Movielover
Well-Known Member
Back on topic how is the ride restraint wise? Will us hefty folk have trouble with this one?
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Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure is open
- Thread starter RustySpork
- Start date
General Mayhem
Well-Known Member
Just got off the ride and it is officially one of my top favorite rides in the world. Absolutely fantastic!
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
I agree with you about being able to enjoy the ride despite its Potter connections. A haunted castle/forest is a universal theme that anyone can enjoy even if they're not aware of its origins. Same deal with the Tower of Terror. You don't have to be a fan of Twilight Zone to enjoy it, because the idea is based on a haunted hotel. Now look at what replaced the Tower in DCA. If you haven't watched the Guardians movies (and plenty of people haven't), then you haven't the foggiest idea what's going on in that loud mished-mashed mess of a ride. It's a disaster and will only become moreso as the Marvel movie juggernaut begins to fade (and yes, it will. Everything does in time. Oh, the Guardians are timeless? Doubtful).
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
If I show up at say, 7:30 or 8:00 tonight will I get in or turned away?
General Mayhem
Well-Known Member
Possibly Hagrid's has had a lot of downtimes today (not weather related)
General Mayhem
Well-Known Member
@Tom Morrow they are still admitting guests at this time
DeletedAccount55555
Well-Known Member
Sounds like ride operation has been smooth today and waits have been around 3 hours? Opening the ride hours before park opening would certainly help.
Movielover
Well-Known Member
As for my earlier question, anybody have a opinion on the restraints? Restrictive?
Jones14
Well-Known Member
I’ve never understood why all the versions of Hogwarts look so different. Did they change the materials they used for each of them?
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Alright! By what feels like a stroke of miracle, I got to ride tonight. Waited about three hours, which is exactly what they posted, so that's good. Here are my initial thoughts!
Spoiler free summary: This is hands down the best Universal attraction since Forbidden Journey. However, unlike Forbidden Journey, I do not think this is an industry game changer, and, although I tried my hardest to block out all my pre-conceived criticisms, I still ended up feeling that the theming and show aspects fall a bit short. That said, the coaster itself is so fun and exhilarating that it almost doesn't matter.
Details and SPOILERS AHEAD!
The queue:
The queue definitely looks nicer than it did as Dragon Challenge. The pathway up to the castle, or whatever it's supposed to be now, is quite beautiful. The new castle exterior and seeing the big expanse of the ride next to it is pretty impressive. This might be a weird complaint to some, but I actually wish you could see a little less of the coaster as you make your way to the castle entrance. I think it would add to the mystique if you could only see through a few gaps, and perhaps see the trains peak above the fenceline here and there. It's cool to hear the motorcycles roaring by, similar to how Slinky Dog Dash has sound effects as it whizzes by.
In the pre-show I couldn't quite hear what was being said (actually, the audio levels seemed a little low throughout as I had a hard time ever understanding what Hagrid was saying). but it feels overly long, awkward, and seems to have nothing to say. I found it rather pointless. The pre-show is placed at the beginning of the queue which creates long pulses before it. Afterward, the line flows a bit more continuously, and I imagine very continuously once this is at full capacity. I also noted that the pre-show is set up to be bypassed, so it probably won't be used if the line is short enough.
The rest of the interior queue's main setpiece rooms are very nicely done. My one issue with the interior is that, unfortunately, those long, narrow, catacomb tunnels from Dragon Challenge/Dueling Dragons remain. I've always hated how loud and stuffy these segments are, and there's essentially nothing to look at. I completely understand why they're still there, as this is almost exactly the same layout as before and it wouldn't make sense to reconfigure the whole building, but this is a minor downside of the queue for me. As a whole, it's better than the Gringotts queue but not as good as Forbidden Journey's queue.
The coaster:
I was genuinely surprised by how fun and relatively intense the coaster is. Every launch is fun and exhilarating, and there's so many of them. I rode on the bike seat and it really felt like being on a flying motorcycle, especially with the onboard audio. I don't think other ride systems could have simulated this feeling as well as this coaster style. With the launches, drop track, and spike stall, I would put this somewhere just under Everest and Mummy for intensity, but perhaps more fun than both. The pacing is great and it really feels like they learned from the complaints of Gringotts being too stop-and-go. I also rode at night, so the feeling of speed was very high. It might not be as thrilling in the daytime, similar to how Expedition Everest feels much faster and more intense in the dark. I suppose I'll find out soon enough. The coaster is so fun that I'll go as far as to say I don't miss Dragon Challenge, I would take this over it any day.
The theming/show:
During construction, my big concern was the drop track building ruining the immersion. Turns out, I didn't even notice it while on the ride (though again, it was night time). However, and I wasn't actively looking for it, mind you, there are quite a lot of backstage and infrastructure views. I'd really like them to invest a little more and hide as much as they can. The Hagrid animatronic looks fine, not amazing. With the Blast Ended Skrewt, I really wish you couldn't see it spinning on a pole. Someone pointed out that they should place some piles of hay to disguise it a bit more and I definitely agree. I was expecting actual fire in this scene as well and found it a bit disappointing to just have simulated explosions. I couldn't see the Pixies at all, only the car. This segment is just too fast and they're too small. Similarly, you fly by Fluffly a little too quickly and could easily miss him. My biggest complaint is probably the interior of the drop track building. I was expecting and hoping for some very dense and elaborate sets and crazy lighting effects, but it is in fact somewhat barren. This also could be due to it being night time, and my eyes were adjusted to see more. Perhaps, prior to entering the drop track building, they should hit the train with a strobe so we only see what we're intended to see. Maybe this is the plan? I noticed the on-ride photo wasn't working yet.
A minor complaint that doesn't fit anywhere else: This uses the saaaame Potter musical scores you hear everywhere else throughout the WWoHP, both in the queue and on the ride. This is one of my bigger gripes about the lands because all it does for me is say "hey, remember the movie? you're in the movies, get it??" I know you all hate comparisons to Disney, but Pandora, SWGE, and Cars Land all use custom BGM tracks that are not just lifted straight from the films, and are there to expand and enhance the world that you're in. When I walk through WWoHP and hear these familiar musical themes blasting everywhere, it detracts from the realism for me. and screams "yes, this is a theme park land based on a movie!" I'm sure its not out of reach to record some custom tracks that are more appropriate as BGM.
I know some of you won't be happy about my criticisms, but this is just my initial response. I've ended up liking every Universal ride since after Forbidden Journey more after additional rides, and in this case I already can't wait to ride again.
Spoiler free summary: This is hands down the best Universal attraction since Forbidden Journey. However, unlike Forbidden Journey, I do not think this is an industry game changer, and, although I tried my hardest to block out all my pre-conceived criticisms, I still ended up feeling that the theming and show aspects fall a bit short. That said, the coaster itself is so fun and exhilarating that it almost doesn't matter.
Details and SPOILERS AHEAD!
The queue:
The queue definitely looks nicer than it did as Dragon Challenge. The pathway up to the castle, or whatever it's supposed to be now, is quite beautiful. The new castle exterior and seeing the big expanse of the ride next to it is pretty impressive. This might be a weird complaint to some, but I actually wish you could see a little less of the coaster as you make your way to the castle entrance. I think it would add to the mystique if you could only see through a few gaps, and perhaps see the trains peak above the fenceline here and there. It's cool to hear the motorcycles roaring by, similar to how Slinky Dog Dash has sound effects as it whizzes by.
In the pre-show I couldn't quite hear what was being said (actually, the audio levels seemed a little low throughout as I had a hard time ever understanding what Hagrid was saying). but it feels overly long, awkward, and seems to have nothing to say. I found it rather pointless. The pre-show is placed at the beginning of the queue which creates long pulses before it. Afterward, the line flows a bit more continuously, and I imagine very continuously once this is at full capacity. I also noted that the pre-show is set up to be bypassed, so it probably won't be used if the line is short enough.
The rest of the interior queue's main setpiece rooms are very nicely done. My one issue with the interior is that, unfortunately, those long, narrow, catacomb tunnels from Dragon Challenge/Dueling Dragons remain. I've always hated how loud and stuffy these segments are, and there's essentially nothing to look at. I completely understand why they're still there, as this is almost exactly the same layout as before and it wouldn't make sense to reconfigure the whole building, but this is a minor downside of the queue for me. As a whole, it's better than the Gringotts queue but not as good as Forbidden Journey's queue.
The coaster:
I was genuinely surprised by how fun and relatively intense the coaster is. Every launch is fun and exhilarating, and there's so many of them. I rode on the bike seat and it really felt like being on a flying motorcycle, especially with the onboard audio. I don't think other ride systems could have simulated this feeling as well as this coaster style. With the launches, drop track, and spike stall, I would put this somewhere just under Everest and Mummy for intensity, but perhaps more fun than both. The pacing is great and it really feels like they learned from the complaints of Gringotts being too stop-and-go. I also rode at night, so the feeling of speed was very high. It might not be as thrilling in the daytime, similar to how Expedition Everest feels much faster and more intense in the dark. I suppose I'll find out soon enough. The coaster is so fun that I'll go as far as to say I don't miss Dragon Challenge, I would take this over it any day.
The theming/show:
During construction, my big concern was the drop track building ruining the immersion. Turns out, I didn't even notice it while on the ride (though again, it was night time). However, and I wasn't actively looking for it, mind you, there are quite a lot of backstage and infrastructure views. I'd really like them to invest a little more and hide as much as they can. The Hagrid animatronic looks fine, not amazing. With the Blast Ended Skrewt, I really wish you couldn't see it spinning on a pole. Someone pointed out that they should place some piles of hay to disguise it a bit more and I definitely agree. I was expecting actual fire in this scene as well and found it a bit disappointing to just have simulated explosions. I couldn't see the Pixies at all, only the car. This segment is just too fast and they're too small. Similarly, you fly by Fluffly a little too quickly and could easily miss him. My biggest complaint is probably the interior of the drop track building. I was expecting and hoping for some very dense and elaborate sets and crazy lighting effects, but it is in fact somewhat barren. This also could be due to it being night time, and my eyes were adjusted to see more. Perhaps, prior to entering the drop track building, they should hit the train with a strobe so we only see what we're intended to see. Maybe this is the plan? I noticed the on-ride photo wasn't working yet.
A minor complaint that doesn't fit anywhere else: This uses the saaaame Potter musical scores you hear everywhere else throughout the WWoHP, both in the queue and on the ride. This is one of my bigger gripes about the lands because all it does for me is say "hey, remember the movie? you're in the movies, get it??" I know you all hate comparisons to Disney, but Pandora, SWGE, and Cars Land all use custom BGM tracks that are not just lifted straight from the films, and are there to expand and enhance the world that you're in. When I walk through WWoHP and hear these familiar musical themes blasting everywhere, it detracts from the realism for me. and screams "yes, this is a theme park land based on a movie!" I'm sure its not out of reach to record some custom tracks that are more appropriate as BGM.
I know some of you won't be happy about my criticisms, but this is just my initial response. I've ended up liking every Universal ride since after Forbidden Journey more after additional rides, and in this case I already can't wait to ride again.
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General Mayhem
Well-Known Member
Now that I am finally home here is my full review:
Hagrid's Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure is in my opinion the Crown Jewel of Universal Orlando's attraction offerings. Is it ground breaking? Game changing? Revolutionary? Perfect? No... but it doesn't need to be. What makes Hagrid's so special is it's simplicity, and extremely fun and emotional execution. This ride is the definition of fun, the entire time I was on this ride I could not stop smiling. There is this exciting, and exhilarating feeling this ride gives that I haven't felt on a new ride in a really really long time. This is also Universal's first non screen themed attraction since Men in Black (2000), and that's almost 20 years. So while the figures are not perfect I give it a pass because they put more effort in than what we've seen in the time since Forbidden Journey.
Hagrid's Queue is one of my favorites now (not the dueling dragons tunnels, those areas can die in a fire) but the new themed elements are great. Walking up to the castle feels like your walking into the Forest Temple from Ocarina of Time. The outdoor queue has tons of charming touches, including a burrow with sound effects. While I love some of the new rooms in the indoor queue the dark vaulted ceiling room had very limited AC which made the almost 1 hour downtime much harder to bare. I love the preshow, and I don't mind it's length, and lack of information because it's meant to be more of you spending time with Hagrid himself. It's refreshing to have a preshow that isn't just briefing and exposition. The new rooms of the queue have so many beautiful touches and details that I didn't mind being stuck in them for hours. The painted creatures on the walls of some of the rooms are simply gorgeous.
The Coaster itself feels like a real coaster, unlike Mine Train this actually feels like a full ride. The constant launches, and intermixed show scenes are wonderfully and masterfully paced. It flows so incredibly well that you really do feel the adventurous spirit of the ride. I'm so glad this ride is at Islands by the way because it captures the message and tone of the park perfectly. In a way this ride carries over the original themes of Beastly Kingdom/Lost Continent in ways I really didn't expect. It truly is a great fit for the park, and it adds so much that I didn't realize was missing until now.
One of my top favorite things about the ride is that at no point does it try to pull the old "OH NO, Something went wrong! You're in Danger!" trope that most modern rides do. There's a tiny hint of this in the forbidden forest scene, but there is never a sense of urgency or threat of danger. The entire ride is just a fun ride through the forest with quirky points along the way, I like that. I wish more modern rides focused more on just having fun and less forced drama (don't get me wrong I love Drama in rides but not every single ride).
I want to also mention that while waiting in line I was watching some of the bikes return to the station. What I saw were people smiling, cheering, some were even crying tears of joy. Everyone exiting was filled with joy (after waiting 5 hours) and I think that alone makes this ride a massive success.
All in all I believe this is Universal's best attraction to date, it's fun, well themed, charming, exciting, and leaves a great impression on almost everyone who rides it. It isn't perfect, but it's definitely a instant classic.
Bonus: The forest temple music which kept playing through my head the entire 5 hours I was in the queue.
Hagrid's Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure is in my opinion the Crown Jewel of Universal Orlando's attraction offerings. Is it ground breaking? Game changing? Revolutionary? Perfect? No... but it doesn't need to be. What makes Hagrid's so special is it's simplicity, and extremely fun and emotional execution. This ride is the definition of fun, the entire time I was on this ride I could not stop smiling. There is this exciting, and exhilarating feeling this ride gives that I haven't felt on a new ride in a really really long time. This is also Universal's first non screen themed attraction since Men in Black (2000), and that's almost 20 years. So while the figures are not perfect I give it a pass because they put more effort in than what we've seen in the time since Forbidden Journey.
Hagrid's Queue is one of my favorites now (not the dueling dragons tunnels, those areas can die in a fire) but the new themed elements are great. Walking up to the castle feels like your walking into the Forest Temple from Ocarina of Time. The outdoor queue has tons of charming touches, including a burrow with sound effects. While I love some of the new rooms in the indoor queue the dark vaulted ceiling room had very limited AC which made the almost 1 hour downtime much harder to bare. I love the preshow, and I don't mind it's length, and lack of information because it's meant to be more of you spending time with Hagrid himself. It's refreshing to have a preshow that isn't just briefing and exposition. The new rooms of the queue have so many beautiful touches and details that I didn't mind being stuck in them for hours. The painted creatures on the walls of some of the rooms are simply gorgeous.
The Coaster itself feels like a real coaster, unlike Mine Train this actually feels like a full ride. The constant launches, and intermixed show scenes are wonderfully and masterfully paced. It flows so incredibly well that you really do feel the adventurous spirit of the ride. I'm so glad this ride is at Islands by the way because it captures the message and tone of the park perfectly. In a way this ride carries over the original themes of Beastly Kingdom/Lost Continent in ways I really didn't expect. It truly is a great fit for the park, and it adds so much that I didn't realize was missing until now.
One of my top favorite things about the ride is that at no point does it try to pull the old "OH NO, Something went wrong! You're in Danger!" trope that most modern rides do. There's a tiny hint of this in the forbidden forest scene, but there is never a sense of urgency or threat of danger. The entire ride is just a fun ride through the forest with quirky points along the way, I like that. I wish more modern rides focused more on just having fun and less forced drama (don't get me wrong I love Drama in rides but not every single ride).
I want to also mention that while waiting in line I was watching some of the bikes return to the station. What I saw were people smiling, cheering, some were even crying tears of joy. Everyone exiting was filled with joy (after waiting 5 hours) and I think that alone makes this ride a massive success.
All in all I believe this is Universal's best attraction to date, it's fun, well themed, charming, exciting, and leaves a great impression on almost everyone who rides it. It isn't perfect, but it's definitely a instant classic.
Bonus: The forest temple music which kept playing through my head the entire 5 hours I was in the queue.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
That's an excellent point that I forgot to mention: the story is a bit thin, but I'm totally okay with that. They thankfully avoided the "something went wrong!" cliche' an just went for fun and whimsy... like they should have with Gringotts!
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Stripes
Premium Member
Different lighting, different architects I suspect.
Stripes
Premium Member
Great review! I'd love to hear your thoughts after riding during the day as well!
It's crazy to think to think that a single room in the ROTR queue is larger than that entire building including load.
General Mayhem
Well-Known Member
In line again this morning, I love this ride so much.
DeletedAccount55555
Well-Known Member
For anyone who has been Saturday or Sunday, where are they positioning the ultra-extended queue for the attraction? I'm curious as to whether they've been utilizing the unused space around the closed Sindbad theater.
Please do not bring that phrase onto this board. Ever.
Please do not bring that phrase onto this board. Ever.
General Mayhem
Well-Known Member
Fake news.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Yes. You must get the restraint down far enough and you must be able to navigate your feet etc to climb in. Guy who I was paired with wasn’t huge huge... probably 280 and couldn’t get the restraint down.
Height and leg wise is better than FoP... but those really big around the middle will have to fit...
Right now there is a ride vehicle in the final queue room. I didn’t look to see if there was one outside the line... too busy running past that area
flynnibus
Premium Member
Good post.
Now go and watch the YouTube videos and compare... they don’t do the ride justice IMO and that’s what all the haters are missing I think.
Daytime riding has its own benefit of looking more like riding towards things... night time has the awesome headlight through darkness feel. Each has its own pros.
To me the inside forbidden Forrest area was the softest part. I would have have liked to see the ceiling/overhead more obscured... maybe the centaur getting some plussing... and better hiding of the set lights in the final hold position. The effects in that room are kinda cheesy.... but the ride effect way more than makes up for it.
I really think people need to wait to watch ride videos on this one!