General Discussion - Hagrid's Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure

[JohnHammondsCane]

Unfortunately, as I have grown older, my patience with long lines has diminished accordingly and now will probably have much fewer rides, if any, on Hagrids unless of some rare circumstance to catch it at a lower wait time. Rope drop maybe?

Ya it’ll go back to a rope drop must. Haven’t done it in awhile but you used to be able to hit Hagrid’s, Velocicoaster and FJ during rope drop

 

[Mad Dog]

Hagrids, before Express, was mostly local friendly and vacation tourist unfriendly/difficult.

 

[Jake S]

Hagrids, before Express, was mostly local friendly and vacation tourist unfriendly/difficult.

How so? Longer standby wait times typically are more friendly to once-in-a-great-while tourists rather than once-a-week locals.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I did Hagrid's at rope drop once and will never do it again. Everyone has the same idea lol

My best method of getting on Hagrid's is going at lunch time.

 

[Mad Dog]

How so? Longer standby wait times typically are more friendly to once-in-a-great-while tourists rather than once-a-week locals.

Locals can go most anytime of the year, and as often as they want. It's fairly easy for them to hit the slowest days of operation. Plus, locals are probably more familiar with the ins and outs of how to get the best times. Whereas tourists are basically skewed into what time of year their vacation time is, and their time in the park is often limited, especially on short stays. A long wait puts more hurt in their vacation since their vacation time is limited.

 

[DeadSexeh]

Hagrids, before Express, was mostly local friendly and vacation tourist unfriendly/difficult.

Express impacts families the most. Express makes lines longer and families by nature have more people making it extremely costly to get express.

 

[Mad Dog]

Express impacts families the most. Express makes lines longer and families by nature have more people making it extremely costly to get express.

and...that's a major reason 'tourists' primarily book vacations at the more costly hotel express hotels. That makes their vacations so much more leisurely and relaxing. They only have so much time. Locals can come anytime, especially those with the very inexpensive Floridian rates that aren't available discount price wise to those tourists from out of state. Locals really get taken care of by Disney and Universal with hotel and ticket discounts that aren't available to the more heavy spending tourists.

 

[Jake S]

and...that's a major reason 'tourists' primarily book vacations at the more costly hotel express hotels.

I have a very, very hard time believing this is true.

 

[DeadSexeh]

I have a very, very hard time believing this is true.

As a family man myself and friends with many others I can confirm that this is not true. Families have budgets and top of the line hotels are usually not making the cut

 

[Brian G.]

Hagrids, before Express, was mostly local friendly and vacation tourist unfriendly/difficult.

Yeah - this isn't accurate.

 

[Tobias]

Yeah - this isn't accurate.

Agreed, since me and my family still fall under the tourist umbrella and we never had issues getting on Hagrid pre-Express. On top of that, I fail to see how that was considered "local friendly" when in order to rope drop the attraction...you need to be staying at one of the hotels for that perk. Doesn't matter if it's a slow or busy day, everyone's on the same playing field in that regard.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I get what @Mad Dog is saying - in the sense that Hagrid's always has a long wait, but locals theoretically can come back to the park whenever they want to try to ride it again.

Whereas with tourists, they have a set amount of time at the parks and they may not want to spend a large chunk of one of their days waiting for 1 ride.

 

[Mad Dog]

I get what @Mad Dog is saying - in the sense that Hagrid's always has a long wait, but locals theoretically can come back to the park whenever they want to try to ride it again.

Whereas with tourists, they have a set amount of time at the parks and they may not want to spend a large chunk of one of their days waiting for 1 ride.

Bottom line, yes................................Sure, no Express results in stand by not being soooo long,but, even before express stand by was uncomfortably long. Hagrids before express was 'mostly' 90 to 120 minutes standby. After express Hagrids was 'mostly' 110 to 150 minutes long. As a tourist, I'm not spending that much of my vacation time in any line, for any ride, that's more than an hour long. Plus Hagrids still potentially breaks down more than the usual attractions. That adds another reason not to be stuck in a long line. The attraction is 'great'. Middling Operational capacity, and huge demand, are a prescription for an extremely long wait, unless you get lucky, or are at the park on a very slow day.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Bottom line, yes................................Sure, no Express results in stand by not being soooo long,but, even before express stand by was uncomfortably long. Hagrids before express was 'mostly' 90 to 120 minutes standby. After express Hagrids was 'mostly' 110 to 150 minutes long. As a tourist, I'm not spending that much of my vacation time in any line, for any ride, that's more than an hour long. Plus Hagrids still potentially breaks down more than the usual attractions. That adds another reason not to be stuck in a long line. The attraction is 'great'. Middling Operational capacity, and huge demand, are a prescription for an extremely long wait, unless you get lucky, or are at the park on a very slow day.

This also is not indicative of real life. I know plenty of locals who balk at any wait for anything while tourists will wait hours for a once in a lifetime experience.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

It's been a few years since we've ridden Hagrid's - and we'll be there over Labor Day weekend this year. So chances are we will probably not ride it again lol

 

[Mad Dog]

This also is not indicative of real life. I know plenty of locals who balk at any wait for anything while tourists will wait hours for a once in a lifetime experience.

Sure, but you could say that about anything. I'm speaking in a general concept that Express, at the least, gives you an 'option' as a tourist. Locals have more options due to their proximity to the park.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

It's been a few years since we've ridden Hagrid's - and we'll be there over Labor Day weekend this year. So chances are we will probably not ride it again lol

Hey I’ll be there too. Let’s get a beer and wait in line.

 

[lowbudget]

As a family man myself and friends with many others I can confirm that this is not true. Families have budgets and top of the line hotels are usually not making the cut

I've got the exact opposite view point from my Family and our Friends with kids. We have the means to do a Universal Trip annually, or a short trip twice a year. But we've been on the every other year rotation to afford a deluxe hotel. My brother and his family are the same way.

If we go without express the lines are longer and the kids are miserable, for us the value per $ isn't there and we'll vacation somewhere else (likely at a much lower total cost) for a new experience. If we spend the money on the Deluxe hotel, we may not get in any additional rides than without express, but we have a lot more time to enjoy ourselves and everyone leaves the vacation happier. Lines=unhappy kids, unhappy kids=bad vacation. This is why there is a pay to ride system for Peter Pan, Dumbo, Its a small world, and other young kid attractions at Magic Kingdom.

It all depends on what you value on your vacation, and your overall priorities. But the demographic Mad Dog mentioned is a reality.

 

[Jake S]

Guys, the hotels that offer express make up only 25 percent of the total hotel rooms on Universal property. So there literally can not be a plurality of guests staying at these hotels … and we’re not even including the many guests who stay offsite.

 

[Mad Dog]

Guys, the hotels that offer express make up only 25 percent of the total hotel rooms on Universal property. So there literally can not be a plurality of guests staying at these hotels … and we’re not even including the many guests who stay offsite.

But, that gives guests an 'option', which they don't have if there's no Express....and many guests split vacations between the deluxe hotels and the values.