The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been a hit ever since it opened at Universal Studios in Orlando, now, the Harry Potter themed land is going through a major change and promising something new that sounds incredible. While the Florida based theme park is being cagey with the details, they're promising a brand new roller coaster which unlike anything they've ever produced before. The new coaster will not only be exciting but it will include a new level of storytelling as part of the attraction. Unfortunately, if you're a fan of the Dragon Challenge coaster, you'll want to get one last ride in before the beginning of September because the new ride will replace that one.
While Universal Studios Orlando doesn't even give this new coaster a name in the announcement that it's coming, they certainly go a long way to build it up in the mind. The major sell here is that the ride promises to be one of the "most highly themed" coaster's the park has yet delivered. While the phrasing is a bit awkward, the statement, combined with additional comments about the storytelling the ride will do, seems to say that they're going to try to create something that really immerses you in the Wizarding World while also being a fun roller coaster.
Due to their high-speed nature roller coaster's are among the most popular attractions at theme parks, however, that speed also makes them one of the more difficult rides to create a story around. Their sheer size means that the vast majority of them are outdoor attractions, which means you can't really put material around the rider to make them feel like they're anyplace other than a theme park. Even building them indoors can only go so far, as it's hard to see any sort of story being told to you since you fly by it all so quickly.
The Dragon Challange Roller Coaster's last day of operation will be September 4. Starting on the 5th the ride will be closed as this new thrill ride is built in its place. No estimated time of completion was given.
One has to wonder if the new ride will be themed in some way to reflect the new Harry Potter franchise, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. At this point, there are no rides at either Wizarding World which deal with the new series of films, but with five total movies planned, by the time it's all over Fantastic Beasts will likely be as substantial a film series as the proper Harry Potter movies. The ride description does promise that we will encounter our favorite characters "and creatures" so that could be a hint the new ride could feature some of the world's newest characters. Perhaps the reason they're not revealing more information is that the ride will be related to the second film in the series, which is scheduled for release next year.
