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Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

Coordinates: 28°28′23″N 81°28′23″W / 28.473°N 81.473°W / 28.473; -81.473
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Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Entrance to Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure
LocationUniversal's Islands of Adventure
Park sectionThe Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade
Coordinates28°28′23″N 81°28′23″W / 28.473°N 81.473°W / 28.473; -81.473
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateJune 11, 2019 (2019-06-11)
Opening dateJune 13, 2019 (2019-06-13)[1]
CostUSD $300M[2]
ReplacedDragon Challenge
General statistics
TypeSteel – Launched
ManufacturerIntamin
DesignerUniversal Creative
ModelMotorbike roller coaster
Lift/launch systemLinear synchronous motor
Height65 ft (20 m)
Drop17 ft (5.2 m)
Length5,053 ft (1,540 m)
Speed50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions0
Duration2:55
Max vertical angle70°
Capacity1,700 riders per hour
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains12 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 14 riders per train.
ThemeForbidden Forest (Harry Potter)
Pre-show hostsRubeus Hagrid
Arthur Weasley
Ride hostRubeus Hagrid
Launches
  • 1st: 0 to 20 mph (32 km/h) in 1.2 seconds
  • 2nd: 22 mph (35 km/h) to 30 mph (48 km/h) in 1.5 seconds
  • 3rd: 0 to 32 mph (51 km/h) in 3.5 seconds
  • 4th: 27 mph (43 km/h) to 35 mph (56 km/h) in 2.3 seconds
  • 5th: 21 mph (34 km/h) to 41 mph (66 km/h) in 2.5 seconds
  • 6th: 37 mph (60 km/h) to 44 mph (71 km/h) in 1.7 seconds
  • 7th: 0 to 50 mph (80 km/h) in 4 seconds
Universal Virtual Line available
Single rider line available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at RCDB

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a multiple-launch steel motorbike roller coaster[3] located at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade section of Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park. The attraction opened on June 13, 2019 and was manufactured by Intamin, and features both indoor and outdoor characteristics. It is the sixth Harry Potter-themed attraction created for the resort, which Universal described it as "a highly-themed roller coaster that will take us into a different corner of the wizarding world, where guests will encounter some of their favorite characters and creatures".[4] The attraction replaced the Dragon Challenge roller coasters, which closed on September 4, 2017.[5][6] At $300 million, it is also the most expensive roller coaster ever built,[2] surpassing the previous record of $100 million by Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom.[7] Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the longest roller coaster in Florida at 5,053 feet (1,540 m) and holds a record-breaking seven launches.

History

Construction for Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure began early January 2018, after land clearing was completed on the site that Dragon Challenge occupied previously.[8] According to Alan Gilmore, art director of the Potter films and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, over a thousand trees were planted to create the woodland that would set the theme of the Forbidden Forest.[9]

The vertical spike began to rise in May 2018 and was completed a few weeks later.[10] By August 2018, the castle structure was being built, while portions of the track were covered in white plastic wrap.[11] In October 2018, the structure for Hagrid's Hut was being swiftly constructed, several trees were then planted in the surrounding area and later on, the track layout was completed.[12] On December 17, 2018, the first 7-car train, which was completely covered, was installed on the track in anticipation of the testing phase.[13]

On February 21, 2019, Universal Orlando announced more details about the coaster, including the name, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the ride vehicle design and an opening date for June 13, 2019.[14] Ride testing began shortly after, on February 26, 2019.[15] The Fluffy animatronic was completed early April 2019, around the same time final touches were made to the ride.[16] It was confirmed that over twenty 13-inch cornish pixies would be found throughout the experience.[17] Then, the unicorn animatronics were installed the following month.[18] The attraction is one of the only coasters in the United States to feature a free-fall vertical drop.

The grand opening ceremony took place on June 11, 2019 with actors Evanna Lynch, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Rupert Grint and James and Oliver Phelps in attendance. Robbie Coltrane, who portrayed Rubeus Hagrid, was unable to attend due to health reasons; however, he recorded video messages for the occasion.[19] After opening, the queue line stretched all the way to Port of Entry, with ten hour wait times.[20]

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure didn't have an Express queue line when it first opened, but it had a single rider entrance. The single rider queue line allowed guests to bypass the pre-show to access the station. Just a day after opening, Universal asked guests to reserve a ride time through the official smartphone app. A wait time specifically for the Virtual Line queue was displayed at the Hogsmeade entrance. The Express entrance will be added to the ride in the near future.[21] Due to the coronavirus pandemic and its spread to Florida, the single rider line was made unavailable upon the resort's June 2020 reopening, but was reopened on June 15, 2021.

Characteristics

Described as a "story coaster" by Universal,[22] the attraction takes Muggles on a journey through the Forbidden Forest, coming face to face with magical creatures of the Wizarding World on Rubeus Hagrid's motorcycle[23][24] such as Fluffy the three-headed dog, Cornish Pixies, Devil's Snare, a Centaur and a Blast-Ended Skrewt, a creature that was never featured in any of the Harry Potter films.[25]

The attraction's vehicle is modeled after Hagrid's motorcycle, originally owned by Sirius Black in the book series, which appeared in the first and seventh films. There are seven rows on each train. Each row seats two passengers, one on the motorcycle itself and one in the sidecar.[26] Each motorbike has speakers that provide theming to the attraction, much like The Incredible Hulk Coaster and the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, with a score inspired by the compositions of the Harry Potter films, especially those of John Williams.

With a maximum speed of 50 mph throughout seven launches, the ride includes more launches than any other roller coaster in the world. It is the second coaster in the United States to feature a vertical drop track at nearly 17 feet, and the longest roller coaster in Florida, measuring nearly a mile in length (5,053 ft). The track also features a "spike" that catapults guests 65 feet into the air at a more than 70-degree angle, followed by a backwards drop in one movement.[27] The roller coaster is the third attraction at Universal Orlando to employ Virtual Line, after Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon and Fast & Furious: Supercharged, the first one at Islands of Adventure and the first coaster to feature a virtual queue system at the resort. Due to popularity and high demand, on peak days such as weekends and holidays, the attraction only employs the use of Universal Virtual Line reservations from the Universal Orlando mobile application, instead of standby.

Ride experience

Queue

The exterior queue remains the same as Dragon Challenge, with the exception of the removal of the broken-down Ford Anglia, which was incorporated to the ride, and the pennants in support of the Triwizard Tournament champions. Muggles enter the Forbidden Forest by passing under the archway entrance, where they encounter signs along the way. A ring shaped path leads to a bridge over the exit pathway. Heading towards Flight of the Hippogriff, there is a flying horse made out of wood. Approaching a long switchback section, Muggles see huts, pumpkin patches and farming equipment. After passing a rose garden, Muggles cross the bridge and access a castle. Straight ahead, there is a vertical sculpture with a mermaid from the Black Lake surrounded by a couple of Grindylows. To the left of the sculpture is the castle entrance. Muggles enter a room with cages and several murals, such as Buckbeak and Ravenclaw. While walking down the hallway, there is a Dueling Club mural with ice and fire dragons, which pays tribute to Dragon Challenge. After this, Muggles head into a switchback room with a fireplace, pieces of wood, kitchenware and salamander footprints. This is followed by another storage room containing dragon eggs and more murals. After exiting the pre-show, Muggles pass along a study area with hourglasses, books, scales and other items. They can find several cards with creatures, including unicorns, cornish pixies, manticores and nifflers, as well as the Book of Monsters.[28] Then, Muggles follow some dark hallways. Getting closer, they spot a test seat and a screen that shows safety instructions. After another switchback area, Muggles enter the station, where they stand on a moving conveyor belt and climb into the ride vehicles.[29]

Pre-show

Rubeus Hagrid (played by Robbie Coltrane) will take Muggles on a very special Care of Magical Creatures class and has inquired the help of Arthur Weasley (played by Mark Williams) to tinker with Hagrid's motorbike, whose original owner is mentioned to be Sirius Black, in an attempt to duplicate it in order to take Muggles to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. After Arthur successfully duplicates the motorbike, Fang, Hagrid's pet boarhound, releases Cornish Pixies that were covered in their cage and start to wreak havoc by taking Arthur's wand, burning the duplicate motorbike and then blowing it up. Arthur then casts Aguamenti to put down the flames and sprays Muggles with water before Hagrid departs to wait for them. Arthur then tells Muggles that he will try to duplicate the motorbike again at the stables, where there is plenty of space to do so and departs with the original motorbike following him before casting Reparo on it.

The pre-show has been preempted since Universal Orlando's reopening after the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of a pre-show, Fang is seen walking around.

Layout

View of the attraction's vehicle trains and the track from the queue.

The ride begins by turning right out of the loading station. Afterwards, the vehicles hit the first launch which accelerates from 0 to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) in 1.2 seconds. It moves through an s-curve slope and makes a right turn and hit the second launch, accelerating from 22 miles per hour (35 km/h) to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) in 1.5 seconds. Hagrid says he will meet up with the Muggles at an abandoned hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Once the bikes reach Hagrid's hut, a Blast-Ended Skrewt sprays smoke at the riders as the giant himself tells them they'll pick up the rest of the lesson later. The vehicles exit the hut by turning right, which leads into the third launch from 0 to 32 miles per hour (51 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. The vehicles head up an airtime hill, passing by the abandoned castle and making a left-handed dive into a tunnel. Following a series of turns, The vehicles approach the fourth launch, accelerating from 27 miles per hour (43 km/h) to 35 miles per hour (56 km/h) in 2.3 seconds. While going through a double right turn, Hagrid warns that the bikes are out of his control and are flying into the Forbidden Forest. The vehicles then make a right turn and slow down on the mid-course brake run. Fluffy, the three-headed dog can be found on the left side. The vehicle turns left past a switchtrack and accelerate from 21 miles per hour (34 km/h) to 41 miles per hour (66 km/h) in 2.1 seconds. They speed into a tunnel with a group of Cornish Pixies that have taken over Arthur Weasley's broken-down flying Ford Anglia on top. After the tunnel, they rise up a 65-foot (20 m) tall 70-degree vertical spike before losing power and dropping backwards. Now accelerating from 37 miles per hour (60 km/h) to 44 miles per hour (71 km/h) in 1.7 seconds, It speeds through another tunnel and a helix. The vehicles slow down into the darkest part of the Forbidden Forest as the Muggles pass a centaur, stopping in the tentacles of Devil's Snare. Hagrid encourages Muggles to say the incantation "Lumos Solem" and then free-fall 17 feet (5.2 m) into a cave filled with glowing Blast-Ended Skrewts around riders, which Hagrid congratulates for finding them. The vehicles exit the building and approach the final launch, accelerating from 0 to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) in 4 seconds. During this launch, Muggles are told to push the button in front of them to expel dragon fire-breath. Fog effects begin to appear in a straight line near the tracks. The vehicles hit a left banked turn and pass the on-ride camera, which takes photos of the guests. After this, the vehicles make a right turn before stopping at the abandoned castle, where a unicorn and her baby are spotted, thus ending the ride. As the vehicles slow down into the unloading area, Hagrid thanks and asks them not to tell anyone at Hogwarts about the experience.[30]

Reception

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was positively received by guests on opening day.[31] It was awarded the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Attraction Installation by Amusement Today in 2019 and was awarded second place for Best New Roller Coaster.[32]

Incidents

On October 2, 2019, the roller coaster was temporarily shut down after a swarm of honey bees surrounded the attraction.[33] A small fire broke out in the backstage area of the attraction on August 11, 2020, prompting a full evacuation without injuries. The fire was extinguished but the attraction remained closed a couple of days later.[34]

Technical difficulties

The attraction "has been plagued by downtime problems from day one"[35][36] and has been cited as "one of the most unreliable in the entire theme park industry". During some months, the ride was unavailable about half of the time the park was open and Universal has not publicly stated what the problems are and if/when they can be resolved.[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ Christiansen, Kathleen (February 21, 2019). "Universal Orlando Resort names new Harry Potter attraction". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Joyce, Kathleen (June 13, 2019). "Universal Orlando's much anticipated $300M'Harry Potter' roller coaster is now open". Fox Business. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  3. ^ "Dragon Challenge closing for a new Harry Potter ride". Orlando Informer. July 24, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  4. ^ John (July 24, 2017). "Dragon Challenge Closing at Islands of Adventure". Coaster101. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  5. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (July 25, 2017). "Dragon Challenge is Closing Forever at Universal. Here's What is Replacing It". Theme Park Tourist. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  6. ^ Marden, Duane. "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Universal Studios Islands of Adventure (Orlando, Florida, USA)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  7. ^ Guinness World Records 2011. Glenday, Craig., Guinness World Records Limited. ([Special American ed.] ed.). [London]: Guinness World Records. 2010. ISBN 978-1-904994-58-9. OCLC 607980615.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ^ Bilbao, Richard (August 29, 2017). "Universal begins work on Harry Potter rides, holiday show". Orlando Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  9. ^ "New Details Revealed for Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure". Universal Orlando. March 12, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  10. ^ "Brown Track Spotted at Harry Potter Coaster for Universal Studios".
  11. ^ "Harry Potter Coaster Construction Update at Islands of Adventure - Castle Structure Appears".
  12. ^ "Harry Potter Coaster Construction Update at Islands of Adventure – Forbidden Forest Grows and Hut Appears".
  13. ^ "Coaster Trains Spotted on Track for New Harry Potter Coaster at Universal Orlando".
  14. ^ "Universal Orlando announces Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure will open June 13".
  15. ^ "Exclusive Testing Footage: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure". Midway Mayhem. February 26, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ "Amazing Photos Reveal New Details for Hagrid's Motorbike Coaster".
  17. ^ "Cornish pixies will make mischief on Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure".
  18. ^ "Unicorns Spotted at Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure".
  19. ^ Schmidt, Jennifer; Abell, Bailee (June 11, 2019). "Live stream celebration of Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure". Inside the Magic. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  20. ^ "Harry Potter Fans Wait up to 10 Hours to Ride Universal Orlando's Newest Roller Coaster".
  21. ^ "Hagrid coaster opening without Universal Express pass".
  22. ^ Keyes, Rob (June 14, 2019). "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is Orlando's New Best Coaster". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  23. ^ Baumgaertner, Melissa (February 21, 2019). "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, An All-New Experience In The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, Opens June 13". Universal Orlando. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  24. ^ "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". Pottermore. February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  25. ^ "Join Hagrid™ and Fly into the Forbidden Forest". Universal Orlando. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  26. ^ Kubersky, Seth (February 21, 2019). "Universal Orlando announces 'Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure' will open June 13". Orlando Weekly. Euclid Media Group. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  27. ^ Fitch, Hailey (May 20, 2019). "7 Thrilling Details About Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure". Universal Orlando Up Close. Universal Orlando. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  28. ^ "Everything you need to know about Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure at Universal Studios".
  29. ^ "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure queue walkthrough". Theme Park Insider. YouTube. June 11, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  30. ^ "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Frontseat On-Ride POV Islands Of Adventure". Coaster Thrills. YouTube. September 22, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  31. ^ "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Opens to Long Lines and Rave Reviews".
  32. ^ "2019 Golden Ticket Awards winners". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  33. ^ Carter, Ashley (October 2, 2019). "Bees Force Closure of Universal Orlando's Hagrid Coaster". MyNews13.com. News 13. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  34. ^ Carter, Ashley (August 12, 2020). "Universal's Hagrid Coaster Closes After Small Backstage Fire". MyNews13.com. News 13. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  35. ^ Whitten, Sarah (June 13, 2019). "10-hour wait: New $300 million Harry Potter coaster opens at Universal in Orlando to massive crowds". CNBC. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  36. ^ Sundt, Hal (February 20, 2020). "The Amusement Park Revolution Has Come to Disney World". The Ringer.
  37. ^ Gregory, John (December 12, 2019). "Theme park data: How often has Universal's Hagrid ride been closed? - Orlando Rising". orlando-rising. orlando-rising. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
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