Flight of the Hippogriff

Flight of the Hippogriff
Flight of the Hippogriff is a Junior coaster located at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Islands of Adventure that opened on June 18, 2010, along with the rest of the land. The ride is themed off of Hippogriffs, magical bird-like creatures from Harry Potter.

History
As the Flying Unicorn, the ride opened shortly after the park on June 29, 2000, in the land the Lost Continent. The ride closed to make way for a Harry Potter themed ride, with the same track. The ride was announced with the new land in 2007. Flying Unicorn was closed down for its transformation on July 7, 2008. Flying Unicorn was dubbed to the guests Standing But Not Operating (SBNO).

Both Dueling Dragons and Flying Unicorn were to be transformed into new rides for the Harry Potter land. Flying Unicorn would become Flight of the Hippogriff, and Dueling Dragons would be transformed into Dragon Challenge. On September 15, 2009, Islands of Adventure officially confirmed the Flying Unicorn refurbishment.

Flight of the Hippogriff officially opened with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on June 18, 2010. The soft opening took place on June 1, 2010.

Queue
Riders are told that Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts, is teaching students how to fly Hippogriffs by using fake replicas of them. The queue stretches through the school grounds, past Hagrid's Hut and the Forbidden Forest, and leads into a canopy where Hagrid teaches Care of Magical Creatures, where riders board their Hippogriff vehicle.

Ride
The ride takes riders on a test flight over the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid's Hut. Riders are told to bow to the Hippogriff before they go up the lift hill. The car then reaches the top of the lift, which has a full view of the entire Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The Hippogriff vehicle then descends and takes riders through several twists and turns before stopping at the track's start, where Hagrid says thanks to them and tells them to disembark.