"Rockit" High-tech Coaster to be built at Universal Florida

[rjamerson]

In Orlando Sentinel today.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-universal1908mar19,0,3576109.story


Universal Studios is about to build a new signature ride: a high-tech roller coaster full of lights, music, loops, twists and turns -- and a quick trip over the heads of people walking through the nearby CityWalk entertainment district.

The Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit is planned to be big, bright and brash enough to become the new visual symbol for the theme park when the coaster opens in about a year. Universal Orlando officials said Tuesday that it also will feature enough digital technology to appeal directly to what they refer to as the "YouTube culture."

Universal Orlando officials said the coaster will rise 167 feet into the air and feature numerous loops and corkscrew turns. Rockit -- the first big, outdoor thrill ride for Universal Studios -- is set to open in spring 2009.

 

[Glasgow]

Cool -- not that I care that much about US, but hey, competition breeds innovation. Hopefully the domino effect causes WDW to build Fire Mtn!

 

[1disneydood]

The coaster sounds cool. Although the youtube culture sounds iffy.

 

[WDWGuide]

Looks like a Maurer Söhne X-Coaster - what exactly is so revolutionary about that? Still, any new coaster in central Florida is welcome. Now if they'd just build some wooden ones and a hypercoaster or two...

 

[CaptainJackNO]

Hmmmmmmmm.......

Kinda sounds like a roller coaster I have ridden somewhere......

What was it called?............:shrug: Where was it?........:shrug:

I know!!!!!!!!!!

It's called Rockin' Roller Coaster, and it's at the Disney Hollywood Studios...
Ain't that sumpin?.....

Excuse me, have to sneeze...ahhh, ahhhh, ahhh,, RIp off......Excuse me...

 

[Gooch]

Interesting idea, but would it lure me away from WDW just to ride it? Eh. Probably not.

 

[JT3000]

Hmmmmmmmm.......

Kinda sounds like a roller coaster I have ridden somewhere......

What was it called?............:shrug: Where was it?........:shrug:

I know!!!!!!!!!!

It's called Rockin' Roller Coaster, and it's at the Disney Hollywood Studios...
Ain't that sumpin?.....

Excuse me, have to sneeze...ahhh, ahhhh, ahhh,, RIp off......Excuse me...

This ride has very little in common with RnRC. Want a tissue?

 

[Philo]

The ride looks pretty cool. It will get me to visit US for the day so I guess they did their job right - just not sure its the kind of ride I would expect in US, IOA sure but not the studios. I said the same thing about RnRC though....

 

[banimall]

That looks awesome, talk about drawing you into the park the minute you get there. I question the time frame to build it though, a year seems awful quick.

 

[sknydave]

A year! Wow..

 

[devoy1701]

I thought the comments on that link about the article were rather funny. Here's an example:

Disney's crowd is the most generic, homogenized, sheepish bunch of morons in the world. I would rather mingle with the black and hispanic crowd any day than mingle with a bunch of fat soccer moms and their screaming, fit throwing, spoiled spawn and her CEO husband wearing Mickey crocs.


we're all a bunch of rich white folks!!! Sounds like an argument to be made by Obama's Preacher!

oops....I went there... :lookaroun

 

[Pioneer Hall]

A new coaster always sounds good...but I am glad Disney isn't doing something like that. I feel that there is no reason to appeal to the so called "You-Tube" generation (even if I may be a part of it). I don't think its a smart business strategy to build something that has a short relevant life. I have the same problem with American Idol...especially since that show is losing popularity on a daily basis and they have barely started work.

 

[SeanC]

Its interesting the article says:

"The artist's rendering that they released shows the track climbing a 167-foot-tall peak, then corkscrewing downward, twisting eight times."

If you look at the art, the lift hill is a 90 degree vertical lift cresting into a drop. The 8 "cork screws" actually look like an architectural feature of the lift, not track.

 

[JT3000]

^ The Sentinel has morons for writers.

 

[Thurp]

Interesting idea, but would it lure me away from WDW just to ride it? Eh. Probably not.

Maybe not that. But add the new Simpson's. Updated Earthquake/Disaster. Harry Potter land.

Then you have a series of reasons to go. And that is what they are banking on.

Looks like a fun coaster. I look forward to riding it.

 

[sknydave]

Disaster is not a reason to go.

The others mentioned, yes.

 

[banimall]

Just as a side note, the updated Earthquake is a joke, I don't know how they got away with calling it an updated attraction, it's the same old ride except they changed the pre-show ever so sligthly. It was pretty bad. I hope the Simpsons comes out better.

 

[mcjaco]

That looks awesome, talk about drawing you into the park the minute you get there. I question the time frame to build it though, a year seems awful quick.

A year is actually quite long for an off the shelf coaster these days. Mall of America just put in a Eurocoaster in about four months.

 

[InfernalPenguin]

Does anyone miss when Universal used to be about movies? Yeah....

 

[banimall]

Universal Studios is still mainly movies, The Mummy, Terminator, Twister, Shrek. What I miss at Universal and Disney Hollywood Studios is when they used to produce shows. Bring back Thunder in Paradise!!!