Hagrid's Coaster Queue Updates / Questions / Reviews

[planningjollyholiday]

Will they let you get in line right before closing and ride it like at Disney? Or do they cut off the line before the park closes?

 

[Disxuni]

Will they let you get in line right before closing and ride it like at Disney? Or do they cut off the line before the park closes?

For now, they are closing the attraction prior to closing. However, traditionally with most attractions (as well as potentially in the future with this one once it's fully operational) you can get onto the attraction prior closing.

 

[mackabee77]

Will they let you get in line right before closing and ride it like at Disney? Or do they cut off the line before the park closes?

This past weekend the CM standing watch at the entrance line nexus told us they were shutting down at 3 pm. We didn't ask if he meant the line shut down or the ride itself. The park closed at 8 pm I believe on that particular day.

 

[FoxC63]

Sorry for just jumping in. I did go back a few pages but I'm confused on the 45 minute wait time, is this when using the app?

Also if I'm at Universal Studios for Early Entry will the train get me to IoA quicker or should we rope drop for "Step 2: Once you’re in Islands of Adventure.." ?

I'm such a Universal Newbie!

 

[FoxC63]

Also are fanny packs allowed on Gringotts?

 

[DoryGirl1963]

Sorry for just jumping in. I did go back a few pages but I'm confused on the 45 minute wait time, is this when using the app?

Also if I'm at Universal Studios for Early Entry will the train get me to IoA quicker or should we rope drop for "Step 2: Once you’re in Islands of Adventure.." ?

View attachment 449599 I'm such a Universal Newbie!

Hogwarts express won't start running over to IOA until 9, so you'll be BEHIND the rope drop folks - if your goal is to be as early in the Hagrid's line as possible, you'll need to rope drop IOA, possibly sacrificing most or all of early entry at Studios.

 

[DoryGirl1963]

Also are fanny packs allowed on Gringotts?

Yep

 

[FoxC63]

Hogwarts express won't start running over to IOA until 9, so you'll be BEHIND the rope drop folks - if your goal is to be as early in the Hagrid's line as possible, you'll need to rope drop IOA, possibly sacrificing most or all of early entry at Studios.

Got it, but if I use the app for the Virtual queue which gives me a return time, will I be waiting 45 minutes once I enter the queue?

 

[DoryGirl1963]

Got it, but if I use the app for the Virtual queue which gives me a return time, will I be waiting 45 minutes once I enter the queue?

So sorry but we didn't use the app wait thing....hopefully someone else who has can help you out!

 

[christophfam]

Got it, but if I use the app for the Virtual queue which gives me a return time, will I be waiting 45 minutes once I enter the queue?

There isn’t a virtual queue for this ride. Some people will use the universal app which lists wait times for the rides as a guide for when to head over and line up. I was there mid October and the shortest wait I encountered as over an hour. If I remember correctly, you are going at Thanksgiving. I wouldn’t count on wait times being under two hours at that time. This ride is still closed at times so it’s difficult to make a plan on when to go. You can try rope drop, but could encounter a delayed opening. If I was going at Thanksgiving time, I’d rope drop and hope for the best. If it is delayed, just try again another morning or keep an eye on the wait times using the app and head over if it’s ever under two hours.

 

[nikkita]

Got it, but if I use the app for the Virtual queue which gives me a return time, will I be waiting 45 minutes once I enter the queue?

There is no virtual queue for Hagrid's right now. It just a wait time alert. It just alerts you when the wait time is down to that time.
Other rides, I assume the virtual line works like a fast pass /express pass

 

[FoxC63]

There is no virtual queue for Hagrid's right now. It just a wait time alert. It just alerts you when the wait time is down to that time.
Other rides, I assume the virtual line works like a fast pass /express pass

Now I get it, thanks so much! Reading Universal's site makes it all sound easy peasy. Even when we made new reservations for late November the guy on the phone said "Be sure to down load the app and get a return time for Hagrid's!" Seriously, if CM and TM don't know what they're talking about they should simply not say anything.

 

[nikkita]

Now I get it, thanks so much! Reading Universal's site makes it all sound easy peasy. Even when we made new reservations for late November the guy on the phone said "Be sure to down load the app and get a return time for Hagrid's!" Seriously, if CM and TM don't know what they're talking about they should simply not say anything.

They shouldn't, but they do!

Your best bet is rope drop. We lined up once at 8am, once at 730am, with the park scheduled to open at 9am both days.
They actually opened both times at 840am and the dash starts. Both times we were off the ride no later than 910. My reports are two or three pages back if you wanna read a bit more detail/breakdown. Only recent, went a couple weeks ago.

 

[FoxC63]

They shouldn't, but they do!

Your best bet is rope drop. We lined up once at 8am, once at 730am, with the park scheduled to open at 9am both days.
They actually opened both times at 840am and the dash starts. Both times we were off the ride no later than 910. My reports are two or three pages back if you wanna read a bit more detail/breakdown. Only recent, went a couple weeks ago.

I did go back and read more. Thanks for posting so much information.

 

[FSU Girl]

Unfortunately, it's too unpredictable to absolutely determine the best time to go that will give you a less than an hour wait. The only thing I can think of as more of a guaranteed is if you go first thing in the morning and do all your waiting in line prior to the official opening and if there is no delay in the morning you can hop on quickly. It will take a lot more time, but technically with that method you'd be waiting definitely less of an hour during park hours at least. Also, if they announce there is a delay (which usually they announce rather quickly in the morning if they know) you can ditch and go about your business. It'll suck if that happens since you waited all that time, but at least most of it would have been during non-operating hours and not during park hours where you could have been enjoying the park.

Other than that, I wouldn't guaranteed anything. Too many mixed reports still to determine that going in the afternoon will guaranteed a less of an hour wait. We have reports of that it being less of the posted wait time, but have also still getting reports of being close of the reported wait time due to delays, which still on average 120 seems to be the posted wait time.

While it's improved a lot, there is still too many mixed reports and stories on this thread to guaranteed a method, especially if you have one day to enjoy the park it's risky. I would suggest to check and read the thread for the next week on what other's experiences have been and then determine what might be best for you.

However, I will also add that if you're wanting to wait period less than an hour wait whether during operating hours, or not, I do not believe there would be no method, or 100% guaranteed for that at this time.

Thank you! I was hoping since it's been a few months now that things might have gotten a little smoother. I haven't waited in a hour+ line in a long time, usually have the express pass. My husband is not a morning person so I don't think he'd want to get there super early before the park opens.

If you have the Universal Orlando app; when you go in to view the wait time for a ride you can set a wait time alert. Here's a screen shot I found (for Hulk), but it should be the same for any ride. I haven't had a chance to try it myself, but I've read reports of others using it successfully. I hope this helps!

Thanks! I'll try this.

It’s about 45 minutes or so once you go inside, so you can kinda eyeball the accuracy of the wait time by physically walking into the queue and seeing how far the line is outside of the entrance into the building. When we rode we waited about 65 minutes and the physical end of the line was at the top of the incline to your left when you enter the line. It wasn’t bad at all and there’s plenty to look at in the line. You can bring in phones to the line to entertain yourselves and if the girls are with you. If you guys absolutely can’t wait more than an hour I’d skip it. It was worth the 65 minute wait and I wouldn’t say that about anything at Disney, for what that’s worth. DH agrees and he’s even more line averse than I am!

Edited to add that if they are using any of the overflow queue (outside the former entrance of dragons to the left) it’s way more than an hour, move on!

A little over an hour would be fine. It'll just be the two of us, going for our first wedding anniversary. I'm going to have to try and see if we can do it early in case there's a long wait we are going over to Victoria and Albert's at Disney for dinner that night so we can't stay in the park really late. I think the longest line I've waited in was 80 minutes, it was doable but not enjoyable lol.

 

[Alicefan]

I keep seeing posts about doing the majority of your waiting before rope drop. Is there a trick to this or a particular line they have set up for Hagrid's? Is it far more crowded at the gates now since this ride opened?

 

[gorkt]

Grrrr. Trying to balance out my morning on Friday, 11/8 to see if we can't ride this ride. I am staying at Universal Endless summer. I have to grab express passes at Hard Rock that morning (dummy reservation) so I was thinking I could go out early, like around 6:30am (I heard I can show up to check in as early as 6am), take the shuttle down to citiwalk, walk to Hard Rock and check in, grabbing the passes. Walk back though Citiwalk and maybe grab some Donuts and coffee from Voodoo donuts, and meet my family around 8am at the front of IOA.

Can you bring food through security into IOA? My guess is no, but I figured I would ask.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

Can you bring food through security into IOA? My guess is no, but I figured I would ask.

Maybe I am missing something in your plan, but aren't you already past security to get VooDoo donuts? I have never had the ticket scanners at the theme park gate ever stop me from bringing in food. That said, I was always either carrying something small in my hand or it was in my bag and they could not see it. Never tried carrying a whole box of donuts

 

[Disxuni]

I keep seeing posts about doing the majority of your waiting before rope drop. Is there a trick to this or a particular line they have set up for Hagrid's? Is it far more crowded at the gates now since this ride opened?

I'd suggest get there way prior to opening time for IoA. It seems that once you go through the gate, there is a process / line of where the TM guides you over to Hagrid's and what not, but prior to that there is no separate Hagrid line outside the gates of IoA from what I read in any reports (at least there's no mention of there being one). Also, yes, I'd imagine that the gates are much more crowded since the opening of the ride. Which is why anyone wanting to go to Hagrid's and attempting to be the first few need to get there way earlier than opening time for IoA.

 

[Linkura]

1 hour before park opening seemed to work well upthread. And yes, you can bring food to the gates to have breakfast while you wait.