How To Ride Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure

Catching a short line for Hagrid’s seems like an impossible task- but riding one of Universal’s most popular rides is do-able. You just need a little strategy!

Early Park Admission

I’m gonna be real with you- this one’s not my favorite. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not a morning person. However, if you’re an annual passholder or are staying at a Universal hotel, you get early park admission, which gives you an extra hour in Islands of Adventure every morning.

This one’s tricky, though, because if you get there right at early park admission, you can race to Hagrid’s and have next to no wait. I’ve heard of many people rushing to Hagrid’s and getting to ride multiple times with basically no line. If you get there too late, though, the line starts to form, and shortly after park opening seems to see the longest waits for this ride. So if you’re able to be one of the first guests in the park, it’s worth it. If not, go do something else and keep an eye on wait times throughout the day.

Ride at Park Close

This one is my favorite strategy, but it does come with risks. Universal’s policy is that as long as you are in line at park close, you get to ride. So if the park closes at 9pm, and you jump in line at 8:59pm, you’re riding. This is usually when lines are most reasonable, with the exception of being first in line in the morning. You’re also waiting in line after park close, so you’re not missing out on anything. It’s also the BEST to ride Hagrid’s at night.

However, you run the risk of the ride closing down due to technical difficulties. Just like any ride in any theme park in the world, rides do temporarily shut down for technical issues. Hagrid’s is no exception. Knock on wood, I’ve never had this happen to me riding at night, but understand it’s a possibility. So if I were you, I wouldn’t use this strategy if I only had one park day or if this was my one and only chance to ride Hagrid’s.

Single Rider Line

My opinion on using the single rider line for Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure: don’t waste your time. Since Hagrid’s only has 2 seats per row, filling in 1 person here and there is rare. Therefore, the single rider line doesn’t move very quickly. Try it if you want, but it likely will be about the same wait time as the standby line.

Use the Universal App

This one seems obvious, but I’m including it anyway. Check wait times throughout the day on the Universal app. If wait times drop below 70 minutes, you should jump in line. It’s probably not gonna get much better than that unless you’re there during a really slow day.

Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure is a fantastic ride and well worth the wait. What strategies do you use to make the most of your time and avoid waiting in line?