The Problematic Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - Universal’s DISASTER of a Roller Coaster

[@thrak23]

The insane amount of details on these problematic coaster videos is exactly why I watch it.

[@N_g_er]

Ob

[@thewoodpeckers655]

Ob

[@xsm5525]

I wonder if Maurer AG (the rollercoaster manufacture) are watching this video? lol

[@JacobB451]

​44😮😅😮444😅5I 63?52😮😅3😅😮?4😅

[@SteelProd19K]

​@@xsm5525 fr the ride could use new trains

[@CZsWorld]

This is the big ass wild mouse that you build in RCT before you know what a wild mouse is supposed to look like.

[@NeTfLeXr6s]

Would not have expected to find you here!

[@optimusprime777slap]

​@@NeTfLeXr6sbro loves coasters like us all

[@mtattrain2]

Wild Mouse Coaster 1 has broken down

[@ShockerTopper]

You're the last person I thought I'd see commenting haha. It's so true, it's definitely a RCT ride that you 'accidentally make'. Seems like a very random coaster, although it can't be much more random than the big kidney-shaped layout of the one he showed. Talk about an aesthetically non-pleasing layout.

[@HalianTheProtogen]

Wild Rat

[@munchingbanana4566]

The idea of a coaster even doing test runs while lacking an anti-rollback system is baffling. Really sets the tone for the ensuing issues.

[@lennynero635]

Exactly my thoughts. How could Maurer, the manufacturer itself - forget about the anti-rollback system if pretty much every thoosie knows about the importance of such a system. This baffles my mind. does anybody know hwo this could have happened?

[@sperwerleon]

@@lennynero635 I think there was a reason for their decision.

[@ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Apparently both Florida and OSHA balked at the dual-chain plan, so the park might have tried testing without an anti-rollback at all as a way of trying to arm-twist them into changing their minds.

[@platonymous]

@@lennynero635there’s a reason the manufacturer no longer operates

[@lennynero635]

@@ZeldaTheSwordsman Interesting hypothesis. Is there any evidence to back this up?

[@ValueNetwork]

I like how the Windows phones installed into the trains not being waterproof would be a major, but singular issue on almost every other coaster in the world. But since it’s rockit it’s not even in the top 10 of the rides issues and it was solved by accident due to a separate issue preventing the ride from running in the rain

[@ochyt5926]

This is like heaven for us block zone fans .

[@N_g_er]

What's a block zone?

[@The8BitNerd]

⁠​⁠@kylekorona “A block zone is a section of ride that only one train may occupy. At the end of each block zone is a method to stop a train if the block zone ahead is still occupied. This is the safety system that keeps roller coaster trains from colliding with one another.” - A guy named Ryan who loves El Toro

[@N_g_er]

@@The8BitNerdwow

[@anza2]

@@The8BitNerdyou forgot the “for those who don’t know”

[@TheFrantic5]

I wish I could use that copypasta to explain Factorio train signals but the reference wouldn't translate well.

[@ghostercoasting]

I cannot believe that they initially installed it without an anti-rollback, that is wild

[@clinttaylor8730]

There are other coasters that don't have the anti-rollback too. But all those have inclined hills. A vertical lift without roll back prevention is crazy!

[@marionass593]

Yep I remember when they tore it apart I was like wth 🤦‍♀️

[@biggirldances]

Yeah why the heck would they continue to install the lift hill knowing there wasn’t an anti-roll back system?? Why do all that work for it to be just torn down and replaced shortly after?

[@Simpkomode]

Babe wake up new problematic coaster just dropped

[@N_g_er]

I'm gay too buddy

[@joshuadavisfarner]

Literally me

[@Ibuddy66]

*Slams through the door like Kramer "Gooooood morning!"

[@missaamane8580]

Lmao

[@AnonymaxUK]

Apparently the reason the dual lift chains didn't happen was because OSHA and the State of Florida didn't approve it, and so they had to revert to a single chain with anti-rollback, but retrofitting it while it was already assembled proved impossible. The whole lift system had to be redesigned from scratch.

[@azisles02]

That would justify not doing it, or closing the coaster to add it later.

[@matheuscastello6554]

huh why would they disapprove a redundant safety measure like that? it seems like the safest way to handle the issue of potential rollbacks

[@BassGal92]

@@matheuscastello6554 It's Florida. Let's leave it at that.

[@ZeldaTheSwordsman]

@@matheuscastello6554 On OSHA's end, they may not have trusted dual-chain to be reliable as an anti-rollback compared to the more standard anti-rollback racks. On Florida's end, who knows.

[@HackWeight]

@@matheuscastello6554 Probably something along the lines of "whatever issue causes one of the chains to break is just as likely to cause the other chain the break at the same time, not allowing for one to be the backup of the other. Or one of the chains breaking could cause the other one to break." The anti-rollback mechanism is far safer.

[@Southeastern_Thrills]

The fact that the song selection screens are Windows phones is crazy. I'm surprised they still live on.

[@ThomasBlithe]

Universal really said "yeah Zune is fine"

[@MrGeocidal]

Touchscreens won't work when wet. Just another reason to prefer buttons over touchscreens.

[@andrewphaggot297]

My windows phone was a tank and my Zune from 2010 still works. Both underrated

[@bido64]

I went on it today and played solitaire on it. I'm not kidding I tried to select a song that I think wasn't available so it gave me an error, and i clicked 'quit', and that took me to the home screen lmao. From there you can press games and play solitaire on a roller coaster

[@Southeastern_Thrills]

@@bido64 That's crazy

[@ChiefScarneck]

Back in 2016-2017, I worked at a call center and our shift manager at the time was an egomaniac who liked to gloat. He had the nickname of "Danger Dan" due to his totally true escapades of daring adventures. He once told us all a story about how he nearly died on "Universal's Rockit Roller Coaster" and he went on to explain that his restaint, his restraint that requires 45lbs of force, just popped open while going up the vertical lift hill and he had to quickly pull it and hold it down to prevent him from falling off the ride. He made no mention of this to ride attendants, filed no lawsuit, and magically this kind of thing has never been reported in the news. I told him that was a lie and there's no way that would happen, having ridden it the first time myself the year prior. No one believed me. Everyone bought his story and kept thinking roller coasters are unsafe. Please keep doing what you're doing! Keep up with these videos to inform people of how coasters work!

[@soshiangel90]

I also doubt this as I was with a now-ex who was fluffy in weight and the loading train was stopped because even though his bar visually seemed to be locked, the machine wasn't reading it as safe and after 3 tries we were told we couldn't ride. They were not playing around with safety there.

[@AnchorsAway96]

Ya know... during the joker at the fair my sisters restraints came undone and the lady in front of her pushed her foot up against her and i pushed down on her thigh... never once thought to sue them but we definitely could have.... shoulda coulda had a check

[@Irreve-rsible]

@@AnchorsAway96May I suggest that you should always report any kind of restraint failure regardless. Whether you want any kind of compensation or not; they don't know anything is wrong unless you tell them and I assure you they want to correct it.

[@stonewallperformance]

It’s such a common story to make up too, kind of like the “we got stuck upside down on this ride once!” Weird kind of brag. Like no Janet, this ride never stalled in the loop and your explanation of the physics of it doesn’t make sense. Stop making sh*t up to make yourself sound more interesting.

[@jozefcyran2589]

If he was telling truth which he wasn't, then by not reporting this, he put other people in danger.

[@eastpetersen]

I rode this last fall for the first time, with no idea of the issues with it, and absolutely loved it. I didn't find it that jarring or rough(unlike hulk). Later that day at night we witnessed it get stuck, and then I found out about how frequently it gets stuck and the issues and was glad I didn't know beforehand

[@N_g_er]

I'll take things that never happened for 1000 Tony

[@EverythingHyrum]

@@N_g_erLmao what is unbelievable about this story?​ You're watching a video about how unreliable this coaster is, it stopping later that evening and running into downtime sounds about par for course

[@azorath]

this is so real bro, I feel like I've always gotten lucky with HRRR and not gotten any issues on it, meanwhile Hulk feels much more rough to me.

[@N_g_er]

@@EverythingHyrum yummy

[@sarahdiehl2672]

It’s still a great, fun ride in my opinion. It’s still very popular at the parks. Source I’ve been going there since I was a child

[@matheuscastello6554]

time to quote a timeless classic: "should have gotten a b&m"

[@YellowPhoenixDE]

After the past incidents with Black Mamba and Fury 325 I would not agree on this😂

[@emmata98]

but also they are kinda boring and nothing special.

[@denimadept]

Rather have a V8. :-d

[@ToliiRH]

@@YellowPhoenixDE What happened with black mamba?

[@YellowPhoenixDE]

@@ToliiRH The track had a hole in it and needed repair

[@Radman1889]

Never rode it, but hearing how it was build made me think Rip Ride Rocket is like when in RCT you're trying to make a coaster work but have to keep editing it until it fits and or is not as intense for guests. X3

[@johnfoltz8183]

Afterwards: Skyloop Coaster 1 looks too intense for me!

[@johnfoltz8183]

Can’t open Skyloop Coaster 1. Track not a complete circuit.

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

I was just trying to remember if RCT had block zones lol. I kinda wish the theme park channels would get together & play RCT as a fundraiser for something. It'd be cool to see how different creators build & how they evaluate each others' creations.

[@markkalzer907]

I think it did, but it also had those god awful station breaks failures which sent a shiver down my spine for some reason. Seeing your beloved guests die in a fireball was traumatizing for me, especially knowing that station breaks failures NEVER HAPPEN! (At least I thought that until the Superman problematic video.) I would deliberately install a lift hill into my station as a counter to station breaks failure as the lift hills would disengage during said failures and the train would valley safely instead of crashing.@@picahudsoniaunflocked5426

[@dbdchristopher]

Yeah I get a lot of headaches on that rude for about a hour

[@MagliteL13]

This was, by far, one of my favorite coasters to work on even during its early years. Good memories at the top of the lift and blocks. Such a fun ride to work when there's a good team - and a fun challenge in controls to release the right station blocks. It's been a decade plus, but I swear there was a time we ran with 7 having got a train back from annual early.

[@Deoxys911]

It's reassuring to hear that it has such a complex restraint system since it's always been the ride I felt most scared of being in mortal danger while riding.

[@Shadow-fo6gu]

here is some fun information for you to ruminate on: The screens are not actually windows brand phones, but are closer to a tablet. I've seen them out of the lap bar and they are very very chunky. While Rockit doesn't have a dual chain drive, Pteranodon flyers (P-Flyers) does utilize a dual chain lift, and ironically was built ten years earlier too. why we went away from it is a mystery to me. Rockit's blocks are sorted by letter, rather than number, so Block 1 is referred to as Block A. not particularly important, but just some interesting info Winter wheels can actually start to melt onto roller coaster track, as they are made of effectively hard plastic unlike the compound used on regular wheels Rockit was the first Universal Coaster to use a ratched hydraulic lap bar mechanism, however we as a company are moving towards it, as it has a number of useful upsides, primarily getting the benefits of both, while they cover the drawback of the other. I could go on about that, but this comment is getting long enough as is :)

[@glados792]

Project Rumble was honestly the perfect name for a ride that rough.

[@Niya.B649]

Fr lool

[@AugustDwight]

I won't disagree with anything said in this video, but RRR has always been and still is my favorite coaster at Universal & Islands. One of my favorite memories is when we were exiting the ride and the dude in front of me stepped off to the side and completely lost his lunch. As I walked by, I smiled at him and said, "speaking as the person who was sitting behind you, thank you for keeping it together until we were off the ride."

[@jadonlimoges1830]

LMFAO

[@gregorybentley5707]

This is incredible, thank you so much for the time and effort to create this video. You are probably the ONLY one on KZbin creating long form in depth technical roller coaster content like this, when you're the first and only person doing something on a platform you shouldn't take that for granted, keep making content like this it's absolutely wonderful.

[@SuperfieldCrUn]

So, in summary, the problems: Universal came to the realization that they wanted a big coaster for Studios too late for the project to have the time it needed. -It was already clear that Islands was outclassing Studios, and Harry Potter was about to make that problem significantly worse. They wanted something big for Studios to make it seem like more of an equal to Islands, but they needed it to open soon enough that the hype of Potter wouldn't completely bury it. -Assuming that they did want a B&M Hyper, it's possible that B&M declined due to the timetable, either because they were too busy at the time or because they determined that there wasn't enough time. -It's possible that many of the problems with the design was down to Maurer not having enough time. Maurer was not the right company for the job, at least not at the time. They seemed unprepared for a project of this scale and nature. -The delivered supports were misaligned with the track, making construction harder and longer than needed. -There were issues with clearance envelopes around the Ghostbuster's firehouse. -Their X-Cars had wheel assemblies that were a poor fit for the track. -The X-Car wheels were positioned awkwardly, too close to the center of each car when they would've been better near the ends. -They seemingly didn't properly account for the fact that the Multimedia seats were not only heavier, but more top-heavy than the standard model. -The coupling rod was a poor solution to connect two cars into a train as well as wearing out quicker than expected. -They also seemingly didn't account for the fact that the X-Cars were lighter than those of other major coasters, leading to them being extremely susceptible to wind, which is a problem when the coaster is located in a wind tunnel. The maximum wind tolerance is a pathetic 25 mph in warm weather and an abysmal 15 mph in cold weather, leading to it frequently shutting down due to "high winds" that wouldn't faze most other coasters. -The continuous loading station was designed to be too short (see below). -Despite the issues with the station and how many brake runs there are, the block zones are still too long for the dispatch time enabled by a continuous loading station and 12-seat trains, leading to trains having to completely stop on brake runs frequently. The unpredictability in the speed of the trains (see below) only makes this problem worse. -The brake run at the end of Block Zone 5 is very poorly designed (see below). Universal fired Maurer from the project due to how many issues there were and finished it themselves (fair), but they opened the coaster before many of the issues were worked out. -The coaster would typically start operating extremely late in the day and not even operate reliably during the few hours it did. -This gave the ride a bad first impression when the whole point of the coaster was to make Studios match up better with Islands. -The continuous loading station operated in start-stop mode for the first several months of operation, reducing capacity. -Even after the station was pulled out of start-stop mode, the coaster only ran 4 trains at a time due to train timing not having been fully worked out - a far cry from the 7 that was announced. -To raise the number of trains that could be operated at once, Universal didn't slow down trains as much on the brake runs, but this caused many overspeed faults in Block Zone 2. Fixed magnetic brakes were added to the end of Block Zone 1 to combat this, adding more cost and complexity. -They managed to get operations up to 5 trains after about six months, but not reliably so. They achieved 6 train ops a few months later, but again, this was rare, as one train would be out for annual maintenance and one would be used as a guinea pig to try to solve the nigh unsolvable problems - adding a lot of cost. It seems as though the coaster never achieved full 7 train ops at any time, capping the capacity at a level much lower than originally announced. While it utilized 6 train ops for a number of years, several adjustments since have made 6 train ops unnecessary, as they wouldn't speed things up over 5 train ops now. The coaster did not end up using the dual-chain lift system originally intended for it, instead opting for a single-chain with a standard anti-rollback system. -The anti-rollback system was inexplicably not installed when the coaster was first built and was even tested without it, forcing the lift hill to have to be deconstructed and rebuilt almost immediately, adding time and cost to construction. -Anti-rollback palls had to be added to each train, further adding weight and throwing off the original calculations of each car's capabilities, adding cost. -These anti-rollback palls ended up requiring a system to keep them pulled back throughout the course but lowered in the station and on the lift hill, adding complexity that opens the coaster up to a possible fault that can shut down the whole thing and require a complete evacuation. -The anti-rollback system prevents trains at the top of the lift hill from being lowered back down into the station if necessary, something that the dual-chain system would have been capable of. This required the addition of trim brakes on the drop that would ensure that the train wouldn't complete the non-inverting loop, allowing a simpler evacuation nearer to the ground but also requiring the train to be removed from the tracks with a crane, adding cost and complexity. The aforementioned issue with the wind causes the trains' speed to be highly unpredictable. -When the trains move slower than expected, the trains can easily valley. This is most common between the non-inverting loop and the first brake run. A winch was installed to pull a valleyed train up into the first brake run, at which point it would likely be able to clear the rest of the course normally (and this winch couldn't even be used in the aforementioned case that they intentionally valley it before the loop using the trim brakes on the drop mentioned above). This is frequent enough that they have a moveable staircase on hand to evacuate riders when this happens. -When the trains move faster than expected, overspeed faults can occur when they enter brake runs too quickly, leading to the ride needing to be taken down. Block Zone 1 is, again, the primary place where this happens. To combat this, trains are occasionally intentionally loaded with fewer riders than is possible, lowering capacity, but only on some trains, as there is a degree of variability in the upgrades different trains have and have not received, influencing their weight. The continuous loading station was designed to be too short. -It could accommodate two trains at a time, but not comfortably so, with minimal wiggle room for longer-than-expected dispatches. This leads to more frequent station stops than should be required, lowering capacity. -A contributor to longer-than-desired dispatches is the excessive amount of force needed to pull down the restraints, often requiring the operations team to assist riders. -The frequent station stops can cause backups as far back as Block Zone 4 when on 6 train ops. -The aforementioned fault with the anti-rollback palls that causes a fault that requires a complete shutdown and evacuation of the coaster occurs when a station stop happens when a train is at a particular point in the sync-drive block - so the more frequently station stops happen, the more times that this fault occurs, restricting operating times. -In order to manually unlock restraints after the initial automatic release, the section of the station that the train is currently in needs to be manually energized. If this happens right as a train is leaving one section and entering another, a fault can occur. The brake run at the end of Block Zone 5 is susceptible to even more issues in conjunction with the unpredictable speed of the trains. -The brake run is sloped downwards to enable faster movement through the section. However, if a train enters this section while moving too fast, the brakes won't stop it until it is further down the slope, meaning that it won't build up as much speed once released. Due to the placement of the magnetic brakes and tire drives on the transfer block, this can cause a train to stop between the tire drives, stranding it. -This combined with rain allegedly caused an incident where a train (apparently one of the heavier ones due to having been upgraded) slipped through the brakes of Block Zone 5 entirely, causing it to impact the train in front of it. While it wasn't a catastrophic failure, the coaster is now no longer allowed to operate in any kind of rain, even requiring a laser sensor array to detect any rain and warn that the ride must be shut down, adding cost and complexity and restricting operating conditions. Assorted issues: -The touchscreen interface on the restraints are non-waterproofed Windows phones. Their tendency to stop working in the rain was inadvertently solved with the coaster's current prohibition on operations in any kind of precipitation. -The audio systems in some seats would just stop working sometimes. -The ability to buy a DVD of your ride experience didn't take off like Universal had hoped. -The theming was cheesy and dated right from the get-go. -The restraints, rather than using two mechanical or two hydraulic restraint systems, use one mechanical and one hydraulic for seemingly no benefit, making maintenance needlessly more costly and difficult.

[@megalouis5478]

Please never stop those videos. This is your best format, so good quality and extreme interesting and well put.🎉

[@Thefury325]

“My high capacity block zones don’t work” is the definition of this ride

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

Good plans.

[@fusionspace175]

I love the dedication people put into niche industries like this, and the platform is full of them. I don't watch any other rollercoaster focused content, this is just so good that I watch this one. Never even heard of this ride, but I know I'm in for a good story and fun learning.

[@bjoe385]

The theming and general aesthetics of HRRR was the first reminder that what was considered modern when I was a kid now looks outdated.

[@lukesucksballs1069]

Yes I went in 2022 it was so mtv era

[@CoasterCommentary]

It’s actually crazy how lazy the manufacturers were with this ride

[@N_g_er]

I disagree

[@shadownova7056]

Shut up Kyle

[@N_g_er]

@@shadownova7056ok

[@clanBlackhunters]

I kinda disagree. Mauer did some great coasters. But this project was to big for such a small company. They just had not enough experience for such a complex ride and were not lazy but overwhelmed.

[@Mau506]

Indeed, in fact previous Maurer X car coasters were just like 30 seconds, Maurer had no experience making any 2 minute coaster and I guess they didn't know what to do with the layout so they possibly improvised and put 3 mid layout brakes to gain ride time.

[@dylana3982]

This story is mind boggling lol. My only counterpoint about this ride going to a smaller regional park would be, there is no way they would have been able to make the necessary changes (not to mention the maintenance) that this ride needs. Honestly it is a modern miracle that this thing is still standing and I wouldn't blame Universal at all for scrapping this thing.

[@jungleandbass]

There's no doubt we can call Rip Ride Rocket a truely problematic rollercoaster

[@N_g_er]

I'm gay too buddy

[@NorthEasternMotionProductions]

@@N_g_eryour ass is not getting boned

[@CoasterManiac2000]

@@N_g_erwhy do u say that to every comment

[@N_g_er]

@@CoasterManiac2000 I'm gay you're gay we're all gay

[@thebestdecepticonSoundwave]

I’m not gay.

[@royalpalm_941]

Before I watch I’m gonna say that I love this ride and it was always a highlight of our trip when me and my cousins would go. Ride it too many times to count. having “Stronger” or “Pump it” play while riding it is awesome. I always thought they were gonna update the song but I went there a couple years ago and it was the same😭

[@jackcapell8471]

I live in Orlando and heard they might be getting rid of this soon so I was very interested in this video as you mentioned previously that you were working on it. Couldn't click fast enough! Always great informative videos. Favorite YT Channel!

[@optimusprime777slap]

Hopefully they rebuild a better coaster because it will look really weird with nothing I'm that area especially behind music plaza.

[@MechaMyth]

​@@optimusprime777slap I heard it most likely would be a Minion coaster 🙃

[@optimusprime777slap]

@@MechaMyth hopefully not. That would suck since it's not even in the minion area. It's in the music plaza area which is not minions land. Also, I like the music feature on rip ride rockit. I don't want it replaced with minion shit.

[@jackcapell8471]

@graffiti.777 I heard they are going to do a fast n furious coaster similar to the one being built in LA. The entrance will be in New York by Jimmy Fallon and might run all the way out into the water by City Walk and where Blue man group was will be another dark ride or simulator attraction with an entrance where rip rides is currently. Simpsons license is done 2028 and then will become Pokémon. Apparently park is getting a 2 billion dollar overhaul after Epic Universe is done. Some of that money already being used for DreamWorks. All hearsay but I do know mechanics that work at the parks and they are usually right...

[@jackcapell8471]

@graffiti.777 theme park stop is also an excellent channel for universal news if you haven't checked her out

[@Lexcoaster]

Now I understand why Maurer didn't sell more X-Car coasters. They probably build a pretty damning reputation in the industry.

[@CatchingwithBK]

As much hate as Rocket gets, I choose to hang on to the positive memories I have associated with it. It’s one of the few coasters I’ve ridden with my dad and we often reminisce about how fun and unique the ride was. By no means is it a perfect ride but I have a perfect memory associated with it.

[@annieoddo1475]

I have to admit, I have a weird love for rockit. Since universal has already thrown so much good money after bad in keeping it operational and is generally not known for preserving old attractions for years the way Disney does, who knows how much longer this coaster will be around. And while a lot of people will probably be okay seeing it go, many more still will miss it. For all of its issues and quirks, you can’t say it doesn’t have character. I always have a great time on this one despite it throwing my head back and forth the whole time! Also, I had to laugh when you mentioned the issues with the onboard audio systems because that’s been an issue for the entire life of this attraction. I have a coworker at Disney who used to be an op there, and she said there were plenty of times where guests would report that their audio wasn’t working, and usually they already knew but couldn’t do anything about it, so they would basically go “whaaaaat? That’s crazy bro😅”

[@shortyduapp]

With the removal of most of the songs last year I wouldn't be surprised to see an announcement soon of RRR being retired. And yes, I'm one of the few people who are fans of the ride.

[@kalaoahaole]

Finally a voice that speaks for most parkgoers under 50. It's not that bad once You dial it in.

[@cloudseven9041]

Thankfully the secret song list remains intact

[@Mr.PortalMaster]

I could see a major refurbishment being made not a closing the ride is to iconic to the park to close

[@JoeysClones]

You'd be right.

[@ZephyrusBlue]

@@cloudseven9041wait, I don’t recall this? 🤔 (it’s been a long while since I’ve been to Universal in general)

[@benheller6179]

This is one of those rides that’s such a classic at this point that ppl are still gonna ride no matter how bad certain parts are

[@GreenYoshi3881]

Not me I’m good 🙂

[@jackschissler255]

Hey ElToroRyan--Your next problematic Coaster should be. Steel Curtain at Kennywood. It’s been down more than up and now it’s going to be down the entire 2024 season. I thought only Intamin rides had issues, Guess S&S likes to be competitive 🤣

[@aurora_dawn_x]

I’m from Pittsburgh and i visited the park back in october of 2019 and i remember it having tons of downtime time then so i can’t only imagine how much worse it’s gotten. Kennywood doesn’t have allot of steel coasters so im not sure they really knew what they were getting into.

[@firekind1980]

This is a 49 minute documentary about a roller coaster. Good job.

[@simtanic8]

I worked there from 2013-2015, the ride was problematic but I loved working there. The most we got on the ride in an hour was about 1,300 guests. Which is far off from the theoretical capacity. Number of factors went into reducing the number, such as transfers and guests bringing bags on the ride who had to be removed. I would work there again if asked, it was a blast and we did the best we could to give the guests a great experience.

[@tomo3387]

I finally rode it yesterday after 7 years, it aged like milk. I remember its opening year and all the great memories I had growing up with it but it disappointed me. It used to run similarly to a well maintained B&M, super smooth but now it’s worse than an SLC.

[@everythiingmusiic]

16:35 I never knew how noticeable these shakes are … wow-

[@UglyFaceOnAStick-iz8bt]

It is rickity. I couldn't wait for it to be over. But I would ride again rather than Simpson.

[@trackmaster152002]

It truly is an awful coaster. That's for sure.

[@JRS06]

It's a shame it's soon to go. Big theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios struggle to invent rides with no connection to an IP, and Rip Ride Rocket does stand out for being an outlier. Plus, X-Car rollercoasters aren't really that common and they've never taken of due to being slightly uncomfortable to some people.

[@josiahbuckets5159]

i think it’s really funny that i’ve been to universal a ton and still have never ridden it 💀

[@N_g_er]

Why not

[@frankthecat1660]

I've only been there once, and I rode it like 4 times lol I didn't realize how lucky I was at the time; though it did give me a good headache.

[@AngelJD]

Rode it when it was brand new. The head banging was intense. Have not felt the need to ever ride it again (I'll rather ride Mission Space and that one I don't ride as I don't trust my body to handle the G forces of that one ride).

[@madalyn5761]

i used to go on it twice every single time i went to universal when i had an annual pass 😭🙏 i never knew it was this rough because it never once gave me a headache or made me sick but instead the hulk did bc i made the mistake of going on it by myself in the last row so i got thrown around even more and that was the last time i ever went on that ride 👍

[@AMagicProduction]

Its honestly a miracle Universal even keeps this running

[@UglyFaceOnAStick-iz8bt]

Not for long.

[@jozefcyran2589]

Its height probably brings people to the park. I had waaaay more fun with the dueling dragon but it was this ride that attracted me to universal studios park

[@jakelewis996]

I’ve been to universal Florida 6 times in the past 5 years. Rip ride rocket has always been one of my favorite coasters. The Hulk is without a doubt way more rough and jarring. Headache every time I get on it. I could ride rip 20 times in a row and be fine. It doesn’t seem rough to me at all.

[@bibby3027]

i’ve been on both so many times and hulk is noticeably worse for me. didn’t know rockit was this bad until other people told me.

[@leonconnelly5303]

I guess everyone else is just lying then?

[@Mimimacklin]

LITERALLY I’ve ridden it so many times in a row and NEVER had a problem! Hulk is WAY worse

[@DylanLTindall]

I really enjoyed this ride, and I even bought a video of myself on it. I’m definitely sad to see this go, but I completely understand why. While I didn’t find the ride rough, it definitely wasn’t smooth either. Plus, every time I went, the ride would at least break down at some point during the day.

[@VestedUTuber]

Ok, with the overspeed faults, what I don't get is why they didn't just program the MCBRs to double as trim brakes as long as it's within a certain margin of error, and only having the ride throw a fault and shut down in the case of an extreme speed difference.

[@Key-cf5yw]

I’d love to see you cover or just talk about some dollywood coasters!! The mystery mine in particular is one i’d love to hear you talk about even not in the context of problematic coasters! It’s truly such a great park with great rides and themeing!

[@revengeofthecookie]

I rode this when it was only a few months old. Found it rough even back then, and it seems like it hasn't improved. A future Problematic Coasters I'd really like to see would be of a European ride. Maybe The Smiler or Furius Baco, as both have interesting histories.

[@snuggamwogam]

Rip Ride Rocket is one of the greatest missed opportunities ever IMO, as why when choosing a roller coaster at that time Universal did not build a launch coaster in the Simpsons land themed to the monorail episode is just a mystery to me! Awesome video BTW

[@danthewolf1997]

I remember watching Technology Connections' video talking about blocks on Space Mountain and thats when I finally understood the design of Rip Ride Rockit. I always wondered why it had so many interruptions to the flow until i realized that the small trains require frequent brake zones. I haven't watched your video yet but I'm excited to see the block diagram.

[@hannahysabelle]

My dad and I used to ride HRRR so much that we'd get an Express Pass just to be able to ride it multiple times. We'd decide on our respective songs beforehand, compare experiences on the way back up the line, and then choose each other's songs when we got back on. I guess we were just insanely lucky every time we went because I never would have known there were any issues with it or that people had less than stellar experiences 😭

[@makyostarr515]

A video about this is like 14 years overdue... thank you for making it

[@ladabeg]

Oh, I would just love a video like this on "Der Schwur des Kärnan" from Hansa Park, Germany! You're videos are so well explained and go into so much detail about the construction, it's awesome! I know Kärnan is probably not known to anybody in the US, but I think it would be very interesting to learn a bit more about the coaster's block zones!😉 It's an awesome ride with just abysmal rider capacity (especially when it first opened).

[@jpPieta]

I think it is a shame that this coaster is so bad because it has some great elements. I love the idea of having a jukebox on the dashboard and i think the layout is a lot of fun. The problem is that the seats are so painful that you don't think of the good parts while riding.

[@BellaLee-zo7kr]

I actually like the ride and enjoy the music element as well.

[@mainframe1608]

A good tip is to not put your head against the seat, it makes the ride enjoyable

[@chrissmith9535]

Came to the comments to say exactly this... the seats make this coaster unbearable. It felt like I was getting punched in the nuts throughout the whole layout.

[@laser6170]

@@BellaLee-zo7krSame. The seats feel comfy and secure to me as a smaller person, and I love the ride. It feels smooth to me, especially compared to hulk.

[@samsungwell4319]

I worked in Operations at Universal from 2004 to 2017 and truly enjoyed this video! Well done and researched. They coasters location was also selected for it's second gate entrance into the Studios. One of the initial concepts ideas, was that the coaster was to remain open after park close (being that at the time, studios closed at 8p more than 150 nights a year)and operate as a separate ticket attraction as part of the CityWalk offerings during non park hours. Having the gate behind hard rock would have facilitiated this, and also explains why the coaster layout does extend pretty close to city walk to create kinetic energy. The lights on the coaster at night was also to be a draw for guests to want to ride at night while the rest of the park could close and they would still collect revenue from sales. But that never happened. I had a couple friends in tech services that truly suffered some PTSD during the onboarding of this ride through the extended closure due to the "recall" on the trains. Couple other things that were hearsay stories from my techies were a couple of cracked concrete foundations from improper psi concrete pour in at leaste one of the foundations. Also, as you know bolts are torqued to certain specs and marked with the glue/dye marks so they can easily be inspected for any untorqueing and metal fatigue. The maintenance schedule for trach walks and bolt checks was accellerated exponentially because during inspections at random and any given point, they would find bolts loosened by as much as a quarter turn! I have to give Universal credit for the amount of work they have put into keep the coaster in operation, but like you said, the experiences is less than stellar and NOT memorable at all and I'm not sure why they haven't just shut it down and painted it go away grey to hide it!

[@CarolinaCycloneJames]

The unreliability is real. I went in 2016 for 5 days. In those 5 days I only got to ride it once. Every other time it broke down while we were in line. One of those time we were the next train away from riding. It wasn’t as rough in 2016. At least I got to ride both sides of dueling dragons so I didn’t leave the park completely deprived of good coaster experiences

[@claytonlatone8959]

Dueling Dragons was at Islands, not Studios

[@CarolinaCycloneJames]

@@claytonlatone8959 I know. We were at both parks for 5 days. I meant at least I left universal as a whole not empty handed in terms of good coasters. Well minus the hulk cause that was getting retracked

[@RelaxingReality]

This ride gives me a headache every time I ride it 😆, glad you got use out of our video POV! Awesome video!

[@anza2]

the best series ever made, glad to see there’s a new one

[@N_g_er]

Yep

[@MikeLogsdonAlso]

Just discovered your channel through a KZbin recommendation. I didn’t expect to sit through a 50 minute video about this tbh, but you made it very compelling and I appreciate how quickly yet clearly you went through all of these details. I grew up in Orlando and had an AP to the Uni parks for many years but I’ve never once stepped foot on this coaster. The bad press stopped me in my tracks (no pun intended) and this video serves as vindication for that choice and yet…the way you speak about your love for it actually makes me think twice for the first time ever. Anyway, great video! Consider the like and subscribe buttons thoroughly smashed.

[@k4productions]

I couldn’t breathe with those horrible restraints and my “jewels” were flatter than the state of Ohio

[@randallbaker157]

You are definitely not alone in this experience! 😮

[@UglyFaceOnAStick-iz8bt]

That's where you got the nickname flatballs.

[@IAmTheHound]

Yeah, first time I was fine, but second time I rode it I definitely experienced some brutality on the old ballsack.

[@itsKegger]

Such a quality video from my favorite coaster youtuber! Been looking forward to this one... this ride used to be so good and so smooth but as time went on it definitely got so rough and nearly unenjoyable. And the queue is the most annoying queue of all time with the looping video. I hope they replace this with a much better coaster soon

[@Browsing348]

I was one of the people that got trapped on the first lift hill a few weeks before the one that needed evacuation. It was awful and we were trapped on that steep lift hill for 30-45 minutes before the ride resumed. The staff only gave us a tiny water bottle and a single use fast pass that excluded most of the fun rides

[@Browsing348]

It was a few weeks before the evacuation

[@livefromconcerts]

i literally come back to this video like every other week bc the rrr history is just so interesting. i am also in the cult following of rrr and i will sob violently if they remove it bc i love the rock and plam tree vibe. keep this series going especailly with disney and universal rides and youll have all my money

[@livefromconcerts]

update - i sobbed violently at the news.

[@scottremish1456]

It sounds like "Steel Curtain" at Kennywood is earning its "Problematic" video.

[@DAOzz83]

Oh, my; Yes. However, this year’s rebuilding will probably be a big part of the ride’s eventual story, and who knows if even THAT will be the end of it. So the video won’t be made for a while yet.

[@meganb5350]

I'm a former UOAP holder, FL local. A few years ago I got stuck about halfway up the lift hill, in the middle of Florida summer. I already wasn't a fan of this ride and found it headache-inducing, and I haven't been on it since. Great video, very interesting to learn more about this ride!

[@keylinboyd7017]

46:33 THE IRON MENACE SHADEEE lmaooooo

[@timk987]

Literally, the video before this he's singing it's praises, here he uses it as b-roll for "described the ride as being thrown side to side really hard and violently which perfectly describes several of my rides." -sumpin not rite wit dat

[@beegsquare4123]

@@timk987thank you for pointing that out, literally 2 days ago bud was all about the ride on media day, but now he talks smack about it? I guess he just really wants to get invited to media events😭

[@kmccurdy21]

Or he doesn’t consider one pothole at the end of a ride to really detract from the experience. Which is consistent with his positive attitude, and how he views “rough coasters”.

[@brianbrightside26]

CAME TO SAY THIS LMAO

[@Galistia]

@@beegsquare4123 You can rag on something and still like it lol

[@hogan5797]

Well I was obsessed with this ride when I was 14. I remember riding it and jamming to the music and thinking “that’s the coolest rollercoaster ever!”. But now that I’m older, I would definitely not appreciate this ride as much. I grew up with Vortex and Face-Off at Kings Island, and those really beat me up as a kid. I don’t remember ever feeling that way about this rollercoaster, but I definitely rode it early on in its existence probably before a lot of strain/wear down on the track. I think a lot of rollercoaster enthusiasts look for rides to have a lot of different elements. For me, I am a simple man. I think this ride specifically made me realize how simple a rollercoaster can be, yet still have the perfect amount of intensity and excitement. I obviously rode rollercoasters before riding this one, but I honestly think riding this one made me want to become a coaster enthusiast! It’s crazy to think back to that time, but again, I really loved this ride when it was first revealed 🤩 Literally couldn’t stop talking about going to universal studios until I finally did & we rode this first thing when we got into the park! Great memories. Going to miss this one; but the next one will be twice as good, no doubt!

[@plighting_engineerd]

YES!! Thank you so much! I love this series so much

[@flyingpiggie979]

These videos are so unbelievably comprehensive and cool. Always S tier coaster content from Ryan. Also, one thing that this video reinforces is just how seriously universal takes the safety of their rides. Although most parks do. I always get the vibes that Universal, and Disney are just in another league of diligence. The ride crews are Universal always seem really professional and engaged.

[@mmocken]

Opening year, I recall it being smooth and a great competitor to rock n rollercoaster at studios…Today, front row seats are ok. Velocicoaster trains would make this ride much better. I consider it a masterpiece given the tight footprint. But the coaster did end the nick studios, which is sad. Great breakdown of the engineering uniqueness of this ride

[@LBradleyLaBoon]

I love that you used the Silent Hill soundtrack as you talk about the lift hill noise around 11:30

[@tobyboucher8990]

I was at Universal a couple of weeks back and saw the ride halted near the top of the lift, with riders, for at least 10-15 minutes. Glad I never even considered going on it !

[@jucatru21]

Same!! I was there the 8th of April, I was the next train and the ride stopped, then I left and surprise! It was a train stuck in the vertical lift.

[@noahkennedy9859]

It was stuck in the lift hill when I was there on April 14th as well. I’m a pass holder and it still sounds like I’m never riding this again

[@NikiP7041]

I went on this ride before i knew anything about roller coasters, on a family trip in 2021. I was already quite tired from running all day but this ride absolutely killed me. It was rough and disorienting and the music it was playing was distorted making it even worse to ride. I couldn't walk properly after getting off it because it made me so dizzy. All the rides at Universal were hard on me, but knowing that this one was cursed basically from the start makes so much sense.

[@ZacharyWillFilms]

Idk as someone with little rollarcoaster knowledge. I genuinely enjoy the roller-coaster. Universal hollywood studios is definitely overly screen attraction heavy and it's nice to get out of that for a ride.

[@claytonlatone8959]

Hot take: HRRR is arguably the best ride at USF just above RotM and Gringotts. They would be removing their best known ride.

[@jonathanwoods3136]

Imagine if rip ride got removed and replaced with a B&M hyper like Hollywood dream!

[@gavinstewart118]

Nah ripride rocket is the shit never replace it.

[@Mehtaru]

So long as it keeps the music gimmick, sure

[@pablorubio8287]

7:20, as a Spaniard, this was the best attempt I’ve heard from an english speaker. Well done! You have my approval 🇪🇸🇺🇸

[@bigmac85987]

I rode it in 2012 and didn’t realize it was just a few years old at the time! It was so rough and dirty looking under the brake runs that I figured it was an older ride. The idea of music was cool but you couldn’t hear it over the rattling of the train (and my brain). Loved this video about my least favorite coaster!

[@fzr1000Nick]

My absolute favorite rollercoaster! - mainly because your upper body is free and because it is "rough and jarring" - to me that is a positive feature. It makes it more thrilling than other coasters that do more but with your upper body fully constrained. I actually felt like I HAD to engage my core while riding - so much fun. We rode it over a dozen times the first week in March 2018 during what you mentioned was its golden years - with very little to no wait time that week. Hope it's still around and problem free when we plan to go back there next summer.

[@noname117spore]

Tip for anyone who is going to ride rockit: do not sit in rows 3 or 6 if you can help it.

[@intrepid5144]

I've been to Orlando's 2 Great Amusment Parks a few times, and we've always enjoyed ourselves, but neither one of us has the slightest interest in getting on this ride!! There is one section of the ride where it seems to go Straight Up, at a 90º angle, and that's all we needed to see to think "NOOOOOOOO"! LOL

[@kelvincampbell5303]

Since universal is my home park, rip ride rocket is one of those rides is either a one-and-done attraction, you don’t ride it at all because of the lift hill, or if you do ride it, you mind as well ride it drunk. Just have your ibuprofen ready on standby. Plus I rather ride this over Fast And Furious

[@braydenisstillhere]

16:30 one of the things that’s always baffled me about Rockit is that Maurer used fixed wheel bogies, meaning the guide and up stop wheels don’t individually articulate and grip the rails as the trains move around curves on the track. B&M and Intamin absolutely nailed it in the early 2000s with their wheel bogey assemblies, while the wheel setup on Rockit looks so rudimentary and basic. #wheelgaplife #ArrowDymamics ❤

[@xsm5525]

Maurer don't seem to be a proper rollcoaster manufacture (not like arrow or mach or any of the other big brands). that's the problem, there more established in general building work and they just happen to employ a couple of rollercoaster fans and thought they could have a go at it.

[@kidlamborghini]

It's not fair that Dragon Challenge got removed before this, it's also not fair that Arrow didn't survive X2 but Maurer got away with this.

[@nicomoru1660]

I absolutely love rip ride rocket, honestly one of the only reasons to go to studios over islands (this and the mummy ride). The ride I find much worse is the hulk, can't even stomach going on that ride again, I'm always the one sitting out. Could just be that I'm getting old but rocket doesn't activate my motion sickness like the hulk does

[@mcbwg1187]

Finally! I just went on a trip to universal and was waiting for this vid!

[@N_g_er]

I doubt it

[@CoasterManiac2000]

Kyle, respectfully, shut up

[@yogalayne]

This roller coaster is placed right at the opening of universal park. It was the first ride my mom and I rode that morning with our Fast Passes. We had no idea what we were getting into. It's a great ride, but I was truly screaming for my life.

[@broodwars64]

I've ridden Rocket several times over the years, and it's always baffled me why a ride that short and that mediocre always had ludicrously long wait times. After seeing what a technical disaster it is, it makes sense.

[@BroadwayBrittany]

As someone who lived in the area and was around when this thing opened, I’ve ridden this coaster more times than I can count. I’ve always loved it and my go-to jam was “U Can’t Touch This”. THAT SAID…I think that I very well might’ve been a part of the alleged breakdown that occurred around 2013 that you mentioned. It was over a decade ago so my memory’s a bit fuzzy, but the ride broke down RIGHT before we got off. All of the cars were backed up as well. I was stuck there, just outside of the loading bay for about 30 minutes. I had no idea what was happening, figured it was just bad luck (rides breaking down wasn’t foreign to me, being a frequent park-goer). It wasn’t until I got off that I found out that it was more serious than I had thought, with all my friends who had managed to miss the accident asking if I was alright. It made for a fun story to tell everyone else on my field trip, that I was on the ride during an extra dramatic break-down, haha. Wish I had more details to share, but like I said, I was a dumb teenager just happy to ride my favorite coaster at my favorite park, oblivious to everything else around me.

[@edcola6671]

HRRR is my least favourite Universal ride, mainly because of how it altered the look of the park, removing a great chunk of that nice open green space in front of the Nickelodeon Studios complex and obscuring the operating soundstages from view in the park. I know they’re really irrelevant, but the original theme of USF was that it’s a film studio. That area of the park was designed to look like the non-backlot areas of a studio, so all the show buildings were designed to look like soundstages, as well as the actual operating stages being clearly visible with massive signage showing what had been filmed there in the past. The music stage (which is honestly kinda nice by the way) and Rockit don’t fit that theme of ‘working TV and movie studio’ at all and destroyed the already meagre immersion in that area. Plus the lift hill is really ugly and way too high. I hope it’s torn down and the area it was in removed of all traces.

[@leonconnelly5303]

Agreed i think it ruins the theming and makes the park feel cheaper

[@Kwisten050]

I rode this coaster last summer without knowing anything about it, and my friend and I both hated it. For me, it vibrated so much it felt like my skull was shaking painfully out of my head, and I immediately wanted it to be over. Would not ride it again. I was so uncomfortable that I didn't even notice the interactive elements.

[@starryagent9936]

I personally enjoyed this coaster. It’s definitely flawed, but I had a good time with it. The noninverting loop is a great element. Still waiting on that Volcano the Blast Coaster episode.

[@Binx345me]

Volcano was 1 of my most fave coasters! RIP

[@FluffyPancakes36]

Every few months I come back to these, binge them all, and hope a new one releases soon. They’re so much fun and have made me such a coaster geek.

[@DeadAutumnLeaves]

I hear Silent Hill 2 music! I knew Ryan was a man of exceptional taste. :D

[@MichaelRei99]

Way to sneak Uncle Nate into a troublesome roller coaster video! 😂I rode Rip Ride Rocket once and that was more than enough for me. I won’t be sad when it’s gone. I have to say I’m impressed with Universals care in insuring guests have a safe reliable coaster experience!

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

That Evac from the top of the lift gives me serious anxiety. Imagine if they accidentally held in the button for 2 seconds too long and the train crested the hill and then collided with the train in front. That's a very risky move.

[@coasterm3rr1ck62]

did you even watch the video…?

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

@@coasterm3rr1ck62 Well since I'm talking about something that occured in the video, I clearly watched the video lol. Why don't you pay attention next time kid?

[@hassathunter2464]

2 hour wait to die like that... Glad it went well.

[@remdiaz483]

It wasn't a button though. It looked like they were winching it forward manually.

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

@@remdiaz483 well they were winching it forward but not manually. A winch is operated by a switch or button.

[@heatherlowry754]

The first time I road it, played "Kick Start my Heart" and had a blast. Went on it 2 more times immediately after getting off as a break from the haunted houses. Barely a 5 min wait I didn't know about the souvenir music video. Maybe it was still in the cue monolog

[@christianortiz-v1l]

Let's go! More block zones!!

[@N_g_er]

What's block success

[@ToaArcan]

I was at Universal in 2013 (and I'm currently trying to not think about how that was 11 years ago) and we watched this thing get stuck at the very top of the bit that's almost vertical, and then saw ant-sized people clambering down the ladders to the top. After that, even the most adventurous of our party did not get on it.

[@tufab3494]

Damn, I was never so excited for a Problematic Coaster video like I was with this one. I rode it in 2012 and to be very honest I loved it as a kid. I hope I'll get to ride it again before Universal decides to replace it with another coaster Btw if you don't mind a suggestion, it would be interesting to see a video about Space Mountain 2 in the future. That coaster is historic and well beloved among Disneyland Paris fans. Greetings from Brazil and once more congrats for your baby's birth!

[@ProfessorBjorn]

This ride is my most fond rollercoaster memory. Soaring through the skies blasting “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” was just unreal and frankly unforgettable.