Hagrid's Coaster Queue Updates / Questions / Reviews

We went Saturday and it’s still showing a 180 minute wait time. There’s no express line for this ride and lineup started from the Lost Continent. On the app they have the delay notice of the ride starting midday. I think we were on a different line que as I didn’t see a lot of scenes from the movie. It was a 45 to 60 min wait time. I made an img album with some videos of our walk up to the ride. People have already lost phones on the ride and I didn’t want to chance it as it does go fast. I loved the ride as it was a great surprise. I don’t want to spoil it ( all week I was trying to avoid reading about what happens ) I will just say that I have never been on a coaster like that before. I rode in the sidecar which felt safe lol. I will try to get better photos/videos next time I go but will ride the motorbike. I have a park to park 3 day pass that expires June 30th. I know some of the passes dates were extended. Do these passes fall under that category?
 
I found the backwards section on Hagrid to be much gentler than on Everest. It's not trying to whip you around or scare you - your path while going backwards is relatively straight and slows down as you go along. The ride in general is not about startling or frightening you. It's fast, and there are a few sharp-ish turns, but it's all very smooth and, other than one brief moment, in general the ride is not trying to catch you off guard or throw you around the way most other thrill rides do.

For example, when it reverses direction to go backwards, it's an incredibly smooth transition: I think every other ride I've done with a backwards section will hold you up at the top in suspense for a while (while the track is switching) and then drop you without warning and then try to catch you off guard with a bunch of jerky turns you can't see coming - but Hagrid's is not like that at all! You go up the slope and then immediately come down with gravity again - there's no big dramatic pause at the top or "gotcha" moment of release like on Everest or other rides with that element, and the backwards section is honestly more of just a transition to get you into the next storytelling area.

I would highly recommend going for it! And that goes for everyone! Unless you hate faster rides in any way shape or form, I think you have a high chance of this going well. If someone is so bothered by faster rides that, say, 7 Dwarfs Mine Train or the end section of Test Track is too much intensity for them, then, no, this might not be great for them, but beyond that, I would truly recommend to everyone to give this ride a shot!
Thank you for this. I had a feeling this might be super exciting and nothing like the coasters I won't go on. For one thing, the new stuff seems to give a smooth ride, with speed, which I love if I'm not traveling upside down. I also don't like jerking, or overly bumpy rides or those times when your suspended and you know what's coming but the tension mounts as you wait for it to happen. Hagrids looks awesome. I'm definitely going to try it, especially since reading your description. Thanks again.
 
So if i'm reading this correctly, they are not opening the ride until around 11am for the next few weeks, which would seems to fall into the dates we are there. So a few questions as we try and figure out the best strategy, we are really only there for 2 1/2 days so not a lot of time to experiment.

1. Is there an area they have people waiting for the 11 am time or is it mull around the ride and dash in when they open up?
2. if people are waiting in a predetermined area, what time do they seem to start?
3. I have not watched the times (but should) is there an initial rush around 11 but then it drops down later in the day?

I'm just so confused on this whole 11 am opening thing. I was already prepared to get to the park 1.5 hours early (or more) and sacrifice the early part of our day, but now this carves out a whole chunk of mid-day touring, if not the whole morning plus if they are having people queue up before the 11 am opening and still have a multi-hour wait to ride.

Any advice from those who have experienced this new system is appreciated.
 
I also don't like jerking, or overly bumpy rides

I have to admit I didnt particularly enjoy FOTH as I got properly rattled around in it, although the fact that I was on my own (Didnt have anyone to squish me into the side) and in the back carriage (faster) probably didnt help.

I also had the same problem on Kong, which I really enjoyed I have to say, but because it was early in the day, the ride was half empty and I was sliding all over the place as the bus lurched from side to side!
 


I just rode it for the first time. It took about 35 minutes in single rider, but this was after a long downtime. I planned to eat lunch at 3 Broomsticks at 11:30, but it was down at about Noon, and was down again from 6 to 7:30 and this was on a good weather day.

The ride is not bumpy at all.
 
I'm not a big Universal fan but I really, really want to try this ride. It sounds super awesome!
 
Has anyone tried having 1 member of your party stand in line for the entire party? I dont mind standing there for my kids while they do other things but I dont want to have an angry mob/Universal employee boot us!
 


I understand what universal meant but they should've worded this better. Anyways, I really hope they are finding some solution to the stair portion of the single rider line, it's really awful

I personally think they could have definitely worded themselves better. Even if it wasn't meant to be malicious, or sarcastic, it sounds so unsympathetic.

Also, I hate to say it, but I personally think it's done on purpose to lure people away from overusing the SR line (especially after reading that response from Universal), because they know how hot FL is and they can easily air condition that stairwell. I haven't personally experienced this myself, but I've heard it more than once it's quite stuffy. You can't tell me that this was made in error, or even if it was, couldn't and would be fixed by now if they wanted to. However, I would imagine there is some form of air in there, as I think they'd be seriously held liable if there wasn't.

Has anyone tried having 1 member of your party stand in line for the entire party? I dont mind standing there for my kids while they do other things but I dont want to have an angry mob/Universal employee boot us!

Here's a quick answer: No bueno.

Long answer: A Universal employee will either be oblivious, or too chicken to say something (at least from experience at any theme park I've been). For guests, at the minimum you'll have a lot of glares aimed at your way, or at the most, someone will confront and bluntly call you out on it in front of everyone. Typically people get the glare, you might get someone who confronts you about it, however I would imagine due to the heat and increased wait time, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd more than likely have someone be confrontational and say something to you.
 
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Here's a quick answer: No bueno.

Long answer: A Universal employee will either be oblivious, or too chicken to say something (at least from experience at any theme park I've been). For guests, at the minimum you'll have a lot of glares aimed at your way, or at the most, someone will confront and bluntly call you out on it in front of everyone. Typically people get the glare, you might get someone who confronts you about it, however I would imagine due to the heat and increased wait time, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd more than likely have someone be confrontational and say something to you.

Supposedly, they have changed this late last week. Someone who was there last week (and posted on another forum said the following:

"Today they told us one person in your party can wait in line and the rest can enjoy the park until midday. They’ll tell you a password to return to your family. "

So go and ask a TM in front of the ride if they are doing this still.
 
I like the idea of the password - makes sense!

I understand why people would be upset though, especially with the extreme circumstances around Hagrid's ride now. If I saw a dad taking one for the team and joined by his kids and wife I would nod at him for taking the &*!# duty of standing in the sun for hours so his family could enjoy the day. If I saw 12 kids join 1 friend I would flip the Hell out. :)
 
Now that this thread has me following the app, I see its 12:30 and the ride is showing up as "delayed"......aye carumba. This is not giving me a lot of hope for my short trip
 
Was anyone there yesterday and have any further updates? Or noticed anything else about the app like @glvsav37?
 
I understand why people would be upset though, especially with the extreme circumstances around Hagrid's ride now. If I saw a dad taking one for the team and joined by his kids and wife I would nod at him for taking the &*!# duty of standing in the sun for hours so his family could enjoy the day. If I saw 12 kids join 1 friend I would flip the Hell out. :)

Except there really is no difference between the two scenarios - 12 kids sounds worse, but what if it was a wife and 3 kids vs 4 friends? In your mind, you're the one making the sacrifice for your family. In everyone else's mind, you're asking all our wives and children standing in the sun for hours to also make a sacrifice for your family. You aren't "taking one for the team", you're asking hundreds of other fathers to allow their kids to get screwed over so you can get credit for being the "good Dad making a sacrifice".

I'm not suggesting that is your intent, but it's common for people to focus more on what they're dealing with and completely disregard what everyone around them are dealing with. This came up earlier in the thread and the question posed "is line saving OK?" when the real question was "is line cutting OK?". I'm guessing because everyone knows the answer to the 2nd question, and they know why there is only one possible answer to the 2nd question. But they're hoping to get at least one person to give them justification to do what they know they shouldn't do.

Now if they've officially changed the rules for this ride - rules that are universal around the world for any place where you are standing in line (certainly at least in amusement parks) - then they should make it very clear to all Universal guests standing in line and about to get into line. Because otherwise it will be just like every other ride....there will be a chance that someone could get away with it without someone else saying anything, but an equal or greater chance that there will be someone like me (who also likes to look good in my wife and kids' eyes) that will stand up for their family and say something. Once that happens, they'll immediately have the support of 95% of everyone else within earshot - and that's only if your family makes up a full 5% of everyone within earshot. ;)
 
Especially with the up again / down again - weird hours - insane heat .... I think it would make sense if a policy were in place to allow a person to hold a spot for a party.

It's not bullet proof, but something like ....

1. Whole party needs to be present when they reach the ride queue.
2. A "designate" wait-in-line-person is identified for the given party.
3. Universal employee provides the "designate" a temporary wrist band with number of "total guests" (again: all guests need to be present when the wrist band/number is assigned).
4. There is no allowance for switching designates. There is no adding number of guests to your list once you receive your wrist band.
5. At the time of boarding, the onus is on the party to be present to board the ride - no exceptions. You snooze you lose.
6. The temp wrist band is cut off (one of those bands that can only be removed via scissors) just prior to boarding.

It's not perfect, but with a few policy enhancements, I think it could work.

I don't see the value in a whole bunch of people waiting in line and suffering unnecessarily when they could be enjoying their day on attractions.

As long as the rules are enforced - something like this I think is realistic and not too hard to administer.
 
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Especially with the up again / down again - weird hours - insane heat .... I think it would make sense if a policy were in place to allow a person to hold a spot for a party.

It's not bullet proof, but something like ....

1. Whole party needs to be present when they reach the ride queue.
2. A "designate" wait-in-line-person is identified for the given party.
3. Universal employee provides the "designate" a temporary wrist band with number of "total guests" (again: all guests need to be present when the wrist band/number is assigned).
4. There is no allowance for switching designates. There is no adding number of guests to your list once you receive your wrist band.
5. At the time of boarding, the onus is on the party to be present to board the ride - no exceptions. You snooze you lose.
6. The temp wrist band is cut off (one of those bands that can only be removed via scissors) just prior to boarding.

It's not perfect, but with a few policy enhancements, I think it could work.

I don't see the value in a whole bunch of people waiting in line and suffering unnecessarily when they could be enjoying their day on attractions.

As long as the rules are enforced - something like this I think is realistic and not too hard to administer.

Universal would jump all over this if, as part of the rule, they had to go buy at least 1 thing in a gift shop and have to show the receipt before getting back in line :rotfl:
 

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