The attraction page for Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios Florida in Universal Orlando Resort has been updated with the following:
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit will permanently close on August 18, 2025 to make way for a new experience. More details will be available at a later date. (HT BlogMickey)
This is not surprising news, as Universal previously indicated on social media that a September 2025 closure was in the works.
Altogether I’m a little surprised the ride would close at all. It is among the more popular rides at the park. It also opened in 2009, making it 10 years younger than, for example, Incredible Hulk Coaster (which is a far superior coaster, though).
One thing to remember is that Universal Orlando Resort generally does not have the same “blessing of size” that Walt Disney World has. This is why Epic Universe had to be built in a disconnected piece of real estate. If Universal Orlando wants to add something to their current parks, they’ve more or less got to eliminate something (and even with the blessing of size, sometimes things have to go).
For my part, I did always find Rip Ride Rockit way too bumpy for my liking. The choose-your-own-soundtrack gimmick, complete with hidden songs, was novel enough to keep me interested for a few rides, but not much more. For a park with a heavy local fanbase, it might be that Universal felt they could deliver more with that patch of land. And it’s always possible that other factors, like downtime and maintenance costs came into play.
This is a bit of a (hopefully temporary) loss for Universal Studios Florida. In terms of coasters, that park will only have one remaining outdoor coaster—the kiddie coaster Trollercoaster—plus two indoor coasters (Escape From Gringotts, Revenge of the Mummy). Of course, Universal Orlando Resort as a whole has a little wiggle room now—more guests will be coming to focus on Epic Universe, and having one park lagging a bit behind in quality is nothing new in Central Florida.
I’m excited to hear what’s going to replace Rip Ride Rockit, whenever Universal decides to share that news!
All Your Other Universal Orlando Planning Questions Answered
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Just starting out? Start with our Universal Orlando Resort planning guide! If you’re considering a Universal hotel, read our Review of Universal’s Aventura Hotel!
You’ll want to know what rides the parks offer, so we’ve got a Universal Studios Florida Rides Guide and a Universal’s Islands of Adventure Rides Guide. And to know how to get on them without the long waits, read all about Express Pass at Universal Orlando Resort.
If you’d like an idea of how to plan a day at these parks, we can help there, too. Our One Day Universal Studios Florida Itinerary covers a full day at the original park, and our Universal’s Islands of Adventure One Day Plan covers that park.
Early risers always have the best theme parks days (well, we think so). Read about Early Park Admission at Universal Orlando to learn how to get an extra hour in the parks. And read about rope drop at Islands of Adventure, including getting on the brand new Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.