UniversalParksBlog News for January 25th, 2026

We’ve got really good news and really bad news to cover this week.

So, this is an oddly important batch of UniversalParksBlog News updates.

Fast & Furious Wins!

Last year, Universal Studios Florida finally performed a mercy killing on its worst ride.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit isn’t just gone forever. Universal tore it to shreds.

The construction crew even accidentally set the remaining pieces on fire at one point!

Okay, that one was an accident, but the ride closure was absolutely intentional and long overdue.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit proved too rough for fans and decidedly less than entertaining to boot.

As attendance dwindled on the roller coaster, Universal officials finally got the hint.

So, they took a wrecking ball to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, and there was much rejoicing…especially from me.

As I mentioned earlier this month, we’ve been awaiting Universal’s announcement on what comes next.

Rumors had persisted in recent months that Universal wouldn’t do the obvious.

Some folks swore that a Ghostbusters roller coaster was in the offing.

More recently, people misread an ad as promising that a Back to the Future roller coaster was happening.

Personally, I think that makes a LOT more sense than Ghostbusters as a roller coaster.

Also, I prefer it at Universal Studios Florida to a Fast & Furious roller coaster.

After all, we already have one of those coming to Universal Studios Hollywood this summer.

Fast & Furious Also Loses

Well, that thrill ride will have a twin, as Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is also coming to Orlando.

Think of this version as Hollywood, Florida, I guess. It’ll apparently open a year later in 2027.

So, fans of both coasts can ride the original version at Universal Studios Hollywood this summer.

Then, you can backtrack to Universal Studios Florida in 2027 to compare the two.

I’m guessing they’re eerily similar, though. Speaking of which, we don’t need two Fast & Furious rides.

You knew this was coming, and the announcement is here. Fast & Furious: Supercharged will close.

We all feel precisely the same about this news as we did about Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.

Yes, ding dong, the witch is dead! Seriously, the 2010s were ROUGH for new Universal rides.

Park officials swung and missed with Fast & Furious: Supercharged and Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Speaking of which, hey, Universal! You know what the people want to happen next!

A Grim Report

Those of you who are tired of reading grim Universal Studios news should head straight to Universal Miscellany.

Sadly, I’m about to bum you out again with some updates from the latest MOU report.

Once a quarter, the state of Florida requires theme parks to report their various theme park injuries.

Despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the parks each week, the list is typically quite small.

We’re only discussing a handful of injuries at each park over a three-month period.

Historically, Universal Studios doesn’t have the best reputation for honesty in its reporting.

The park infamously reported an injury that caused paralysis as back pain. So, yeah.

Three months ago, we covered the worst MOU report ever, the one with the word ‘fatality’ in it.

That report listed the tragic death on Stardust Racers at Universal Epic Universe.

While we’d all hoped the thrill ride would do better afterward, it’s not going great.

The most recent report from January 2026 lists two incidents, each of which are alarming.

On October 6^th, 2025, a 78-year-old rider reported chest pain.

At their age, riding a roller coaster is something a person should consider cautiously.

However, on October 14^th, 2025, a 61-year-old guest went into cardiac arrest after the ride.

At this point, we’re up to double digits of incidents on Stardust Racers.

Stunningly, that’s not the worst news involving a roller coaster from the latest report.

Another Fatality at Universal Orlando Resort

On November 25^th, 2025, a 70-year-old female boarded Revenge of the Mummy.

When the person returned to the departure area, Team Members found her unresponsive.

She later died at the hospital, Universal Orlando’s second ride fatality in four months.

Notably, the family of the woman has hired the same lawyer, Ben Crump, who handled the Zavala family’s claim.

You should recall that the Zavala family only recently settled their lawsuit against Universal.

Now, we have another ongoing as of this writing, and it’s equally grim.

According to Crump, “Mrs. Rosas went to the park to enjoy time with her children and grandchildren, expecting a safe and joyful experience.”

“Instead, her family is now left grieving and searching for answers.

They deserve a full understanding of what happened before, during, and after this ride.

We intend to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragedy and ensure her family’s voice is heard.”

A subplot of this story is that Universal officials somehow kept this one quiet until this past week.

Before the release of the MOU Report, no news organization had reported the fatality.

That fact underscores the importance of these theme park injury reports.

Universal Miscellany

Universal Orlando just finished the 2026 version of Rock the Universe.

This year’s event received glowing reviews, as they all do.

I realize that late January travel isn’t easy for many, but if you can attend Rock the Universe in 2027, you should.

Next up on the annual calendar is Mardi Gras, which starts on February 7^th, which is 13 days from now.

On the water park front, you will NOT be going to Volcano Bay for a bit longer.

The unusually frigid weather in Central Florida has forced tourists to reconsider beachwear.

For its part, Universal proactively shut down the water park several times recently.

Given what’s happening in the south this weekend, I doubt that changes for a few more days.

Finally, Early Park Admission will change a bit in February, although nobody is quite sure how yet.

Epic Universe updated its wording to indicate that certain experiences will be available early.

The new language suggests that Early Theme Admission will include some stuff at:

• How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
• Super Nintendo World
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic

We just don’t know what yet, although it could be everything at all three. It’s unclear.

So, check back at UniversalParksBlog to learn what is available first thing in the morning in February at Epic Universe.

PS: There was some late-breaking Pokemon news that I’ll cover in detail next time.

 

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Feature Photo: Universal