A Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift mural on the new coaster’s entrance building in Universal Studios Hollywood is visible from inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade.
Fast & Furious Coaster Visible Inside Wizarding World
On the Upper Lot, the mural is perfectly framed by the Hogsmeade entrance archway. It’s facing criticism for ruining the Harry Potter land’s immersion. Very little of the park is visible from inside the Wizarding World, keeping the land contained.
The giant “Fast & Furious” lettering and racing cars are now an exception to that rule. Though the coaster’s brick building does not stand out as unusual against the Hogsmeade facades, the mural obviously breaks the theming.
The Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift entrance building takes over the space formerly held by Animal Actors on Location and the Special Effects Stage. Both closed in January 2023 and were demolished for the park’s first-ever high-speed outdoor roller-coaster.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Construction
The mural acts as the sign for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, displayed on the side of a multi-story brick building with windows and lights. The track stretches out from either side of the building.
Construction of the track was completed earlier this year. The building mainly houses the queue and loading area. The actual coaster is mostly outside, going up and down the hillside.
A section of the coaster spirals over the top landing for the elevators leading down the Lower Lot of Universal Studios Hollywood.
The track also goes under the walkway.
Though the track is complete, there is a series of tall posts behind a wall that will eventually support themed elements. During our recent visit, we saw a few crew members working in this area.
From this vantage point, we could see into the brick building. However, it was too dark to see much except for the opening on the other side.
Near the main building is a two-story structure. Temporary railings and mesh netting are at the end of it.
The coaster continues down the hill, over service roads. The park’s Executive Vice President & General Manager Scott Strobl said Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is a “powerful game changer for Universal Studios Hollywood that will not only transform the topography of our destination but will infuse an entirely new level of adrenaline to our already dynamic theme park.”
Near the bottom of the hill, a giant fence stands between the coaster track and a road for the Studio Tour. The 4,100-foot track was “meticulously constructed with sound reduction technology for a breathtaking experience.”
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will be Universal’s fastest coaster at 72 MPH. It’s scheduled to open in 2026. Check out a concept video of the coaster, including a first look at ride vehicles.
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