GUESTS at Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter are set to face their darkest fears when a groundbreaking new ride opens on June 13.
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure will see muggle tourists soar through the mysterious Forbidden Forest where a number of deadly foes await.
With Hagrid – Hogwarts’ beloved but clumsy groundskeeper – by your side, there’s sure to be a mix of mayhem and wonder in store and the creative team at Universal have gone to painstaking effort to recreate the scariest location in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.
The experience will begin with guests becoming Hogwarts students while Hagrid leads a Care of Magical Creatures class, before boarding his enchanted motorbike and taking to the skies.
Specially designed to create a “freedom of flight” sensation, the bikes replicate Hagrid’s vehicle from the movie series – with an adjacent sidecar – giving guests two very different ride experiences depending on where they choose to sit.
True to Hagrid’s calamitous nature, things take a turn for the worse and you’ll find yourself needing a whole lot of magic to fend off a swarm of mischievous Cornish Pixies, a pack of centaurs, and Fluffy, a giant three-headed dog that has a bite as bad as its bark.
The track of the ride is angled to perfectly mimic the exact motions of an actual motorbike, with speeds reaching up to 50mph as you soar through the Forbidden Forest.
Universal has recruited some of the creative team from the Harry Potter movies to make the new area as authentic and immersive as possible.
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Alan Gilmore – art director on the record-breaking movie franchise – told how over 1200 real trees have been planted to replicate the shadowy lands of the Forbidden Forest.
Plenty of further surprises have been promised, including a new creature that’s never been seen in the films but was in the original books.
After bringing Hagrid to life in the Harry Potter movies, actor Robbie Coltrane said the clumsy caretaker “would really love” the ride and that it plays into the relationship he had with the students of Hogwarts.
Robbie explained: “Hagrid was such a nice guy, he had access to everybody and he had his hut where the students felt safe with him… The idea of going on an adventure with Hagrid, they would all be happy.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea and the design is incredible. It’s a staggeringly original idea to make a ride which is basically a motorcycle with a sidecar.”
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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will also be introducing a new show-stopping light presentation that focuses on Voldemort and his army of villainous Death Eaters.
The Dark Lord will come to life in a groundbreaking blend of light and sound that will cover the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
After escaping the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid, guests can find their own wand at Ollivander’s shop or travel to Diagon Alley on the Hogwarts Express steam train.
