Before You Buy Express for Hagrid’s

If your Universal trip is anytime after July 1, this is one of those small planning changes that can quietly mess with your budget.

Universal has said Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure will no longer be included in Universal Express starting July 1, 2026, according to current reports quoting Universal’s May 26 statement. Inside Universal has the statement here, and FOX 35 also reported the same Universal confirmation.

The short version is: I would not buy Express, upgrade a hotel, or talk myself into a pricier pass mainly because of Hagrid’s unless your visit is before that July 1 change and you have rechecked the Universal app.

For everyone after that, Hagrid’s goes back into “you need an actual line strategy” territory.

Express can still be useful at Universal. That part did not disappear.

The change is narrower but important: Hagrid’s is the one ride a lot of people mentally use to justify the whole Express purchase. FOX 35 reported Universal’s Express program website no longer listed Hagrid’s among participating attractions, while other USF and IOA rides remain part of the Express lineup. That list is in their report.

Why this matters for your trip:

If Hagrid’s was your “I’m buying Express so we do not wait two hours” ride, the math changes. Express may still save your group a ton of time on VelociCoaster, Forbidden Journey, Spider-Man, Mummy, Gringotts, and other participating rides, but it should not be sold to your group as the Hagrid’s solution.

What I would do:

If your group cares about Hagrid’s more than everything else at Islands, I would plan that ride separately first. Then decide whether Express is still worth it for the rest of the day.

Honestly, I would pick one of three lanes.

Option 1: Early Park Admission and commit.
If you are staying somewhere that gives you Early Park Admission, use it for Hagrid’s or for the ride cluster that matters most to your group. Deep Arrival’s live May 28 hours mirror shows IOA opening at 9 AM with 8 AM Early Park Admission today, and Universal says hotel guests can access select attractions up to an hour before park opening through Early Park Admission. Check your exact date here and recheck in the Universal app.

This is the best fit if your group is willing to be up early and move with purpose.

Option 2: Watch the last 90 minutes.
If your group is not rope-drop people, I would watch Hagrid’s later in the day and be ready to jump if the posted wait softens. This is less certain, but it is also less miserable than dragging tired people into a giant midday line.

This is the move for adults, teens, repeat visitors, or anyone who knows their group gets cranky when the morning starts like a military drill.

Option 3: Give yourself permission to skip it once.
I know that sounds illegal if you love the ride, but it is not. If the posted wait is brutal, the weather is getting weird, and your group is already cooked, I would not let one ride wreck the rest of Islands.

Ride VelociCoaster, Forbidden Journey, Spider-Man, Hulk, and the water rides if they fit your group. Hagrid’s is great. A miserable group is not.

This is where I would slow down before spending.

Universal’s Premier hotel packages advertise Universal Express Unlimited as a major benefit for Premier hotel guests. Universal’s Premier Vacation page describes that benefit, and Discover Universal also notes that Universal Express Unlimited is a select-hotel benefit. That summer guide is here.

That can still be a really good deal.

But after July 1, I would not explain it to your family as “this gets us Hagrid’s.” I would explain it as “this may save us a lot of time on the rest of USF and IOA.”

The tradeoff is money vs certainty.

A Premier hotel can be worth it when you have a larger group, short trip, peak dates, or people who will melt down if every ride is a 45-90 minute negotiation. It is less convincing if your whole argument was one ride that is no longer included.

If your dates are already set, I would check the hotel side once here: Universal Hotel Tracker. Look at the actual rate gap between your current hotel and the Premier options, then compare that against buying Express separately.

Just make sure you verify cancellation and change terms before rebooking anything. Hotel prices can move. That does not mean every cheaper-looking move is actually better.

If you are visiting in the next few days, you are dealing with late-May heat, daily storm chances, and long operating days.

Deep Arrival’s May 28 hours mirror shows Universal Studios Florida at 10 AM-9 PM, Islands of Adventure at 9 AM-10 PM, Epic Universe at 9 AM-9 PM, and Volcano Bay at 9 AM-7 PM. Hours are here, but I would still treat the Universal app as the final word day-of.

The National Weather Service point forecast for the Universal area was showing upper-80s highs and storm chances around 60-80% across the next few days when I checked this morning. Here is the NWS forecast source.

My read is simple: do the outdoor priority rides early, do not bank your whole plan on afternoon weather cooperating, and build in a real break if you have kids or tired adults.

For Hagrid’s specifically, I would not pair “midday heat” plus “giant standby line” unless everyone has agreed that is the price of admission.

A few current closures can also nudge your plan. TouringPlans’ May 28 closure list includes Jurassic Park River Adventure, Pteranodon Flyers, Me Ship, The Olive, Hogwarts Always, Finnegan’s, Po Live, Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp, and Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show. Their list is here, and Universal’s own Horror Make-Up Show page says the show is temporarily closed starting May 12, 2026 for planned enhancements and is expected back later this year.

The practical version: if you were counting on Jurassic Park River Adventure as your “cool off and reset” ride, have a backup. I would use Toon Lagoon water rides if your group is okay getting soaked, or take the boring-but-smart air-conditioning break before everyone is fried.

This is going to be one of those Universal changes that gets argued to death online.

I get why people are annoyed. If you booked around Express and Hagrid’s was the emotional centerpiece, this feels bad.

But for planning your actual day, the move is pretty straightforward: stop treating Hagrid’s as covered by Express after July 1, make one clear attempt plan, and do not let that one line eat the whole trip.

If your group has one “must ride or we riot” person, tell me that up front. That changes the plan.

Reply with your dates, hotel, group size, and whether Hagrid’s is a true must-do or just a “would be nice.” Or run your hotel dates through Universal Hotel Tracker and send me what you are seeing.

Talk soon,
Bradley