When Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Bike Journey opened in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Common Orlando Resort on June 13, 2019, friends waited a painful period of time for the chance to straddle an enchanted motorcycle (or experience alongside within the sidecar) — as long as 14 hours, in response to some accounts.
After I lastly acquired to expertise Hagrid’s for myself in 2020, wait occasions had fortunately dropped considerably, however I nonetheless waited shut to 2 hours for this virtually excellent coaster. The lengthy wait felt even longer as a result of I often skip the strains on most Common rides with a Common Specific move.
Most new Common rides open with out Common Specific entry, however add it shortly after opening as soon as the preliminary rush dies down. Not so with Hagrid’s. Practically six years after opening, the one technique to get on the experience was by standing in line (or shelling out for a VIP tour).
Associated: Here’s how to plan an epic trip to Universal Orlando Resort this year
I am pleased to report that you could lastly skip the standby line on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Bike Journey utilizing Common Specific.
Now, friends have the choice to face in line or get a Universal Express move and use the a lot shorter Specific line. There are two variations of Common Specific: The usual Common Specific move enables you to skip the road one time per attraction, and the Common Specific Limitless move enables you to skip the road an infinite variety of occasions.
There are a number of methods you may get Common Specific. I’ve a Common Orlando annual move and get free Common Specific entry after 4 p.m. each day, however it’s also possible to buy it earlier than or throughout your trip.
Lastly, you may get Common Specific Limitless included for all friends in your room for everything of your keep at choose on-site inns, together with:
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I’ve lengthy touted the worth of this profit, however now that you should use Common Specific to get on Hagrid’s, it’s much more helpful. Let’s do the mathematics to see simply how a lot this perk is price.
Pricing for normal Universal Express entry ranges from $119.99 to $319.99 per particular person, per day (plus tax). Common Specific Limitless begins at $149.99 per particular person, per day (plus tax) and goes as much as $349.99.
This base pricing solely contains one park per day. If in case you have park-to-park tickets for Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey, the value begins at $129.99 for normal Common Specific and $159.99 for Common Specific Limitless. (None of those costs embrace Universal Epic Universe, which has its personal tickets and Specific passes.)
A one-night keep in mid-August at Loews Royal Pacific Resort is $546 per evening (plus tax). That’s $391 greater than a one-night keep at Common’s least costly resort, Universal Endless Summer Resort — Dockside Inn and Suites. At Infinite Summer time, you’ll solely pay $155 per evening (plus tax) to your room, however in the event you wished two-park Common Specific Limitless passes for 2 adults and two youngsters, you’ll pay $195 per particular person (plus tax).
That is almost $800 on high of your nightly resort price simply to skip the road, and that does not embrace the price of your tickets. When you keep at Royal Pacific, you may pay a better nightly price, however considerably much less total as a result of your Common Specific passes are included. In case you are set on skipping the road, you possibly can really save cash by staying in a costlier (and nicer) resort.
Our favourite resort for utilizing this hack is Loews Portofino Bay Lodge. Portofino Bay participates within the American Specific Positive Accommodations + Resorts program. The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders can benefit from extra advantages by reserving by way of the Amex Travel portal.
I did this on my final keep, and along with our free Common Specific passes, we acquired an improve to a bay-view room, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, early check-in, late checkout, each day breakfast for 2, and a $100 food-and-beverage credit score to make use of throughout our keep. We additionally acquired a beautiful welcome amenity in our room: a fruit and cheese platter, two bottles of water, and goodies.
If in case you have sufficient friends staying in your room and plan on buying Common Specific anyway, there’s an apparent financial financial savings to staying in a resort the place skip-the-line passes are included, and the time saved in line can drastically change how a lot you get accomplished in your Common Orlando trip. You’ll be able to’t put a greenback quantity on that.
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