Opening date for new coaster at Universal Studios Florida is still unknown
Posted
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, the resort's new $45 million roller coaster, has been hit with delays. Once supposed to open this spring, it still does not have an opening date. Sources say the biggest obstacle has been the coaster's "anti-rollback" mechanism, which prevents the trains from sliding backward as they climb the initial hill — which on Rockit ascends at a 90-degree angle. Rockit was initially outfitted with a newly designed anti-rollback system that was supposed to provide a smoother ascent than the standard systems, which often make loud clicking sounds as a train climbs to the top of its run, according to the two people familiar with the situation. But they said the new system did not work with Rockit's "X-Car" ride vehicles.
Read more from The Orlando Sentinel.
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The anti-roll backs are a pretty important part of the ride. How did they screw that up? At least they are taking the time and getting it right. I think it will be worth the additional wait.
tigellinus said:
And yet people are musing about a 300'+ vertical lift for KD's new coaster....hahahaha!! :)
Yeah, isn't that funny? You'd think an Intamin ride like that would have their lift cable design and not the traditional lift hill, and as such, not the same experimental anti-roll back device found on this coaster! Hahaha....
errr oh wait...
Seems like a plausible explanation too, after seeing how slowly it climbed the lift in one of the video clips posted on YouTube.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
You know, someone mentioned in another thread about launched coasters being a gimmick or fad, and I don't know if I agree with that. At least I hope they aren't because I love them. But the vertical lift on the other hand... that is a concept that can come and go mighty quickly as far as I'm concerned.
I don't enjoy it at 121 feet. It's not likely that I would enjoy it at 167 feet.
Seriously, just let me take the stairs. It would be good exercise anyway. :)
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." --- Benjamin Franklin
First, KD's 2010 coaster will have a cable lift like Millie. It won't be vertical or launched.
As for Universal's coaster I'm not the least bit surprised. Magic Spring's Maurer X-Coaster, which has a vertical lift and runs just a single train, has a horrible operating record. How they'd ever get one to run multiple trains has had me scratchin my head since the ride was announced.
Jeff said:
Seems like a plausible explanation too, after seeing how slowly it climbed the lift in one of the video clips posted on YouTube.
There have been some youtube videos of the coaster going up the lift at a normal speed. Was the vertical lift here to save space or for appearance. When I orignally heard about this coaster, I thought it was going to be a vertical launch with the Rockit in the title of the coaster. This coaster to me just isn't gonna draw me to the USF park on the other hand, the Harry potter stuff at IOA has my intrest, especially with what ride or rides it will have.
Carrie, while I too am NO fan of the vertical lifts, I've been to Mt. Olympus - I don't even want to suggest anyone building that many stairs. "...and she's buying a stairway, to heaven". ;)
You still have Zoidberg.... You ALL have Zoidberg! (V) (;,,;) (V)
Yeah, no, you'd find me with a lung collapse at the top. I'll take the lift and i don't care how it gets there.
I'm trying to think of a vertical lift coaster I've been on, having yet to experience Fahrenheit. I guess I'd have to think back to my, (and probably everyone's) first experience, the Chance Toboggan. Coaster or not, it had that vertical lift in the tube and it was very strange feeling.
If we don't get to go to Hawaii in the fall i'm going back to Universal and I'll be giving the new one a try. Well, that is if it's open by then.
You guys are just wusses! Oh, wait, maybe that's me.. the one who hates the vertical lift... ;)
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." --- Benjamin Franklin
Tig, Intamin's not building RRR though, so they are not apparently having lift hill anti-rollback problems. I'm sure we'll see plenty of other technical difficulties in the coming months of KD construction and testing for this new Intamin giga/hyper/whatever.
RRR doesn't even look that good. It's not nearly as huge or as long or exciting as it looked in the ads. On seeing what was up at the time I was there (late April, early May), it looked pretty lame, actually.
"Look at us spinning out in the madness of a roller coaster" - Dave Matthews Band
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