Rip, Ride, Rockit!

[the Dark Marauder]

I read on IOA Central that they are letting Universal Team members ride it tonight. Hopefully this means that they will have soft openings soon.

I was just wondering how soft openings work? Do they let you know what times the ride will be open, or you just have to be lucky enough to be near the ride when it is open?

Bolded text.

I just read that over the next 4 weeks it will be open for soft openings!!
!
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-...-Rip-Ride-Rockit-is-open-at-Universal-Studios

To anyone who's been on soft openings, how hard is it to get on the ride? If it is only open random times, is there any way to find out when? Are there any tips or tricks to doing soft openings?

The only tip/trick for softs is: Expect Long Waits. There Is No Express.

It's not much of a tip, but a Fact. And you just have to be by the ride when it's open. There is no way to know. Calling ahead is a possibility, but by the time you place the call, the ride may have already been determined to be closed for the day.

 

[FLGirl88]

Hey guys! I'm a TM and I got to ride HR3 after work today around 6:15-6:30ish!

It's AMAZING!

 

[nodoubtrock]

took this pic around 10:30am yesterday. I wasn't there later in the day when employees were riding..this train went very slowly up the first big lift and later stopped on the brake part.

 

[Don Pacho]

Courtesy of Sabi, Orlando United

CONFIRMED FROM UNIVERSAL OVER THE PHONE...........
HOLLYWOOD RIP RIDE ROCKIT IS OPEN FOR SOFT OPENINGS FOR THE NEXT 4 WEEKS!!!!!!

there ARE confirmed people on the ride AND in the queue! HuuuuuHuuuuuu....

---------- Post added at 01:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 AM ----------

Breaking news: Rip Ride Rockit opens at Universal Studios

 

[Notatourist]

And those are team members enjoying an employee preview.

 

[Bluer101]

I wonder when there will be an AP preview now?

 

[macraven]

I think it is GREAT that UO lets the TMs go first on the ride.
They deserve it!



Lucky Duckys.......

 

[inkkognito]

All sorts of reports on IOA Central about the soft opening that happened today after Universal kept denying it was going to happy. Hubby and I didn't even bother to go...just went out to Tampa where coaster we could rely on to be open are located (SheiKra...woo hoo!). We'll probably pop over a couple of nights this week. Supposedly there was a 3-hour line today so they cut it. I have no confirmation on any of that tho' since it's all based on the postings.

 

[Metro West]

All sorts of reports on IOA Central about the soft opening that happened today after Universal kept denying it was going to happy. Hubby and I didn't even bother to go...just went out to Tampa where coaster we could rely on to be open are located (SheiKra...woo hoo!). We'll probably pop over a couple of nights this week. Supposedly there was a 3-hour line today so they cut it. I have no confirmation on any of that tho' since it's all based on the postings.

I'm going to meet Schumigirl and her family tomorrow morning and I'll report back.

 

[disneypookies]

Just rode it! It is insanely awesome! Ask questions if you want

 

[inkkognito]

Insanely awesome as in better than Manta and SheiKra? Or just as in better than Hulk and Mummy? Any airtime? Any G-forces? Does it feel as slow as it looks? What is the best part? Can you see any of the light show when riding? Does the sound system seem to be working reliably?

We're going to be doing the Coaster Insider tour at Busch tomorrow (you get to climb Montu's break run) so no R3 for us till next week. I'm curious to here what's good about it in the meantime so I can guess at how much I will like it. I am a major airtime junkie so it will have to have a lot of that to win my heart from SheiKra.

 

[MelanieC]

It figures that our Universal time ended yesterday. We can technically go till Tuesday, but not sure if we want to chance it and waste Disney time incuding paying for parking for a "chance".

Why oh why didn't I do Sea World first, lol.

 

[phamton]

It definitely had soft openings today and not just for team members.

 

[damo]

It definitely had soft openings today and not just for team members.

Yay, I guess waiting until August 26 to go down to Orlando has paid off!!!

 

[disneypookies]

Insanely awesome as in better than Manta and SheiKra? Or just as in better than Hulk and Mummy? Any airtime? Any G-forces? Does it feel as slow as it looks? What is the best part? Can you see any of the light show when riding? Does the sound system seem to be working reliably?

We're going to be doing the Coaster Insider tour at Busch tomorrow (you get to climb Montu's break run) so no R3 for us till next week. I'm curious to here what's good about it in the meantime so I can guess at how much I will like it. I am a major airtime junkie so it will have to have a lot of that to win my heart from SheiKra.

Haven't had the chance to ride Sheikra or Manta yet. Definitely does NOT feel as slow as it looks.

Better than Hulk, Mummy, and Dueling Dragons. By a large margin in my opinion...

Hard to say the best part with one ride (we were the last few people allowed on the ride last night). I'm pretty much in love with the whole ride, as was everyone that rode it seemed to be after getting off heh.

Tell me what you mean about air time and I'll try to relate to it.

Sound system is awesome. Not A LOT of choices but I ran it with Crystal method. The options are right in your harness. Pretty reliable with the run I had.

 

[troobabiee7]

After two weeks at Universal we just got home today and NOW the ride's open... typical

 

[Metro West]

Tell me what you mean about air time and I'll try to relate to it.

When your butt leaves the seat...how much air time was it? Most coaster lovers like lots of air time.

 

[OrlandoMagic]

Nice vid here showing the soft opening & some POV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz7YGhhA9SI

Enjoy!

 

[Josh Hendy]

Rode it today at about 12:30pm after a three hour wait in the hot sun. There was almost a stampede at one point when people tjought that the TMs were opening the barriers at a different place from where they were queued. But sanity prevailed andwhen they finally let us in the initial rush was reasonably orderly.

Ride was fun. Lift feels like youre sliding out backwards, first drop is a bit shaky. The sudden tilt to the right as you pass the station is fun and gets a big scream. It was mostly a big blur tho after all the heat and then extreme excitement when they very suddenly let us on.

To all the TMs who made this possible - thank you! Good job, all you gals and guys.

Typing this on an iPod now, travelling tomorrow, can't answer more questions now. ...

 

[Howellsy]

Nice vid here showing the soft opening & some POV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz7YGhhA9SI

Enjoy!

Thanks for the link!
I also had a look at the full POV here: http://www.attractionsmagazine.com/video.php
It's very shaky of course - looks great though!