Fast & Furious: Supercharged (Closing August 2026)

[rabbitsmoon]

Coaster fans will love it, but it doesn't address the fundamental weakness of the park's lineup, conceptually. To the extent that it will be better than HRRR, it will improve the overall park, but the wider problems are yet unaddressed.

Again, I'd like to stress that the extent to which it will be better than HRRR is massive, like the extent to which Monsters Unchained is better than Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. It might be a wash in terms of capacity, but it's going to be a huge leap in terms of quality.

I also want more dark rides, but I disagree that USF needs those more than it needs a coaster like Hollywood Drift. It already has MIB and ET, two of my favorite dark rides in Orlando. And the coasters it does have (Mummy and Gringotts) are hybrid attractions whose dark ride sequences outshine its coasting IMO. The resort already has elite coasters, sure, but I don't think it's overkill to have 1 at USF.

The real problem is whatever comes after Hollywood Drift. A refreshed tunnel simulator will not be enough.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

USF receiving another reskin is not a great look, even if it’s “temporary”.

 

[Magic-Man]

Beautiful, nighttime show, IP that will age poorly…

What IP will age poorly? Nintendo, Potter, and Monsters have all been popular for decades and Dragons works just as well without knowledge of the IP.

 

[Skold]

What IP will age poorly? Nintendo, Potter, and Monsters have all been popular for decades and Dragons works just as well without knowledge of the IP.

Monsters is bound to age poorly any day now. It's been 113 years!

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I don't think Twisters would a terrible replacement. The film still made almost 270M domestically and finished in the top 10 of 2024 (international is a different story, but this is a US only replacement after all), and if Uni/WB end up greenlighting another film, that at least keeps its relevancy continued for however long they want to support the ride system. It won't help the park's attendance long term by any means, but surely it isn't going to be worse than Supercharged.

 

[Mad Dog]

I don't think Twisters would a terrible replacement. The film still made almost 270M domestically and finished in the top 10 of 2024 (international is a different story, but this is a US only replacement after all), and if Uni/WB end up greenlighting another film, that at least keeps its relevancy continued for however long they want to support the ride system. It won't help the park's attendance long term by any means, but surely it isn't going to be worse than Supercharged.

Yeah, I think it will be a mostly filler attraction, better than Supercharged for sure, but I doubt it will get people to schedule a vacation. It definitely can work in that building/ride system if done properly. Not something many will get excited about, but if they can put in lots of effects (wind/water/etc.) and sets, it can be serviceable. Most probably wanted other IP's, but the ride system does limit choice. And, there's a lot more U.S. tornados than in the past, so that weather element is front page media continuously, so it doesn't really need awareness about the movie like some other subjects.

 

[Steptwice]

There is no solid replacement unless the ride system gets replaced IMHO. Re-skinning this just prolongs this ride system’s ultimate demise(Thank God).

 

[TheUniC6]

My two cents are if they go down the reskin path with Twisters, it will be alright. It will give them time to work on more pressing matters like a Simpsons replacement and perhaps a back half of the park overhaul to give USF what it truly needs, practical dark rides and other family attractions. Then go back and gut the supercharged plot with a fresh ride system that does the space justice.

 

[DOOMBOT]

How absolutely lame. A rethemed party bus screen simulator, with a D-Tier IP that was previously removed for low attendance even as a legitimate practical effects showcase as opposed to another middling screen-based simulator. USF will never win.

I'm about fully disillusioned with UDX' output at this point. HHN is consistently high-budget and enjoyable, and Unchained, VC, and Hagrids are stellar - but otherwise, they just don't have the sauce like Disney does. It's just night and day.

They're certainly above the other competition (Seaworld, Busch) but Disney is just so much more consistently exciting, innovative, enjoyable, and bold than UDX has been or ever will be.

I'll continue to believe that until proven otherwise, and currently nothing on the docket for them has me convinced at all. Pokemonland has to deliver in a way that the Mario rides didn't - dynamic practical effects, high-budget and high-quality show scenes, bold ride systems (that actually work) - but I already know that the Pokemon E-Ticket is gonna be an AR / screen-based, overly complicated, sluggish and bare dark ride like all the consistent rumors have pegged it as, and as Mario Kart delivered. Lame, lame, laaaaame.

 

[belloq87]

I don't think Twisters would a terrible replacement. The film still made almost 270M domestically and finished in the top 10 of 2024 (international is a different story, but this is a US only replacement after all), and if Uni/WB end up greenlighting another film, that at least keeps its relevancy continued for however long they want to support the ride system. It won't help the park's attendance long term by any means, but surely it isn't going to be worse than Supercharged.

I liked TWISTERS more than most people probably did! I'd be all for bringing the IP to the park... but as a spiritual successor to Ride It Out in "practical effects showcase" form.

I'm just out on anything re-using the screen tunnel at this point (other than BTTF). Unless you can truly flesh-out the attraction around it (as Skull Island does with the elaborate facade, excellent queue, drivers with distinct personalities, the outdoor scene, and the finale), I think it's kind of a broken gimmick. And since the whole point of an overlay would be to do as little work to the infrastructure as possible, they would not be fleshing it out.

It will give them time to work on more pressing matters like a Simpsons replacement and perhaps a back half of the park overhaul to give USF what it truly needs, practical dark rides and other family attractions.

If we had any reason to believe any of that was happening at any point in the near future, I'd take that trade-off.

But it seems highly unlikely! So this is an(other) opportunity for Universal to make a real improvement to the park right now.

How absolutely lame. A rethemed party bus screen simulator, with a D-Tier IP that was previously removed for low attendance even as a legitimate practical effects showcase as opposed to another middling screen-based simulator. USF will never win.

I'm about fully disillusioned with UDX' output at this point. HHN is consistently high-budget and enjoyable, and Unchained, VC, and Hagrids are stellar - but otherwise, they just don't have the sauce like Disney does. It's just night and day.

They're certainly above the other competition (Seaworld, Busch) but Disney is just so much more consistently exciting, innovative, enjoyable, and bold than UDX has been or ever will be.

I'll continue to believe that until proven otherwise, and currently nothing on the docket for them has me convinced at all. Pokemonland has to deliver in a way that the Mario rides didn't - dynamic practical effects, high-budget and high-quality show scenes, bold ride systems (that actually work) - but I already know that the Pokemon E-Ticket is gonna be an AR / screen-based, overly complicated, sluggish and bare dark ride like all the consistent rumors have pegged it as, and as Mario Kart delivered. Lame, lame, laaaaame.

And they say I'm negative!

But I (obviously) hear you!

 

[Columbo]

Just speculation: I think it's more than just them wanting to do a patch up job to save money (thought that's absolutely part of it)

Universal probably doesn't want to invest too much money or important an IP on a ride going into "San Francisco". The same reason we got Fallon in New York. All their larger scale projects more recently have been ones in new or existing themed lands where they can sell merchandise and food

USF will probably get its next big attraction whenever they do their next new land, likely in Springfield. Though I remain unconvinced it'll be enough space without them also getting rid of Animal Actors. Universal clearly likes to enclose these sorts of projects (see: Diagon Alley and Epic Universe)

Also since EPCOT was brought up already, this may be related to why it gets neglected. Both parks have themes and design philosophies at ends with how the companies like to invest at the moment. They also happen to be parks incredibly ingrained into the identity of the companies as well

 

[HalfGlass]

I liked TWISTERS more than most people probably did! I'd be all for bringing the IP to the park... but as a spiritual successor to Ride It Out in "practical effects showcase" form.

I’d give anything for this again….the bitter irony though is that so few practical effects were used in the movie compared to the original. Almost every scene with the twisters and the destruction attached was CGI in the sequel.

 

[Tbad556]

I really enjoyed Twisters. I reaaaally hate the 360 screen party bus mess. Happy to be proven wrong, but a simple retheme here is a recipe for disaster. Ugh.

I have little issue with smaller stuff like the Kidzone replacement feeling like a temporary fix, but how many bandaids can you put on one park before temporary turns into decades?

I also don’t agree with UDX not having “the sauce” because my god, when they hit they knock it out of the damn park. But the painful thing to me is that the misses are embarrassingly avoidable.

 

[UNIrd]

 

[Parkscope Joe]

How absolutely lame. A rethemed party bus screen simulator, with a D-Tier IP that was previously removed for low attendance even as a legitimate practical effects showcase as opposed to another middling screen-based simulator. USF will never win.

I'm about fully disillusioned with UDX' output at this point. HHN is consistently high-budget and enjoyable, and Unchained, VC, and Hagrids are stellar - but otherwise, they just don't have the sauce like Disney does. It's just night and day.

They're certainly above the other competition (Seaworld, Busch) but Disney is just so much more consistently exciting, innovative, enjoyable, and bold than UDX has been or ever will be.

I'll continue to believe that until proven otherwise, and currently nothing on the docket for them has me convinced at all. Pokemonland has to deliver in a way that the Mario rides didn't - dynamic practical effects, high-budget and high-quality show scenes, bold ride systems (that actually work) - but I already know that the Pokemon E-Ticket is gonna be an AR / screen-based, overly complicated, sluggish and bare dark ride like all the consistent rumors have pegged it as, and as Mario Kart delivered. Lame, lame, laaaaame.

I’d much rather have this than having it be closed. *looks at stitch’s great escape*

 

[SeventyOne]

Just speculation: I think it's more than just them wanting to do a patch up job to save money (thought that's absolutely part of it)

Universal probably doesn't want to invest too much money or important an IP on a ride going into "San Francisco". The same reason we got Fallon in New York. All their larger scale projects more recently have been ones in new or existing themed lands where they can sell merchandise and food

Scooby Doo. It kinda, sorta fits in San Francisco, it's never going to support an entire land, but it probably still moves enough merch to justify a light retheme to the F&F gift shop. Play up the Mystery Machine motif, it fits even better into the land. I'm not sure Twisters would sell anything. Instead of a party bus, the gang is running a ghost tour bus--"right here in San Fran, Scoob!" (The stripper pole will have to go.) And as 2-D animation, it should be less jarring than the F&F effects. Just the original "ghosts" chasing Scooby and Shaggy, maybe splurge on an animatronic dog at the end.

 

[Jwhee]

After thinking about it more, this could actually be a really solid and fun attraction if the focus is on generic storm chasing and tornadoes. If they lean too heavily on the movie’s characters, I think it would fall short. I didn’t find the characters from the new movie especially memorable, certainly not compared with the original 1996 duo.

It would work better as something like Reign of Kong, where the appeal is being thrown into an encounter with a massive gorilla. You do not need to know anything about the Peter Jackson movie to enjoy the ride. That is the complete opposite of Fast & Furious Supercharged, which depends heavily on interaction with the movie characters

My one bit of wishful thinking is that they somehow use the original 1996 score in the attraction. They could obviously mix it with the country music from the new movie, but that old-school Twister theme is iconic

 

[Andysol]

Which is fine, but there are way better IPs to use than Twisters.

Disagree. I think it’s the best in-house one at their disposal if they’re keeping the building and everything in tact.

It would do exactly nothing to help (what I perceive to be) the park's deficiencies.

BACK TO THE FUTURE would at least bring a beloved IP back into the fold. A basic TWISTERS overlay (or any other overlay besides BTTF) would be a poke in the eye of anyone hoping for something of some level of ambition beyond screen walls to come to USF.

These two things are in contrast with each other. Their parks deficiencies are not “nostalgic IP needs to be used”. It’s screen overload. BTTF wouldn’t have changed the parks deficiencies at all. And Twisters is the better IP for that ride. I don’t want CGI Doc and Marty putting me on a… Bus?

I highly doubt that conversation is happening. No one at Comcast is expecting the theme parks to do better numbers than WDW in any area.

Universal isn’t expected to have better numbers than WDW. But proportionally having attendance go down 1 year after your brand new park while you only have one attraction down (HRRR). Contrast that to WDW who has an attendance boost while 3 of their parks have massive construction zones and rides down all over the place?

That’s legit embarrassing.

I'd say Universal Studios Florida, specifically. Islands is already in great shape (and will -- presumably -- be getting even better). Epic seems poised to improve its lineup shortly.

It's USF that keeps getting the hand-me-down, low-ambition, budget-conscious stuff.

I feel like we’re in the twilight zone at this point.

Hollywood Drift West is an incredible ride (I rode it a few days ago) and USF definitely needed a great new coaster, but this won't be the same thing. Universal Hollywood has an amazing lineup and only needed a thrill coaster to feel complete, meanwhile USF is half filler and there's several dead spots. USF is also part of a resort with several world class coasters already.

This goes more into USF expansion territory, but Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash should be in this park right now. I can't believe we got the short end of the stick with Villain-Con. Have it replace Fallon or something, I don't care, just clone it now.

It's the biggest missed opportunity of this decade that Universal did not take opportunities with Shrek and KidZone to add a ride of this sort.

Absolutely the biggest miss. Kidzone is fine for what it is. But Villain Con not being SLoP is hands down the worst decision they’ve made. If it just HAD to be minions to keep the theme cohesive; a SLoP style ride should have happened with a minions overlay.

I’d still rather they remedy this over redoing Springfield or FFL. It’s by far the biggest miss and glaring wart in the entire park.

Again, I'd like to stress that the extent to which it will be better than HRRR is massive, like the extent to which Monsters Unchained is better than Justice League: Battle for Metropolis. It might be a wash in terms of capacity, but it's going to be a huge leap in terms of quality.

Agreed. It’s going to help the park a lot.

And dare I say they need another coaster in this park that goes over the lake and walkway over lake with whatever replaces The Simpsons. Whatever they do in that corner with a dark ride, etc- a second badass coaster needs to be there as well.

If multiple Universal Kids regional parks is the goal for that demographic; let’s lean into the big ass coaster thing even harder. They know who they are and I’m fine with that. Should be more Hagrids-style of family friendly, no inversions. But it needs to go over the lake.

They do a nice physical dark ride, coaster over lakes and replace Villian con- then Twisters is actually more than fine in that plot of land for the next decade+

—-

The moral of the story is Twisters or even a full closure with nothing there still isn’t the biggest issue with the park. So Twisters is more than fine to replace it.

Remember- the ride system is not the problem. Kong works great. It’s a fantastic ride. The outdoor section certainly adds to the enjoyment to Kong as the ride simply isn’t good without it. But with the right wind effects and a proper queue, storyline and effective graphics; Twisters could work if the park around it was more complete.

 

[Mad Dog]

How far has our expectations of Universal planning at USF fallen. The big argument here is *It's better to have something substandard than to have nothing in that space. Bottom line, it's sad. Optimism, where art thou? Maybe Woodbury and company need to get on with their life's work, as Chuck Noll would have said. The decisions from the top haven't been all that great lately.

 

[Andysol]

How far has our expectations of Universal planning at USF fallen. The big argument here is *It's better to have something substandard than to have nothing in that space. Bottom line, it's sad. Optimism, where art thou? Maybe Woodbury and company need to get on with their life's work, as Chuck Noll would have said. The decisions from the top haven't been all that great lately.

As I said just before your post-
The ride system isn’t necessarily the problem. Look at Kong. It’s a great attraction in IOA.

Why is Kong successful with the same ride system?

1) Storyline - coherent and simple
2) Graphics - Doesn’t look corny and fake
3) Scale - from the queue to the facade - the ride is grand feeling even though it’s just a screen tunnel. Everything around the screen tunnel just works.
4) The outdoor section - gives us a longer ride and allows us to make the scale and façade of the ride part of the ride itself. The ride is noticeably less enjoyable when it skips the outdoor section.
5) The animatronic - impressive as hell. But it’s arguably way less important than the other 4 points. There could be no animatronic and the ride would still work. It’s just a great punctuation at the end of a relatively complete ride.

But the most important part in my opinion?
6) It’s a ride perfectly placed in a park that desperately needs a ride with its qualities. Specifically- being indoor in a park full of outdoor rides. And in a park with only 2 screen based rides in it. Thereby adding to the diversity of the park’s attractions instead of contributing to it’s overabundance.

—-

So knowing the ride system itself isn’t the problem; how can Twisters correct what F&F got wrong and Kong got right?

For starters- numbers 1 and 2 can easily be done. But numbers 3, 4 and 5; you can’t, with the way the current show building is. So they are going to need to massively overcompensate with some fans and blowers to truly make the tunnel experience itself stand apart. As much physical effects as they can add, they need to. Although even doing that, it still won’t be able to make up for the 3/4/5 that Kong offers.

Still- if they can do that, it can be an OK attraction that still compliments and adds to the park. But only if the correct number 6. Which is, by far, the bigger problem.