Construction workers in safety vests walk past a fenced-off site with an excavator and dirt piles near a tan building.

PHOTOS: Construction Begins at Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Despite Coaster Not Closing Until August

Shannen Ace

Crews have begun construction around Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit in Universal Studios Florida, even though the roller coaster won’t close for another two months.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Construction

View of Universal Orlando CityWalk with the Hard Rock Cafe, Rip Ride Rockit coaster, and the Universal globe by the water.

WDWNT could see crew members working behind the construction walls in Universal CityWalk. The walls block various walkways around Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.

Construction vehicles and equipment near large black panels and a red roller coaster track, surrounded by trees and shrubs.

Crews aren’t tearing down the ride yet, but they’ve begun clearing the land around the attraction. Shrubbery and other plants have been removed from flowerbeds, leaving behind dirt piles.

Construction workers in safety vests walk past a fenced-off site with an excavator and dirt piles near a tan building.

We could see a crooked directional sign behind fencing covered in scrim. Right now, the work is mostly confined to landscaped areas between the coaster and Hard Rock Cafe, but plants have also been removed from an area closer to the lagoon. Crew members were walking next to the lagoon when we took pictures on Tuesday morning.

Construction vehicles and equipment behind a black fence near beige buildings, with trees and greenery in the foreground.

Some caution tape criss-crosses through the flowerbed closest to the lagoon. There appeared to be a piece of fencing or other construction materials in the flowerbed next to a lamppost.

Hard Rock Cafe building with a large guitar sign by the waterfront on a sunny day.

The construction walls cut off the pathway along the lagoon and the Hard Rock Cafe wheelchair-accessible ramp. As such, there is a temporary ramp over the staircase leading to the restaurant.

Red roller coaster track behind trees and a decorative fence, with palm trees and shrubs in the foreground.

There are also some construction walls up around the coaster inside the park. They feature a Ghostbusters reference, fueling rumors that Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit may be replaced by a Ghostbusters ride.

A construction wall blocks a walkway near Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and yellow-striped umbrellas on a sunny day.

During our visit to Universal Studios Florida on June 10, we noticed that these walls were newly installed since our last visit. They block the breezeway beneath the coaster.

When Does Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Close?

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit will close permanently on August 18, 2025.

What Will Rip Ride Rockit be Replaced With?

Universal has not confirmed what “new experience” will replace Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. A permit they filed in March 2025 listed a two-story building among the construction work. The new attraction is rumored to be a multi-launch coaster designed by Intamin, who Universal hired for unknown work last fall.

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