The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students — until now! Forget Dumbledore’s warning from Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone because on June 13, 2019, Hogwarts lovers will finally have a free pass to explore the darkest depths of the school grounds. Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure will now be home to a one-of-a-kind roller coaster experience called Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, and to officially announce the attraction, Universal enlisted Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in all eight films, to share the first thrilling details.
Guests who decide to live the magic begin their journey by joining lovable Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class, just outside Hogwarts castle. From there, you’ll board an enchanted motorbike, either on the bike itself or in the side car, and take off to explore the forest that the gamekeeper loves so much. From there, riders travel deep into the Forbidden Forest at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour through both indoor and outdoor sections, the latter featuring over 1,200 live trees to make up the forest. You’ll fly forward, backwards, and sideways as you encounter several of Harry Potter’s most iconic creatures like Cornish Pixies, centaurs, and Fluffy the three-headed dog. Plus, if that isn’t enough, a new creature that never appeared in the Harry Potter films is teased as playing a part in the attraction. Could we finally be seeing Peeves? Technically he’s a poltergeist, which I think is considered part of the spirit division, decreed by the Ministry for Magic. But I digress…
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was built on the site of the original Dragon Challenge attraction, a Triward-themed coaster transformed to fit the Harry Potter-theme when the park originally opened in 2010. However, the attraction officially closed in 2017 to make way for this brand-new coaster. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the latest addition to the Wizarding World at Universal Orlando, following the debut of Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express in 2014. Along with the announcement of the new coaster, Universal will also be debuting a new nighttime spectacular called Dark Arts at Hogwarts. At night, the iconic castle will be taken over by the darkest creatures imaginable, like Inferi, Dementors, and even the evil Lord Voldemort himself.
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure opens on June 13, 2019 at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. Get ready to fly!