Universal Studios Execs Promise New Sound Barrier To Reduce Rollercoaster Noise; Angry Residents At Community Meeting Demand Fast Fix

At least 350 people on Wednesday attended a meeting to address the screams coming from Universal Studio’s new Fast & Furious rollercoaster that opened Sept. 16.

Neighbors of the amusement park — who were required to RSVP for the meeting that was closed to the press — were greeted at Universal’s stage 7 with slides that promised a “commitment to the community” and that “every concern reaches senior leadership and informs our planning.” No recordings of the presentation were permitted but Deadline was able to talk with attendees about the meeting that one resident described as turning “hostile.” Security was present.

A trio of executives — Steve Blum, the Executive VP of Engineering & Safety, John McReynolds, SVP of External Affairs, and Cindy Gardner of Corporate Affairs — began the presentation by promising the coaster wouldn’t operate from 8 to 9 a.m. until the end of the year. The park sometimes opens as early as 7 a.m. for thrill seekers, according to its website.

Neighbors’ complaints have had more to do with the bloodcurdling screams coming from the riders rather than the actual sound of the coaster that moves “at speeds of up to 72 MPH and at a force of up to 3.6 Gs along 4,100 feet of elaborate aerial track.” Universal Studios has touted the coaster as “a literal game changer.”

Besides reminding the community of the steps it has already taken to reduce the noise, they promised a temporary new barrier that will add over 1,900 square feet of sound-absorbing material. Installation is planned for Oct. 1; if it’s effective, the park needs to apply for permits to make it permanent, according to one attendee.

This new barrier would be in addition to the original one that stretches longer than two fields and was made with a “state of the art sound absorbing product.”

The execs also talked about other solutions they’ve explored, like asking riders to wear helmets and face shields and fully enclosing the individual cars. Those ideas been ruled out, however, due to the possibility that people would not secure the helmets correctly and that closed cars would hinder emergency evacuations.

The park may also further tinker with the individual cars that already turn away from the Toluca Lake area during key scream moments.

Neighbors got a chance to air their grievances during the two-hour-plus meeting. They shared audio of the screams they hear on any given day, and projected a quote on the big screen from Dr. Luc Arnal, a leading expert on the science of screams. It read, “Chronic environmental noise is already recognized as a public health concern, associated with annoyance, sleep disturbance, stress-related physiological responses and increased cardiovascular risk.”

Other neighbors reminded the execs that most of their houses are older than the park. One complained he can no longer compose music from his home. Toluca Lake’s Roy P. Disney, the great-nephew of Walt Disney, said, “I would argue this is in violation of [Universal Studios’] land usage permits.”

The residents also projected a slick video (narrated by a British actor and viewed by Deadline) that talked about how the residents hear screams every 20 to 40 seconds, which averages out to 1,000 screams a day, 365,000 a year. It ended with images from the Universal lot, such as the massive acrylic dome that sits over Jurassic Park: The Ride.

The narrator says, “if you can build this, you can certainly fix this.”

Once the Q and A portion began, the temperature immediately turned hot as one resident yelled “promise the screams will be gone in a year.” As more people began to shout, Blum quipped, “we could solve this tomorrow if you all want to wear noise cancelling headphones.” Residents angrily responded with “how dare you” and “that is so insulting.”

“The burden of proof should not be entirely on us because you’re counting on our exhaustion,” said one attendee.