October 26, 2007 - Rumors begin to rise that Universal Orlando Resort will get a version of Universal Studios Japan's Hollywood Dream: The Ride, a B&M hypercoaster, by 2009.
December 5, 2007 - Survey markers begin to appear around the Boneyard area, a possible location for the version of the Hollywood Dream coaster. It is also rumored that Twister will close to make room for the new coaster.
December 24, 2007 - The coaster is rumored to be made by Maurer Söhne and is rumored to have a vertical lift. Screamscape revealed the layout of the rumored coaster:
January 11, 2008 - Universal Parks & Resorts filed a Notice of Commencement with Orange County, Florida indicating that they were to construct a ride system that they have code-named "Project Rumble." Its manufacturer would be Maurer Söhne.
March 19, 2008 - "Project Rumble" was announced under the name Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit. The entire track layout wasn't revealed yet but it says that you'll listen to music while on board (like Hollywood Dream: The Ride at Universal Studios Japan). The coaster will start with a 167 ft. vertical lift hill, making it the tallest coaster in Orlando. Then you drop 167 ft. from the air. It won't be vertical though. You then enter a double take. It will look like an ordinary vertical loop but the track twists around such that the train is right-side-up at the top of the loop. You descend and twist around again then climbs to reach the first of many block brakes. You drop back towards street level and go through an element called treble clef. You then go through a building next to Twister. You climb again to another block brake. Now returning to the station, you go through a series of sharp turns. One turn is nick-named the jump cut and the other is named the crowd surfer over portions of the queue lines. You then go through another block brake before exiting the park grounds. You then encounter a drop tuning, a quick drop into the landscaped area in front of the Blue Man Group theater. Emerging from the ground, you enter a 540 degree helix called the plot twist and return to the station, thus ending the ride.
April 25, 2008 - Markers have gone up in front of the Blue Man Group theater preparing for construction on Rockit. This is how the markers look like:
May 11, 2008 - Markers have been added in the New York section in front of the library facade. The markers are these:
May 15, 2008 - Groundbreaking begins on Rockit starting with the area that is to be the station and queue lines. It will be between the Blue Man Group theater and Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast. Here is a picture of the groundbreaking:
May 29, 2008 - Construction walls have gone up where the queue and station. Here are the walls:
July 17, 2008 - Construction walls have gone up in the New York section of the park from the entrance to Twister to the library facade. This is how they look like:
Rumors state that the coaster will go through this window of the firehouse facade:
July 28, 2008 - Construction walls have expanded to the area that leads to the TNA Wrestling soundstage. Themed signs have been placed on the construction walls. Here are the signs:
August 9, 2008 - New walls have gone up in the Boneyard. This area will be home to a new ampitheater themed to Hollywood Bowl once Rockit opens:
September 2, 2008 - The Rockit area has been leveled. Construction became more apparent as a crane is now in the site:
September 8, 2008 - Boneyard closes to make room for a new ampitheater themed to Hollywood Bowl.
September 10, 2008 - Construction walls have expanded around the Boneyard area:
September 18, 2008 - The first steel supports have arrived. They're painted in a cream/light-brownish color. Here are the supports:
September 23, 2008 - Construction walls have expanded to the right-side of the pathway leading to the Blue Man Group theater:
October 6, 2008 - A ton of new supports have arrived at Universal's storage field:
October 30, 2008 - The Blue Man Group pathway is being moved to give the coaster some space:
November 3, 2008 - The Blue Man Group pathway moved:
November 4, 2008 - Rockit is expected to open late May 2009.
November 10, 2008 - The first load of red track for Rockit has arrived:
November 19, 2008 - Construction on the building where the station and queue lines are begins with steel support beams:
November 25, 2008 - A large hole has been cut out of the firehouse facade in which Rockit will pass through:
December 7, 2008 - Construction on Rockit's station progresses quickly. The supports are already in place. Here are the supports:
December 10, 2008 - Rockit track has began to go up beginning with a part of the treble clef in front of the New York Library facade near the Twister queue. Here is the track:
December 16, 2008: The track in the tunnel through the firehouse facade over the Twister queue has been installed as well as some of the treble clef:
December 20, 2008: Construction on the lift tower begins:
January 4, 2009: Construction walls for the ampitheater have expanded leaving a narrow path by the Monsters Café:
The treble clef seems to be complete:
January 15, 2009: Trees are in place for the stage area:
The first two block brakes have gone up, and as you can see on this photo, they're gigantic and can be seen from Seuss's Landing, Toon Lagoon, CityWalk, and even the parking garage:
January 22, 2009: Work on the plot twist (CityWalk portion of the coaster) begins:
January 23, 2009: Drop tuning and the rest of the plot twist has gone up. The supports for the third block brake above the other exit from the park to the Blue Man Group theater have gone up:
January 29, 2009: The ampitheater seems to be complete:
February 1, 2009 - Automatic stage lights have gone up on the ampitheater:
February 6, 2009: The third block brake has gone up:
February 15, 2009 - The Hollywood Bowl Theater opens to the public with a concert from the Village People:
February 17, 2009 - After a bit of hiatus, construction began on Rockit again with expanding the lift tower:
February 19, 2009 - The station's roof is painted red:
February 22, 2009 - Lift tower begins to get topped off:
February 26, 2009 - The lift tower finishes its topping off:
March 1, 2009 - The crowd surfer begins work:
March 3, 2009: The jump cut has gone up:
March 4, 2009 - The supports for the double take have gone up behind the Hollywood Bowl Theater:
March 6, 2009 - Work on the double take begins:
March 11, 2009 - The double take is complete:
March 12, 2009 - The crowd surfer is complete:
March 14, 2009 - The first drop is complete:
March 17, 2009 - Track is in the maintenance building, and framing begins on it:
March 20, 2009 - Hollywood Bowl Theater appears on the map. For some reason, Universal has fallen behind, and construction stopped on track:
March 28, 2009 - Framing continues on the maintenance building:
April 1, 2009 - The opening for Rockit is delayed until Summer 2009, because the lift tower was in the wrong place. It is rumored that the tower will be demolished and rebuilt. That explains the halt in construction. A catwalk has gone up in the station:
April 4, 2009 - Scaffolding begins on the tunnel:
April 10, 2009 - The track leading to the station has been installed and the bottom of the station roof is painted red:
April 14, 2009 - It is said that there is a problem with the lift motors.
April 17, 2009 - The chasm with the plot twist is dug:
April 19, 2009 - The construction wall in front of the library facade has gone down and only surrounds the firehouse facade:
The crane has returned to the lift:
April 22, 2009 - Scaffolding is complete and the walls surrounding the firehouse facade have gone down:
April 27, 2009 - Rockit is delayed until June 2009.
Those are all the pics and updates I got so far. I think Rockit's lift will be topped off, landscaping will begin in front of BMG, lift chains will be installed, and test runs will begin May 2009. June 2009 will finish landscaping, and soft openings will begin. The grand opening I think will be on July 2009 just in time for Independence Day.
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