kvolk
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2008
Just back from Universal Orlando and got to ride Hagrid's three times. I never thought a ride would be worth waiting hours in line... but this one was! We waited from 7-10 on Sun. 6/30. Most of the delay was due to lightning in the area. They finally called it after the park closed. So we waited three hours and didn't get to ride. We made it to through the crystal room and the creature room with the bathroom exit, but stopped just outside the final roof room. But as a courtesy, they marched everyone in the queue over to Hogwarts and allowed us to ride Forbidden Journey after hours.
On Monday, July 1, the ride was closed til 8pm, that's right, 8pm! They were running maintenance on it almost all day. But we happened to be at Three Broomsticks and saw a crowd beginning to form. We ran to the lockers, then joined the mob. It was a cluster, but the six of us formed a conga line and made it through into the queue. We were near the front of the wave, waited 1.5 hours and got on the ride! It was amazing. Loved riding at night. Once you ride it, you get it. You get why it's prone to breaking down. You understand why it needs extra maintenance and TLC. Afterward, we celebrated our favorite new coaster with Toothsome milkshakes!
On Tuesday, July 2, we got in line at 2pm, and waited three hours. It was brutally hot--Hagrid's hut was in the sun. The crystal room was stifling without the makeshift HVAC return on the wall running. The BO in that room was ripe. And the queue was so slow. We drank waters and lemonades in line, but it was rough. We took turns going on bathroom breaks in the creature room mostly just to breathe fresh air. But we made it. And while we were on the ride there was a :15 sec delay where we just sat after the devil's snare. No big deal. While we liked riding it in the daylight, night is even more cool.
So we got in line again at 8pm and waited just an hour. And it was glorious. After two rides in sidecar, I rode the motorbike, and it was fun to sit up higher. (Tho with sidecar, it's easier to keep your hands up the whole way
TLDR: Until they figure out the maintenance schedule and open Hagrids at 9am with the park, plan to get in line around 8pm. We had good luck 2/3 nights at that time. Just check the radar for thunderstorms first.
On Monday, July 1, the ride was closed til 8pm, that's right, 8pm! They were running maintenance on it almost all day. But we happened to be at Three Broomsticks and saw a crowd beginning to form. We ran to the lockers, then joined the mob. It was a cluster, but the six of us formed a conga line and made it through into the queue. We were near the front of the wave, waited 1.5 hours and got on the ride! It was amazing. Loved riding at night. Once you ride it, you get it. You get why it's prone to breaking down. You understand why it needs extra maintenance and TLC. Afterward, we celebrated our favorite new coaster with Toothsome milkshakes!
On Tuesday, July 2, we got in line at 2pm, and waited three hours. It was brutally hot--Hagrid's hut was in the sun. The crystal room was stifling without the makeshift HVAC return on the wall running. The BO in that room was ripe. And the queue was so slow. We drank waters and lemonades in line, but it was rough. We took turns going on bathroom breaks in the creature room mostly just to breathe fresh air. But we made it. And while we were on the ride there was a :15 sec delay where we just sat after the devil's snare. No big deal. While we liked riding it in the daylight, night is even more cool.
So we got in line again at 8pm and waited just an hour. And it was glorious. After two rides in sidecar, I rode the motorbike, and it was fun to sit up higher. (Tho with sidecar, it's easier to keep your hands up the whole way
TLDR: Until they figure out the maintenance schedule and open Hagrids at 9am with the park, plan to get in line around 8pm. We had good luck 2/3 nights at that time. Just check the radar for thunderstorms first.
