Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Finally Opens

After what seems like an absolute age the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit has finally opened at Universal Studio Orlando.

This new one-of-a-kind coaster runs along 3,800 feet of track and rockets nearly 17 stories above Universal Studios. At one point you climb 167 feet in 16.5 seconds, and hits speeds up to 65 mph! But what makes this ride special is the customisable soundtrack that you can choose before you are launched out of the starting gate. You can choose from a wide range of music including classic rock, rap, country, pop and disco tracks that will play during your ride – meaning that no two rides are ever the same. You can even customise a music video of your ride to take home as a souvenir!

People have been talking about this new coaster online for months in eager anticipation but I have to admit that I hadn’t paid much attention as I assumed a new high-tech ride like this would be crammed full of loops and other such scary coaster notions… well it would appear that I was wrong! According to Ricky over at Orlando Attractions Magazine:

The coaster features no inversions, so those afraid of being turned upside down can set their worries aside. The only big drop comes at the beginning after ascending the 90-degree lift hill (which is the coolest part of the ride, in my opinion). There is also very little “air time” (when your rear-end leaves the seat) as there aren’t any large hills and the restraint holds you in very tightly. In fact, all in all, the ride is fairly tame – perhaps on a thrill level just above Big Thunder Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom one or two notches below Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Now while Big Thunder Mountain is right up my street I can just about handle Expedition Everest – so it looks like I’ll be checking this one out after all!

If you’re heading out to Universal to give this ride a shot then make sure  check out this list of the 30 available tracks:

Classic Rock/Metal
“Born to Be Wild,” Hinder
“Bring Me to Life,” Evanescence
“Gimme All Your Lovin’,” ZZ Top
“Kickstart My Heart,” Mötley Crüe
“Paralyzer,” Finger Eleven
“Rollin’,” Limp Bizkit

Rap/Hip-Hop
“Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” Black Eyed Peas
“Insane In the Brain,” Cypress Hill
“Pump It,” Black Eyed Peas
“Rock Star,” N.E.R.D.
“Sabotage,” Beastie Boys
“Stronger,” Kanye West

Club/Electronica
“Busy Child,” The Crystal Method
“Harder Better Faster Stronger,” Daft Punk
“Intergalactic,” Beastie Boys
“Keep Hope Alive,” The Crystal Method
“Le Disko,” Shiny Toy Guns
“Pump Up the Volume,” MARRS

Pop/Disco
“Bad Girls,” Donna Summer
“Glamorous,” Fergie
“Hella Good,” No Doubt
“I Will Survive,” Gloria Gaynor
“That’s the Way (I Like It),” KC and the Sunshine Band
“U Can’t Touch This,” MC Hammer

Country
“All Night Long,” Montgomery Gentry
“Guitars, Cadillacs,” Dwight Yoakam
“I Can Sleep When I’m Dead,” Jason Michael Carroll
“Living in Fast Forward,” Kenny Chesney
“Midnight Rider,” The Allman Brothers
“The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” The Charlie Daniels Band

And take note of these instructions which will give you access to the hidden tracks:

When you sit down, instead of selecting the songs listed, hold your finger on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit logo at the top of the screen for about five to 10 seconds. When you lift your finger, a number keypad should appear on the screen. Enter any three digit number from 001 to 999 and touch enter.

Here’s a video of the opening day:

And a point of view ride through:

Ahem – I think after watching that I might keep my feet firmly on the ground!