Universal Studios Hollywood’s new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift rollercoaster has officially opened, and while theme park fans are screaming with excitement, some nearby Toluca Lake residents would really like them to stop screaming.
I actually had the opportunity to ride Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, and it was a blast! It’s easily one of the best rollercoasters I’ve been on. Of course, I screamed while riding it, so I guess that made me part of the problem.
The new Universal Studios Hollywood attraction launches riders along 4,100 feet of aerial track at speeds reaching 72 MPH and forces of up to 3.6 Gs. Unfortunately for some of the park’s neighbors, those thrills come with a soundtrack they can hear from their homes.
Residents say the problem started when Universal began testing the rollercoaster in June. One of those residents is Roy P. Disney, the great-nephew of Walt Disney, whose family has long-standing ties to Toluca Lake.
Disney lives on Valley Spring Road, an area where the screams from Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift can be heard clearly. He says the sound reaches inside his home and even into his bedroom.
With the attraction now operating and riders expected to hit the track from 10am to 10pm daily, Disney and other residents want Universal to take additional action.
“I feel like I’ve been talking to myself,” said Disney. “I feel like I’m talking to myself. I feel like the complaints go into what I call a round file, and I feel like they figure it’s part of the war they’re playing, and they’re not listening to us, they’re not honoring us, and so we have to do more.”
Residents have created a community advisory panel to push for changes, and Universal has agreed to meet with them on September 30 at the Universal City Lot.
Importantly, the residents aren’t demanding that Universal shut down Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. They’re looking for ways to contain the sound while keeping the rollercoaster running.
Longtime resident and interior designer Fred Berri, whose family has lived in the neighborhood for more than 50 years, has a few ideas that could potentially address the noise while making the attraction more immersive.
“We are not asking for Universal to close down the ride. We know it’s not going to go away. But there are ways to make the noise contained. There are many suggestions, one of which is from the movies. All the cars have hard tops.
“On the coaster, they’re convertibles. Why don’t they build plastic hard tops on those train cars? And then another really good suggestion came from a fan on Instagram who rode the ride. He said he really loved it but it’s ugly. You see nothing.
“Why don’t they build fake facades of the buildings from the movie so when you’re in the coaster you’re immersed in that experience? Not only could that wall serve a dual purpose of making the ride better, it’ll shield the sound from the neighborhood.”
Adding themed buildings or other Fast & Furious scenery could potentially help block some of the sound while giving riders more to look at as they race around the track.
Universal has already incorporated several noise-reduction measures into the attraction. The coaster track sits on pea gravel designed to reduce its roar, transparent “scream screens” have been installed around one of the ride’s higher curves, and the park constructed a 940-foot sound wall.
Residents, however, believe more needs to be done. A Universal Studios Hollywood spokesperson responded to the complaints, saying:
“Community feedback has been an important part of this process and has directly informed our work, including an additional sound barrier to further lessen sound levels in adjacent neighborhoods.
“Testing completed to date confirms the attraction is operating in compliance with sound ordinances applicable to Universal property, which are more stringent than City and County codes.”
Universal, meanwhile, is celebrating the coaster’s arrival. Scott Strobl, EVP and GM of Universal Studios Hollywood, said in the attraction’s opening announcement:
“Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is officially open, and we are so excited to be able to put guests in the driver’s seat of one of the most celebrated film franchises in history. The debut of this first-of-it-kind roller coaster is a literal game changer for Universal Studios Hollywood, and we look forward to sharing this thrilling experience with fans of the FastSaga and our guests visiting from around the world.”
The dispute has also drawn the attention of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. Because Universal Studios sits on county land, Barger contacted the Toluca Lake community and said that “my office will continue working directly with residents and Universal Studios to monitor the attraction and identify any measures that may be necessary to minimize noise or other impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.”
For some residents, the problem isn’t limited to an occasional scream in the distance. Nancy Jundi lives on the opposite side of Lankershim Boulevard near Valleyheart Drive, an area she describes as Universal Studios’ “front yard.”
From her backyard she can see the park’s giant Minion, and she says the screams from the rollercoaster are loud enough to interrupt Zoom calls for her cloud-based post and production company. “I knew I was moving into our version of Disneyland, but I didn’t expect all of this,” said Jundi.
It’s a strange problem for Universal to have. They built a rollercoaster that succeeds at making people scream, but those screams are now the thing causing trouble.
Now Universal and its Toluca Lake neighbors will have to figure out how the park can keep delivering those thrills without everyone living nearby having to experience them from their bedrooms and Zoom meetings.
Source: Deadline
