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Expedition Everest or Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure; which "world's most expensive coaster" do you prefer?

Expedition Everest or Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure?

  • Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom

    Votes: 6 13.6%

  • Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal's Islands of Adventure

    Votes: 36 81.8%

  • Undecided

    Votes: 2 4.5%
  • Total voters
    44
Matt N

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. For many years, Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom held the coveted title of "the world's most expensive roller coaster". Touted as costing $100m, the ride contains one of the first known instances of switch track technology, and large swathes of it are enclosed in a huge replica of Mount Everest. The ride also infamously contains a long defunct animatronic often nicknamed the "Disco Yeti". Anyway, before I get too wrapped up in the features of Expedition Everest, my point is that it was the world's most expensive coaster for 13 years. Many thought it would never be beaten, but in 2019, a ride came along that managed to be even more expensive... Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure, costing an alleged $300m, opened in June 2019. It is quite similar to Expedition Everest in many ways; it too uses switch track technology, and like Expedition Everest, it looks to employ heavy storytelling. However, Hagrid's is arguably on a different level of complexity, with 7 launches, a spike, and a drop track joining the switch track, which was itself the debut of Intamin's high speed switch track technology.

With these two rides being fairly similar, and with them both having held the roller coaster price record, I'd be keen to know; which do you prefer? Do you love Expedition Everest? Or are you more of a Hagrid's fan?

I can't personally answer this poll at present, as I've only ridden Expedition Everest, but that will soon change, as I am riding Hagrid's in June when I go back to Universal.

I'll admit, however, that I would be surprised and a bit disappointed if I didn't prefer Hagrid's to Expedition Everest. I apologise if this is controversial, as I know I risk putting myself in the firing line here, but I've never especially rated Expedition Everest. Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly fine family coaster, it's got some clever tricks, and it's stunningly themed, but I've always come off it feeling somewhat underwhelmed, and I can't quite put my finger on why. It's a perfectly fine family coaster, but it's a coaster that I've never rated especially highly; there are numerous coasters within Walt Disney World alone that I prefer, in spite of Everest being comparatively far more grand on paper than any of the other WDW coasters that I've ridden.

But which of these two expensive coasters do you prefer? Are you an Expedition Everest lover, or are you more of a Hagrid's fan?
 
Haven't been on either although I think they're so different that it's a tough one to even compare. Everest's theming seems so much more detailed and thorough, at least from what I've seen, but the actual coaster of Hagrid's looks much better. I feel the latter needs it's trees to grow in fully, although even if that was the case, I can't excuse the "trees" plastered on the side of the drop track show building, it just looks awful and lazy to me. Also Robbie Coltrane's voice acting in the ride's narration sounds rather unbothered and sterile in my opinion.
 
Incomparable coasters, front row (on the bike) on Hagrid's is exceptional, but half the riders get a 'lesser' experience in the sidecar. Everest is consistent and features some big sweeping drops you wouldn't expect with a Disney coaster.

Theming wise, Everest wins for me. Hagrid's has those awful painted walls unfortunately, which kind of let it down, even though it's still exceptionally themed.
 
Everest. Not ridden either, however Hagrid's feels too dense and compact for the whole "journey into the forbidden forest" shtick to really work.
 
Hagrid's. Hands down. Expedition Everest is fine and all, but it's clunky. The switch tracks take (what feels like) a lifetime to manoeuvre and it really kills momentum. Hagrid's is slick, a hell of a lot of fun and the queue line is incredible - not mentioning the drop segment etc.
 
I think the comments re: the painted wall are a bit harsh - it doesn’t look great if you focus on it I agree, but Hagrid’s has substantial landscaping to hide sight lines during the vast majority of the ride, including the final launch. You can only really see the painted wall during one backwards turn and on ride you’re so preoccupied with the ‘shock’ from that sudden turn that you don’t even really notice it.

It’s a massive ride in a well developed park, so it’s inevitable that it would have to be up against some buildings.

Even aside from the painted wall, there is a lot going on:

 
Nitefly said:
I think the comments re: the painted wall are a bit harsh - it doesn’t look great if you focus on it I agree, but Hagrid’s has substantial landscaping to hide sight lines during the vast majority of the ride, including the final launch. You can only really see the painted wall during one backwards turn and on ride you’re so preoccupied with the ‘shock’ from that sudden turn that you don’t even really notice it.

It’s a massive ride in a well developed park, so it’s inevitable that it would have to be up against some buildings.

Even aside from the painted wall, there is a lot going on:

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Not once did I notice that painted wall and think 'well that's a bit disappointing.' There's so much going on, and so much incredible theming, it's honestly a sensory overload.

Stands out way more in that POV than I remember it standing out IRL.
 
Nicky Borrill said:
Stands out way more in that POV than I remember it standing out IRL.
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I think even more so when you're actively 'looking for it'.

When I read Nitefly's post about the painted wall (did not re-read the entire thread above to refresh my memory of the subject) I couldn't think what he was referring to at all. Didn't remotely notice it on the ride, and doubt it would occur to me to look for it on a re-ride.
 
Hixee said:
I think even more so when you're actively 'looking for it'.

When I read Nitefly's post about the painted wall (did not re-read the entire thread above to refresh my memory of the subject) I couldn't think what he was referring to at all. Didn't remotely notice it on the ride, and doubt it would occur to me to look for it on a re-ride.
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Yeh, exactly! Sadly it’d probably stand out on the ride more now it’s been highlighted too…

Lock the thread, burn it, forget we ever had this conversation!!!!
 
I absolutely did notice it on the ride, I have to say...

But it didn't matter. How much back of house crap can you see on other rides?
 
When the chief complaint about a ride is a painted warehouse exterior, then you know they’ve done a good job!

In all seriousness, I’m pretty hyped for Hagrid’s. I like a ride that’s good, simple fun, and the key word I’ve heard used to describe Hagrid’s is “fun”. I can’t wait to ride it and VelociCoaster in June!
 
Matt N said:
When the chief complaint about a ride is a painted warehouse exterior, then you know they’ve done a good job!

In all seriousness, I’m pretty hyped for Hagrid’s. I like a ride that’s good, simple fun, and the key word I’ve heard used to describe Hagrid’s is “fun”. I can’t wait to ride it and VelociCoaster in June!
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Make sure you get that night ride on the bike! :eek:🤩

It’s rare and doesn’t represent the whole ride at all times, but the front-night-bike is truly special, possibly the best ride experience out there. I was laughing the whole way round - yeh!! 😎
 
I rode Hagrid’s for the first time today.

My vote goes to Hagrid’s, by a considerable margin. It wins out over Everest by an absolute country mile, in my view.

The launches were surprisingly snappy, the low-to-the-ground turns felt really fast, and overall, Hagrid’s is just amazingly fun!
 
No surprises here, Hagrid's for me too. Also Mrs Howie's favourite coaster of the trip.
We rode Hagrid's lots, making full use of the Single Rider line when needed. As has been said many times, it's the fun factor more than anything. It's just such a huge laugh. Such a complex ride, such invention and, with the possible exception of the sh*tty looking unicorn at the end, no expense spared theming. We chose this as our final ride of the whole holiday, we did the normal queue so we could actually ride it together for the first time and even though it was raining hard, we jumped on the front row so we could get the full night-ride experience and honestly, it was one of the funniest and most memorable coaster rides the wife and I have ever had. Comedy gold. Love this ride, again worthy of a Top 10 I reckon, although obviously for vastly different reasons to Iron Gwazi.

Expedition Everest on the other hand doesn't even rank. It's alright. Was quite impressive 20 years ago I guess, but things have most definitely moved on. And when was the last time the yeti animatronic even worked? It wasn't working in 2007 and it isn't working now sooo, y'know, 'meh'. It was a one and done and done on this trip.
 
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the "world's most expensive coaster" by quite some margin. Guess no one checks our Records page before posting. ;)
 
ECG said:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the "world's most expensive coaster" by quite some margin. Guess no one checks our Records page before posting. ;)
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Guardians v Hagrids is quite the battle. 2 great fun rides that make you still giggle as you walk through the exit lines. I think my friend got it right when he said Velocicoaster was the best coaster in Orlando but Hagrids was the best ride. I agree with him. Just
 
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