How fast is Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure? Universal Orlando has done it again. In June 2019, the Florida theme park opened another Harry Potter-themed attraction. And like the resort’s other original rides themed to the world of the boy wizard, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is spectacular.

Located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure (one of two theme parks at Universal Orlando), the Hagrid Motorbike Adventure is a hybrid dark ride and roller coaster. Unlike nearly all other attractions that attempt to blend the thrills of a coaster with the immersive storytelling of a major E-Ticket ride, Universal hasn’t sacrificed anything.

It is both a richly themed, compelling attraction filled with stunning animatronics and other captivating elements as well as a full-throated, screamtastic coaster.

How Fast Is Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure?

The fastest the Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure goes is 50 mph. This is considered a family coaster due to the lack of inversions, twists or extreme speeds.

Because of its relatively low top speed (50 mph), its lack of inverting elements (which turn passengers upside down on those coasters that have them), and other factors, the Hagrid ride is considered a “family” coaster.

As opposed to an extreme coaster, such as SeaWorld Orlando’s Mako, which rises 200 feet and hits 73 mph, or Universal Orlando’s own Incredible Hulk Coaster, which roars along at 67 mph and includes seven G-force-laden inversions, the Potter ride is comparatively tame.

But the Hagrid coaster pushes the boundaries of the “family” category to its very limits. There are some especially wacky features that passengers experience on the ride. Let’s break them down:

• Launches: Instead of a traditional lift hill and first drop, the coaster uses linear synchronous motors to deliver electro-magnetic launches. Yes, that is “launches” with an “s” on the end. With seven total launches, Hagrid boasts more hang-on-for-dear-life moments than any other coaster anywhere. But none of the launches are all that fast (the fastest revs up to 50 mph). Another launched ride, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios cranks up to 57 mph. If you are okay with Disney World’s coaster, you’d be fine with Hagrid’s coaster. Also, because it does not include a lift hill, the Potter ride only hits a height of 65 feet (and some passengers don’t get that high as we cover next).
• Climb a Dead-end Spike: About midway through the ride, the train climbs a spiked section of track the rises 65 feet into the air at more than 70 degrees and comes to a complete stop (because the track ends, and it has nowhere to go). But, only the people near the front of the train climb 65 feet. The passengers toward the back barely rise at all.
• Go Backwards: Since the train can’t go forward on the spike, it heads backwards. That can be an unsettling experience for inexperienced riders. But, the Hagrid coaster doesn’t go that fast while heading backwards, and the reverse motion does not last long. Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom also includes a backwards section. If you are fine with that attraction, you’d be fine with Universal’s ride. Because of a track switch, the train does not retrace its path, but proceeds in a different direction.
• Vertical Drop: This may be the Hagrid coaster’s wackiest element. The backward train comes to a halt in the Devil’s Snare. This is the part of the attraction where “things go horribly wrong” (as they inevitably do in theme park rides). There are some great effects included in the scene. Just when all hope seems lost, the bottom literally falls out, and the track section along with the train drops 17 feet straight down. While it may sound terrifying, 17 feet is not really all that steep, and it is over in an instant. Another family coaster, Verbolten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia, includes a similar drop track element. If the freefalls on Disney’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction are manageable, you’d be okay handling this drop.

It’s A Long Ride

One of the biggest problems with roller coasters is that, because they are designed to move fast, they are over quickly. That’s just not the case with Hagrid’s. By track length, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is actually the longest roller coaster found in Florida.

Despite the fact that you still experience a lot of it at top speed, which could have the ride over in a matter of seconds, the time you spend on the ride is longer than many comparable roller coasters. Or at least it feels that way.

At about three minutes long, Hagrid’s is longer than many roller coasters, but it’s certainly not the longest ride time in the industry. Some of that added length is because the ride occasionally slows down to show you things, but that’s the beauty of the whole concept.

Every time the ride begins to slow down, you wonder if it’s is about to come to an end, and then off you go on another launch. It’s an exciting feeling every time you realize that the ride isn’t over yet.

The Speed and Drop Hagrid’s

Some people love roller coasters that twist and turn and corkscrew and loop, but for me, it’s all about the speed. Now, topping out at about 50 miles per hour, Hagrid’s certainly isn’t the fastest roller coaster in the world; not even close.

But honestly, the ride is plenty fast enough, especially because of the unique ride vehicle. If you’re on the motorbike side, you lean into the wind or you can sit close to upright and just feel the wind blowing past you from all sides.

The roller coaster actually feels faster than it is, but at the end of the day, it’s the experience that counts, not the specs. The coaster takes up a decent amount of real estate, so it doesn’t feel crowded and everything has room to breathe. It feels more open than so many roller coasters that rely on corkscrews and loops because they don’t have as much space to work with.

Then there’s the moment when the coaster really does something you probably weren’t expecting. At one point, after the ride has shifted to racing you backward rather than forward, the roller coaster literally drops straight down onto another level.

Even if you know it’s there and you’re expecting it, it’s a thrill simply because it’s not the sort of sensation you expect on a roller coaster. There are countless other theme park attractions where that’s part of the gimmick, but not roller coasters.

It’s absolutely true that nothing on this list is entirely unique to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. You can find every item here elsewhere, but you can’t find them all in one place like you can here.

It’s this unique combination that make’s Hagrid’s special and a roller coaster experience that is absolutely worth waiting in line for or spending the extra money on the express pass.

Who Can (and Should) Go on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure?

As a family coaster (albeit, a somewhat aggressive family coaster), the height restriction to ride the Hagrid attraction is a fairly low 48 inches. That’s the same as the neighboring Wizarding World attraction that is inside Hogwarts Castle, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

Children are roughly 7 to 8 years old when they typically reach 48 inches. Anybody under that height would not be allowed to ride.

Just because somebody is 48 inches or taller does not mean that they should be coerced into boarding the ride. That includes adults. Yes, thrill rides are intended to be thrilling; fear and anticipation are part of the fun. But regardless of height or age, the kinds of thrills that the Hagrid ride delivers may not be somebody’s idea of fun. That should be a personal decision.

To put it in perspective, the minimum height of the more moderate Flight of the Hippogriff coaster is 36 inches. On the other end of the spectrum, The Incredible Hulk Coaster has a minimum height requirement of 54 inches.

The extreme coaster that the Hagrid ride replaced, Dragon Challenge, also had a minimum height of 54 inches. A comparable roller coaster, Revenge of the Mummy, also has a height requirement of 48 inches.

How Thrilling Is Hagrid’s Motorbike Coaster?

On a thrill scale of 0 to 10 (with 0 being wimpy and 10 being yikes!), we think the Hagrid coaster rates a 6.5, possibly a 7 because of the vertical drop. It is somewhat extreme, but not as extreme as many other coasters.

Evaluating thrill levels for other Universal Orlando rides, we give the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster and the Hulk coaster 8s. The more tame Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts gets a 4 on the same scale.

Comparing the thrill levels at Disney World, we rank Pirates of the Caribbean, which includes a fairly mild splashdown, a 2 on the thrill-o-meter. Avatar Flight of Passage, the showcase attraction at Pandora the World of Avatar, merits a 4, and Space Mountain clocks in with a 5. (Fun fact: The famous Space Mountain is surprisingly poky; it only hits a top speed of 27 mph.)

Could you (or your wimpier park pals) handle the Hagrid coaster? Only you (or they) could answer that. We are not going to lie and say that the whole ride is over quickly. At 5,053 feet of track, it is the longest coaster in Florida. If you are on the line, we think you should strongly consider toughing it out. But it’s up to you.

FAQs

When did Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure open?

As mentioned above, Universal Orlando welcomed this ride in June of 2019. It has still remained wildly popular even after the Covid-19 pandemic shut down and the opening of Velocicoaster.

What park is Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure in?

Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure is located in Universal Orlando Resort within their Islands of Adventure park.

Where is Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure?

It is located in Islands of Adventure park, right in the center of Hogsmeade Village. It is important to note that sometimes the Universal Hagrid ride line starts in the Lost Continent land, so make sure to keep an eye out as you’re entering Hogsmeade.

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