Hagrid Early Entry

[EngineerMom]

We are staying onsite at Universal before Disney so we can have early entry. (we have done this before and it works out great)
When we are there the parks open at 8am with early entry starting at 7am
I have seen things posted saying virtual queue opens at 8am.
Does that mean that if you are there at 7am you can just line up for Hagrid?

 

[jeanericuser001]

Nope. Alas its like Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood studios. If they have the virtual queue then you will need to log in at 8 like everyone else and hope you manage to get a decent spot in the line. My advice would be to have your phone ready to do the qr code look up as soon as it turns 8. That way you can get on it as soon as it turns 8 if you have a decent connection. Typically the early access is good for scratching off some early bucket list rides before you try to do the big items. Universal early access is good for enjoying despicable me as well as the Gringotts though the breakfast at the leaky cauldron is fairly decent though a little pricey. Everything else is still closed off.

 

[EngineerMom]

Nope. Alas its like Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood studios. If they have the virtual queue then you will need to log in at 8 like everyone else and hope you manage to get a decent spot in the line. My advice would be to have your phone ready to do the qr code look up as soon as it turns 8. That way you can get on it as soon as it turns 8 if you have a decent connection. Typically the early access is good for scratching off some early bucket list rides before you try to do the big items. Universal early access is good for enjoying despicable me as well as the Gringotts though the breakfast at the leaky cauldron is fairly decent though a little pricey. Everything else is still closed off.

Thank you for the quick response. I think I confused you by me just saying Universal.
We are going for 2 days. 1 day at each park.
The list of rides you are mentioning are at Universal Studios (Despicable me and Gringotts). I believe Island's of Adventure also has early access as they listed multiple rides on their site. Basically at IOA it is Spiderman and the Harry Potter rides.

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando Resort

www.universalorlando.com

My hope was we could go strait to Hargid and get a ride then at 8 see if we can't get a virtual pass.
Or possibly we can get the virtual pass at 7am. I believe for Hagrid you need to be inside the park, vs ROR where you need a park reservation but can try from anywhere at 7am.

 

[jeanericuser001]

Thank you for the quick response. I think I confused you by me just saying Universal.
We are going for 2 days. 1 day at each park.
The list of rides you are mentioning are at Universal Studios (Despicable me and Gringotts). I believe Island's of Adventure also has early access as they listed multiple rides on their site. Basically at IOA it is Spiderman and the Harry Potter rides.

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando Resort

www.universalorlando.com

My hope was we could go strait to Hargid and get a ride then at 8 see if we can't get a virtual pass.
Or possibly we can get the virtual pass at 7am. I believe for Hagrid you need to be inside the park, vs ROR where you need a park reservation but can try from anywhere at 7am.

You read what I wrote completely wrong. You can't wait in line at the entrance to hagrids. Besides hagrids doesn't always open at 8. The virtual que is merely there to help you get a spot as soon as it opens. I used universal as an example of how the early access works as they share identical systems. They typically have a couple attractions open but everything else is still closed. As for hagrids, reservations are done via a QR code you will find within the park. Scan that code and it will take you to a site. Put in your info and then you will get a time for when you need to be there. ROR on the other hand is handled via a phone app which actually uses your location data to determine if you are in the park. Then its all a question of who is the lucky persons to get in that reservation in time. Some get lucky and instantly get in while others are locked out for the day. Its a true lottery in all honesty. Hagrids on the other hand is very similar to the virtual queue for fast and furious and Tonight show which basically give you a spot in a virtual que line which is constantly added to until all spots have been filled for the day. If you are lucky though many spots are often missed and thus new spots constantly open up.

 

[EngineerMom]

Thank you.
I have the universal app and thought I could get on the virtual queue that way.
I know I was able to do that with Tonight show when it was the 1st ride with a virtual queue even though we didn't need it.

 

[EngineerMom]

As for hagrids, reservations are done via a QR code you will find within the park. Scan that code and it will take you to a site. Put in your info and then you will get a time for when you need to be there.

Sorry I misunderstood your 1st comments. (I was just confused since Hagrid is IOA)

Where is this QR code in the park?
We will want to scan it right away as it is the only ride without the express pass.

 

[jeanericuser001]

There are several throughout the park. You will see them in multiple places including the pathways leading to Dr. Seuseland, midway into the lost continent, near the entrance to the harry potter area, the entrance to hagrids, and near jurassic park entrance if memory serves right. They tend to move them about but they are pretty easy to spot. If you got early access it shouldn't be to hard to find them.

 

[Herbie]

EngineerMom,
YES, you CAN use the standby line for Hagrid IF you arrive at 7 as part of early park entry. Not sure about jean's experience, but I did just the same - for the first time - yesterday. (Recent annual passholder).
Arrived around 6:30, made our way through CityWalk and queued up outside the park around 6:50, entered around 7:10 and made a beeline towards Hagrid, as did most everyone. The line was moving quickly even though the ride didn't start running until around 7:50. By the time we exited the ride, it was probably 9:19, so we waited a little under two hours, but it seemed to go by fast.
So, it's worthwhile to try this if you can. Again, I'm not sure about jean's experience... maybe they've only just started allowing the standby line in the morning with it being Mardi Gras and the spring break crowds. But, they absolutely allowed it yesterday. Hope that helps.

EDIT: Also, you CAN schedule virtual line passes through the app, just like Fallon, etc. I believe those QR code signs are simply for those who haven't already downloaded the app.

My partner and I almost scored virtual line passes WHILE waiting in line but talked ourselves out of it for the sake of other riders. In retrospect, we wish we had done it, just to ride the other seat. It's a great ride!!!

 

[LittleMerman]

I went to Universal in Feb and did the early morning hour. We went straight to Hagrid's and the line was already really long. We waited about 30 min in line and were probably 1/4 done with the line when I got the notification that I could use the virtual queue at park opening time. We weren't even thinking about using the virtual queue (I don't go to Universal often and wasn't familiar). We got a spot in the virtual queue so we left to ride other rides. The employee even said "You want to get out of line now? Good luck getting in the virtual queue" in a sarcastic way. I said "We are..." and we went to ride other things. Later in the day we tried again and got to ride it twice that day.

 

[EngineerMom]

EngineerMom,
YES, you CAN use the standby line for Hagrid IF you arrive at 7 as part of early park entry. Not sure about jean's experience, but I did just the same - for the first time - yesterday. (Recent annual passholder).
Arrived around 6:30, made our way through CityWalk and queued up outside the park around 6:50, entered around 7:10 and made a beeline towards Hagrid, as did most everyone. The line was moving quickly even though the ride didn't start running until around 7:50. By the time we exited the ride, it was probably 9:19, so we waited a little under two hours, but it seemed to go by fast.
So, it's worthwhile to try this if you can. Again, I'm not sure about jean's experience... maybe they've only just started allowing the standby line in the morning with it being Mardi Gras and the spring break crowds. But, they absolutely allowed it yesterday. Hope that helps.

EDIT: Also, you CAN schedule virtual line passes through the app, just like Fallon, etc. I believe those QR code signs are simply for those who haven't already downloaded the app.

My partner and I almost scored virtual line passes WHILE waiting in line but talked ourselves out of it for the sake of other riders. In retrospect, we wish we had done it, just to ride the other seat. It's a great ride!!!

Thank you for updating the information
Interesting. I thought it was one of the early access rides so interesting that they didn't start running the ride until around 7:50

Yes I was confused by what Jean kept saying about QR codes. The last time we were there I scheduled Jimmy Fallon on my phone with the app and that was what Universal told me I could do for Hagrid.

I had posted this to see if there were any hints, like the hints I have read for ROR.
I actually just watched a video on youtube where the couple booked virtual passes from their Universal Hotel while waiting for the boat to take them over.

 

[disneyflush]

2 weeks ago the virtual queue opened up between 7:40 - 7:50 and the spots stayed available for a few minutes which is better than trying at the later times in the day.

 

[EngineerMom]

Nope. Alas its like Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood studios. If they have the virtual queue then you will need to log in at 8 like everyone else and hope you manage to get a decent spot in the line. My advice would be to have your phone ready to do the qr code look up as soon as it turns 8. That way you can get on it as soon as it turns 8 if you have a decent connection. Typically the early access is good for scratching off some early bucket list rides before you try to do the big items. Universal early access is good for enjoying despicable me as well as the Gringotts though the breakfast at the leaky cauldron is fairly decent though a little pricey. Everything else is still closed off.

We just got back. I don't know when you were there and things could change AGAIN so my 1st hand info is only as good as it is but figured I would clear up how it actually worked for us on April 10th.
We had the App on our phone and that is the easiest way to get a virtual pass. (you don't need to scan anything and you don't even need to be in the park you can be at the hotel onsite)

We arrived at 7am and Hagrid was SUPPOSED to be open and if it had been we COULD have gotten in line before virtual queue but they were having issues. When the ride is having issues they do NOT open the virtual queue until it is running SO we kept looking and BAM it came up and we got the queue. (I don't even ride roller coasters all this was for my husband and kid). They did the ride and LOVED it!

They wanted to ride again. We managed to snag another vitual queue for late that afternoon. They ran over and it had started storming again (it was thunder and lightning so the ride was shut down again)
We went to dinner. We went back to the park LATE and did a couple of rides, got off Forbidden Journey and BAM they had opened Hagrid AGAIN this was around 9pm and they were closing at 10pm. It was only for 1 hour at the end of the day so they didn't bother with Virtual Queue just opened it. It started to pour again but no lightning. The two of them road it twice with the rain pounding at them but they didn't care they still LOVED it.
Hubby told me just before the ride took off two girls asked the castmember will we get wet and he laughed and said YES you are going to get SOAKED!

 

[jeanericuser001]

We just got back. I don't know when you were there and things could change AGAIN so my 1st hand info is only as good as it is but figured I would clear up how it actually worked for us on April 10th.
We had the App on our phone and that is the easiest way to get a virtual pass. (you don't need to scan anything and you don't even need to be in the park you can be at the hotel onsite)

We arrived at 7am and Hagrid was SUPPOSED to be open and if it had been we COULD have gotten in line before virtual queue but they were having issues. When the ride is having issues they do NOT open the virtual queue until it is running SO we kept looking and BAM it came up and we got the queue. (I don't even ride roller coasters all this was for my husband and kid). They did the ride and LOVED it!

They wanted to ride again. We managed to snag another vitual queue for late that afternoon. They ran over and it had started storming again (it was thunder and lightning so the ride was shut down again)
We went to dinner. We went back to the park LATE and did a couple of rides, got off Forbidden Journey and BAM they had opened Hagrid AGAIN this was around 9pm and they were closing at 10pm. It was only for 1 hour at the end of the day so they didn't bother with Virtual Queue just opened it. It started to pour again but no lightning. The two of them road it twice with the rain pounding at them but they didn't care they still LOVED it.
Hubby told me just before the ride took off two girls asked the castmember will we get wet and he laughed and said YES you are going to get SOAKED!

Im glad you have had better luck than I have had with hagrids. Maybe Im going on the wrong days or maybe things have changed. The info I presented was what I knew at the time. If things have changed then Im all for it. I just hope my next visit is as good as yours was.

 

[EngineerMom]

Im glad you have had better luck than I have had with hagrids. Maybe Im going on the wrong days or maybe things have changed. The info I presented was what I knew at the time. If things have changed then Im all for it. I just hope my next visit is as good as yours was.

np
The parks keep changing the rules all the time.