Credit: Inside the MagicFor more than 15 years, Universal Orlando’s Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit was impossible to miss. The towering red track cut across the Orlando skyline, its vertical lift hill daring riders to strap in and face one of the park’s boldest thrills.
But after a final day of operation on August 18, 2025, the music stopped—and this time, it’s permanent.
By the very next morning, something even more surprising had happened: Rip Ride Rockit wasn’t just closed.
Saying Goodbye to a Fan Favorite
Rip Ride Rockit opened on August 19, 2009, and quickly became a favorite thanks to one unforgettable hook: riders got to choose their own soundtrack. Whether you wanted to scream your way through 65 miles per hour to Shania Twain, My Chemical Romance, or Darude’s “Sandstorm,” the music made every ride unique. That’s not even mentioning the secret menu.
The coaster reached 167 feet at its tallest point and featured steep drops, sharp twists, and a vertical lift that left first-timers questioning their life choices on the way up. To commemorate its closure, Universal even handed out special guitar picks to riders on its final day.
But the farewell was short-lived. Before sunrise, the ride wasn’t just retired—it was erased.
Wasting no time. HRRR has already been removed from the @UniversalORL digital map in the app. pic.twitter.com/oWctkFuRfL
— ParkTwister🎡 (@ParkTwister) August 18, 2025
Now, the ride has already been wiped clean from the Universal Orlando Resort app. Search for it now, and it’s as if the ride never existed. No “unavailable” tag, no closure notice—just gone. For longtime fans, that disappearance felt like a second gut punch.
What Comes Next?
Universal hasn’t officially revealed what will replace the coaster, but the rumors are heating up. Earlier this year, the company filed permits for a massive two-story structure on the site, sparking speculation that the new ride will lean heavily on indoor storytelling.
The strongest theory? Ghostbusters.
Construction walls have already appeared around the area, themed to resemble a “restoration” of the Ghostbusters firehouse facade. That choice of wording set off alarms among fans who have been waiting years for the paranormal-fighting crew to make a proper return to the park.
The permits, which describe a 39,000+ square-foot building with infrastructure for advanced effects, suggest this won’t just be a quick retheme. It’s a full-scale attraction, potentially blending dark ride storytelling with coaster-level thrills.
Ghostbusters or Fast & Furious?
While Ghostbusters seems like the fan-favorite prediction, some still believe Universal may lean into a Fast & Furious coaster, modeled after the Hollywood Drift ride being built in California. The idea of drifting cars and a storyline that mixes indoor and outdoor elements would fit the two-story structure perfectly.
But fans point out that themed walls don’t usually go up without reason. With Ghostbusters still a popular franchise thanks to recent films, the timing feels right for Universal to bring back the proton packs in a big way.
A Vanishing Act Worthy of Universal
Universal has a history of moving fast once a decision is made. VelociCoaster, for example, was nearly complete before the park ever acknowledged it publicly. The sudden digital disappearance of Rip Ride Rockit follows that same playbook—close it, wipe it clean, and move forward without lingering.
It may be jarring for fans to see a ride vanish overnight, but it’s also a sign that Universal is wasting no time. Whatever comes next—be it a Ghostbusters adventure, a Fast & Furious overhaul, or something entirely different—construction is clearly moving forward at full speed.
For now, all fans can do is keep their eyes on those construction walls and wonder what will rise from the footprint of a ride that once let you pick your perfect soundtrack. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is gone, but in true Universal fashion, the replacement promises to be loud, bold, and impossible to ignore.