There is so much to know about Harry Potter World before you go. One of the best parts about the park is all the Harry Potter World Rides. In this post, I will share first-hand experiences we had with these rides and information.
I have written 2 other posts about our family trip to Harry Potter World Orlando. The first was all my tips and tricks, including budget-saving ideas.
The second post is all about the amazing shops in Harry Potter World, both in Diagon Alley and in Hogsmeade. This is one of my favorite parts of the park.
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What To Know Before You Go
This post is all about the 4 rides Harry Potter rides at Universal Studios Harry Potter.
Harry Potter World is divided into 2 parts, Diagon Alley is in Universal Studios and Hogsmead is in Islands of Adventure. If you have purchased the park-to-park passes (which I recommend), you can take Hogwarts between the 2 areas.
I have no experience with the express pass, so I won't comment on that here.
Rides At Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Orlando
There are 4 rides in Harry Potter World-
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Hagrid's Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure.
Flight of the Hippogriff, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Hagrid's are all in Hogsmead, which is in Islands of Adventure. Escape from Gringotts is in Diagon Alley (Universal Studios).
At Universal, they have something called "child swap". No, you can't change your kids out for another, but it is a cool way to help families with your children still get to ride the rides.
This is how it is explained "Here is an example of how it works: Mom, Dad, Older Brother, and Younger Brother want to go on a ride, but Younger Brother is not tall enough. They all enter the queue together and walk to the loading area. Then, Mom and Older Brother jump on first, while Dad and Younger Brother wait off to the side. When the ride is over, Mom and Older Brother wait with Younger Brother while Dad gets his turn. Once complete, everyone exits the attraction together."
Keep reading and let me tell you all about each. They are all unique and all amazing.
Hagrid's Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure
- Let's start with the ride everyone is talking about, Hagrid's Magical Creature Motorbike Ride. I am not a roller coaster person, so this ride was terrifying for me. In fact, I started crying about 30 seconds in...yes, I am a baby. My family, however, LOVED the ride. They went 3 or 4 times. And would have gone more if we had the time.
- Note: Make sure you leave everything in your locker. This is a fast ride and you don't want anything falling out. Seriously, leave everything in the locker.
- It is one of those rides that is busy ALL the time. First thing in the morning is usually your best chance of walking in with not too much of a line.
- This is where the Universal App comes in so handy. Make sure and download this before you go. It is so cool because it shows wait times on rides. Once the wait times go down, head over quickly.
- Another tip is to head over to the single rider line. My youngest did this with his friend and they were able to get on quickly.
- They call this a "story coaster". Even the line was fascinating. The details and storyline you follow on the queue are the best. Hagrid was one of my favorite characters, so of course, I loved this. You even get a closeup of his famous hut!
- It is also a "launch coaster" with 7 launches in fact. The ride lasts almost 3 minutes (felt like 30 in my anxiety-ridden mind). Speed is 50 mph. There is a 65-foot spike in this ride, then straight back down.
- There is also a vertical drop on this ride of 17-feet, from here you switch tracks.
- You enter the ride via a moving conveyer belt. If this is an issue with you, skip this ride. There is also a "test seat" as with most other rides in the park.
- You can choose a motorbike or sidecar. I rode the sidebar and the hubs on the motorbike.
Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey
- This is technically not a roller coaster, but a scenic dark ride. The queue on this ride is SO much fun! It takes you through the castle, showcasing so many famous parts of the books and movies. You will love this.
- They have lockers just to the left of the castle entrance. You will want to leave everything you can in the lockers. I brought my phone the first time, but wished I hadn't once the ride started.
- The lockers are free, just scan your Universal tickets, or grab a ticket from the people working there. We had them on my phone, so used that. There are little kiosks where you scan the ticket and the door to a locker will pop open. When you come back, scan them again and the door will open again.
- From the lockers, follow the crowd into the castle and into the queue.
- Once you make it through the castle and to the ride, you will need to enter your seat via a moving walkway. If you aren't comfortable with that, maybe skip this ride.
- The rides sit on a KUKA robotic arm that will move the bench as it turns, pivots, and dives through the ride. It is multidimensional, meaning there is filmed sequences, sets, and animatronics. Whoa! It is so cool!
- If you or someone you are with is nervous about scary things, there are dementors in this ride. They just kind of fly around, but know they are out there on the Quidditch field.
- If you are prone to motion sickness, I am, this ride will be pretty intense. The scenes are so cool as you fly around the Quidditch field, but I had to close my eyes several times when I started to get sick.
- Our Uber driver on the way back to the airport suggested next time we go if we start to get motion sickness to look up and find the edge of the screen. This will help ground you and stop motion sickness. I am not sure that is true, but it was his suggestion.
- This really is such an amazing ride and one worth going on.
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- This is another multidimensional ride. Escape from Gringotts is 3D. My cousin told me I would love this ride and she was right! It was my favorite, I even went twice.
- It covers one of my favorite parts from Deathly Hollows when Ron, Hermione, and Harry ride through Gringotts. You even get to see Voldemort and Bellatrix (my least favorite person in the books).
- The queue to the ride is like the others in Harry Potter world as it takes you through some really cool spaces before you go in.
- You not only go through Gringotts, complete with the animatronic goblins but also through the back of the bank where you get to see the animated newspapers and pictures.
- They even had an elevator to take you to the lower levels. You will also get to visit Bill Weasly's office.
- The ride might be a little scary for younger kids, my nephew closed his eyes for the troll part, but for the most part, it is just fun. There is also the dragon they escape on, but also, very mild.
- This is another popular ride, so check those ride times on the Universal App.
Flight of the Hippogriff
- Flight of the Hippogriff was the only ride I didn't go on, but my nephew and brother-in-law did. They loved it!
- This is a great kids' ride, but I also saw tons of adults on it as well. The ride sits right in front of the castle, so it is easy to find.
- The minimum height is 36", but must have a supervising companion that is at least 48".
- Flight of the Hippogriff passes both the castle and Hagrid's ride. In fact, I heard that you could even hear Fang barking when you pass.
- It lasts just a little over a minute and runs at about 28 mph. You don't need lockers for this ride as you will have little pouches on the cars to store your items.
Hogwarts Express
- Technically, this is also a ride, so let me include info on the train as well. I LOVED riding the Hogwarts Express. Make sure to ride it both ways as each way is different.
- As a reminder, you can only ride the Hogwarts Express with the park-to-park passes. Make sure and read all about those in my Tips for Harry Potter World post.
- The train runs from King's Cross Station (Universal Studios) to Hogsmead Station (Islands of Adventure). The station itself is really cool at both ends. Not only is the architecture at both ends is stunning, but so are all the other details.
- At King's Cross Station, there is a wall you will see that really looks like people are running through it. They did such a good job here.
- The windows in the train are actually video monitors and you can see and hear some of your favorite characters here. Although, there are a few voices that are NOT the right person.
- It is a very smooth ride and is made for everyone. I cannot recommend it enough. The only thing I was really hoping to see was the sweet cart coming by. Maybe they can incorporate this at a later date.
Other Rides My Family Loved
You can spend a long time in just the Harry Potter part of the park, but let me share some of the other rides my boys loved going on outside Harry Potter World.
- The VelociCoaster was the first ride they went on outside the Harry Potter portion. This is a thrill ride for sure! I did not ride it as I was terrified just looking at it! This coaster hits speeds of 70 mph. It is the fastest and tallest launch coaster in Florida. It also has 4 inversions. Y'all this is a ride to thrill!
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster- This ride has 7 inversions and a max speed of 67 mph. When they say no loose items, they mean it! Another thrill ride. My family loved this ride. It was fast, intense, and awesome.
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit- My family also loved this one. You can actually choose the songs you want to listen to in this ride! This ride has a 167-foot-tall vertical lift and reaches speeds of up to 65 mph.
- Revenge of the Mummy- This ride starts off a little slow but picks up speed quickly. It is both a dark and thrill ride, that a lot of people really love. My crew liked it but said they wouldn't necessarily ride it again.
- Transformers 3D: The lines are pretty long on this one, so make sure and check the app. My family didn't love this one as much as the others. They prefer roller coasters. Your vehicle moves along tracks that combine 3D and 4D effects, which means you also get the heat and winds on the ride.
- Men In Black Alien Attack is a very interactive ride, and my family loved it. You have the chance to shoot down aliens on this ride! This ride is a multi-room, motion-based ride. You are out to save the galaxy!
- Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man- The fam loved this ride, but we are Spider-Man fans, so that was expected. This is a simulator ride that lets you tag along with a spider man as face challenges through NYC.
Conclusion
Harry Potter World has a ride for everyone! They really made this theme park to suit everyone's needs and preferences. You will not walk away disappointed.
Try them, enjoy them, and let me know what you think. We cannot wait to go back as a family again. We really had the best time.
Don't forget, if you have not checked out my other posts, you should! I shared my tips for planning your Harry Potter World visit and a post all about the Stores in Harry Potter World.
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