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Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

p. 624 - New Epic Universe details, including Isle of Berk!

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^ I would completely rule out any sort of opening before the end of June, with the ride now officially slated to open "Summer 2009".

 

Here's another article from the Orlando Sentinel about the delay:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/orl-story-universal-hollywood-rip-ride-rockit,0,4407333.story

 

And someone put the video from that article on YouTube:

 

It's nice to finally see an official video on this ride...

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The attraction, announced in March 2008, now is slated to debut sometime in "late spring/early summer," a Universal official says

 

I'm going the first week of summer, but that quote does nothing for me. Hopefully I can make it back down there in the next year.

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In all seriousness, what does happen to old track, such as that which was formerly on Maverick. Not really sure what forum to ask such a question in, so it might as well be here...

Maverick's heartline roll was scrapped a long time ago.

 

Is it just me or is the Treble Clef element just an upward helix with a drop at the end and the Jump Cut just a few airtime hills?

 

They don't seem like world's first elements to me. Or maybe its because HRRR the only Maurer Sohne coaster with those elements.

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Full Press Release

 

 

NEW HOLLYWOOD RIP RIDE ROCKIT ROLLER COASTER WILL ROCK UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

 

High-Tech Ride Features Personalized Music, Take-Home Video, First-Ever Maneuvers

 

Orlando, Fla. (April 2009) - Universal Orlando Resort is getting ready to unveil one of the most radically innovative roller coasters ever created - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - set to open late spring/early summer. The coaster combines hit music, breathtaking first-ever maneuvers and highly sophisticated audio and video for a one-of-a-kind ride experience.

 

Riders will pick their own soundtrack and listen as it blasts through individual concert-quality audio systems - all while hurtling through a series of never-before-attempted maneuvers and at speeds up to 65 m.p.h. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit's audio system will carry songs representing five genres of music: rap/hip-hop, country, classic rock/metal, pop/disco and club/electronica. Each rider's song pick will also be featured on a ride video they can purchase that uses a network of sophisticated cameras to mix music, moves and special effects.

 

Since announcing Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit last year, Universal Orlando has not revealed details of the ride - until now.

 

Universal Orlando's Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is the tallest, largest and fastest X-CAR style roller coaster in the world. The X-CAR coaster vehicle is more maneuverable than other coaster vehicles and uses innovative restraints that are less restrictive, more open and more exhilarating. That X-CAR design also means Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is capable of maneuvers other coasters are not. The coaster design also allows for more vehicles on the track at one time than with other coasters - creating non-stop movement and action.

 

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit features 3,800 feet of steel track, a 17-story vertical lift and six maneuvers - three of which have never been built before. For the first time, Universal Orlando shares details on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit's signature moves below. For more information, visit http://media.universalorlando.com/ripriderockit - a Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit-dedicated media site, complete with news releases, video and RSS feeds. But in the meantime, brace yourself for Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit's catch-your-breath maneuvers.

 

Vertical Lift

You strap in, select your soundtrack and race 11-feet-per-second at a 90-degree angle toward the sky. You conquer all 167 feet of the vertical lift, the tallest point of the coaster, in just 16.5 seconds. At the top, you will be at the highest point of any coaster in Orlando.

 

Double Take - First-Ever Maneuver

You drop from the vertical lift at 65 m.p.h. and ascend into the Double Take, the world's largest non-inverted loop. You zoom along the inside of the track until you reach the top, where you twist to the outside of the track and ride over the top of the loop. You then twist back inside the loop for your descent. The Double Take stands at 136 feet tall and is 103 feet at its largest diameter.

 

Treble Clef - First-Ever Maneuver

You rock out to music during your Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit journey, but when you reach the Treble Clef, you get to ride a music symbol. Universal Orlando engineers and designers worked to bend the steel of the track into the shape of a treble clef music symbol. Not only is it the first time this maneuver has ever been done, but the Treble Clef also bursts through a building facade, sending you roaring over the New York area of the park. Fun fact - this move was first sketched out on a paper napkin.

 

Jump Cut - First-Ever Maneuver

Typically, a negative-gravity maneuver is straight up and down (often referred to as a camelback). Instead, the Jump Cut is a spiraling negative-gravity move, making it a first-ever coaster maneuver. When you reach this point on the track, you feel like you are experiencing a corkscrew without actually going upside down.

 

Crowd Surfer

Soaring 33 feet above ground, you are turned at a 95-degree angle as you fly over a crowd cheering you on from the load platform as they jam to in-queue music.

 

Drop Tuning

As you barrel past the Blue Man Group theatre toward Universal CityWalk, you'll drop underground and emerge from a chasm near the entrance to Universal Studios.

 

Plot Twist

The final maneuver is an inclined loop - meaning it leans at an angle to the ground - and has a 150-degree banking turn as well. You also fly around a complete 360-degree turn before heading back to the station.

 

Now sit back, strap in and select your song!

Universal Orlando wants you to be one of the first to rock out on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Additional information will follow soon. To stay connected, visit http://media.universalorlando.com/ripriderockit - a Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit-dedicated media site, complete with news releases, video and RSS feeds. It will be continuously updated with all of the latest attraction news.

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Hahaha, I know where those last two pics were taken. If you stand on the column base next to the wall you can get some great un-obstructed shots.

 

Yeah I thought of all the people on here you would, thanks for the tips I will try that on Saturday.I always feel weird being sneaky, every time I turn around people are staring at me because all they see is some random dude sticking his camera and sometimes his head in and behind fences and walls.

Pretty soon I am just going to bring a damn climbing pack and repel off the dragons castle and Sinbad theater to get those exclusive shots.

 

^^^The opening is still there you just cant see anything in there.

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Haha, how do you think I feel when I go with friends that aren't theme park enthusiasts or know anything about ANY project and they look at me taking my camera and sticking it though holes and sticking my arm though a space and hoping for a good angle.

 

I just tell them it's for a research project, haha.

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Hey everyone, I stopped by Universal earlier today (and will be back tonight for Grad Bash) to hang with a few friends that came in for the weekend and grabbed these photos (I'll likely have more to post tomorrow).

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Hopefully we'll see this lift topped off in the near future.

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Station work continues, specifically in the cosmetic area.

IMGP0967.thumb.JPG.4cc6b8b88bf1bcf137ee3fa526671000.JPG

IMGP0966.JPG.5623d7f55466658a2ec958396394c0e8.JPG

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Except that the stairs have been added to this brake run.

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Nothing new here...

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A crane has arrived to resume work on the lift. Two of the vertical lift track pieces from the storage lot have also been transfered to the constructions site.

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Update from today April 25, 2009

 

Nothing really new there still working on the station, conduit on the lift tower, and brake runs. Oh does anyone know if the top of the lift and the lift track has always been in the staging field. I look every time I go and just saw it today for the first time.

 

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Thanks for all the great pictures. Its too bad the date had to be push back some. Hopefully construction on the lift will begin soon and we can start to see some testing.

 

We could look at the bright side, maybe it was delayed to make sure everything is perfect before opening and we have Manta to hold us over until this ride opens.

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GREAT Update! Thanks for sharing them with everyone... definately looks like work is being done to the lift, and the track through the wall seems to be complete how they wanted. I also misjudged Rockit, that drop looks really steep from some of the pics.

 

-Justin

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