Since the late ’80s when Disney and Universal both raced to open their movie-studio-stylized theme parks in Orlando, the war between theme park juggernauts has raged on. Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative continuously volley back and forth, positioning their respective blockbuster IPs, ride systems, and storytelling tools against one another in a joyful rivalry that keeps both resorts moving forward.
But sometimes, the comparisons are just too hard to ignore… In 2017, both Disney and Universal made big moves toward the ‘thrill” end of the spectrum with nearly simultaneous announcements of two very different, IP-powered “story coasters” – the newly-minted name for coasters that position guests in the midst of an unfolding plot – complete with a beginning, middle, and end. Today, let’s take a quick look at the strategy, storytelling, and statistics behind Orlando’s two new “straddle coasters” to see which you think won this thrilling head-to-head.
Universal: Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
When Dragon Challenge – the fabled, intertwined, once-dueling B&M inverted coaster pair – was closed in September 2017, it was anyone’s guess what Universal would do the with the massive plot of land it opened in the otherwise-cramped Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade. Though the meandering roller coaster, its towering central stone abbey, and thousands of trees were all placed throughout 2018, it wasn’t until February 2019 that Universal revealed the details of what would become Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
Its opening date – June 11, 2019 – is one that will live in infamy for guests who attended. Lines reportedly grew throughout the day to 12 hour peaks, with guests reporting miserable conditions, unimaginable frustration, and an unforgivable lack of updates from Universal Team Members. Of course, even after full-day waits, guests exiting the ride pretty unanimously shared one thought: that was the best ride I’ve ever been on. Though some probably have changed their tune after the adrenaline wore off, “Hagrid’s” really is a spectacular roller coaster and a spectacular ride.
Guests board unique, magically-duplicated versions of Hagrid’s iconic motorbike (choosing between the “bike” seating and the lower “sidecar”) and head off to the Hogwarts stables to rendezvous for a Care of Magical Creatures lesson gone awry. When Hagrid’s fiery, scorpion-like blast-ended skrewts break free of their enclosure, the magical bikes reroute riders on a wild chase through the woods.
Along nearly a mile of track, the bikes go sweeping over a lake of mermaids, zipping past the snarling, three-headed cerberus “Fluffy,” launching past Cornish pixies, and more. A surprise no-hold spike signals a loss of power, with vehicles headlights flickering out as they plummet backwards into the dark Forbidden Forest, where a hidden drop track and steaming skrewts lead to a final, full-power launch back to civilization… all without a single screen in sight.
Even if you don’t know much about roller coasters, the stats of Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure sure do tell a story… With nearly a mile of track, the ride weaves through both indoor and outdoor show scenes. Along the way, riders are boosted by seven launches (more than any other coaster on Earth) plus switch tracks, spikes, vertical drops, and more, with animatronics, on-ride music, and narration to boot… It’s quite literally a blast; three minutes of joy. It’s not too intense or too scary, but it’s still thrilling and feels like a victory for kids and non-thrillseekers to tackle.
Perfectly at the intersection of thrills and theme, some enthusiasts assert that Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure is, on balance, the best ride in Orlando. But does Disney’s newest thrill ride beat it? Vote on the next page!
Disney: TRON Lightcycle Run
Believe it or not, Disney announced TRON Lightcycle Run for Magic Kingdom within weeks of Universal’s acknowledgement of the end of Dueling Dragons. The difference is that unlike the unknown ride that would become Hagrid’s, Disney fans knew exactly what to expect given that the first TRON Lightcycle Run had opened at the brand new Shanghai Disneyland a year prior. Of course, given that Disney’s first mainland China park tends to be the one that most hardcore Disney fans don’t expect they’ll ever get to visit, the ride’s duplication in the U.S.A. was still a victory.
Of course, the story of Magic Kingdom’s TRON will forever come with an interesting asterisk: between the first soil moving and the ride’s official opening, 1,875 days passed. That’s five years, to build a clone of an existing ride. Sure, the pandemic interfered with construction timelines… but remember, TRON and Hagrid’s essentially began construction at the same time, and Hagrid’s managed to open before the pandemic struck at all. TRON, meanwhile, was put on the back-burner, then slow-walked to market while Disney instead focused on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
When the ride officially opened in April 2023, it offered exactly what fans had suspected thanks to YouTube videos of Shanghai’s ride. In short, it’s a ton of fun, and filled with visual splendor. Riders board unique, blue-light, straddle-style trains resembling the iconic glowing Lightcycles from 1982’s TRON and its 2010 sequel, TRON: Legacy. Like a real motorcycle, guests lean forward, grasping handlebars as a restraint lowers against their back. It’s a very dynamic, compelling position to ride a coaster in, and contributes to the ride’s wow factor immensely.
From there, trains are loaded into place in a glowing, pulsating landscape, then immediately accelerated into the ride’s signature launch, from 0 to 60 miles per hour. In a blur, the digital world melts into the real one as riders blast outdoors, racing up into the translucent panels of the “Upload Circuit” canopy that serves as the ride’s visual anchor in Tomorrowland. Then, they enter a showbuilding, where the rest of the ride takes place. The fairly simple layout inside sees guests turn and dip, passing glowing, digital scenes and diving between curved projection screens in a simulated race against the orange team.
Like Hagrid’s, it’s a just-right thrill level that feels intense, but not too intense. Music also plays a major role in the experience. But to be sure, TRON definitely has its weaknesses. For one, the ride is undeniably lacking in the “length” department. From beginning to end, it’s about a minute and 30 seconds – half of Hagrid’s runtime. (It’s exactly 60 seconds from launch to brakes.) There’s no question at all that TRON is a ton of fun. But among fans, there is question as to whether Disney should’ve opened TRON before Guardians of Galaxy rather than the other way around, since the two rides are easily comparable.
Your Thoughts
But now, we want to know your thoughts… It’s Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure versus TRON Lightcycle Run… So altogether, as a full, complete experience, which comes out on top?
Well, according to our poll, at the current time of writing we have a clear winner with Universal getting 80% of the vote with Disney getting a somewhat embarrassing 13% with 7% voting it a tie. So, Universal is victorious with Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure without a doubt winning the battle of the straddle coaster. At the moment, it doesn’t look like Disney, however hard they try, can rise above the continuing dominance of Universal and with Epic Universe set to open in 2025, we await news from Disney of how they will lay down their gauntlet in this relentless battle.
If you haven’t voted yet, there is still time to vote and let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
