Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Ride Review
What is it?
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a dark ride located within Hogwarts itself in Hogsmeade and puts you in the middle of a quidditch match gone wrong. It’s no surprise that Forbidden Journey is one of the most popular rides in all of Islands of Adventure and arguably one of the best rides in any Orlando theme park.
Everything in this ride is done to perfection. The queue is the single best line in the city, the ride is a unique blend of screen and live action and the overall storytelling is consistent and fun. If there’s one downside to the ride it’s that it might be a bit too intense for younger kids and the thrill-averse. However, if your stomach can take it, Forbidden Journey is a masterclass in ride creation.
What Can I Expect?
To say there are easter eggs and Harry Potter references throughout the queue and ride is to call water wet. Because the queue and ride take place around Hogwarts Castle, there is something fans of the books and movies will recognize quite literally at every turn. Potter fans will appreciate a lot of the details, but even those who haven’t read the books or seen the movies can marvel at the complete immersion Forbidden Journey provides.
The Queue
The first thing that bears mentioning is the lockers. This ride does not allow bags or purses in the queue, so if you have anything in your hands you need to store it in a locker or leave it with a non-rider. Non-riders are welcome to walk through the queue and leave at the start of the ride.
Quick tip – If you are a non-rider, you can walk through the queue with your bags. You may get a few weird looks from other people, but since you aren’t riding you don’t have to worry about storing your bags.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey’s queue takes place around and inside Hogwarts Castle. The only part of the queue that isn’t highly themed is the extended queue outside, and even that eventually becomes themed when you get directly outside the castle and near the greenhouse. Be sure and look out for some Mandrakes by the castle entrance. The outdoor portion is cool enough, but the real magic begins inside the castle.
Right away you’ll notice the famous statue depicting all four houses and a visual representation of how many points each house has. After reveling in the joy that Slytherin house is number one (Jessica: Um…Hufflepuff for the win #ThankYouVeryMuch), you’ll quickly find yourself face-to-face with the unicorn tapestry and phoenix statue outside Dumbledore’s office. With no password needed, you’re soon inside the office and being addressed by the man himself.
After exiting the office, your journey through Hogwarts takes you past classrooms, talking portraits (including all four founders), artifacts and more. You’ll see the Pensieve, the Sorting Hat, the Fat Lady…honestly, we could probably write an entire article just on the queue alone! Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the rare rides where a long wait is actually a good thing because it gives you the chance to look at all the artifacts and knick-knacks located within the queue. If you’re coming on a day where the line isn’t long, take your time and walk through at your own pace.
There are plenty of times when we first moved to Orlando where we would let other riders pass us by just so we could spend more time looking at the queue. The amount of detail and accuracy in this line is something to behold and you don’t want to miss out on any of it, Potter fan or not.
The Ride
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a fun, chaotic trip in and around Hogwarts. Running at a feverish blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pace, the full scope of the ride is only realized after riding it a few times. Unfortunately, the ride is so chaotic that a lot of people can’t stomach the ride once, much less twice.
But if your stomach can take the ride, it’s one of best you’ll find. The ride vehicle is a single cart seating four people side-by-side on a KUKA arm. This arm provides the sensation of a roller coaster without needing a roller coaster layout. You’ll be rocking back and forth, side to side and while you never go upside down, you do get almost completely horizontal.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey starts with a quick spell from Hermione to send you to the castle’s observatory and the first real set of the ride. The set moves quickly by and you’re off to the first screen. Follow Harry and Ron for a bit until Hagrid pops in to ask if we’ve seen a dragon around. Soon after, we are chased by the said dragon into another area of the castle. We move from the screen into another physical set. Where we see a live puppet of the dragon and a few other familiar creatures as well.
Once we’re clear of the dragon it’s time to go back to the quidditch match you’re skipping school to attend. Everything’s going well until some dementors come and whisk you away to The Chamber of Secrets. Another live set awaits as you avoid the dementors and a certain monster’s skeleton until eventually popping out in the Forbidden Forest.
However, the forest isn’t safe either because you soon come face-to-face with a true-to-life Whomping Willow. You get whomped by the willow and before you know it you’re back to safety in the castle.
What’s the Verdict?
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is right at the top of the list as one of Orlando’s best-conceived rides. Perfectly marrying screen-based and live-action sets, the ride definitely lives up to its IP’s namesake. If there’s one major criticism of the ride, it’s that it may be a bit too intense for its target audience.
Motion sickness is a common feeling on screen-based rides and it’s part of the fun of a roller coaster. Since Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a combination of both, it can really do a number on your stomach. The action on the screens is pretty chaotic and the motion happening all around you coupled with the motion of your ride vehicle can turn even the calmest of stomachs.
The best advice we can give is if you’re feeling queasy, just focus on Harry (who’s usually in the center of the screen) and don’t let your eyes wander. The other option is to just close your eyes and have a friend tap you when you’re in a set.
For fans of Harry Potter, this ride is an absolute must. If younger members of your family (or yourself) can’t take the intensity of the ride, then it’s worth just going through the queue. Even non-Potterheads can marvel at the detail of it all.
We solemnly swear you will love this ride.
