After a long wait that seemed to drag on forever, Universal Studios Orlando has finally unveiled its latest attraction for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and the wait has been worth it. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is what the park is touting the first "story coaster," and it is jam packed with references to the Harry Potter films and universe at large in addition to being an amazing ride.
But what exactly can be found while waiting in line for this exciting attraction? Well, CinemaBlend was invited to a special preview of the coaster, and in our journey through the line, we found quite a few nods both subtle and obvious that attendees will find particularly interesting while waiting in line and while riding the attraction through the Forbidden Forest. Take a look, and keep those eyes peeled if you happen to be in the queue.
The Monster Book Of Monsters And Hagrid's Gloves
Once visitors make their way into the building and down through the tunnels, they'll be treated to what appears to be Hagrid's workshop. In it, he appears to be in the midst of some important and dangerous work judging by his massive gloves on the table. Right next to it is "The Monster Book Of Monsters" which was a required and dangerous book for the Care of Magical Creatures.
Merpeople Artwork
The Merpeople seem to pop up quite a bit in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and with good reason. They're one of the more terrifying creatures in the franchise, so not seeing any on this ride would've been a disappointment. Alas, there isn't a water feature in which they pop out during, but this nice artwork line-goers will trot past on their way into the building is a nice touch.
Blast-Ended Skrewt
That's right, Harry Potter fans, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure has brought one of the frequently mentioned creatures from the books to life. This massive creature was actually created by Hagrid, who achieved the hybrid through the mating of a Manticore and Fire Crab. Given that, it's only fitting that it's positioned right next to the animatronic Hagrid at the ride's start. The movie's never featured one of these creatures, so be sure to get a good look!
The Tri-Wizard Tournament Egg
Tucked away in the area with the rest of the dragon's eggs is a very special artifact that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire fans (who know the movie is one of the best) will recognize. The golden egg that entrants used to discover the secrets of the Merpeople challenge is sitting in a cabinet to the right of the eggs on shelves. It's not hard to find if you're looking, but can be missed.
Images In Stained Glass Windows At Hagrid's Hut
This is an odd easter egg found in Hagrid's Hut that, frankly, we haven't figured out just yet. At first, it appeared the stained glass was recycled glass from whoever used it, but closer inspection reveals a wizard in the window of one, and what looks like a phoenix in the other window. The writing on both seems to be gibberish, but maybe one of our readers knows what it's about.
Wizarding Graffitti
Just inside the building on stone walls, ride-goers can squint and read the numerous scrawlings that litter the walls. There are scores of Harry Potter references such as the Ravenclaw house motto and things like "I love Hufflepuff," and there might have even been a heart with a "J" and "L" (James and Lily?) in it. The implication, it seems, is that these are the ramblings of Hogwarts students, so perhaps there are some lines written by our favorite characters.
Niffler
There are lots of posters of beasts on Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, but Nifflers get highlighted specifically because they weren't in Harry Potter. As far as we saw, this is the first and only Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them character in the queue, which is a pretty big glow up for such a small creature! It also seems like Nifflers are responsible for a variety of digging and clanking heard while waiting in line, but we aren't sure.
Creature Eggs
We'd be remissed to bring up actual eggs on a post about easter eggs, and Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure has a good amount of them. The size of these bad boys appears to implicate these are dragon eggs, although they aren't the only creatures in this universe that lay eggs, so we'll just call them creature eggs for now. Due to their size, these aren't that hard to spot, so don't worry about keeping eyes peeled here.
Thestrals
At the beginning of the ride, Hagrid instructs riders on the coaster to "not mind the Thestrals" despite the fact that there are no creatures to be seen. Of course, that might actually be the point considering Thestrals are invisible to those who haven't been personally touched by and don't truly understand the significance of death. It's kind of a deep easter egg, and one has to wonder if the park may not add some during Halloween months.
Bonus Universal Easter Egg: Alligator
Now, it's entirely possible that Hagrid may have an alligator or two in his care, as one think he'd like non-magical beasts all the same. With that said, there's a wooden alligator on the path that seems to be more of a nod to Florida than anything in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's a cool nod for sure, and one of the few references on this ride that don't involve the film franchise.
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Are there any others more subtle easter eggs we overlooked? Be sure to drop those down in the comments so that others can get a chance to seek them out, and be sure to plan a trip to Universal Studios Orlando to ride Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure soon! As for other things happening with theme parks that are related to movies and television, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend.
