The first pieces of track have been installed for the new drifting coaster being built at Universal Studios Florida. Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is set to open next year, and we’re already seeing track weaving through the new ride’s station building, the maintenance structure is being enclosed, and work is starting on the 170-foot vertical spike.

Let’s check in on construction for the coaster, as well as demolition work happening in The Lost Continent, in today’s news update. See the video version of this story below for additional visuals.

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From inside of Universal Studios Florida we can see a crane lifting elements into place for a new roller coaster being built near the sound stages at the left of the theme park.

Replacing the former Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster, the new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will be Universal Orlando’s tallest roller coaster when it opens in 2027.

Drifting Coaster Track Installed

The first pieces of track were installed recently, located at the back-left corner of the park.

These first pieces run from an elevated track switch directly to the coaster’s station building, confirming that the load and unload areas will be on the upper level of the structure.

In the overhead aerial photos by Bioreconstruct we can see this track switch platform where the track diverges into two tracks, before heading into the station.

This also confirms that the ride will have a dual load platform, just like the coaster by the same name opening this year in Universal Studios Hollywood.

Unlike Hollywood’s version however, Orlando’s track is a different color.

The track here appears to be light gray or silver with its shine, and the supports are dark blue.

The color combination is quite different from the dark gray of Hollywood’s version.

Orlando’s coaster station is located directly behind the old Ghostbusters firehouse.

Inside of the station building we can spot two elevator shafts, constructed from concrete blocks. We can see the opening for the elevator shafts leading to the track on the upper level.

The track pieces that have been installed so far are all flat, specifically for use in the station area.

More track can be found staged in a staging lot located just across the street from Epic Universe, a couple miles south of the construction site.

So far not much track has shown up, with most pieces still being the flat ones to be used at the station area and maintenance bays.

We do see five pieces of actual ride track, with curves and a spine. These few pieces can give us an idea of what the actual ride track will look like, but there still needs to be a lot more delivered before we see the ride itself take shape.

There are, however, plenty of coaster supports ready to go.

Even more of these bold blue supports being delivered and unloaded in these aerial views.

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Coaster Maintenance Building

Back to the work site, we can see a second set of elevated track switches, located on the other end of the station building.

A small utility building was retained during demolition, wrapped in protective plastic, and can now be seen with track supports straddling it, so that track can safely pass overhead.

This large track switch platform will not only allow the two tracks to converge back into one for the ride, but will also allow for trains to be taken off and back onto the course from the maintenance building.

The maintenance building is located nearby, tucked away at the back of the area, and farther away from the theme park.

The opening for the maintenance building is on the corner, seen at the arrow in the photo above and is facing the track switch platform.

In the days since these aerial views were taken, we have started to see walls go up along the side of the maintenance structure.

In addition to housing multiple track spurs to hold several additional trains for storage and upkeep, the large maintenance building will server other backstage purposes as well.

Known as Building 51A, permits have described the structure as also being utilized for storage, utilities, and Team Member areas.

Recent inspection notes confirm there will be utilities like a Mechanical Room, storage spaces for operations, events, production, security, and tech services—as well as offices, an employee break room with restrooms, and an employee training area.

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Coaster Construction Update

Moving now to the far end of the coaster’s footprint, to the large area closest to CityWalk, here is where most of the ride’s footers have been installed.

This area will house the largest amount of track for the ride, including the 170-foot vertical spike, which will start here on these track switch platforms, before rising up nearly 17-stories above CityWalk.

The coaster cars themselves will have the ability to rotate a full 360 degrees, so they may start ascending the spike facing forward, but can rotate back to face the other direction as they fall back, with the track switch having switched in the meantime.

A power station has been built here to serve the launch for the ride’s signature spike and this track switch.

The brick walls for the power control room look to have been completed.

Several electrical transformers have been installed behind the power room as well, seen here surrounded by multiple coaster footers.

Connections for the coaster supports can now be seen sticking out of the top of most of the footers in this area, ready for supports and track to be installed now.

The areas of the ride’s footprint between the station building and CityWalk are not as far along though.

These are new footers, recently poured and prepared here, located on the site of the former Rip Ride Rockit’s coaster station.

We can see that the red wall with pictures in this area is still the last remaining remnant from old Rockit attraction.

Rip ride rockit is still holding on pic.twitter.com/I8TpwkqSTw

— RockNstardust🎸✨ (@CoasterK24) April 27, 2026

Near here, the area directly behind the Music Plaza Stage is the last to be prepared for track, still needing coaster footers to be installed.

Looking inside the park, work walls have been extended out, blocking a large part of the path near the back corner of the park.

Utility work is ongoing, and sections of the street here need to be removed to access the pipes below.

We are still not certain where the ride’s entrance will be, but the refreshed marquee has returned to this green building, named Metropolis Tribune.

If the ride does not enter through one of the facades facing the street, it’s likely we will enter the attraction at the end of the street, just to the right of the firehouse, walking under the track as it passes from the switch track back to the station.

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Changes for Supercharged

Universal did confirm that Fast & Furious: Supercharged will officially close in 2027, but fans are noticing things have started disappearing from the queue already.

Several show cars have been removed from multiple locations around the attraction, including within the main indoor queue space.

All of the cars at the ride’s exit have been removed as well.

Letty’s turbo truck was moved from a latter section of the queue to the main queue area to help fill space during this time.

Where the truck was located is now closed off to guests, which usually happens around this time of year to help prepare for the installation of a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house.

We still do not have any idea as to what will replace Fast and Furious: Supercharged, or if the shuttered attraction will remain abandoned for some time after closing next year.

The Hollywood Drift roller coaster is set to open next year in Orlando, but Universal Studios Hollywood’s version will be opening this summer.

CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences – Mark Woodbury riding Fast & Furious Hollywood Drift FRONT ROW 🔥🙌🏻 video credit @rpenajr89 pic.twitter.com/1HI6gDuZ3p

— 🔥 FIVE FIRES 🔥 (@thecalibae) April 23, 2026

The ride has been testing continuously recently, and Universal Parks’ CEO Mark Woodbury was spotted riding in the front row last week.

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Lost Continent Demolition

Before we go, demolition work is starting in The Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure next door.

Work walls have now gone up around both Sindbad and Poseidon’s Fury.

All plants and trees have been removed around the Sindbad stunt show theater as land is being cleared for heavy equipment access.

We can see yellow markings on the concrete here. Some concrete is already starting to be removed in this area.

Poseidon’s Fury, which got its work walls after Sindbad, saw the water turned off on its front facade, and trees are being removed from in front of it as well.

Demolition work on the structures themselves has not yet started, but permits for this work have been issued by the county, so as soon as they’re done clearing the land around them, demo work on the buildings can begin.

Check out our recent vlog for rumors and speculation on what will be taking over Lost Continent, and more, shown below. That video can be found on our second channel, Parkstoppers. Subscribe there for more in-park updates.

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That’s all for now, but a big thank you to Bioreconstruct for the amazing aerial views. You can follow him on X, Bluesky, and YouTube for more theme park photos and video.

Be sure to check out the video version of this story for additional visuals, and subscribe by entering your email below to never miss an update.

Subscribe to the news feed or enter your email address below to never miss an update. Original Photos: Alicia Stella | Aerial Photos: Bioreconstruct | Official Images: Universal Destinations & Experiences | Other Images as Captioned

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