Well it took long enough, but I finally got to ride the new roller coaster at Universal Studios, rip ride rocket! Or rather rip ride rockit, as it’s really called. There was not too much of a wait the day I went, only around 20 minutes. Since I was by myself I took the “single riders only” line. One thing that quickly became apparent to me is that the single rider line for this ride moves very slow!
That’s because the roller coaster only seats two people across, a bit unusual. Since most people come as couples or with kids, it’s harder to find a single seat left each time. You basically have to wait for a group of three people to leave a single seat open. So, single riders will have to wait longer than at other rides to get a seat.
However it’s still faster than the normal line if your single. Getting in was pretty easy, and everything fit snug. Once your in you get to choose a song from a short play list with buttons in front of you. As soon as you take off you start the slow climb up the tall 90% first hill! It’s scary to see nothing but blue sky as you go straight up!
Once at the top there is no pause, and the sharp bend around and down makes you think your going to fall right out of your seat! Then the fun begins, as you go through a series of loops, barrel loops and over-under twist. Several times during the ride it slows down, only to get back up to speed with more drops.
You go through a building at one point, and the ride stretches from the far back of the park to the front. Time wise it’s longer than most coasters here in Florida. The music was loud but not too much so, and since you can pick your own it was good. Overall rip ride rocket was a blast and one I’ll go on again and again.
It’s not as fast as The Hulk roller coaster, but it last longer. The big fun is the 90% grade starting hill and the drop at the top. If you have a fear of heights that will really make you sweat! The height requirement is 51 inches, so no little kids can ride this. I highly recommend going on rip ride rockit for some thrilling fun!
Below is a slide show I put together. Click the first thumbnail to start it, click the picture in the show to exit it. For roller coaster junkies, rip ride rockit is a winner!
Written by Bill Manning
