Universal Studios Hollywood is letting Halloween Horror Nights guests ride its brand-new Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift coaster after dark, but only if they’re willing to pay for the privilege on top of their event ticket.
Depending on how you look at it, this is either a clever solution to a real problem or one extra charge too many stacked onto an already pricey night out.
Universal is now selling a Halloween Horror Nights Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Access Add-On, priced between $19.95 and $24.95 depending on the date, that grants timed entry to the coaster from 7 PM to 10 PM on select nights this September and October. It’s strictly an add-on, so guests still need separate Halloween Horror Nights admission for that same date, and the ticket doesn’t include daytime park access or re-entry into the park earlier in the day. In plain terms, this is purely a way to ride one specific coaster during event hours, nothing more.
The app’s own listing spells it out as “one-time access” to the coaster, on your selected date and time only, and it’s open to guests ages 3 and up. Pricing follows a pretty clear weekday-versus-weekend split: dates like September 23, 24, 27, and 30 run $19.95, while September 25 and 26 jump to $24.95, so Friday and Saturday nights cost more than weeknights, which tracks with how Universal prices most of its HHN tickets already.
The reaction split pretty predictably once this went live. Some fans are calling the fee greedy, arguing that guests already paying event admission shouldn’t have to pay again just to experience a ride that’s already open to every daytime guest for free. Others are perfectly happy to grab a slot, reasoning that a guaranteed shot at a 72 mph coaster during a sold-out Halloween event is worth the extra $20 or so, especially if the alternative is standing in an unpredictable standby line instead.
There’s actually a decent case for why Universal structured it this way rather than just letting every HHN guest walk on. Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift only just opened to daytime guests on September 16, after a soft-opening run that started back in July, and it’s already Universal’s fastest coaster ever built, hitting 72 mph through 360-degree spinning ride vehicles designed to simulate an actual drift. A coaster with an entry list clearly capped at some point isn’t a great fit for the standard “come whenever, wait however long you wait” Halloween Horror Nights crowd flow, and gating access through a separate paid add-on gives Universal a way to manage demand on a new, popular ride during an event that’s already packed with people chasing haunted houses on a schedule of their own. It’s worth remembering, too, that a few HHN ticket types, including the After 2 PMDay/Night ticket, the Universal Express ticket, and the R.I.P. Tour, already build coaster access into the ticket itself, so this add-on exists specifically for base-level HHN ticket holders who’d otherwise have zero path onto the ride during event hours.
If the coaster itself is unfamiliar to you, Hollywood Drift is Universal’s take on the Fast & Furious franchise, right down to its ride vehicles: a Mazda RX-7 inspired by Han’s car, a Nissan Skyline GT-R modeled after Brian O’Connor’s, and a Toyota Supra pulled straight from the original film. It replaced the old Animal Actors on Location stage in the Upper Lot, and Universal has already confirmed a version is under construction at Universal Studios Florida too, expected sometime in 2027, so Orlando fans wondering if this ride is headed their way already have an answer.
If you’re building a Halloween Horror Nights trip around this coaster specifically, it’s worth deciding upfront whether the ticket type you’re buying already includes access before you assume you’ll need the add-on. For two guests, that math changes fast, and it’s an easy detail to miss while you’re focused on picking haunted houses.
If you’re weighing which Universal Studios Hollywood ticket makes the most sense for your trip, coaster access included or not, our travel partners at Adventure Awaits Travel Company can walk through the options with you for free and help make sure you’re not paying twice for something one ticket type already covers.
We’ll keep tracking Hollywood Drift and Halloween Horror Nights news all season, so check back with Theme Park Scope for updates, and follow us on social so you don’t miss it.
Would YOU pay extra to guarantee a ride on Hollywood Drift during Halloween Horror Nights, or does that cross a line for you?
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