ORLANDO, FL – Universal Orlando Resort is removing Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike from the Express Pass program starting July 01, 2026. The decision has been met with mixed reactions with theme park goers without express passes cheering and the higher tier theme park pass Premier holders expressing dismay that their passes have suddenly lost value and Universal hotel visitors complaining they specifically planned their vacations at Universal hotels to take advantage of the express pass perk for Hagrid’s.
It’s no secret that wait times at Hagrid can easily soar to 100 or even 200 minutes. I have waited over 3 hours in the past in the standby line and it was this that brought me and my family to make the decision to upgrade to a Universal Premier Annual Pass. After all, the lines for other rides rarely pass 30 minutes and the park has lost interest as Epic Universe has taken most of the interest from Universal Orlando and Island’s of Adventure with the exception of Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike. This is a common experience across passholders.
The fundamental problem with this ride is the capacity for riders versus the interest for parkgoers and this continues to not be solved by Universal Orlando Resort. Some people speculate is just a scheme to make people pay for Universal individual Express Passes for Hagrid’s.
This disappointing development was poorly communicated and was first posted about by theme park reporters and bloggers without any communication from Universal themeselves. Once has to wonder where the PR, Marketing, and Customer Support teams were in the middle of this decision since they will now be left to field the backlash.
Some theme park bloggers are supportive of the move and champion Universal prioritizing the average park visitor. You have to wonder both what the theme park was thinking and why they made this change with such little planning. They had to know people would discover the change.
About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a writer and journalist with over 15 years of experience. I write the food and travel blog Carlos Eats (https://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines on numerous topics.
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