Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

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, manufactured by Intamin, opened on June 13, 2019. Universal described the roller coaster 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 $300M it is also the most expensive roller coaster ever built,[2] surpassing the previous record of $100M by Expedition Everest.[7]

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Entrance to Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Islands of Adventure
LocationIslands of Adventure
Park sectionThe Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade
Coordinates28.4297589°N 81.5858869°W / 28.4297589; -81.5858869
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateJune 11, 2019 (2019-06-11)
Opening dateJune 13, 2019 (2019-06-13)[1]
CostUSD $300 million[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°
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
TrainsSingle 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
Launches1. 0 to 20 mph (32 km/h) in 1.2 seconds

2. 22 mph (35 km/h) to 30 mph (48 km/h) in 1.5 seconds
3. 0 to 32 mph (51 km/h) in 3.5 seconds
4. 27 mph (43 km/h) to 35 mph (56 km/h) in 2.3 seconds
5. 21 mph (34 km/h) to 41 mph (66 km/h) in 2.5 seconds
6. 37 mph (60 km/h) to 44 mph (71 km/h) in 1.7 seconds

7. 0 to 50 mph (80 km/h) in 4 seconds
Must transfer from wheelchair
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at RCDB
Pictures of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at RCDB

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.[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] Ride testing began as of February 26, 2019.[10]

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 not in attendance due to health reasons; however, he recorded video messages for the occasion.[11]

Experience

Pre-show

Rubeus Hagrid will take Muggles on a very special Care of Magical Creatures class and has inquired the help of Arthur Weasley 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 spraying Muggles with water before Hagrid departs to wait for the Muggles. 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.

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

The ride begins with a small dip out of the loading station. Afterwards, the vehicles launch into a series of dips as Hagrid says he will meet up with the riders at an abandoned hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Once the bikes reach Hagrid's hut, a Blast-Ended Skrewt sprays the riders as the giant himself meets the riders to tell them they'll pick up the rest of the lesson later. After launching out of the hut, the bikes quickly go up and down a large hill into the area of an abandoned castle. Hagrid warns the riders that the bikes are out of his control and are flying into the Forbidden Forest. The vehicles then make a turn and slow down near Fluffy, the three-headed dog. They later speed past a group of Cornish Pixies that have taken over Arthur Weasley's flying Ford Anglia and rise up a spike before losing power and drop backwards through a series of turns as Hagrid attempts to put the bikes back on track. The vehicles slow down into the darkest area of the Forbidden Forest as the riders pass a centaur, stopping in the tentacles of Devil's Snare. Hagrid tells riders to say the incantation "Lumos Solem" and then free-fall into cave filled with glowing Blast-Ended Skrewts around the riders, which Hagrid congratulates the riders for finding them. He then tells the riders to push the button in front of them to expel dragon fire-breath to launch them out of the cave before the skrewts blast the riders, making a final launch out of the cave, dropping and turning once more until stopping at the abandoned castle, where a unicorn and her baby are spotted. As the riders slow down into the unloading area, Hagrid thanks the riders and asks them not to tell anyone at Hogwarts about the experience.

Characteristics

Described as a "story coaster" by Universal,[12] 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[13][14] 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.[15]

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.[16] Each motorbike has speakers that provide theming to the attraction, with a score inspired by music composed by John Williams for the Harry Potter films.

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.[17] The roller coaster was originally scheduled to be Universal Orlando's third attraction to employ a Virtual Line system, the first one at Islands of Adventure and the first Universal coaster to feature the virtual queue system.

Technical difficulties

The attraction "has been plagued by downtime problems from day one"[18][19][20] and has been cited as "one of the most unreliable in the entire theme park industry" due to its frequent downtimes. 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 or when they can be resolved.[21]

Awards

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure 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.[22]

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See also

References
  1. Christiansen, Kathleen (February 21, 2019). "Universal Orlando Resort names new Harry Potter attraction". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  2. 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.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. "Exclusive Testing Footage: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure". Midway Mayhem. February 26, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via Twitter.
  11. Schmidt, Jennifer; Abell, Bailee (June 11, 2019). "Live stream celebration of Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure". Inside the Magic. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  12. Keyes, Rob (June 14, 2019). "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is Orlando's New Best Coaster". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 27, 2019 – via Screen Rant.
  13. 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.
  14. "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". Pottermore. February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  15. "Join Hagrid™ and Fly into the Forbidden Forest". Universal Orlando. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. MacDonald, Brady (November 20, 2019). "How does ride downtime compare on Disney's Smugglers Run and Universal's Hagrid's Motorbike? It's not even close – Orange County Register". oc register. MediaNews Group, Inc. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  19. 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.
  20. Sundt, Hal (February 20, 2020). "The Amusement Park Revolution Has Come to Disney World". The Ringer.
  21. 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.
  22. "2019 Golden Ticket Awards winners". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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