Universal Orlando Removing #1 Ride from Express Pass at Islands of Adventure
Universal Orlando has announced that the most popular attraction in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in its Islands of Adventure park is being removed from Express Pass. This covers the change coming to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the #1 wait time in the two legacy parks, along with our commentary.
Universal’s Express Pass is a line-skipping option at popular rides at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Epic Universe that promises shorter wait times than the standby line. You present the Express Pass at participating attractions and enter a separate fast lane, which is logistically similar to the physical Lightning Lanes (or prior FastPass queues) at Walt Disney World.
With the launch of Express Pass Now earlier this year (which is comparable to Lightning Lane Single Pass), there are now three different Express products at Universal. The other options are the one-time Express Pass (similar to Lightning Lane Premier Pass) and Unlimited Express Pass, which has no counterpart at Walt Disney World.
If you were to shop Express Pass today, here are the lists of eligible attractions in each park at Universal Orlando Resort:
Epic Universe (Subject to change)
- Constellation Carousel
- Curse of the Werewolf
- Fyre Drill
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
- Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
- Le Cirque Arcanus
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
- Mine-Cart Madness
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
- Stardust Racers
- The Untrainable Dragon
- Yoshi’s Adventure
NOT Available on the Following Attractions (Subject to change):
- Dragon Racer’s Rally
Universal Studios Florida (Subject to change)
- Animal Actors on Location!
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- DreamWorks Imagination Celebration
- E.T. Adventure
- Fast & Furious – Supercharged
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Hogwarts Express (Park-to-Park Admission required to board the Hogwarts Express)
- Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast
- Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl
- MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
- Revenge of the Mummy
- The Bourne Stuntacular
- The Simpsons Ride
- Transformers: The Ride-3D
- Trolls Trollercoaster
- Universal Horror Make-Up Show
Islands of Adventure (Subject to change)
- Caro-Seuss-el
- Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Hogwarts Express (Park-to-Park Admission required to board the Hogwarts Express)
- Jurassic Park River Adventure
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
- Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- Storm Force Accelatron
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
- The Cat In The Hat
- The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
NOT Available on the Following Attractions (Subject to change):
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- Pteranodon Flyers
- Raptor Encounter
Based on that, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure has already been removed from the Express Pass lineup.
However, Universal Orlando clarified on social media:
We are implementing an operational update to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Effective July 1, 2026, the attraction will no longer be included in the Universal Express program, allowing us to improve the flow of the experience for all of our Guests.
It’s also worth noting that the Hagrid’s attraction and other pages no longer reflect it offering Express Pass. Accordingly, this change could be effective immediately, not until July 1, 2026, or sometime in between. As Universal makes clear in countless locations, the Express Pass lineup is subject to change.
This change comes just before the one year anniversary of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure being added to Express Pass in the first place. The attraction originally opened in 2019 to astronomical wait times induced by a mix of sky-high demand, ride downtime and unreliability.
With things normalizing, Hagrid’s got Express Pass approximately six years later. In the year since, it has been far and away the #1 highest wait time in either of the legacy parks at Universal Orlando, averaging 131 minutes year to date. For reference, the #2 average wait time in either Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios Florida is Jurassic World VelociCoaster at 67 minutes.
A few months after Express Pass was added at Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, it was introduced at both Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. Year to date, those two attractions are averaging waits of 136 minutes and 124 minutes, respectively.
We’ve ranted about Express Pass wreaking havoc on wait times and the regular guest experience, especially at this trio of attractions with triple-digit averages. I’ve argued that Mine-Cart Madness should not have Express Pass due to its ongoing woes. That ride should’ve never gotten Express Pass, quite frankly. (For reference, the highest year-to-date wait at Walt Disney World is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at 84 minutes.)
The problem with Express Pass is that it inflates standby wait times. Worse yet, when there is downtime, a backlog of Express Pass guests builds up, leading to those guests pulled disproportionately versus standby to “clear” that backlog. It’d be one thing if the ride had a healthy hourly capacity and was reasonably reliable. Mine-Cart Madness is neither.
This is bound to be an unpopular opinion with fans who have Express Pass included in their Annual Passes or stay exclusively at top tier hotels, but I’m glad that Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is being removed from Express Pass.
The vocal minority might argue otherwise, but they are precisely that–a minority. The majority of park-goers do not have Express Pass, and this is a guest-friendly change for them. It also makes me feel better about my decision to stay at Helios Grand Hotel as opposed to the Signature Collection trio, so I’ll admit that I’m biased.
However, I’ve long contended that both Disney and Universal need to do as much as possible to balance the interests of guests and preserve the experience for casual visitors who do not have access to line-skipping. That’s what Universal is doing here, so kudos for rolling back Express Pass on Hagrid’s.
I’m sure it was a difficult decision and won’t just garner complaints among Express Pass purchasers, but also result in lost revenue from those who now won’t buy the line-skipping service. That undoubtedly made this an even tougher move, but nevertheless the right one.
With all of that said, the lack of notice is understandably upsetting to guests who booked their hotels or bought Annual Passes on the basis of Hagrid’s offering Express Pass. And this is one attraction that absolutely could’ve moved the needle on that decision.
Regardless of whether this change is effective immediately or as of July 1, 2026, that’s still too short of notice. Tourists book hotels several months in advance, and most are likely already locked-in for summer. Just as we’re in favor of more ride refurbishments but would also like to see clearer communications and advance notice, the same sentiment applies here.
It’s also fair to point out that it’s not like Hagrid’s causing operational issues and slowing standby to a crawl is a new development. I first had issues with this last summer, and then again in August. If Hagrid’s was having Express Pass-induced throughput woes in the off-season, it’s a perpetual problem.
One potential solution or make-good would be offering one-time Express Pass Now for Hagrid’s to impacted overnight hotel guests through the end of the year. This would allow them a chance to skip the line once, as opposed to looping it repeatedly.
This would prevent “free” issuances of Express Pass from clogging up the queue and making standby move glacially slow, while also keeping hotel guests happy. It’s the type of balance of interests discussed above that should work.
Otherwise, I hope that Hagrid’s does not end up on the paid version of Express Pass Now, and expect that it won’t. I’d hazard a guess that Loews contract with Universal wouldn’t allow for that loophole; it’s probably all or nothing when it comes to Express Pass. (In case you’re wondering why Universal wouldn’t just remove Hagrid’s from the Unlimited Express Pass.)
Free* Unlimited Express Pass at Select Hotels
Unlimited Express Pass is available at select Signature Collection Hotels, which are Universal’s highest-tier resorts. Guests who stay at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel, and Portofino Bay all receive Unlimited Express Pass included with their stay at no additional charge (including check-in and checkout days).
Note that the Signature Collection Hotel perk is only at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay water park. It is not offered at Epic Universe. Some fans have wondered when that’ll change, and our response is and has been: probably never. Universal made a sweetheart deal with Loews back in the day, and one that it probably regrets given its stronger market position today.
We hesitate to call Unlimited Express Pass that comes with hotel stays “free” since it’s arguably priced into the nightly rate. However, we’ve had some stays that literally cost less than Express Pass would’ve when paying out of pocket, so perhaps free is apt! (We’ve nevertheless added an asterisk above.)
If your budget allows for it, we’d highly recommend one of Universal’s Premier Hotels if you want the Unlimited Express Pass perk or a good location near the parks or a cool luxury-caliber themed resort and you don’t care about being near Epic Universe.
The trio of hotels that offer Unlimited Express Pass are all top-notch. If you’d be staying at a nice hotel anyway, these hotels are definitely worthy of your consideration. See our reviews for photos, video, and comprehensive thoughts:
- Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Review
- Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Review
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando Review
When included as part of a Premier Hotel stay at Universal Orlando, Unlimited Express Pass absolutely trounces Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World. There is no comparison. It wins hands down in every category, including cost.
If you aren’t doing a hotel stay, you’ll have to pay for regular Express Pass or Unlimited Express Pass out-of-pocket. This changes the calculus considerably, as the out-of-pocket cost of regular Express Pass starts at $120 per person plus tax. Currently, peak season dates for regular Express Pass top out at $360.
Then there’s Unlimited Universal Express Pass. This ranges from $150 to $380, with $200 appearing to be about the average for upcoming dates. There are plenty of dates when the surcharge for Unlimited Express Pass is only ~$20 to $30 extra. Great for thrill junkies who want to loop the coasters!
In short, a family of 4 can expect to pay anywhere from around $500 for the basic one-time use Express Pass to over $1,000 during peak season for Unlimited Express Pass. To put that into perspective, we’ve booked several stays at Portofino Bay, Royal Pacific, or Hard Rock Hotel for under $300 per night. Granted, most of our stays are in the off-season and with Annual Passholder discounts, but still. You can routinely score one of the 3 for $500 or less, so long as you book it early!
Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Universal Orlando Planning Guide for everything about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Also check out our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure? Should Express Pass likewise be removed from Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness or any other attractions? Agree or disagree with my assessment? Any questions? We love hearing from readers, so please share any other thoughts or questions you have in the comments below!
I struggle with this aspect of the parks. EP’s and other similar services are now almost like just a fee to have tolerable wait times in the parks. These passes used to be much more limited and much more beneficial. It feels to me that they sell considerably more of them now which means it is a worse experience for all involved. Because there are more EP holders, they wait longer and standby lines are longer. The more EP’s they sell, the more it becomes almost required to buy them and the less beneficial they are to have. I used to look at EP’s as a luxury as you could almost walk on many of the rides and now I view them as a necessity to avoid ridiculously long standby lines because of how many EP riders they need to move through so they can get their 1/3 wait times. I feel like the parks have gone from great experiences with EP and okay experiences standby to okay experiences EP and bad experiences standby. If that makes sense. But the parks are happy because they are selling more EP’s. Related to DK and Hagrid’s, I support eliminating EP’s and don’t think that the limited sacrifice of EP holders is justified to improve the experience for all guests. I sound more jaded about this than I am. I still love the parks and enjoy the atmosphere. My comments are limited to just the “ride line” experiences.
I’m a little torn. We visit UOR regularly, almost always staying at a Premier hotel, and we were thrilled when learned Hagrid’s had Express Pass for our then-upcoming visits. EP is such a gamechanger for so many attractions. However, in practice, the Express Pass for Hagrid’s was less than great. While the waits were definitely shorter than standby, they were not particularly short, and the Express Pass line was in much more direct sunlight than the standby line, which was brutal in August. Prior to the Express Pass, our go-to moves for Hagrid’s were 1) getting in line at close, 2) getting in line after the afternoon thunderstorm, or 3) getting in line during Early Entry (though that involved waking up earlier than we often wanted). We’ll pivot back to that plan of attack.
Re: Donkey Kong Mine Cart Madness. Between the low capacity, the shut-downs during weather, and the seemingly on-going technical issues, you are absolutely right that it should have never have been moved to the Express Pass list. But what confounds me is that the wait times are so high given that the ride itself is immensely forgettable. We spent a day at Epic and at the end of it I said to my family “oh, we didn’t ride Mine Cart Madness!” They assured me we did.
“We spent a day at Epic and at the end of it I said to my family “oh, we didn’t ride Mine Cart Madness!” They assured me we did.”
Hahaha!
Wait times are high because: 1) It’s Nintendo. 2) It’s Donkey Kong. 3) You can see the ride from the land, and it looks awesome. 4) Wait times are high, which is a signal of quality and popularity to the average guest (circular logic, but it’s accurate).
The vast majority of guests don’t read ride reviews, and even if they did, in light of those 4 points, they’re more likely to give MCM the benefit of the doubt and try it for themselves.
I was just there in April, and the wait for Hagrids was posted at 100+ minutes. The problem was that I waited for 45 minutes in the regular line; it had only moved 10 feet, but from my vantage point, I could see a steady stream of Express Pass guests getting on with no visual delay.
Given the lack of movement, I gave up and left the line. The ride had been marked as down several times already that day and wasn’t prepared to wait for what could have been two more hours for a single ride.
Yep. Not quite as bad on a normal day at Mine-Cart Madness, which is likely due to no free or Unlimited Express Passes being issued, but it can get really bad/backed up there when there are weather issues or other downtime.
I think if you’ve paid for one of the trio of deluxe hotels (that as you rightly pointed out) have express priced in, you should at least get a single ride on Hagrids. It’s part of the reason many people book it. Not to mention, being from the Uk these decisions are often made a year in advance.
Gutted about this, travelling from the UK and only having limited time, the (expensive), unlimited express pass worked really well for us for the couple of days we visit Universal. With Jurassic River Adventure closed for a year and now Hagrid being standby lines only, the 2 family favourites are now disappointingly either not available or a potentially long wait.
I understand the need to refurbish rides, and no issue with that, but why keep changing criteria for other rides?we were delighted and very surprised when Hagrid was added to the pass, but I guess “Universal giveth and Universal taketh away”
Tom you do mention about overall guest experience and I get that, believe it or not I want everyone to have a great time, but I am sure Universal (and Disney), have some very smart planners who can work out what will work and what won’t. The worst experience (in all walks of life), is having something and then getting it taken away from you.
I get this is not a global, earth shattering thing which is happening, just a disappointment to a family who try to do as much as possible in a very limited time, which has now become a bit more difficult.
Thanks Tom, I do love your information and updates (mostly).
“The worst experience (in all walks of life), is having something and then getting it taken away from you.”
Totally agree with you on this, and I should actually circle back and add a line about advance notice to the post itself. Whether this is effective immediately or starting July 1, 2026, that’s too soon. A negative change like this needs a longer runway.
This is similar to scheduling refurbishments last minute, which both Disney and Universal do too often. I am very much pro-refurbishment, but also believe the schedule should be published as far in advance as possible unless urgent maintenance is needed.
Thanks for sharing that perspective–always good to look at things from a different point of view!
I think the problem here is that the express pass line can only hold about 30 minutes worth of guests, so it has been heavily favored over standby compared to other attractions.
This is also a good point. The ratio seems especially skewed here and standby is glacially slow as a result, which very well might be a byproduct of physical space for Express Pass.