Flight of the Hippogriff
Encyclopedia
The Flight of the Hippogriff (a retheming of Flying Unicorn) is a roller coaster
at the Islands of Adventure
theme park, in Orlando, Florida
, United States
. The ride is located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of the park and is a mild alternative to the land's more extreme rides including Dragon Challenge
and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
. It was one of the first attractions to open with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on its grand opening on June 18, 2010.
Flying Unicorn was one of the first rides to be added to Islands of Adventure after its grand opening, debuting on June 29, 2000 in the park's Lost Continent area. The ride took place in an enchanted forest, like something from a fairy tale. Various signs along the queue tell the story of a wizard who found a baby unicorn's horn, which it shed (once every thousand years). He then used the horn to create this ride. The magic from the unicorn's horn is used so that it can fly. Guests rode in carts designed to look like mechanical unicorns, and travel over a track, to the top of the lift, then dropped through various dips and turns before being deposited at the start of the track.
After almost 10 years of operation, Flying Unicorn was closed on July 7, 2008 to allow construction to proceed on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The attraction was closed off to the public and listed as Standing But Not Operating (SBNO).
On September 15, 2009, Universal officially revealed the attractions which were to open in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section, confirming that Flying Unicorn would be refurbished and re-themed into Flight of the Hippogriff.
The attraction soft opened on June 1, 2010 under the new name of Flight of the Hippogriff. It officially opened with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on June 18, 2010.
by using fake replicas of the creature. The queue line weaves through Hogwarts Grounds, past Hagrid's Hut and the Forest, and leads into an open canopy where Care of Magical Creatures Class is taught, and riders board the vehicle.
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
at the Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened May 28, 1999 as part of an expansion that, along with CityWalk Entertainment District, the Portofino Bay Hotel, and Hard Rock hotel, converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort...
theme park, in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The ride is located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of the park and is a mild alternative to the land's more extreme rides including Dragon Challenge
Dragon Challenge
Dragon Challenge is a pair of intertwined inverted roller coasters in the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure. The ride is themed to two dragons, one side being Chinese Fireball and the other Hungarian Horntail...
and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is an attraction at the Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida, United States. It is the signature ride of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of the theme park, and takes riders through scenes and environments in and around Hogwarts Castle...
. It was one of the first attractions to open with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on its grand opening on June 18, 2010.
Flying Unicorn era
Flight of the Hippogriff transformation
Following the announcement of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section in May 2007, both Flying Unicorn and fellow previous incarnation Dueling Dragons were shown to be in the new area, but it had not be confirmed whether they were to be closed and re-themed as of that time.After almost 10 years of operation, Flying Unicorn was closed on July 7, 2008 to allow construction to proceed on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The attraction was closed off to the public and listed as Standing But Not Operating (SBNO).
On September 15, 2009, Universal officially revealed the attractions which were to open in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section, confirming that Flying Unicorn would be refurbished and re-themed into Flight of the Hippogriff.
The attraction soft opened on June 1, 2010 under the new name of Flight of the Hippogriff. It officially opened with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on June 18, 2010.
Attraction summary
Queue
The roller coaster's new backstory is that Hagrid is teaching young wizards how to fly a HippogriffHippogriff
A Hippogriff is a legendary creature, supposedly the offspring of a griffin and a mare.- Early references :...
by using fake replicas of the creature. The queue line weaves through Hogwarts Grounds, past Hagrid's Hut and the Forest, and leads into an open canopy where Care of Magical Creatures Class is taught, and riders board the vehicle.
Ride
The roller coaster takes passengers on a test flight of the Hippogriff over the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid's Hut. Riders are instructed to bow to the Hippogriff before the ride progresses up the lift hill. The cars then travel over a track, to the top of the lift, where riders have a full aerial view of The Wizarding World, and then dropped through various dips and turns around Hogwarts Grounds before being deposited at the start of the track, where Hagrid thanks riders, who then disembark.External links
- Flight of the Hippogriff at Universal Orlando ResortUniversal Orlando ResortUniversal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is wholly owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...