Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit |
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Attraction entrance
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| Universal Studios Florida | |
| Location | Universal Studios Florida |
| Park section | Production Central |
| Coordinates | 28°28′30″N 81°28′06″W / 28.4749°N 81.4683°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | August 16, 2009 |
| Opening date | August 19, 2009 |
| Cost | US$ 45,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Maurer AG |
| Designer | Universal Creative |
| Model | X-Car / Music |
| Lift/launch system | Vertical Lift |
| Height | 167 ft (51 m) |
| Length | 3,800 ft (1,200 m) |
| Speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:39 |
| Capacity | 1850 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 130–201 cm (4 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) |
| Trains | 7 trains with 2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 12 riders per train. |
 Universal Express available |
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 Single rider line available |
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| Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at RCDB | |
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is an exciting steel roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida. It's known for its huge height, fast speeds, and a special feature: you get to pick your own music to listen to while you ride! It's the biggest roller coaster of its kind built by the German company Maurer Söhne. This awesome ride officially opened on August 19, 2009.
The coaster stands 167 feet (51 m) tall and its track is 3,800 feet (1,200 m) long. Riders can reach a top speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit also features cool LED lights that glow at night. Plus, cameras on the ride capture your photos and videos as you zoom along.
Contents
History of the Rockit Coaster
In early 2008, Universal Parks & Resorts announced plans for a new roller coaster. They called it "Project Rumble" at first. The company building it was Maurer Rides GmbH from Germany.
On March 19, 2008, Universal Studios officially shared more details. They said the roller coaster would have a 167 feet (51 m) tall vertical lift hill. Trains would go as fast as 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). Each train would have special features like LED lights and video recorders. The coolest part was that riders could pick a song to play during their ride! The coaster was first planned to open in Spring 2009.
Universal Studios asked guests what songs they wanted to hear on the ride. Some artists suggested were The Black Eyed Peas, Bee Gees, The Beach Boys, and Johnny Cash.
Building the coaster started in May 2008. The first pieces of the track were put in place in December 2008. By April 2009, the entire track layout was finished.
However, the opening was delayed from spring to summer 2009. It's thought that there were some issues with the safety devices on the lift hill. Once these problems were fixed, the ride started public previews in mid-August 2009. Finally, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit officially opened on August 19, 2009.
Your Ride Experience
Getting Ready to Ride
When you arrive, you can choose from three lines: the main line, the express line, or the single rider line. Before you board, you'll need to go through a metal detector. You can't bring any loose items, like phones or wallets, on the ride. Lockers are available to store your belongings.
While you wait, large screens show you how to pick your song for the ride. They also explain important safety rules. Fun "Video DJs" on the screens help show you what to do.
The Thrilling Ride Itself
The station for this roller coaster is special. The trains keep moving slowly, they don't stop completely. Moving walkways on both sides help you get on the train safely. You have about 30 seconds to sit down, pull down your lap-bar, and choose your song.
Once everyone is ready, the train immediately starts climbing the 167-foot (51 m) vertical chain lift. Your chosen song begins to play! A video camera also starts recording your ride. When you reach the very top, the train drops straight down, reaching its top speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h).
Next, you'll go through a unique non-inverting loop called "The Double Take." This means it looks like a loop, but you don't actually go upside down! After that, the train turns right and goes up into a section with brakes that control the speed.
Then, you drop down again and zoom through a hole in a wall. You'll enter a left, upward spiral section known as "The Treble Clef." Following this is a quick element called "The Jump Cut," which is a non-inverting corkscrew. The ride continues with more drops, turns, and brake sections to keep the speed just right. Finally, the train goes over a small hill and enters the final brake run as your song finishes.
The Ride's Trains
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit uses seven special X-Car trains. Each train has two cars, and each car can hold six riders. So, 12 people can ride on one train.
On the headrest of each seat, there are two speakers. These speakers play only your chosen music, so you can enjoy your song without hearing others. On your lap-bar, there's a small touch screen. This is where you pick your song! At night, the trains light up with many different colors, making the ride look even cooler.
Pick Your Own Music!
When the ride was first announced, Universal Studios said there would be five types of music. On July 6, 2009, they shared the full list of thirty songs. There are six songs in each of the five categories.
You'll find a touchscreen built into your seat's restraint. After you pull down the restraint, you can use this screen to pick a music category. Then, choose one of the six songs in that category. If you don't pick a song within 30 seconds, the ride will choose one for you randomly. Your chosen song starts playing as the train climbs the vertical lift hill. The ride lasts about 1 minute and 39 seconds, so some songs might start or end a little early.
| Song | Artist(s) | Genre |
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| Bring Me to Life | Evanescence | Classic rock and heavy metal |
| Paralyzer | Finger Eleven | Classic rock and heavy metal |
| Born to be Wild | Hinder | Classic rock and heavy metal |
| Rollin' | Limp Bizkit | Classic rock and heavy metal |
| Kickstart My Heart | Mötley Crüe | Classic rock and heavy metal |
| Gimme All Your Lovin' | ZZ Top | Classic rock and heavy metal |
| Intergalactic | Beastie Boys | Club and electronica |
| Busy Child | The Crystal Method | Club and electronica |
| Keep Hope Alive | The Crystal Method | Club and electronica |
| Harder Better Faster Stronger | Daft Punk | Club and electronica |
| Pump Up the Volume | MARRS | Club and electronica |
| Le Disko | Shiny Toy Guns | Club and electronica |
| Midnight Rider | The Allman Brothers Band | Country |
| The Devil Went Down to Georgia | The Charlie Daniels Band | Country |
| Guitars, Cadillacs | Dwight Yoakam | Country |
| I Can Sleep When I'm Dead | Jason Michael Carroll | Country |
| Living in Fast Forward | Kenny Chesney | Country |
| All Night Long | Montgomery Gentry | Country |
| Sabotage | Beastie Boys | Rap and hip-hop |
| Don't Phunk with My Heart | The Black Eyed Peas | Rap and hip-hop |
| Pump It | The Black Eyed Peas | Rap and hip-hop |
| Insane in the Brain | Cypress Hill | Rap and hip-hop |
| Stronger | Kanye West | Rap and hip-hop |
| Rock Star | N.E.R.D. | Rap and hip-hop |
| Bad Girls | Donna Summer | Pop and disco |
| Glamorous | Fergie | Pop and disco |
| I Will Survive | Gloria Gaynor | Pop and disco |
| That's the Way (I Like It) | KC and the Sunshine Band | Pop and disco |
| U Can't Touch This | MC Hammer | Pop and disco |
| Hella Good | No Doubt | Pop and disco |
Secret Song Codes
Besides the 30 songs listed, there are also "hidden" songs you can pick! These aren't shown in the queue videos.
To find them, you need to press and hold the ride's logo on the touchscreen for 10 seconds after you've lowered your restraint. The song categories will disappear, and a 10-digit keypad will show up. On this keypad, you can enter a three-digit code for a secret song!
