Universal Studios Hollywood · The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Flight of the Hippogriff
A sixty-second family coaster past Hagrid's hut, with a queue routinely four times longer than the ride is.
Ride facts
- Type
- Roller coaster
- Height
- 39in (99cm)
- Intensity
- Gentle
- Motion sickness
- Low motion risk
- Getting wet
- Stay dry
- Indoor / outdoor
- Outdoor
- Air conditioned
- No
- Rider Switch
- Available
Last verified July 2026
What it is
Flight of the Hippogriff is the Wizarding World's junior coaster, tucked behind Hogsmeade village next to a very good recreation of Hagrid's hut with Buckbeak standing outside it. It is a small steel coaster with one lift, a handful of banked turns and a modest drop, and it lasts about a minute from dispatch to brake run.
As a first roller coaster it is well judged. The 39-inch requirement is one of the lowest in the park, the pacing is gentle, nothing is hidden, and children who are nervous about coasters can see the entire layout from the queue before they commit. Plenty of people have their first coaster experience here.
As a use of your day it is difficult to defend at anything over a 30-minute wait. The capacity is low, the queue is mostly unshaded, and you are standing in Southern California heat for a ride shorter than the walk to it. Ride it early, or accept the trade knowingly.
What riding it is actually like
The queue winds past Hagrid's hut, which is worth a proper look — it is one of the better small builds in the land, with the pumpkin patch and Buckbeak's paddock done at full scale. Most of the queue after that is switchbacks in the open.
You climb into a small car with a lap restraint. The lift hill takes maybe fifteen seconds, there is a short drop, then a run of banked turns and a small hill, and you are back at the station. The top speed is modest and there is never a moment of real force.
Sit in the back row if you want the most out of it — the drop pulls slightly harder there. In practice the difference between rows on a coaster this size is marginal.
Is Flight of the Hippogriff scary?
A first coaster in the truest sense: one modest lift hill, a few gentle banked curves and a small drop, all outdoors in daylight with nothing hidden. The only thing that upsets children is the lift hill itself, and it is over in seconds. Almost everyone who clears 39 inches is fine.
Scores are editorial, on a 1–5 scale, judged against what frightens a typical four- to seven-year-old rather than an adult.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair
- Must transfer to the ride vehicle
- Audio description
- Not offered
- Handheld captioning
- Not offered
- Assistive listening
- Not offered
- Sign language
- Not offered
- Service animals
- Must use a kennel or wait with a companion
You must transfer out of a wheelchair or ECV into a small coaster car with a lap restraint and a fairly high step over the side. The queue is largely outdoors with limited shade, which is the main practical issue on a hot day.
Tips that actually help
- Ride it in the first hour or skip it. Sixty seconds is not worth a 45-minute wait in an unshaded queue, and that is the standard midday trade here.
- This is a good first coaster for a nervous child. The entire layout is visible from the queue, so they can see exactly what they are agreeing to.
- At 39 inches it is one of the lowest thresholds in the park, which makes it a genuine option for families otherwise locked out by the 40-inch wall.
- Rider switch is available, so an adult can wait with a smaller sibling and ride afterward without queuing again.
- The queue has little shade. On a hot afternoon this is one of the least pleasant places to stand at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- First hour of the day, or the last hour before close.
- Typical wait
- Usually 25 to 50 minutes, which is badly out of proportion to a one-minute ride.
- Express Pass
- Universal Express Pass
Flight of the Hippogriff: common questions
What is the height requirement for Flight of the Hippogriff?
39 inches at Universal Studios Hollywood. That is one of the lowest thresholds in the park and lower than the 40-inch requirement that governs most of the other rides here.
Is Flight of the Hippogriff scary?
Very little. It is a junior coaster with one modest lift hill, a small drop and gentle banked turns, all outdoors in full daylight. The whole layout is visible from the queue, which makes it an unusually good first coaster for a cautious child.
How long is the ride?
About one minute from dispatch to the brake run. That is the central problem with it — the queue routinely runs 25 to 50 minutes for a ride shorter than the walk from the Wizarding World entrance.
Is it worth the wait?
Under 20 minutes, yes, particularly for a child riding their first coaster. Over 30 minutes, no. Ride it in the first hour of the day when it is close to a walk-on and spend the afternoon queue time on something longer.