Islands of Adventure – Page 2 – Endless Summer Florida

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the newest roller coaster (for now) at either of the Universal Orlando theme parks. This amazing attraction has been reported to be the most expensive roller coaster ever built at a cost of $300 million and it took the place of Dragon Challenge which comprised two "dueling" roller coasters. This ride originally opened in June 2019 and features a lengthy 5,000+ feet of track that gives guests a ride almost three minutes long at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. There is an initial launch with number of drops, twists, turns and a 70 degree vertical angle (make sure you watch the video to see what we are referring to). Obviously this attraction is themed after the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where guests take a ride on Hagrid's motorbike (either the motorcycle itself or in a side car) on a journey through the Forbidden Forest. Riders will encounter a number of "Magical Creatures" including Fluffy the three-headed dog, a Blast-Ended Skrewt, Cornish Pixies and a Centaur. Don't forget to watch out not to get caught in Devil's Snare (if you do, just relax and it will set you free). And say hello to the unicorn's at the end of the ride. Prior to boarding the motorbike, guests travel through a fairly extensive and well themed queue where they will see Hagrid's home and pumpkin garden as well as an old castle previously unseen to "muggles". Check out our full, on-ride POV video of the Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is one of the most fun and thrilling rides at the Universal Orlando Resort and is limited to guests 48 inches or taller. There is a child swap location so parents with small children can still enjoy this ride. If you love roller coasters and thrill rides, Hagrid's can't be missed during your next visit to Universal. We consider the Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure one of our Top 5 Rides at Universal's Islands of Adventure and actually it is the top ride on our list for 2020. We will see how it stacks up when the new Jurassic World VelociCoaster makes its debut in 2021. Will there be a new number one ride? We will just have to wait and see. Universal does not allow guests to take bags on this ride so free lockers are available just outside the attractions entrance right next to the replica of the Hogwarts Express train. Since the Universal parks reopened in June, stand-by lines are no longer available (which probably makes sense as we have seen wait times exceed three hours). Do you think that's crazy to wait three hours for a three minute ride? Prior to reopening Universal Express was not offered and as Premier Annual Passholders, we get a free one-time Universal Express so we can't stand waiting on long lines. So needless to say, we waiting quite a while before even attempting to ride Hagrid's. At this time guests must make a Virtual Line reservation using the Universal Orlando app. It is quite easy to do and you can select the number of guests in your traveling party so no one gets left behind. Reservation times are constantly released throughout the course of the day so if you don't get a reservation at first, just keep trying. So do you think you can handle the Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure? Is it near the top of the list of your favorite coaster? Let us know your thoughts in the comments of our YouTube video shown above. Learn More about the Universal Orlando Resort with our Theme Park Guides Universal Studios Florida Universal's Islands of Adventure Universal's CityWalk Where Should We Stay When Visiting the Universal Orlando Resort? The Universal Resort has a number of great on-site hotels and each and every one of them have their own benefits, characteristics and price points. There are multiple "categories" of hotels but the highest quality on-site hotels are the Premier Hotels. Premier hotels are Universal's premium hotels that have the highest quality amenities & accommodations, the closest locations to the theme parks and largest amount of on-site hotel benefits. The Hard Rock Hotel The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel The Lowes Royal Pacific Hotel What sets Premier hotels apart is that they provide a free Universal Express pass to every guest staying in the room. Universal Express allows guests to skip the regular lines and ride the most popular rides as many times as they would like. Once you get used to Universal Express, you will never want to visit a theme park without one. In addition Universal's Premier hotels and resorts, there are a number of other on-site and off-site hotels options. Click here to learn more about hotels in the Universal Orlando area.