- Feb 15, 2012
- 17,171
- 47,164
Y’all please keep this thread for reviews for people who have actually ridden and keep the chit chat at a minimum. Thanks.
So you mean a story other than you're in his class for a lesson on magical creatures? I know how it sounds but i swear that's not a smartass statement im being genuine.Didn’t ride but based on the videos it looks like a blast!! The area looks beautiful and there are so many good coaster elements packed in. My only disappointment is the lack of any kind of cohesive story. It really is just a coaster that does a drive by of 5 cool Harry Potter creatures.
That’s better than 99% of other coasters in the narrative department but I was hoping this would finally take coaster storytelling to that next level and I don’t think it does
Just before boarding the ride, I started to get worried that my expectations were too high and that it would end up disappointing me, but once we boarded the train, the hype took full control of me. The turnaround out of the station gave a great view of the ride while hiding the spike and finale with trees and the wall beside you. Launch one provides a much stronger punch than expected and puts you into a few downwards turns. The final turn provided enough positives to push my restraint down a bit but the seat was still very comfortable. Launch 2 provided another good kick and the transition out of it was far snappier than expecter. The turns didn't provide any noteworthy forces as expected, but the hill gave a small pop of airtime. The mounting point for the skrewt was very obvious and the movements seemed to be exaggerated, but the set dressing and Hagrid animatronic both looked amazing. Then we entered a small dip into the third launch, which felt much faster than it is. The hill didn't do much but the twists and turnaround following it were fairly snappy and intense. Launch 4 didn't feel like it increased the speed much, but there was definitely a bit of acceleration. The overbank/turnaround gave some interesting forces, then the small hill after it had another small pop of air. Fluffy looked great, but you don't spend much time at that scene. The spike didn't do much back row, but the backwards section was pretty snappy going in and out. The centaur didn't move much, but the environment inside the show building was great. Devil's snare scene looked far better and more alive than expected, and the drop track was tons of fun. There was a bit of a dip down out of the drop track and into the final launch, which definitely helped keep the ride moving. Final launch (again) had a nice punch and flying up along the treetops in the final overbanks was an amazing feeling. The unicorns looked great and were a nice touch at the end of an incredible experience. Overall, the ride far exceeded my expectations and absolutely did not disappoint. It definitely felt like the show scenes were rushed, but I'd take rushed scenes and near perfect pacing over constant stops. I waited nearly 6 hours to get on and it was worth every second.
Even without the theming, it would still be tons of fun. The whole package is a whole other story.Thank you so much for this review! It gives a much better account of the actual rollercoaster and not just the scenes. It sounds like a great ride that tells a fun story but still remains a rollercoaster and not just a show ride
Hey y’al, as a reminder this is a thread for reviews for people who have been on the attraction. Please refrain from posting first impressions from POV videos here. Thanks.
I’m bad at catching behind the scenes stuff on the first ride and I noticed the pole. But the AA is impressive in size and movementThank you. It’s getting hard to figure out who actually rode it.
If you didn’t ride it; I don’t care what your impressions are about the pole, the look of the unicorn or the best spot to sit on this thread.
We have tons of people here and otherwise who have actually ridden it with first-hand opinions. Save the second-hand for the general thread.
I’m 42 waist and rode in sidecar. Thighs were a little tight, but otherwise was fine. Has more room for belly area than I was expecting. Seemed similar as Gringotts to me. Motorbike seat is better for leg room of course.Question for anyone with a 40" or greater waistline: did you attempt the sidecar? My pants size is anywhere between 40 and 46 depending on brand, so I opted for motorbike based on early word it was more accommodating than sidecar. I didn't try the test seat in order to save some time, but for future reference it'd be nice to hear of any of y'all's experiences.