10-hour wait: New $300 million Harry Potter coaster opens at Universal in Orlando to massive crowds

Within an hour of opening on Thursday, Universal’s newest Harry Potter ride in Orlando, Florida, has a 10-hour wait.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike ride at Islands of Adventure is a $300 million investment from Universal that takes parkgoers on a mile-long journey through the infamous Forbidden Forest on Hagrid’s iconic motorbike.

It replaced the Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Dragon Challenge roller coasters, which was originally called Dueling Dragons. The immersive ride had been under construction for nearly two years.

Fans who wanted to be the first to ride the new coaster arrived before the sun came up Thursday and could be in line until the sun goes down. The Universal Orlando mobile app estimates the wait for the ride to be between eight and 10 hours.