Bad News for Potter Fans: Universal Shortens Hours of Operation for Hagrid's New Roller Coaster
Harry Potter fans better pack some extra patience if they plan to head to the Universal Orlando Resort over the next few weeks to ride Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. The much-anticipated roller coaster opened last Thursday with wait times of up to 14 hours, which were sprinkled with intermittent weather and mechanical delays. Our own TPG reporter stood in line for 11 hours and finally gave up the ghost when another temporary ride closure was announced.
Long waits are to be expected whenever a new ride makes its debut at a theme park as popular as Universal, but standing in line all day for the opportunity to experience one ride is tough to justify. Everyone hoped the lines would be managed a bit better going forward but Universal just made an announcement that's sure to make it even tougher to ride this coaster: The attraction will open at midday for the next couple of weeks.
Universal says this is its "most sophisticated, high-performance ride system ever -- and our team needs time to take care of the ride's daily maintenance and technical support. It's been challenging for them to do that with our current operating schedule. So to make sure our team has the time it needs, we'll be opening the ride at midday for the next couple of weeks."
It's interesting to note that the theme park cites its operating schedule as a challenge. Surely Universal anticipated that parkgoers would expect this ride to be open when the theme park is. It's highly unusual for a specific ride to have extremely different operating hours than the park itself.
Guest are still paying hefty admission prices but their chances of getting a coveted spot on Hagrid's motorbike are now slimmer than before. And, this news is probably maddening for families or anyone that ponied up the extra cash to stay at an official Universal hotel in order to get into Hogsmeade early.
It's awesome that guests of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Universal's Aventura Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Surfside Inn and Suites (when it opens on June 27) get early park admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (one hour before the theme park opens to the public). But that perk certainly loses its luster if Hagrid's coaster doesn't open until later in the day. Of course those guests can still dash to be first in line upon entering the park, although they might be standing in line for quite some time without knowing the exact time the ride will open.
If you have a trip planned to try out this roller coaster, watch Universal's website closely for additional announcements. Also be sure to download the theme park's app, which should give up-to-date info on the ride's operational status on the day of your visit.
Bottom Line
Universal Orlando may have misjudged interest in Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure or perhaps the ride wasn't quite ready for prime time when it opened. Let's hope Universal's team resolves the issues and gets the coaster's hours of operation in line with theme park hours soon.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.