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Universal says ‘Fast and Furious’ roller coaster will aim screaming riders away from neighboring homes

(KTLA) – It’s fast, it’s furious, and it’s apparently pretty noisy, too.

Universal Studios Hollywood has released additional details concerning its upcoming “Fast and Furious”-themed roller coaster, including plans to reduce ride noises before they significantly impact nearby homes.


Theme park blog WDWNT reported in April that residents who live near the amusement park raised concerns about the added noise pollution the new attraction might contribute to the area. Now, new details shared on the NBCUniversal Community website reveal that a sound wall, slated to be longer than two football fields, will be built to “help reduce sound from the attraction from traveling into the community.”

The coaster will also utilize half-pipe shields designed to muffle some of the noise.

The Incredicoaster at Disney’s California Adventure Park has a similar structure in place to help mitigate sound from traveling into the residential community, according to Theme Park Insider.

Universal Studios Hollywood has a plan to mitigate noise from screaming riders once its new “Fast and Furious”-themed roller coaster opens to the public. (Getty Images)

Ahead of its opening, Universal further plans to limit construction on the new thrill ride to certain hours — specifically between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Once the coaster opens, attraction hours are expected to coincide with theme park hours, according to the NBCUniversal Community website.

Another way Universal plans to limit noise from traveling to nearby communities is through the ride vehicles themselves, which can aim thrill-seekers away from neighbors. These ride vehicles can rotate 360 degrees, the website said, “providing the ability to turn and program vehicles away from the community at key scream moments.”

The entire track will also be filled with pea gravel to further minimize sound.

Universal announced plans to build the new thrill ride in July, confirming months of speculation that the theme park had plans for more construction.

Currently, Universal only has one outdoor coaster, the Flight of the Hippogriff in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of the park. Most of the other rides are indoors.

News about the new roller coaster initially made headlines last year when a screenshot of a geotechnical study submitted by the theme park was shared on X.

No potential opening date for the roller coaster has been announced.