Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure Touring Tips
Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure remains the hottest ticket in Islands of Adventure six years after opening. This hit attraction still brings long wait times, which begs the question, “When is the best time to ride Hagrid?” This question has become even trickier with the recent addition of an Express Pass line to the coaster. So we ran the data, and this is when we found you should ride Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure.
When Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure opened in the summer of 2019, it was best known for being an incredible ride, prone to breakdowns, and having long lines. Reliability has improved significantly since opening, with an average offline percentage of 9.4% by the summer of 2023. That means for an average theme park operating day of 10 hours, the attraction will be down for 54 minutes a day. This decreased even more in 2025 with the addition of an expanded coaster train maintenance bay.
On May 30, 2025, Universal Orlando added Hagrid to the Express Pass program. This significantly adjusted our models and updated our guidance.
We now suggest riding Hagrid first thing in the morning if you have Early Park Admission. On May 29th, data showed the highest wait times for Hagrid immediately at park open as regular and Early Park Admission guests rushed to ride Hagrid first. A week later on June 5, 6 days after Hagrid was placed on Early Park Admission, the wait times spiked during the morning and remained elevated throughout the day, with a posted 120-minute wait and an expected wait of 80-90 minutes.
Here are our suggested times to ride:
- During Early Park Admission
- During the lunch hour when guests are eating.
- Last hour, the park is open – Universal will artificially inflate the posted wait times at night to discourage guests from joining the queue.
We recommend that guests use our customized Touring Plans software to determine the best time to ride Hagrid on the day of their visit. There are some exceptions to this rule. Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure shuts down in inclement weather, heavy rain, or if lightning strikes in the area. Review the weather report from the previous day to determine if rain is forecasted and adjust your touring plan accordingly. Finally, sometimes Hagrid experiences delays during Early Park Admission but they will pre-fill the queue with guests. If this occurs we suggest waiting it out for when the attraction comes on line.
With the addition of Express Pass, Universal removed the Single Rider Line from the attraction. While the single rider line didn’t always provide faster access to the attraction, we do miss the choice. Now the Express Pass queue uses the old Single Rider Line and entrance.
[Article updated June 10, 2025]
Will you get Express Pass to speed up your wait for Hagrid? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
So glad for this update since we will be there next week! No EP and have been waffling on what time to try Hagrids. Thanks.
Best time for me was when Haggrid’s was down in the morning. I went to Three Broomsticks for a breakfast and sat where I could watch the track. Once I saw the first cars being tested, I headed to the queue. Had about a 20 min wait!