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Universal Studios Hollywood is one of Los Angeles’ most famous must-visit landmarks, and it’s also easily one of the most-visited theme parks in the U.S. However, residents living in the Hollywood neighborhoods surrounding the park have not been happy with the company lately, as one of its newest rides has them dealing with echoing screams bouncing off the hills of their neighborhood.

Rollercoaster Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift was designed to run as quietly as possible.

However, the riders are a completely different story.

Just three days after Universal Studios Hollywood began public technical rehearsals for its long-awaited new coaster, nearby residents are speaking out about the screams carrying from the park into Toluca Lake. Some say they can hear riders even with their doors and windows shut.

Residents Say Universal Studios’ Fast & Furious Coaster “Sounds Like Bloody Murder”

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift began welcoming regular park guests on Monday, July 27, when Universal Studios quietly started public technical rehearsals.

Three days later, the coaster is already facing complaints and shutting down more often than not.

The outdoor track sits along the hillside above the neighboring Toluca Lake area, putting portions of the ride relatively close to residential streets. Residents interviewed by KTLA and other Los Angeles outlets said the most noticeable noise isn’t coming from the coaster itself.

It is coming from the people riding it.

One Toluca Lake resident, Colby Jensen, described the noise to KTLA as “constant” and “very intrusive,” adding, “It sounds like bloody murder over there.”

Jensen compared the repeated screams to a horror movie. Another resident, John Heim, told ABC7 that the noise level varies from day to day but said he had heard screaming at night even with the doors closed.

Neighborhood complaints didn’t begin only after Monday’s public soft opening.

The Los Angeles Times reported on the issue on July 24, after the park had begun running the attraction with groups of test riders (likely park employees). Some residents said earlier empty-car testing had been surprisingly quiet, only for the sound to change dramatically once passengers were added. The outlet reported complaints that screams were frequent enough to be heard through double-paned windows.

Public technical rehearsals now mean many more regular park guests have had the opportunity to ride, putting the issue under a bigger spotlight.

Universal Studios Built Hollywood Drift With Noise Reduction In Mind

The complaints are notable because noise mitigation was part of the coaster’s design long before anyone actually took it for a spin.

The company first announced Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift in May 2024 as its first-ever high-speed outdoor roller coaster. Even that initial announcement specifically said its aerial track would be constructed with “sound reduction technology.”

That was likely an important consideration given the park’s residential setting.

Unlike a sprawling theme park surrounded entirely by resort properties, Universal Studios Hollywood shares the hillside with an active film studio and sits near long-established Los Angeles neighborhoods.

Hollywood Drift is also much larger and faster than the park’s existing outdoor coaster, Flight of the Hippogriff.

The theme park began extended vehicle testing in October 2025. By then, it was again emphasizing that the 4,100-foot track had been designed using sound-reduction technology.

But even the quietest track can’t account for the sound of passengers reacting to a 72-mph drop.

Universal Studios Has Set Up A Hotline For The Neighbors

Universal Studios isn’t dismissing the residents’ complaints. In fact, according to correspondence sent to the Toluca Lake HOA, the park is keeping locals in the loop with the coaster testing schedule and has set up a community hotline for neighbors to call into with feedback on noise levels.

“We have refined our testing schedule to evaluate the coaster’s performance under a variety of real-world operating conditions and how sound is being experienced in the surrounding communities,” Universal said. “The testing process will help inform what future adjustments may be needed.”

The company also told the HOA it expects to provide an update by August 7.

The amusement park has placed microphones in the surrounding neighborhood to track sound levels, which may ultimately be a major factor depending on local noise ordinances and the legal requirements it must comply with.

The office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is also involved. A spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that county staff had been facilitating conversations between Universal Studios and residents and described the company as “very willing partners” to work toward a solution.

“They are very interested in finding common ground to address the community concerns, while also meeting their bigger objectives of bringing a new attraction to keep their theme park thriving,” said Helen Chavez Garcia, Barger’s communications director. “They’ve been good partners at the table and this is going to be a continued work in progress.”

So far, there has been no finding that the attraction violates applicable noise standards.

That’s an important note, as residents can find a repetitive sound disruptive even if it’s within legal limits, and these technical rehearsals give the park an opportunity to adjust operations before the attraction formally debuts to the public.

Not everyone is compassionate about the neighbors’ sound complaints

There has been some backlash towards the Toluca Lake residents complaining about the noise coming from the rollercoaster. The overwhelming sentiment seems to lean toward arguing that they should have expected noise when purchasing property near a major theme park.

“Then I woke up one day to discover there was an amusement park near my home! Was that there before?” one person commented jokingly on YouTube.

“It’s like people who buy homes near an airport and complain about planes flying overhead,” another commenter compared.

However, others noted that changes coming with park expansion are affecting the local neighborhoods beyond what they historically have had to get accustomed to.

“It is not fair in the sense that before building the rollercoaster it probably was ivy covered hillside actually blocking sound,” another YouTube commenter noted. “Universal and Disney are both trying to expand and that evolves building to the ends of their borders and even trying to block and take over city streets.”

Local residents have also been taken aback by some of the online backlash. Toluca Lake resident Kevin Dees told KTLA that, while some noise is expected, especially as the park grows, locals shouldn’t be attacked just because they aren’t happy about it.

“There are much bigger problems in the world than how a roller coaster is affecting this neighborhood,” Dees said. “But what’s really disheartening is to see some of the comments online, people attacking people who live in Toluca Lake just because we live here, that somehow we deserve this to happen to our neighborhood. That’s unfortunate.”

The Noise Complaints Are Not Delaying The Coaster, Universal Studios Says

The neighborhood dispute has already fueled speculation that Hollywood Drift’s opening could be pushed back. But the company has pushed against that idea.

Earlier in July, rumors circulated that noise complaints had delayed the attraction until later in 2026. Universal Studios told the Los Angeles Times that those reports were inaccurate, and its website continues to advertise Hollywood Drift as opening in summer 2026.

The recent July 27 soft opening suggests that the timeline is still somewhat on track.

That means anyone visiting Universal Studios Hollywood specifically for Hollywood Drift should treat a ride during this period as a lucky break.

Early reactions from inside the park have otherwise been strong. Inside Universal described the coaster as smooth and intense after riding during the first day of public rehearsals, while guests have reported long lines as people try to experience it before the official debut.

The company spent years figuring out how to send riders drifting across a Los Angeles hillside at 72 mph without making the coaster itself excessively loud. Now it has to account for how much of the passengers’ screaming the neighborhood can hear, and what can realistically be done about it before Hollywood Drift officially opens to everyone full-time.

TheTravel has reached out to Universal Studios for comment.