Switching Things Up: A Disney Lover's First Time at Universal - March 2021

[andy_dangg]

Just finding this now. Loved your trip report!!! We are Disney people and are going for the first time in August. We had a week at Disney planned but my 14 year old is dying to see the Harry Potter stuff. We are doing 5 nights at Disney and then 3 at UO. I feel so lost. Your trip report helped a bit . I'm not a coaster person. How did Hagrids compare to Test Track? I can do FOP and MILLENNIUM Falcon (though I was terrified ). I enjoyed ROTR. How do those compare to some of the rides? Thanks for sharing your trip. You two sound like a great couple!

Thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed--I hope you have a great trip! I would say that Hagrid's is maybe 2-3 notches more intense than Test Track. The top speed is lower than TT (50 vs 65 mph), but since it stays low to the ground for much of the ride it definitely feels faster than 50 mph. The ride is also more twisty than Test Track which gives more thrill, but if you sit in the sidecar you feel a lot more secure and it's a tamer ride. There is one part of the ride that is exactly like the escape pod portion of ROTR, so if you didn't mind that very brief moment, I think you can do Hagrid's.

As far as the other rides go, I think the Hulk, Velocicoaster, and HRRR are definitely out. The Mummy might be a little too much as well, the ride isn't especially intense, but the darkness makes it a lot more thrilling. I honestly think you could do Gringott's. There's one drop right at the beginning, which is smaller than it feels. Once you get that over with the rest of the ride is just like a fast moving dark ride. There are a few turns here and there but it's not intense at all. Very similar to ROTR--maybe watch a POV on YouTube if you could do it.

Spiderman (and I presume Transformers) are similar intensity to ROTR, there is a pretty realistic "drop" on Spiderman but you never actually drop or leave the ground, lol. Forbidden Journey is a whole different animal, it's not really scary but is unlike anything at Disney and has a whole range of movement--maybe watch a POV of that as well if you're unsure. Definitely not to be missed for a potter fan! The rest of the dark rides are mild. As far as simulator rides, none are really as intense/immersive as FoP or Smuggler's Run imo. So you should be good in that department. The rest of the rides shouldn't really present a problem--Jurassic Park and the Ripsaw Falls are similar intensity to Splash Mountain. Let me know if you have any other questions or want me to go more in depth

 

[jods]

Thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed--I hope you have a great trip! I would say that Hagrid's is maybe 2-3 notches more intense than Test Track. The top speed is lower than TT (50 vs 65 mph), but since it stays low to the ground for much of the ride it definitely feels faster than 50 mph. The ride is also more twisty than Test Track which gives more thrill, but if you sit in the sidecar you feel a lot more secure and it's a tamer ride. There is one part of the ride that is exactly like the escape pod portion of ROTR, so if you didn't mind that very brief moment, I think you can do Hagrid's.

As far as the other rides go, I think the Hulk, Velocicoaster, and HRRR are definitely out. The Mummy might be a little too much as well, the ride isn't especially intense, but the darkness makes it a lot more thrilling. I honestly think you could do Gringott's. There's one drop right at the beginning, which is smaller than it feels. Once you get that over with the rest of the ride is just like a fast moving dark ride. There are a few turns here and there but it's not intense at all. Very similar to ROTR--maybe watch a POV on YouTube if you could do it.

Spiderman (and I presume Transformers) are similar intensity to ROTR, there is a pretty realistic "drop" on Spiderman but you never actually drop or leave the ground, lol. Forbidden Journey is a whole different animal, it's not really scary but is unlike anything at Disney and has a whole range of movement--maybe watch a POV of that as well if you're unsure. Definitely not to be missed for a potter fan! The rest of the dark rides are mild. As far as simulator rides, none are really as intense/immersive as FoP or Smuggler's Run imo. So you should be good in that department. The rest of the rides shouldn't really present a problem--Jurassic Park and the Ripsaw Falls are similar intensity to Splash Mountain. Let me know if you have any other questions or want me to go more in depth

Thanks for the info and all your tips! I'm sure I will have a lot more questions. I think I need to start by writing down the lands and the attractions in each park. My kids want to eat at Margaritaville and 2 HP places. I think I may have watched a YouTube of Forbidden Journey (the one with a spider) and nixed it lol. Maybe I will send my husband and 14 yo on Hagrids first. My 16 yo is wimpy like me.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Forbidden Journey is one of our faves!!!

 

[Deb1993]

Good news! Just booked Sapphire for a lagoon view in August can't wait! We'll probably be staying at Cabana at least a few times for weekend trips or HHN so I wanted somewhere a little nicer for my birthday and Sapphire looks lovely. We'll be 21 as well so we can enjoy Strong Water!

We also love Strong Water Bar - tried it for first time last trip based on Schumi's recommendation.

 

[BeckyEsq]

Great report, thanks for sharing!!

 

[Lynne G]

Yay for August reservation, and great report. I too will be in August as both my DD and me have August birthdays, and her gift is our trip before she goes back to her University, finishing up her junior year, and will be 20.