Universal’s Hagrid’s Coaster Sees Standby Gridlock After Express Access Added

Guests report three-hour waits as commentators call for caps on Express or a return to virtual queuing.

Overview

Multiple outlets on November 25 describe a mounting backlash over Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, with fans labeling the situation a meltdown.
Universal added the Harry Potter coaster to the paid Universal Express program in May 2025, a shift widely cited as the driver of the recent queue disruption.
Standby waits now routinely reach 150–200 minutes, with guest accounts describing accurate posted times and a standby line that stalls as Express riders flow through.
Hagrid’s lower capacity, longer load cycles, and susceptibility to weather or brief resets compound the impact of diverting seats to a priority lane.
Proposed remedies in the coverage include hourly caps on Express, reinstating a virtual queue, dispatch optimizations, or temporarily removing the ride from Express during peak periods, with no official operational change announced.