Tonight was Employee Preview, yes. Not sure when they'll do softs for guests.
Hello guest! It looks like you aren't a member already. Get full access and register for free! Hello guest! It looks like you aren't a member already. Get full access and register for free!
--Orlando United Co-Owner--
Tonight was Employee Preview, yes. Not sure when they'll do softs for guests.
Is it true the banner was being held to the tower with zip ties?
So I take it the issues are resolved Chris? It's so funny that lots of people speculated that they were waiting for the banner, yet it finally opened the day after the stupid thing fell off.
There is no such thing as a confirmation on false information.Originally Posted by Sabi
CONFIRMED FROM UNIVERSAL OVER THE PHONE...........
HOLLYWOOD RIP RIDE ROCKIT IS OPEN FOR SOFT OPENINGS FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS!!!!!!
there ARE confirmed people on the ride AND in the queue! HuuuuuHuuuuuu....
---------- Post added at 01:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 AM ----------
Breaking news: Rip Ride Rockit opens at Universal Studios
---------- Post added at 02:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:16 AM ----------
Correct.
---------- Post added at 02:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:18 AM ----------
Not all. The more severe ones were, obviously - and thankfully - resolved. Still only capable of running four trains, and loading times can be very slow and sluggish - but it's the first time the staff has really loaded *anyone* for the most part. They'll get into the swing of it.
---------- Post added at 02:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 AM ----------
Of course not.
Thank you for all of your valuable information. We should send you over to talk to the leader of North Korea next time there is an incident since you are a very smart person.
So - for a more detailed review- I'll break it down by element since that's what people will want to hear --
The lift - to me, this was nothing different. By now I've been on quite a few different coasters with vertical lifts.
The drop - Great. Steaper than it looks. Cresting the top, you cannot see it all, which is always a great sign. Fast and smooth with a little air.
Non-Inverting Loop - one of the single most fun elements you'll ever find on a roller coaster - exactly what I expected it to be. It's fast, it's smooth and has a constant flowing motion. It's really, really good.
First block - really nice pop of air
Drop off first block - WAY steaper than it seemed like it would be. Felt like there was no way the train would make it into the firehouse because the firehouse is just way too close.
Bursting through the firehouse- very fun moment. Great way to "enter" the park for the first time.
Trebble Clef - Fun. Pulls some good G's winding up, but NOT enough to black you out which is VERY good news. The almost-but-not-quite-inverted peak didn't feel quite as exciting as I'd expected, but it was fun enough.
Second block - really nice pop of air, and feels way too close to the track above. Pretty neat.
Drop off second block - a little air
Twists leading to the Crowd Surfer - fun, but not as banked as I'd hoped.
Crowd Surfer - REALLY great. One of the better parts of the ride. VERY banked (95º) and very close to the buildings, queue, etc. At night, with all the LEDs around the queue, it verges on epic. Can't wait to see it with a full queue below at night.
Third block - really nice pop of air
Drop off third block - more air
Trick Track - very smooth, flowing feeling of tipping you from one side to the other plus airtime
Plot Twist- pulls some decent Gs (again, not enough to black you out) - but didn't feel as much like an incline loop even though that's really exactly what it is. Felt more like a standard helix.
Fourth block - really nice pop of air
Drop off fourth block - more air
Bunny hop before final brakes - more air
Final brake rune - really nice pop of air
Here's the thing - I haven't really ever said on here what my coaster track record is because I don't want to come off as being snobby or say "I'm better than you because I rode more" - but I'm going to say it once, and never again - Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit was coaster #731 on my track record. I've done and seen a LOT. What that does is tend to make you very jaded. It's harder and harder to really be impressed by a ride anymore. Everything starts to blend. Everything tends to feel the same. I've said for almost two years - long before most people even knew Rockit was being conisdered - that after seeing the plans, THIS would be the ride that feels different from everything else. It would be the stand out ride because it is so unque, and just downright fun.
Rockit was *everything* I expected it to be.
My friend from Creative approached me after one of my rides to ask what I thought - knowing my range of travel and knowing how cynical I am about new coasters most of the time. He was verging on speechless after hearing my glowing review, and shook my hand saying that a review like that coming from me, after all I've seen and done, is one of the best compliments they could have gotten.
Other things of note-
The queue, while just a standard Six Flags-esque compound of switchbacks was well done. The first portions of it behind Jimmy Neutron really do look great. The combination of the graphics applied to all the buildings around it, the giant LED wall, the LED text scrolling screens, and the track - right there - severely banked overhead makes for a very bold statement that excuses the switchback zoo feeling.
The music - In my eight rides, I had five different tracks, chose one repeat on purpose and two times that I ended up with no audio at all. First I'll start on the worst side of the spectrum - even without audio, the ride is just as fun. It's not like Disneyland's (or Disneyland Paris') Space Mountain, or California Screamin' where the audio is sync'ed to each twist, turn and drop of the track; on something like that, the music really enhances the ride and can mark the difference between an OK ride experience and a great ride experience (Space Mountain isn't NEARLY as fun without the sound track). Most of the tracks on Rockit - just as I expected - are just music playing on a roller coaster. They have nothing to do with what the ride does, its mood, its tone or anything. It's just there. It's nice that there's music playing; I'd rather have it than silence - but it doesn't add to the sensation of the ride. The one exception I've found thus far is Evanessence's Bring Me To Life - the song I chose twice. This song just WORKS - very well. It works so well in fact that if you didn't know it was an existing song that hadn't been edited or remixed, you'd be able to accept believing that it was sync'ed to match the coaster. It works so well going up the lift, gets VERY fast paced the second you start to drop, and matches in quite a few places. Most of note - a realtive slow part of the song matches to the first block and drop off it, and (assuming you are familiar with the song) there is almost silence at the bottom of that drop and the sudden fast paced "BREAK ME OUT!" happens *exactly* when you burst through the firehouse. It's epic. I also tried Sabotage by Beastie Boys, which worked decently well, Intergalactic also by Beastie Boys, which was pretty awful on this ride believe it or not, Born to be Wild by Hinder which was pretty ok, and Rollin' by Limp Bizkit which kind of worked. I'd heard that Pump It by Black Eyed Peas works pretty well, but when I tried selecting it, the screen froze and I got no music at all. The other time I got no music was when I'd tried to select one of the secret hidden bonus tracks. Although I did it right, it glitched and I got a silent ride instead. Whoops.
Oh yeah - there's more than 100 *other* songs hidden in this thing that can be accessed if you know how to do it. And that's all I'm gonna say.
It's worth the wait. It's really, realy worth the wait. You're likely never gonna see another review this glowing from me for a new ride. Rockit is awesome.
Last edited by Chris; 08-15-2009 at 10:44 AM.
I agree wholeheartedly with Chris' review. (But Chris, small correction: "double take" element reference is actually "plot twist." But all good.)
The ride experience is absolutely exhilarating. And for those who have never been on a vertical lift before (like me), that moment of going from horizontal to vertical in a heartbeat is pretty damn terrifying the first time. (Chris, you were probably amused as hell at my swears. If you could hear them. Hahaha.)
In fact, the quick repositioning of one's center of gravity almost could give some (like me) the sensation of sliding backwards ever-so-slightly. You definitely aren't, of course -- the restraints are VERY snug, and those puppies are are inversion-rated, so you aren't going anywhere -- but I tended to hold on very tightly during that section on each run regardless.
As you probably gathered from Chris' review, LOTS of air. Quick pops all, but all so great.
At night, the vehicle's lighting shines up through the holes in the floorboard (think huge cheese grater) and reflects off supports and railings (on brake runs). Gorgeous.
"Pump It" is amazing with the coaster, but was edged out by "Bring Me to Life," a song I like but never thought I'd choose on the coaster above many of the others -- many of those, actually, turned out weaker than I thought they would be. A lot of it is going to be a matter of personal preference though.
But nothing tonight beat the transcendent beauty of riding to "Rainbow Connection." :worship:
I can't wait for everyone to Rockit. (Cheesy lame I know. :cool: But sincere.)
hey chris u mind sharin how u get 2 da hidden tracks?
Not at this point in time. Soon though. :)
You guys are making me wanna ride this real bad.
I heard that the ride opens to guests today. Any confirmation on that?
--Orlando United Owner--
There probably won't be any confirmation from anyone. It's more of a "if it happens, it happens" approach by Uni.
--Orlando United Co-Owner--
Nope. There's no guarantee it will soft open today.
Chris, Just wanna thank you for the insight into rockit. Being a long distance from universal and not getting to ride it for a long time really sucks but your review is a nice taster of what i hope to try out in atleast a year :)
I'm going to take that as a yes because it's a funnier story that way.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks