Hollywood Drift Begins Ridership Testing at Universal Studios Hollywood

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift reached ridership at Universal Studios Hollywood on May 6, 2026, according to Universal Creative.

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Ridership Testing What The Milestone Means Opening Timeline Related Articles

The milestone means the park’s first high-speed outdoor roller coaster has moved into the stage where people are riding as part of project commissioning before the attraction opens in summer 2026.

Ridership Testing

Universal Creative said the project has “officially hit a major milestone: ridership.” Jennifer Bruce, Manager of Ride & Show Engineering, said ridership is a key part of commissioning because it allows the ride team to run the attraction with people on board.

Bruce said the process starts with a limited group of project Team Members, Ride Engineers, and Programmers. That group is helping make final adjustments to the ride system before the attraction moves closer to opening for guests.

Brian's Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 and Dom's Dodge Charger R/T in front of the Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift ride building at Universal Studios Hollywood — Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift ride vehicles outside the attraction building at Universal Studios Hollywood. Source: Universal Studios Hollywood media event

What The Milestone Means

Ridership is not the same thing as public previews or soft openings. It is an internal commissioning step, with a controlled group riding while engineers and programmers continue tuning the attraction.

For guests, the update is still a meaningful sign of progress. Universal has already confirmed Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift for the Upper Lot. The ride is planned to reach speeds up to 72 mph along 4,100 feet of track and use ride vehicles that rotate 360 degrees independently.

The ride’s four-car train is themed to cars from the Fast & Furious franchise, including Dom’s 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, Brian’s Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, Han’s Mazda RX-7, and Brian’s Toyota Supra. Theme Park Shark previously covered the full Hollywood Drift ride vehicle reveal from Universal Studios Hollywood.

Full Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster train on the ride platform inside the station at Universal Studios Hollywood — The Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster train inside the station during the ride vehicle reveal. Source: Universal Studios Hollywood media event

Opening Timeline

Universal Studios Hollywood has announced Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift for summer 2026. The park has not announced an exact opening date.

The coaster is being built on the Upper Lot and will become the park’s first high-speed outdoor roller coaster. Universal has described it as the fastest coaster in the Universal Destinations & Experiences portfolio.

For planning, guests should wait for Universal Studios Hollywood to announce an exact opening date or preview details before building a trip around the coaster. Ridership testing is encouraging, but it does not create a public access window by itself.

Source: Universal Creative