Hagrids ride pre planning

[smevs]

We did Hagrids ride just last week .

We got to the IOA entrance for 8:30 and the gates were opened just before 9 then was a dash through Dr Seuss land before we were filtered off into a separate queue in The Lost Continent. This queue was moving fairly steadily and it was only once into the ride 'grounds' that things started to slow up, and even then it wasn't too bad.

While we were queuing we got talking to one of the staff and they said that anyone arriving by train from US is held in Hogsmead station for a while a then put to the back of the already existing queue in IOA, so I would say that that is not really a good option to consider.

We were off the ride by 9:45 !

I have to say though, that this is probably the best ride in Orlando at the moment - utterly brilliant ! (FOP a close second).

[mike4scuba]

Originally Posted by sky13

Sounds like a great experience Mike!

Quick question - are you allowed mobile phones on the ride? In a secure pocket at least?

I'm guessing bags are not allowed?

Thinking of doing Universal tomorrow and just pre-planning too! I'm ok with waiting in line as long as I can have my mobile with me to pass the time...

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Yes had wallet in one side pocket and the phone in the other without issues

[Rbecking]

Any plans for it to be added to express pass in 2020?

[offtoseemickey]

You definitely want to go in via Seuss, not Marvel.

Try to get on it earlier in your holiday, the last three days of our holiday the ride was down pretty much al day, so we didn’t get to re-ride.

The ride really is a lot of fun, definitely worth an hour wait. Not sure how much longer I’d like to wait for though...!

And yes, you can have your phone, no bags, wands, cups etc.

Originally Posted by Rbecking

Any plans for it to be added to express pass in 2020?

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Nothing has been announced as far as I know. I’m sure they will add it, but only once it’s more reliable and wait times aren’t so long.

[Florida White]

I agree it is the must do attraction at the moment in Orlando and can’t see it getting any quieter to bring in the Express Pass for a few years yet. I was there last week parked the car up at 7 and headed to the gate. Went to a turnstile furthest right but if there are a few people in the lines go to the quietest line on the left they open all gates simultaneously at around 8.45am. Always go right and when you get to the Lost Continent you will see a special queue line set up to funnel people in to. The Hogwarts Express from the studios side is a definite no as it does not arrive in until after 9 and there will already be a lot of people in line by the time the first train gets in. It is a great ride experience overall and I would recommend doing it once but just in my opinion I wouldn’t centre my whole holiday around it. You can do so much in the parks while around 3000 are in line first thing and for the first 90 minutes you will hardly wait more than ten or fifteen minutes for everything else. It’s definitely a must do but you can head in line around 1pm when it’s eaten up a lot of the crowds now it’s running at near full capacity with trains and you will be on in an hour rather than waiting 90 minutes on a morning then having to wait for other attractions when the best policy could be to do the other attractions then Hagrid. As a side note they have been closing the line 2 or 3 hours before park close so be in line before 3pm.

[mike4scuba]

Well how wrong was I thinking the parks would be quieter after hhn and before the thanks giving holiday.
Most days it's still 150 mins wait and closes around 3 with full capacity signs going up as well as this one most mornings

Like the other poster states do it early into your holiday in case the ride doesnt operate for any reason
I must say though it does make getting on other rides so much easier though

[sky13]

I'm in line for Hagrids right now at 8.54am (park open at 9). Actually got to universal for 810 but for some reason couldn't pick up my ticket from the will call kiosk so had to go wait in a very slow moving line at the ticket office, and only managed to get in line for entry at 830. They started letting people into the park around 845, and fast walked over (I swear I feel more tired after fast walking now than I did after running the half marathon on Sunday...). Not sure how long this line will take and the universal TMs are saying that Hagrids is experiencing delays, though heard someone else say that that's what they always say. Lots of queue jumpers too unfortunately.

10.17am and still in line. Went into the castle and the line stopped there just after 9 because of "major delays" and only just started moving again around 10am... Hagrids is posted at 180 minutes. Meanwhile the wait times for FJ and Gringotts are posted at 10-15 minutes!

[offtoseemickey]

Originally Posted by sky13

I'm in line for Hagrids right now at 8.54am (park open at 9). Actually got to universal for 810 but for some reason couldn't pick up my ticket from the will call kiosk so had to go wait in a very slow moving line at the ticket office, and only managed to get in line for entry at 830. They started letting people into the park around 845, and fast walked over (I swear I feel more tired after fast walking now than I did after running the half marathon on Sunday...). Not sure how long this line will take and the universal TMs are saying that Hagrids is experiencing delays, though heard someone else say that that's what they always say. Lots of queue jumpers too unfortunately.

10.17am and still in line. Went into the castle and the line stopped there just after 9 because of "major delays" and only just started moving again around 10am... Hagrids is posted at 180 minutes. Meanwhile the wait times for FJ and Gringotts are posted at 10-15 minutes!

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Did you manage to get on?

How frustrating about the queue jumpers 😫

[sky13]

Sorry didn't manage to add on after my last post. I was on and off the ride by 10.40am, so I suspect that if not for that hour of extended delays I should have been done by 9.40am!

General impression is that it's a great ride, the coaster is incredibly smooth (not yet subjected to weather wear and tear!), and it's very fun with a few things I didn't expect. Would I queue for 3 hours for it (the posted wait time) - no. But I'd probably queue an hour for it...

In terms of my experience with trying to ride it today and planning to ride it:

1) Park entry
Arrive as early as possible. I got in line for the park entry turnstiles around 8.30am but I would have liked to have been a bit closer to the turnstiles. Also look for any turnstiles that have shorter queues, everyone seemed to be lining up at the ones in the middle while the ones at the sides had shorter queues!

2) Entering the park
Go right. When I went in today I fast walked to the queue entrance, which was extended all the way with barriers into the Lost Continent area.

3) Queue and lockers
Same bag/items policy as FJ and Gringotts, i.e. allowed mobile phones as long as in secure pocket, but all bags into locker. The extended queue goes straight past the locker area for the Hagrids ride, so if you need to use a locker just hop out of line, stick stuff into locker (fairly quick), then jump back in line. Though as the line keeps moving this means you'll be a bit further back than you were.

The outdoors queue seemed identical to previous Dragons queue, though with a few added elements.

Indoors queue has been completely changed from previous Dragons queue, both in layout and in theming. Fun and helps pass the time - very similar to the FJ queue I felt.

4) Early end times
They cut off the line mid-afternoon. If I don't remember wrongly there were signs saying that it would close early, and by mid-afternoon the ride wait time was "at capacity" and there were signs and TMs standing outside the ride explaining this. So definitely do it as early as you can.

[offtoseemickey]

Originally Posted by sky13

General impression is that it's a great ride, the coaster is incredibly smooth (not yet subjected to weather wear and tear!), and it's very fun with a few things I didn't expect.

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Glad you had an ok queue time and that you enjoyed the ride! It’s so fun isn’t it. And SO smooth!

Originally Posted by sky13

3) Queue and lockers
Same bag/items policy as FJ and Gringotts, i.e. allowed mobile phones as long as in secure pocket, but all bags into locker. The extended queue goes straight past the locker area for the Hagrids ride, so if you need to use a locker just hop out of line, stick stuff into locker (fairly quick), then jump back in line. Though as the line keeps moving this means you'll be a bit further back than you were.

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So, I haven’t ridden first thing in the morning, only in the middle of the day... when the queue is super long first thing in the morning and you go to the lockers, are these the same lockers you’d use in the middle of the day, I.e. to the left of the main ride entrance? If so, what’s stopping someone from entering the park at park opening, walking right to the lockers (bypassing the main queue) and then joining the middle of queue after using the lockers. therefore pushing in front of lots of people?

I think I must be missing something? By the way-I’m not looking for a way round standing in line at all, more that it seems like a ‘risk’?