5 Harry Potter Ride Mistakes You’re Making at Universal Orlando (And Everyone Hopes You’ll Stop)

The three Harry Potter lands at Universal Orlando are some of our favorite areas of the Universal theme parks. At Universal Studios Florida, we love exploring Diagon Alley, where you can buy a wand at Ollivanders. We’ll always take the Hogwarts Express to Islands of Adventure to see Hogwarts and enjoy the Three Broomsticks at Hogsmeade. And, of course, we have to visit The Ministry of Magic and 1920s Paris, the setting of the Fantastic Beasts series, at Epic Universe.

If you love the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as much as we do, you’re probably familiar with the exciting rides you can find at each park. There are several experiences, including the brand new ride Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. But what if we told you that you’ve been making some big mistakes on these rides? We hope you’ll stop making these five Harry Potter ride mistakes so that you can enjoy your time even more!

Sitting in the Middle of the Benches of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

When you ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, you’ll soar above the Hogwarts grounds on a thrilling adventure. This ride uses groundbreaking technology that makes the experience fun and exciting.

But if you’ve been on this ride before, we bet you’ve been making a mistake. If you’ve been riding in the middle of the benches, you might be wondering why there are SO many jump scares. Well, if you’re sitting in the middle on this ride, you’re in the prime spot for every jump scare to be right in your face inside each scene.

We recommend sitting on one of the outside seats; that way, you don’t get something in your face every single time.

Opting for Single Rider on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Expecting To Be on the Motorcycle

It’s great that there is a single rider line option on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motobike Adventure. This roller coaster is very popular, as it takes you on a wild ride to discover magical creatures. The ride vehicle includes a motorcycle and a sidecar, just like what Hagrid rides in the books and movies.

But if you’re opting to go in the single rider line, you might be making the mistake of thinking you’ll be on the motorcycle. However, the single rider line will likely always get you seated in the sidecar. Please don’t get upset about this if you’re choosing this line. Instead, if you really want to be on the motorcycle, it will be worth your time waiting in the standby line.

Not Remaining FULLY Seated on Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is a thrilling new ride at Epic Universe. You’re taken on an exciting chase through the Ministry of Magic, battling Death Eaters and other magical beings.

We’ve started noticing a big mistake people are making on this ride — not staying FULLY seated. Anytime someone comes out of their seat, it can interrupt the ride. This also includes nervous children who might try to reposition themselves closer to you and accidentally lift enough off their seat that it stops the ride.

This can be really frustrating for other riders in the vehicle, so please make sure you’re staying firmly in your seat and that your children are too.

Not Properly Stowing Your Bags

Every Harry Potter ride, except Battle at the Ministry and Flight of the Hippogriff, has lockers for storing your bags. If you have a belt or sling bag, you may be able to take it on the ride with you; it’ll just need to be situated around your waist and turned to the side so it doesn’t interfere with the seat’s locking mechanism.

However, you might not want to bank on being able to do this, especially if you have a larger bag like a backpack. We’ve witnessed people make the mistake of taking their bag with them in line, making it all the way to the ride vehicles after an hour or longer wait, and then being turned away and sent to the lockers (no quack quack, seat back).

Usually, a Team Member will catch you as you’re entering the rides, but that’s not always the case. So instead of wasting your own time and possibly others’, you may just want to put everything in a locker to begin with.

Asking for the Front on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Evade the wrath of Voldemort and Bellatrix while deep under Gringotts and make it back to Diagon Alley on this exciting thrill ride! When you’re boarding the ride vehicle, you may think that the front looks like it would be the better place to be, but that would be a mistake!

On this ride, the BACK is where it’s at! Don’t be fooled by the front; ask for the back. It’s especially great at one specific part of the ride, but we won’t spoil it for ya. 😉

Ya’ll, we LOVE the Harry Potter rides at Universal Orlando. Trust us when we say you’ll want to stop making these mistakes. If you’re headed to the Universal parks for the first time, keep these tips in mind as you board your rides.

For more Universal Orlando tips, keep following AllEars!

Universal Orlando Makes 5 HUGE Announcements for 2026

 

Post a Comment