Credit: UniversalUniversal Orlando Resort’s Jurassic World VelociCoaster is renowned for being one of the most thrilling roller coasters in the world.
Nestled in the heart of the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure, the ride is packed with incredible moments: heart-pounding launches, steep drops, and hair-raising inversions.
Yet, even for those who have ridden it countless times, some experiences on the VelociCoaster can be completely unexpected. One such rare phenomenon is the backward rollback at the second launch. It’s an occurrence that many riders will likely never experience but has left a few with stories they’ll never forget.
One recent rider, sharing her experience on social media, recounted the rare but memorable occurrence that happened while she and her boyfriend were aboard the Jurassic World VelociCoaster.
The day started out as any other visit to Universal, with anticipation building as they waited to board the front row. The front row, often favored by adrenaline junkies, offers an unmatched view of the ride’s elements, from the towering top hat to the breathtaking inversions. Little did they know that their ride would end up being far more unique than usual.
As they reached the second launch—a part of the ride that propels guests to 70 miles per hour before ascending a 155-foot tall hill—everything seemed normal.
The second launch is often a point of tension for riders, with the massive hill looming ahead. For many, like this guest, it’s the point where the thrill peaks, but it also comes with a brief moment of unease as the coaster seems to slow at the top, adding a bit of suspense before the wild descent.
However, on this ride, something was different. The coaster began to slow as it approached the top, but then, instead of continuing forward, it started to roll backward.
“I had heard of this before but also that it was very rare,” the guest shared. “And my first thought was praying that we didn’t smash into a car behind us.”
For those unfamiliar with this phenomenon, it’s called a rollback, and while rare, it’s a possibility on launched coasters like VelociCoaster. Essentially, a rollback occurs when the train doesn’t have enough momentum to make it over the top of the hill, causing it to roll backward to the previous launch section.
While it can be an unexpected jolt for riders, it’s completely safe, as the ride is designed with such occurrences in mind. Coasters like VelociCoaster have carefully programmed systems in place to handle rollbacks, ensuring there’s never a danger of trains colliding or passengers being in harm’s way.
Still, experiencing this firsthand can be quite a shock.
“I expected them to let us off and shut down the ride, maybe give us some passes to go through express later,” she said. Given that this sort of thing is incredibly rare, most people would assume the ride would be taken offline for checks or at least given a brief pause. However, that wasn’t the case for this couple.
Instead of disembarking, the riders were held for a few moments, and then a voice came over the speakers, instructing them to prepare for a relaunch.
As they were backed up to the launch area, they had a brief moment of visibility from the nearby pathways where park guests could see what was happening. “I watched a woman’s jaw drop when she saw us,” the guest recounted.
Understandably, it’s not every day that park-goers witness a VelociCoaster train backing up for a relaunch, adding to the rarity and excitement of the situation.
Shortly after, the ride relaunched, and this time, it completed the full ascent over the top hat and continued the run as usual. However, the experience left the couple feeling a little more shaken than normal.
Though they ultimately finished the ride without further incident, the brief rollback added an extra layer of thrill—and perhaps a touch of anxiety—to an already exhilarating experience.
For those who may wonder about the safety of such occurrences, it’s important to note that Universal’s VelociCoaster, like all modern roller coasters, is built with redundancy and safety measures to ensure that riders are always protected.
Rollbacks, while startling, are not indicative of any malfunction. In fact, they highlight the precision of the ride’s design, as the system recognizes the lack of momentum and seamlessly transitions into a relaunch. Universal Orlando’s team is trained to handle such scenarios, ensuring that everything proceeds smoothly after a rollback.
While many thrill-seekers will never experience this phenomenon, those who do often come away with a story to tell. It’s not every day that you find yourself rolling backward on one of the world’s most intense coasters, only to be launched again moments later.
The unpredictability of theme park rides is part of what keeps people coming back, and for this couple, the VelociCoaster delivered a memorable ride that they won’t soon forget.
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