Universal executives reveal how they fast-tracked the Hagrid roller coaster
Building and designing a major ride on a nearly seven-acre site might normally take up to four years, but Universal’s team fast-trackedHagrid’s roller coaster, finishing in half that time.
Universal Creative executive Elaine Hinds called it a “tremendous undertaking” from the ride itself to the details as Universal bought multiple tree farms to supply the 1,200 trees for the backdrop of the Forbidden Forrest.
Universal gave insight into creating Hagrid’s Magical CreaturesMotorbikeAdventure during a virtual presentation with the Themed Entertainment Association last month. The coaster opened to rave reviews last year at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
To pull it off in two years, the team of engineers, designers, creative directors and construction crews enjoyed a special camaraderie to meet their deadline, said Hinds, an executive producer for Universal Creative, at last month’s Thea Awards Digital Case Studies session.
“It doesn’t always happen,” Hinds said. “But on this project, we got very, very lucky in that’s exactly how it came together. And that’s how they were able to pull it off. I cannot stress enough how many hours and how many sleepless nights these guys went through to pull this all together. And what they’ve done is brilliant.”
Hinds remembered finding out, early in the project, more than 1,200 trees going up as the backdrop of the forbidden forest, a task even more challenging given Florida’s heat.
“We purchased multiple tree farms, and within six months, we went from a completely empty construction site to having all 1,200 plus trees completely planted and installed,” Hinds said.
It took 100,000 work hours to design, sculpt, engineer and program the Hagrid the groundkeeper animatronic, the unicorns and other figures pulled from the Harry Potter books that appear throughout the ride, said Bill McGehee, an engineering and safety director at Universal Creative.
“Animated figures are always one of the most difficult show elements to deliver,” he said as Harry Potter fans have high expectations for the beloved franchise.
McGehee also discussed some of thrills.
At one point, riders feel a Gforce that “pushesthemback into their seat, causing their body weight to feel like it was increased by 50%. During this time, the train accelerates to 50 miles an hour,” McGehee said.
The end result was that crowds lined up for 13 hours to ride the launch coaster when it opened in June 2019.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Hinds said. “We had 13-hourwaits, and peoplewaited, and they loved it … The first time we saw that first train of guests come in, and they were cheering and they were clapping, and some were in tears, and it was probably one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had within my career, and I’ve opened a lot of attractions and a lot of shows.”
Even during the pandemic, after Universal reopened, fans regularly line up early to ride the coaster.
Universal hotel opens next month
The Dockside Inn side of Universal’s Endless Summer Resort is scheduled to open Dec. 15, the resort announced Thursday. Its debut originally was scheduled forMarch, but that was upended by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Endless Summer Resort represents Universal Orlando’s first hotel foray across International Drive. It was constructed where Wet ‘n’ Wild water park operated until Dec. 31, 2016. The new resort is divided into Dockside Inn and Surfside Inn compounds byUniversal Boulevard.
The14-story-tall Dockside features 2,050 rooms, bringing Universal Orlando’s total roomcount to 9,000. Surfside, which originally opened in summer 2019, has 750 rooms. Aventura Hotel and Sapphire Falls currently remain closed after briefly reopening from the resort’s pandemic shutdown.
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is reopening Dec. 1 with renovated rooms and suites throughout the hotel, Universal says.
Like Universal’s other onproperty hotels— includingHard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific— Endless Summer is a partnership with LoewsHotels& Co.
Dockside and Surfside are the first in the “value” category of Universal’s hotel portfolio. They feature standard room and twobedroom suites with kitchenettes. Universal is touting a room rate of $79 a night, based on a five-night stay, for standard rooms; the suites are priced at $120 per night, based on a fivenight stay.