veins as Hyperion (but extended to nine cars per train for Orlando capacity reasons) would be a suitable replacement - very high capacity, visually stunning and offering something different from the other Orlando parks.
One possibility mentioned is that this won’t be the same style as fast and furious but could possibly be a different theme and be one of the new Intamin Vertical launched coasters setting it apart from their other thrill coasters. Although knowing how universal like to replicate rides across their resorts I still think a version of Hollywood drift is likely.
The permits show two new buildings for the replacement ride both of which are in the corner of the park where the turnaround section is near the mummy ride, once building on the space where jimmy fallon extended queue is (which is very rarely used). This could indicate that’s where a station and maintenance will be and moves the entrance into the New York area and not in the Minions land where RIP Ride rocket is currently.
The permits show two new buildings for the replacement ride both of which are in the corner of the park where the turnaround section is near the mummy ride, once building on the space where jimmy fallon extended queue is (which is very rarely used). This could indicate that’s where a station and maintenance will be and moves the entrance into the New York area and not in the Minions land where RIP Ride rocket is currently.
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TomW
TS Member
Launch coasters are just becoming industry standard, the launch is now just the device that gives a ride speed rather than the gimmick or focus of the coaster. This is like saying 'does a park really need another lifthill coaster'.
CSLKenny
TS Member
From: https://x.com/UniversalORL/status/1872765976933974289
Confirmed now to be closing early September 2025
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
Even if the ride wasn't brilliant when I last rode it, I must admit that I'm a little bit sad about the demise of HRRR. It was the first coaster I ever remember experiencing airtime on, and back when I first rode it aged 11, it was easily one of my top coasters and I absolutely loved it, so it is definitely a somewhat special ride to me even if I only rode it a grand total of 3 times overall!
It's also not an old ride at all, having only opened in 2009, so I find its closure somewhat surprising...
Nonetheless, I have every faith that its replacement will be far better. With every other major coaster in the Universal Orlando Resort being launched, I do hope that we get a good old big, gravity-fed coaster like HRRR here, but based on Universal's recent form and the rumoured theme, I'm sensing it'll be another launcher...
It's also not an old ride at all, having only opened in 2009, so I find its closure somewhat surprising...
Nonetheless, I have every faith that its replacement will be far better. With every other major coaster in the Universal Orlando Resort being launched, I do hope that we get a good old big, gravity-fed coaster like HRRR here, but based on Universal's recent form and the rumoured theme, I'm sensing it'll be another launcher...
despite it only being 16 years old by the time it closes by all reports it’s a costly maintenance nightmare for universal and the fact it’s generally become an uncomfortable ride. It also doesn’t really fit the highlighy themed story driven rides universal now build in their parks,
i found it very uncomfortable when i rode it again this summer, in fact only rode it a couple of times over the days i was at the resort, I find it particularly hurts my neck from all the shaking. Different seats/trains seem worse than others. it certainly not a ride I will miss.
Also just to add to speculation over the last year or so that the Simpsons areas will be removed and redeveloped when the 20 year contract ends in 2028 - Disney have just put a survey out that includes questions on customers thoughts on the Simpsons being added to their parks Inc options such as meet and greets and new lands and attractions.
the rumours pointed to the Orlando Simpsons area being replaced with Pokémon (rather than it going to Epic) with the aging Simpsons ride being completely removed and new ground up ride in its place.
the rumours pointed to the Orlando Simpsons area being replaced with Pokémon (rather than it going to Epic) with the aging Simpsons ride being completely removed and new ground up ride in its place.
jon81uk
TS Member
Reliable posters on other forums have stated the station will move to the firehouse facade next to the Fallon ride.