Universal Orlando Roller Coaster Glitch Traps Passengers; Ride Reopened 12 Hours Later

Universal Orlando’s Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit came to a halt on Wednesday afternoon, leaving twelve passengers stuck in a vertical position for roughly 12 hours. By the following day, the ride was reopened for visitors to the Florida theme park.

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit locked its position as it was ascending the ride’s first hill. The ride froze due to a glitch that forced the computers into safety mode, according to Universal spokesperson Tom Schroder. “The safety system did exactly what it’s supposed to do,” he said. By 9:30 p.m. the passengers were finally released from the ride.

Shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday, the roller coaster was up and running again, though Schroder declined to comment on the exact nature of the “tech glitch” that put it out of order the following day, reported the Orlando Sentinel. “I’m not going to detail it, but it has been resolved,” Schroder said.

“The safety of our guests and the experience they have on our attractions is very important to us,” he added. “For us, there is no such thing as a routine glitch. We put every resource we have against resolving them.”

This Universal park incident involving Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is only the latest in a string of worrisome troubles for the 17-story roller coaster. Not long after the ride first opened in 2008, crews had to go back to work on the mechanism that keeps the cars from sliding backwards on the track while climbing the hills. The following year, the ride was shutdown for a month for repairs. It was also closed down for a couple of days this past August.

Rip Ride Rockit cost an estimated $45 million to build, and despite its troubles, is thought to be one of the more technologically advanced rides in Orlando.

– Chelsea Regan

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