There are several great rides at the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. One of them is Dragon Challenge, and here’s my review of this cool roller coaster ride.
Dragon Challenge is a thrilling ride at Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s an update on the older Dueling Dragons ride. The coaster is unique because it includes not one, but two separate tracks and two different sets of cars.
One set of cars is the Hungarian Horntail dragon, and the other set of coaster cars is the Chinese Fireball dragon. The names are from the dragons you see in one of the Harry Potter movies.
Actually “cars” is a bit of a misnomer – the seats are suspended from the overhead track, letting your feet dangle below. This ride is incredibly fast. The Chinese Fireball dragon reaches speeds of 63 mph, while the Hungarian Horntail reaches a speed of 57 mph.
You won’t even mind waiting in line for this ride. You’ll enter a tent through a castle arch, where you’ll pass through dark halls, complete with mysterious potions and goblets, floating candles, dragon eggs, the Goblet of Fire, the Triwizard Championship Cup, and wall sconces.
Outside the tent is the hovering silhouette of a huge dragon, with wings flapping. You can also hear the dragons’ roars as you prepare to board the ride.
Once you’re onboard and safely harnessed, the thrills begin.
On the Harry Potter Dragon Challenge roller coaster ride riders will experience climbs, inversions, loops, twists, turns, and corkscrews, and you’ll be convinced that your dragon will crash into the other dragon. But don’t worry – each loaded coaster train is weighed before the ride begins so that the timing is perfect.
The two dragon coasters converge and split apart, and at several points, riders on one “dragon” are just inches away from riders on the other dragon. The ride lasts almost two and one-half minutes.
This is a great ride for adults, older kids, and teens. If you don’t like fast roller coasters that have lots of loops however you may want to skip Dragon Challenge. The height requirement is 54 inches, and both trains have seats for larger riders, too.
So that’s my Harry Potter Dragon Challenge roller coaster ride review. I’ve been on both dozens of times and always have fun. Make sure you check it out the next time your at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! 
