The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Rides
Let Your Inner Wizard Fly

We found something for everyone on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides. I was simply blown away by Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Josh and Sophia loved the thrill and speed of the Dragon Challenge. And, after all that, we all enjoyed the relative calm of the Flight of the Hippogriff.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

The Forbidden Journey is the most impressive of the three Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides. While I was impressed with the ride, the pre-ride queue is particularly amazing.

Gary's Tips

• Large items will need to be stored in the lockers outside The Forbidden Journey before you join the line
• Small items like keys, iPods, compact cameras and cell phones, can be stored in the pouch on the back of each rider's seat
• If you want to get a peek of what goes on behind the scenes, check out the crevice of the first cliff
• If there is a long wait, try the "single riders" line. But, be forwarned, you will miss most of the pre-ride exhibits

As I started saying, the pre-ride queue is really, really cool. We all felt like we were taking a grand tour of Hogwarts. Even without a line-up it's been said that it takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to go through the pre-ride and take it all in.

On this particular Wizarding World of Harry Potter ride we were greeted with our first ever encounter with a house elf. We met Dumbledore in his office. Harry, Ron and Hermione appeared from beneath the Invisibility Cloak in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and asked us to skip class with them to take in a game of Quidditch. We toured the Greenhouse and saw Mandrakes and, after checking out the "Fat Lady" portrait, we passed through the Gryffindor Common Room. And that's just some of the things we encountered along the way.

The attention to detail from the walls, to the floors, to the ceilings and to the set pieces is just absolutely brilliant. But our favorite things had to be the many talking portraits and the Sorting Hat who gave us all of our safety instructions just before we boarded the ride.

Now, I'm not going to spoil the ride for you. But, I was always blown away with the Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man ride on Marvel Super Hero Island. Well, suffice to say that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey will knock your socks off.

No matter how long the wait, this is one ride that you don't want to miss.

Dragon Challenge

By far the fastest of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides, the thrill and speed of the Dragon Challenge was all that Josh could talk about. Two coasters that intertwine with each other. You get to decide which one you want to ride - the Hungarian Horntail or the Chinese Fireball. We rode both, although not at the same time of course.

We love inverted coasters ... especially when they go upside down. An inverted coster just seems to give a much smoother ride than a traditional coaster. It's great letting your feet dangle in the air. But be sure to keep your shoes on tight. And, if you're wearing sandles, you just might lose them along with your lunch money.

Josh's Tip

Be sure to store your belongings in the lockers outside the ride before you join the line. This ride is fast and furious. You'll be zipping side to side, cork screwed and loop the looped. So you don't want to lose anything.

While not as impressive as The Forbidden Journey, the pre-ride is OK too. You get to see things like the Weasley's flying car after it's been whomped by the Whomping Willow. And you'll get to see the Goblet of Fire as well as the Triwizard Cup as you pass through the Champions tent.

Flight of the Hippogriff

Jess and Josh likend the Flight of the Hippogriff as a "kiddie" coaster. Sophia and I didn't mind at all as it sort of helped to slow things down a little. For us the coolest part of the ride was winding round Hagrid's Hut where you could hear Fang barking. Then we could hear Hagrid's voice providing us with instructions on the proper way to greet a Hippogriff. This came in handy because as we approached the first hill to climb with the coaster, there was Buckbeak sitting in his nest waiting to greet us. Younger kids should get a real kick out of this ride.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides are great. But that's just the beginning. Be sure to click on the links below and check out the rest of the Wizarding World.

Return from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Rides to the Home Page