Hagrid's Coaster Queue Updates / Questions / Reviews

[Disxuni]

As of right now (12:46PM EST) it states "delayed" for the status. Does anyone know if it even opened at all this morning?

 

[AuroraluvsPhillip]

Right now Touring Plans says closed, but the Uni app says 210 min

 

[ZuuL]

And this why rides have soft openings...

 

[Disxuni]

Right now Touring Plans says closed, but the Uni app says 210 min

Yeah, Universal says 240 for me now.

And this why rides have soft openings...

Soft opening, or not, this ride is having serious complications, but is believe it, or not, improving. It's way past the soft opening period and more. At most, a soft opening period might be up to a month, it's been over two months.

 

[ZuuL]

Soft opening, or not, this ride is having serious complications, but is believe it, or not, improving. It's way past the soft opening period and more. At most, a soft opening period might be up to a month, it's been over two months.

Have they said what the main issue is?

 

[AngiTN]

And this why rides have soft openings...

Yes, but this is not a soft opening.

 

[Disxuni]

Have they said what the main issue is?

The only times we have confirmed reasons for down time is the few times when people have reported they're removing / changing out the carts. I am not counting weather delays, as those are typically always reported. However, most of the time we do not have confirmation on what is the reason for the delay if weather is not involved. However, awhile back, the ride was closed for the whole duration of the day, which I do not remember all the details, but @TommyJK I believe was the one who reported that there was an emergency shipment of a particular part needed for the attraction.

 

[ZuuL]

Yes, but this is not a soft opening.

I know, I was meaning they should have done one before opening this ride. They'd know of these problems if they did.

 

[TommyJK]

I know, I was meaning they should have done one before opening this ride. They'd know of these problems if they did.

The rides been open for 2 months now. A soft opening, even for several weeks wouldn't have sussed out all of the issues.

It's a highly complex ride system with more LSMs than any coaster ever made, switch tracks, drop tracks etc.

Trying to get it up to top capacity wouldn't have come through in a soft opening period as it seems they continue to find/learn new things I'm sure they have to adjust and tinker with over time adding more and more capacity.

Top it all off by opening the ride in one of the busiest and rainiest periods of the year and it's thrown more variables into the mix they need to contend with.

Basically its taking them longer to get the ride settled and up to peak capacity than anyone has wanted (park goers and universal alike). I'm sure it'll get there eventually.

People have short memories though.

Gringotts was plagued with issues almost daily for months after opening.

Flight of Passage still has constant 2-3 hour waits, which if according to insider rumors are true, this is much more to do with the ride rarely operating at full capacity due to over heating issues they still haven't sorted out in its 2+ years of operation.

Go way further back and Test Track at Disney had 4 months of soft openings trying to work out issues and it continued to have issues for a long time even after its official opening.

Any new/cutting edge ride takes a good long while to sort everything out.

This isn't anything new. Things will get fully sorted out. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

 

[Lynne G]

90 minutes after a mad dash after reopening from a weather delay. Absolutely awesome. And I am not a big coaster person. Reminded me of a combo of Disney’s Big Thunder and Yeti one, with some faster speed.

 

[Leahdb73]

We're going in September and staying on property for 2 of the nights. I'm sure this has probably been asked already, but if US has EPA, can you take the Hogwarts Express over in the am and join the queue? I imagine this strategy is flawed somehow, just figured I'd ask since we're going to do US first anyway

 

[macraven]

You can take Hogwarts Express from the Studios to the other park.
(and vice versa)
You usually will see a line starting by 8:30 for that ride.

The train, most of the time, will leave the station to travel to the other park right around 9:00 am

Once you are off the train ride, be ready for more Potter adventures

 

[Lynne G]

With the bike you sit higher than the side car. I will say, the seats felt very nice, and secure, much nicer than the one’s at Gringotts, including where the shin restraints were. Not sure I have the want to be on the bike, but as you can see, my DD, who is a big coaster fan, thought the ride was awesome too.

 

[TommyJK]

We're going in September and staying on property for 2 of the nights. I'm sure this has probably been asked already, but if US has EPA, can you take the Hogwarts Express over in the am and join the queue? I imagine this strategy is flawed somehow, just figured I'd ask since we're going to do US first anyway

If you're looking to ride Hagrid's first thing in the morning, this is not a good strategy. By the time the train boards, gets to hogsmeade and you get off and into line for Hagrids, it's already full with the rope droppers.

 

[osufeth24]

Goin with a friend on Thursday. Seems like with the constant delays it's having, not getting there at 730 may be the better move. Might just try what I ended up doing last week when it was delayed. Go do everything else, wait a tad bit after it opens, then just get in line and pray there's no delays

 

[Spike101]

I'm going to be there in just under 7 weeks and I think I'm going to stick to original plan, do rope drop on my first day, with the jet lag and excitement of being there I'll be up at 5am no doubt!

EE at USO on my first day is at 7am, so I'll be there to do Gringotts, have a wander round Diagon Alley, quick cigarette with Bruce (already a tradition) and then head to IOA for about 7.45 and brave the scrum for rope drop.

If that all goes well, and weather permitting, I'll do that at least one more day of my week long stay, if only because I want to ride both the cycle (I'll be scared beyond belief!) and the sidecar, in theory I'd like to think I'll get to ride it more than twice but we'll see.

 

[Disxuni]

We're going in September and staying on property for 2 of the nights. I'm sure this has probably been asked already, but if US has EPA, can you take the Hogwarts Express over in the am and join the queue? I imagine this strategy is flawed somehow, just figured I'd ask since we're going to do US first anyway

If you're looking to ride Hagrid's first thing in the morning, this is not a good strategy. By the time the train boards, gets to hogsmeade and you get off and into line for Hagrids, it's already full with the rope droppers.

What he said. Also, if you want to have any luck with the rope drop you're going to have to be there waiting at the IoA gate even prior to the official EE. So, you're going to have to make a choice of sacrificing EE to wait for it first thing, or enjoy EE, take a risk, and do it later in the late morning / afternoon and hope there's no delays / weather.

 

[Lynne G]

Or like today, the train was delayed when we got to the ride around 9 this morning.

 

[TommyJK]

Or like today, the train was delayed when we got to the ride around 9 this morning.

Perhaps they are delaying the first HE trip from USF to IOA on purpose to prevent a double rush to Hagrid's.

 

[Disxuni]

Perhaps they are delaying the first HE trip from USF to IOA on purpose to prevent a double rush to Hagrid's.

Interesting idea. That would at least be the smart thing to do. Suck for anyone who thinks that would be the best route to go is taking the train, but that would definitely be smart to delay it getting to IoA a little bit to lessen the ambush.