There are a lot of great theme park attractions coming in 2026 that are worth getting excited about. Dollywood has a brand new ride that looks like nothing we’ve ever seen. Disney World is making new updates to some popular rides. Silver Dollar City is transforming its park with a brand new resort. However, at the top of any list has to be Universal Studios Hollywood’s upcoming Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster.
After the Fast & Furious franchise’s first theme park attraction was a bit anticlimactic, Vin Diesel and family are finally getting the ride they deserve. The drifting roller coaster has always been an exciting prospect, and now we have a better idea when we’ll get to ride it. A new promo was just dropped by Universal Studios, indicating a Summer 2026 opening, and they even brought in Vin Diesel for it. Check it out.
The timing of this new 30-second spot is no accident. Universal Studios Hollywood confirms we'll be seeing this during the Super Bowl this weekend, as well as during the Winter Olympics and other major events. Universal is clearly investing a lot in promoting this ride.
There had been some hopes that Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift might be closer to opening than the summer. Some rumors had indicated there might have been a plan for a spring debut. That apparently wasn’t the case, meaning Hollywood Drift won’t be open when Fan Fest Nights returns later this year.
Still, it should be pointed out that seasons at theme parks are really only suggestions that have no relationship to what an actual calendar might say. “Summer” in a theme park usually starts around Memorial Day Weekend, a full month before the season actually arrives. The ride could, and likely will, open close to that weekend, and if it can open earlier, it will.
The promo is obviously all CGI, but it certainly does the job of making the coaster look pretty incredible. We do see how the individual cars will drift as the coaster goes through each turn. We also see the major inversion on the coaster, which will actually loop around the starway, the series of escalators that take Universal Studios guests between the upper and lower lots.
The coaster's opening season comes alongside indications that the long-awaited Fast & Furious 11 movie may finally be moving forward again. The movie, apparently titled Fast Forever, was just recently given a brand new release date in 2028.
I can’t wait to bring my family to ride Hollywood Drift this summer. And if you can’t make it to Universal Studios Hollywood in the near future, that’s ok. Universal Orlando Resort, which will also see a version of Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift opening in 2027.
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