Hollywood Drift opens in Orlando in 2027, and the test car is halfway around

The official answer

When does Hollywood Drift open in Orlando?

Universal's announcement in January 2026 said the coaster "will join the Universal Studios Florida family in 2027," and nothing more specific has come since. Some fan sites have started asking whether the fast build pace points to an earlier debut. That is speculation, and Universal's answer is still 2027.

For a sense of rhythm, the Hollywood version opened at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 16, 2026, after soft openings were reported in late July. Orlando's coaster has its own layout and its own schedule, so treat that as context, not a forecast.

Every milestone, in order

Where testing stands, step by step

Coasters move through a predictable run of stages between the last piece of track and the first paying rider. Here is Orlando's Hollywood Drift on that path, from Universal's announcement and reporting by Universal fan sites.

The clearance test checks every point on the track for enough room around riders' heads and arms, including while the car rotates. Once that loop is done, the next visible sign is usually the ride launching trains on its own, first empty and then carrying water dummies. That is the moment this page moves to the next stage.

The ride

What is Hollywood Drift?

It is an outdoor coaster built around the Fast & Furious films, with cars that rotate to create a 360 degree drifting feel. Universal says the Orlando version includes a 170 foot vertical spike that sends riders nearly 17 stories up over the edge of CityWalk. That would make it the tallest coaster at Universal Orlando, though not in all of Orlando.

Tallest point of each ride.

• Cars Four seats per car and four cars to a train, based on the vehicle seen in testing.
• Builder Coaster industry sites report Intamin, with a multi-launch layout. Universal has not published the Orlando ride's speed, length or height requirement.
• Not Hollywood's ride Hollywood's published stats, up to 72 mph and 4,100 feet of track, belong to that layout. Orlando's track is different, spike included.

Retired to make room

What closed for Hollywood Drift?

Lines

Will it have Express and single rider?

Universal has not said for Orlando. In Hollywood, the new coaster was reported to open with a single rider line and without Universal Express at launch, and it is being sold as a roughly $20 ride add-on on Halloween Horror Nights evenings. If Orlando follows that pattern, plan on a real standby wait in the first months. Our Universal Express Pass guide covers which rides take Express today.

Before it opens

Planning a Universal Studios Florida trip now