hollywood Rip Ride Rockit now open

Just four days after launching a soft opening of its long-delayed but highly anticipated roller coaster, Universal Orlando on Wednesday declared Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit officially open to all guests.

The resort said it decided to formally open the $45 million Universal Studios Florida attraction after surveys of guests during the brief "technical rehearsal" turned up glowing reviews. Billed as the state's most technologically advanced coaster, Rockit allows riders to listen to customized soundtracks as they hurtle around the track at speeds of as much as 65 mph.

"We moved to the official opening of the attraction when we did because we listened to our guests, who are clearly enjoying this ride," spokesman Tom Schroder said.

But the move surprised some industry experts, particularly because Universal is still ironing out kinks with its new coaster.

For instance, Rockit is equipped with a series of video cameras that record riders and allow them to buy music videos of their experience. But the video system is working only sporadically.

Rockit is also supposed to feature the first "moving roller-coaster load platform" in the U.S., which allows trains to depart the station every 23 seconds. But the people-mover-style conveyor belts are not yet functioning, and Rockit's load time is significantly slower right now.

While such hiccups are to be expected with any new ride, parks typically use the soft opening to address them, said Robert Niles, publisher of themeparkinsider.com.

"You need experience with this particular attraction and the particular way people flow through it," said Niles, who said he was "stunned" that Universal had staged such a short soft opening for the coaster.

Several others said they think Universal opened Rockit as quickly as possible in hopes of squeezing what extra business it can from the last few weeks of summer.

Rockit, which is opening about three months behind schedule, has already missed the peak of the typically busy summer period. But there are still more than two weeks left before Labor Day, when traffic really slows.

"They're trying to get it open ... and capture some of the holiday school travel," said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services in Cincinnati.

Universal is also likely anxious to end negative publicity spawned by the coaster's delays. "There's pressure on by the public to get it open," Speigel said.

But elevating an attraction from a soft opening to a full opening brings higher expectations -- and risk.

"One advantage to doing a soft opening is that the guests are more tolerant [of mistakes] because they know they're doing it in a preview," said Jerry Aldrich, president of Amusement Industry Consulting of Orlando.

Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.