Does the New Harry Potter Ride Really Make You Sick?

POPSUGAR Photography | Hilary White
POPSUGAR Photography | Hilary White

Harry Potter fanatics, the wait is OVER. The new Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood is officially open (!). I toured the park and rode the attractions (and then rode them again, and again) before the big day. Is it everything a Potterhead ever dreamed of? Will you want to quit your day job and live there forever? Yes and yes. From a Harry Potter-obsessed fan perspective, I can honestly say that the magic of the books, movies, and original Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando has officially made its way to LA.

The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride is one of the main park attractions; the castle looms over Hogsmeade and beckons parkgoers to enter its magical depths. It's an interactive tour of the Hogwarts castle that turns in to a full-blown 3D adventure. There were some early reports that the ride was causing people to feel particularly dizzy or nauseous, and I was curious not only to just experience Forbidden Journey, but to see how I felt afterwards as well. Check out the details on what the new park is like, and then see the stars of the films say their favorite lines from the Harry Potter movies.

You wear 3D glasses.

In order to get the full effect of the ride, parkgoers are given 3D glasses that allow them to experience simulations that occur as you are transported through the Forbidden Journey. This is different from the ride at Universal Studios Orlando, which does not require glasses. The adventure takes you over the Great Lake, the Quidditch pitch, through the castle, and beyond. For me, it definitely added to the experience, and made everything seem more realistic.

POPSUGAR Photography | Hilary White

You get to see some of your favorite characters.

Faces of famous wizards and old Hogwarts friends show up throughout the ride. You'll soar over the Quidditch pitch with Harry, have an encounter with his arch-nemesis Malfoy, spot Hagrid, a dragon, dementors, and more along the way.

There's a tour through the castle first.

When you're at an amusement park, the absolute worst part of the trip is waiting in lines for rides. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey's solution to this problem is that the path leading to the actual ride is basically an attraction in and of itself. Fans tour the inside of the Hogwarts castle, go through classrooms, pass talking portraits and Gryffindor's Fat Lady, see the Sorting Hat, and may even converse with Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. There are SO many wonderful details throughout this trip that the journey itself is as good as the actual 3D destination.

POPSUGAR Photography | Hilary White

It is a bit of a bumpy ride, but nothing out of the ordinary.

I don't typically get motion sickness in any way. I can read in the car, be on a boat for hours and not be bothered, and ride a roller coaster a hundred times without feeling sick. For me, Forbidden Journey had no effect whatsoever. It was definitely a bit bumpier than the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in Orlando, but I felt completely fine when I walked out (great, actually, considering my inner superfan was jumping up and down from the experience).

I rode the ride a total of three times, with no ill effects. One of those times, I rode with two other parkgoers who mentioned feeling slightly dizzy/queasy, but nothing out of the ordinary or that couldn't be expected from a 3D ride of this nature. So the verdict? The ride is different (and arguably more elaborate and exciting!) than Orlando's, but it does have a few more dips and curves, not to mention the added 3D effects. If you are prone to getting nauseous already, like with any other roller coaster or 3D ride, this may make you a little dizzy, but no more than any other attraction in this style would. And the whole new park in general? It's straight up MAGIC.