The three major rides in Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter are often the park’s most popular attractions, and now it might be a little easier to experience them on busy days.
As of July 1, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and Hogwarts Express are available as part of Universal Orlando’s Express Pass system. The add-on pass allows guests to skip the regular line at participating rides, but until this summer, the fan-favorite “Harry Potter” rides were not included.
The addition of the “Harry Potter” rides to Express Pass was expected to drive up the popularity of the line-jumping program. Even before all “Harry Potter” attractions were added, Express Passes could sell out during peak times at the park.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is usually a hot ticket at both Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood. Though the California park is smaller, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has been part of Universal Hollywood’s Front of the Line Pass program since it opened in April 2016. I opted not to purchase a Front of the Line Pass during a recent visit to Universal Hollywood and experienced a 115-minute wait for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
Universal Orlando recently announced a new themed roller coaster will replace Dragon Challenge. Though Dragon Challenge is currently part of the Express Pass program, it’s not yet clear if the new coaster will be a participating ride.
If you haven’t had the chance to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey yet, you can preview the meandering queue in our video below.
WATCH – FORBIDDEN JOURNEY QUEUE AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO:
For more information and pricing on Express Passes, visit the Universal Orlando website.
Have you used Express Pass this summer to experience the “Harry Potter” rides at Universal Orlando? What was your experience like?