This is like heaven for us block zone fans .

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

Babe wake up new problematic coaster just dropped

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.

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

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 rocket 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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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."

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.

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 :)

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!

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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and general aesthetics of HRRR was the first reminder that what was considered modern when I was a kid now looks outdated.

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 🤣

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

Its honestly a miracle Universal even keeps this running

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

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

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

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.

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

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😅”

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

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.

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

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!

This is incredible, thank you so much for the time and effort to create this video. You are probably the ONLY one on KZfaq 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.

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😭

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

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.

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

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

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

I had no idea this coaster had so many issues lol, it literally started before it opened. I still want to ride this coaster, but I can definitely see them removing this ride in the near future though, great video as always!

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

46:33 THE IRON MENACE SHADEEE lmaooooo

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

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

Love your work bro! Great video, I know it took you forever to put together, but well worth it, thanks for posting it.

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.

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

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.

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!

Just discovered your channel through a KZfaq 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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

I still like it

the only experience i’ve had with the ride is being too scared once i got to the loading bay (the exposed elements walking up freaked me out!) and asked to leave. the attendant didn’t tell me where to go besides vaguely gesturing, and then yelled at me for coming back to ask for clarification lol. i never tried again because he was so mean and it stuck with me, now watching this video it felt like a blessing in disguise

FINALLY!! i never understood why all my friends thought i was insane for hating this coaster. i could never have fathomed it would have had SUCH a messy history, though.

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

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit? More like Orlando Rust In Pieces Don't Ride Break it.

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

This was such an impressive and informative video, this must have taken so much time lol job well done 😊! X

46:34 I SAW THAT! also if that 250+ million dollar price tag is right then that is INSANE

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

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.

Been waiting a long time for this Ryan! I’m one who really enjoys this ride. I have def experienced the jarring chest/head rattling cycles, but as my home park, my dozens of rides since 2016 have largely been quite smooth. Best memory was arriving back at the station one time and the operators needed to cycle the train again. They asked us if we all wanted a second lap. Everyone did so we went straight through the station for a second ride. Best of all, the trims were barely hitting on the second lap. It was AWESOME airtime!

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

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.

I never realized what trouble this coaster has been. I have only rode it once, many years ago, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I so hope to ride again before it is replaced.

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.

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

Let's go! More block zones!!

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 ❤

Ik this must’ve taken you AGES, great video!! Your effort/research is always next level!

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.

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!

Favorite continuing video series on KZfaq! Keep 'em comming and keep up the awesome work!! xD

I just rode last Sunday. So timely! I did not watch any POV videos or videos about this rollercoaster, so I had no pre-existing set of mind about it. My initial thought was, "Oh wow! This is rough." Especially after riding the Velocicoaster and Hagrid roller coasters, packed with many forceful elements but smooth the whole time, this ride was surprisingly rough. But I liked the music element and coaster layouts. Thank you for sharing the details of the history of this ride and explaining why it was jolting and shaking laterally the whole time.

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 !

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.

What a fantastic video!! Your attention to detail and editing is top notch.

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

Every time I have ridden this roller coaster, the music sounded like crap.

Great video! Would love if the next one is on Matterhorn or maybe Disneyland's Space Mountain!

Best coaster content hands down! I always miss you at the parks by a day or 2. I'm at Dorney today.

Every time i went on this ride i wanted to listen to a different won’t but would just keep choosing kick start my heart by Motley Crue. Perfect song for that ride

Rock'n'Rollercoaster at Hollywood studios is in terrible condition. It feels like riding a shopping cart over gravel.

I feel like you just have “a block zone is…” ready to be copy/pasted into a script. 😂😂. I look forward to it every time.

I never considered space between wheel bogeys when talking about roughness on Rollin' Thunder. You should do a video on that ride too.

That thing rides so rough. I get a massive headache and damn near a concussion every time I have ridden it

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.

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.

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

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!