Universal Orlando Resort has been constructing a new Jurassic World-themed roller coaster for many, many months, but has remained mum on what, exactly, it is. Until today. Universal Orlando has confirmed the existence of the Jurassic World VelociCoaster and released some images as well as a teaser trailer for Florida’s fastest and tallest launch coaster, which will officially open in Summer 2021. And it looks incredible.

Described as a “new species of coaster,” the VelociCoaster will be the world’s first coaster based on the Jurassic franchise and touts a series of intense maneuvers that will send guests catapulting up to 70 mph and more than 150 feet in the air. The attraction was created by the award-winning Universal Creative team in partnership with the filmmakers from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, and it will thrust guests into the middle of a Jurassic World adventure.

Original cast members Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and B.D. Wong will join guests as Jurassic World unveils the next evolution of its “carnivore expansion”: the VelociCoaster, where riders embark on  high-speed chase and feel the rush of the hunt while racing alongside a nimble velociraptor pack.

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Image via Universal Orlando Resort

It sounds like the idea behind the VelociCoaster is that it exists within an operational Jurassic World as an attraction that lets guests race raptors, so there’s a heavy meta-textual component to this newest roller coaster. The VelociCoaster is located at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in the Jurassic Park island, where it wraps around the iconic Visitor’s Center and sits across the way from the Jurassic Park River Adventure, a raft ride where everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

According to a press release from Universal Orlando, the VelociCoaster spans more than 4,700 feet of track and reaches as high as 155 feet, twisting and soaring above land and water and speeding through near-misses and launches within the paddock. As you can see in the video below, it’s an incredibly intense coaster and is highly themed like Universal Orlando’s other recent coaster addition, the incredible Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Here are some VelociCoaster facts provided by Universal Orlando Resort:

  • Accelerate through two pulse-pounding launches, the fastest reaching 70 mph in 2.4 seconds
  • Encounter a one-of-a-kind, 360-degree barrel roll right above the Islands of Adventure lagoon
  • Experience a zero-gravity inverted stall that will send riders upside down across 100 feet of track in a jaw-dropping maneuver that is the first of its kind
  • Go airborne during the towering “Top Hat,” which propels riders 155 feet in the air and then immediately into an 80 degree drop – Universal’s steepest drop yet
  • Brace for a total of 12 heart-pounding seconds of airtime – the thrilling sensation of weightlessness riders feel when they’re lifted from their seats – throughout the entire adventure

This all sounds incredible, and I honestly can’t wait to check this thing out next summer. More details will be revealed in the coming months, but for now get a preview of the new attraction (which is still under construction) below.

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Image via Universal Orlando Resort