Universal Studios Hollywood quietly opened its long-awaited Fast & Furious themed roller coaster to guests, and the ride is already turning heads for reasons beyond its Hollywood horsepower. The coaster, which reportedly reaches speeds of up to 72 miles an hour, gave park visitors an unannounced soft opening this week, catching both thrill seekers and nearby residents off guard.
For car fans who grew up watching Dom Toretto and his crew outrun cops and drift through impossible turns, a coaster themed around the franchise sounds like a dream come true. Universal has leaned into that fantasy, building a ride designed to simulate the rush of a high speed chase without anyone needing a valid license or a suspiciously fast Charger.
But there is a catch, and it has nothing to do with the ride’s engineering. Residents in the neighboring community of Toluca Lake say the coaster is anything but subtle when it comes to noise. Riders’ screams, amplified by the open air track, are reportedly carrying well beyond the park’s borders and into the surrounding neighborhood, particularly near a nearby golf course, reported KTLA 5.
That is a surprising twist considering how much planning reportedly went into making this one of the quietest coasters ever built. Engineers were said to have worked to minimize track noise using specialized materials and design tweaks. Turns out you can quiet down steel wheels on a track, but there is no known engineering fix for a few hundred people screaming with joy at 72 mph.
A Ride Built for Speed and Spectacle
The coaster is designed to put riders inside the Fast & Furious universe, complete with the kind of high octane, tire smoking energy the franchise is known for. Hitting highway speeds most of us only reach on an empty stretch of freeway at 2 a.m., the ride promises the sensation of a chase scene without the risk of an actual citation.
For car enthusiasts, that combination of speed and cinematic theming is exactly the appeal.
Neighbors Caught Off Guard by the Noise
Longtime residents near the park say the sound has only intensified as Universal has expanded over the years.
Universal has acknowledged the concerns, stating that the coaster was built with sound-reduction technology and that the company is monitoring noise levels using microphones placed in the surrounding area.
Not Everyone Is Complaining
Despite the noise concerns, plenty of guests are thrilled the ride is finally open, even in this limited soft launch phase.
A full public opening is expected sometime this year.
Our Take
There is something almost fitting about a Fast & Furious ride causing a stir before it even officially opens. The whole franchise has always been about excess, noise, and pushing things a little too far, so maybe the neighborhood pushback is just the ride staying true to its source material.
That said, we would not want a nightly chorus of screams drifting into our backyard either. Here is hoping Universal’s promised fixes find a middle ground, because a coaster this fast deserves to stick around.