ORLANDO, Fla. — There's apparently not enough magic at the moment to keep the new Harry Potter roller coaster ride operating seamlessly.
Universal Orlando Resort tweeted that for the next couple of weeks, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure ride will be opening at midday -- not at the park's usual 9 a.m. opening time. It says it wants people to know now before anxious guests arrive.
"... This is our most sophisticated, high-performance, ride system ever - and our team needs time to take care of the ride's daily maintenance and technical support. It's been challenging for them to do that with our current operating schedule."
The ride opened last Thursday and suddenly, within 20 minutes, wait times ballooned to 10 hours. A few times, lightning in the area forced its closure.
The immersive, highly-themed coaster puts you on a motorbike -- or in the side-car if you prefer -- and races you through seven launches at speeds topping 50 mph.
10News digital producer Chelsea Tatham, who rode the ride during a media preview event, said it's one of the best coasters Universal has created in some times. It's "thrilling for everyone, not just Harry Potter fans," she added.
Theme Park Insider called the ride "an amazing terrain coaster, with a series of high-speed banked curves and twists that will leave a smile on any coaster enthusiast's face."
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