Age to ride harry potter & forbidden journey as a single rider?

[princessesintraining]

Does anyone know if there is an age requirement to ride this alone? I am considering taking my kids 9 & 6 to universal while hubby is at a conference. The 6 year old is not tall enough nor do I think she would ride it for the scare factor. Is it possible to send my 9 year old on alone since she is a huge potter fan? Am I able to wait with her in line and then at the exit? TIA. Just a note, she has ridden RNR at Hollywood studios alone, but with a parent in line behind and one at the end.if this isn't possible, can you still just walk through the castle to check out the inside?

 

[glocon]

I don't know if she would be allowed to ride alone but definitely walk thru the line to see Hogwarts with her. There should be a cm at the entrance to the ride to answer your questions. Hogwarts is amazingly detailed and you will feel totally immersed in the books/movies as you go thru the queue!

 

[HLAuburn]

I don't believe there is a minimum age to ride (alone or at all), as long as she meets the height requirement. The "child swap" on Forbidden Journey requires the entire party to go through the line and at the end, right before you get on, the child who's not riding and whoever is staying with him/her goes to a room right between the people boarding and the people getting off. So in theory, you could all go through the line, you would see her get on then you and your younger daughter would wait in child swap (even though you're technically not swapping) and then you could catch your older daughter as she gets off.

The set up would definitely work, and I can't see why they wouldn't allow it.

Have fun! Your daughter will love it!!

 

[bumbershoot]

At Universal everyone can go into the line. You and the 6 year old would just exit at the sorting hat, and the 9 year old would continue on.

Also Universal does it differently than WDW, in that there's no *age* for being able to go solo. Rather it's a height. As long as the child meets a certain height requirement (AND is tall enough for the ride...the height req for being solo is shorter than, say, the Hulk's height, so you can't go on a ride with a higher height just b/c you're of the height to ride other things alone) they can go alone.

Right now I"m trying to jog my memory of the height. I KNOW that on our first trip to Universal, in dec 2010, DS was 6.5. We had gone on Flight of the HIppogriff 14 times in a row and were finished with it (b/c I couldn't take it anymore and it was like 29 degrees that morning and my face was nearly frozen off) and I noticed the sign about how tall you have to be to ride alone. DS was already at that height. So when he wanted to go on Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster 15 times in a row to end the day, he went ALONE.

Ah yes, there's the wording.

Why do you have to be over 48” to ride alone?

The Universal Orlando Resort has a strict safety policy stating that if a person is less
than 48” tall they have to experience many attractions with a supervising companion. A
supervising companion should be an adult or older sibling.

So it's 48".

Hippogriff's minimum height is 36". Once that child reaches 48" they can ride it alone.

But Rip Ride Rockit's minimum height is 51". A 48" child wouldn't be able to ride it at all. But once they reach 51" they can do it alone.

 

[princessesintraining]

Thank you so much for all the great responses! I feel like I can talk the girls on my own and the oldest would still be able to enjoy the bigger thrill rides. Now it's time to make a decision.

 

[katie111]

I've done it alone with my 3 kids at both Universal & Disney (my DH is not a theme [ark fan so we usually leave him at home). My youngest was 4 the last time we went and my other 2 were 8 & 9. My 8 year old was very short & my 9 year old is tall so there were things she could ride that her brothers couldn't. I loved the way they do the baby swap at Universal. I think it's much better than Disney when you are alone because you can go through the line with them & then wait for them right where they get off. I find it very stressful at Disney to send my kid(s) through the line alone & then hope they find me when they get off. One time they were on RocknRoller Coaster & I waited 45 minutes for them. I was panicking because I was afraid I missed them getting off. Turns out some one had gotten sick on the ride so they had to shut the ride down while they cleaned up. I love waiting at Universal because you know what is going on inside the ride.

I love going alone with my kids, it's our own special thing and we always have a blast!

 

[consumermonkey]

I may not be the most macho of men, but at 41 (in 2012) I rode this twice and had to close my eyes at the dementor scene the second time around as it had put the willies up me first time.

Won't stop me going on it again later this year though

 

[bumbershoot]

I may not be the most macho of men, but at 41 (in 2012) I rode this twice and had to close my eyes at the dementor scene the second time around as it had put the willies up me first time.

Won't stop me going on it again later this year though

That's me but because of the spiders. Nothing fun about a ride stop with an acromantula in your face!