Gringotts Bank

Lore & Background

The queue begins through the lobby of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, where Bogrod, one of the bank's tellers, awaits guests who are visiting the bank to open an account. After Bogrod clears the guests to visit the vaults, they walk toward a security check to have their ID picture taken. After getting clearance, guests pass tables laid out with issues of The Daily Prophet newspaper that display prominent headlines from the final Harry Potter film, including the death of Albus Dumbledore and the ascent of Severus Snape as Headmaster of Hogwarts. The queue continues down a corridor lined with offices used by the bank's goblin employees. In one of the offices, silhouettes of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger (disguised by Polyjuice Potion as Bellatrix Lestrange), and Griphook can be seen and heard as they plot to infiltrate one of the bank's vaults to retrieve an unmentioned item. Continuing through the queue, guests enter Bill Weasley's office, where they are welcomed by the goblin Blordak and eventually joined by Bill. Blordak directs the guests toward the vaults; after exiting the office, guests wait at the door of an elevator simulation that will take them there, while a moving portrait of a goblin explains the safety precautions of the ride.

In Their Own Story

After guests board their cart, the vehicle races along the tracks, just before security alarms go off as a security breach is detected and the bank goes on lockdown. Bellatrix Lestrange appears, after being notified of an impostor infiltration, and decides to torture the guests by cutting off the track and tilting it down. This sends the cart speeding toward the vaults as stalagmites can be seen to give an impression of being deep underground in the vaults. Bill Weasley casts Arresto Momentum to stop the cart just before Harry, Ron, Hermione, Griphook and Bogrod emerge from the Thief's Downfall, which has washed away the Polyjuice Potion's effect off Hermione. Their cart drops them from a high altitude as security trolls climb up, pushing Bill and Blordak off their cart. A security troll pushes the guests' cart further, past the Thief's Downfall and stops in front of more security trolls. One of them is hit by a mace but hangs on to the guests' cart and sends them falling. Bill casts Arresto Momentum again to stop the cart from falling, followed by Aguamenti to stop the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon from breathing fire on the guests (the audience gets sprayed with water at this point) and Wingardium Leviosa, sending guests' through the vaults, in order to help them escape.

Reader's Guide

The building housing the attraction features a 60-foot (18 m) dragon statue perched over the entrance that utilizes special effects to simulate the breathing of fire. Upon opening, the wait times would reach up to seven hours long. There is a large extended outdoor queue area that is used on busier days, that can stretch up to 2.5 miles in length. The ride encompasses motion-based vehicles, detailed sets, physical effects, and 3D projection screens similar to those found on Transformers: The Ride – 3D and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is an indoor steel roller coaster with a track length of approximately 2,000 feet (610 m). In Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts has made it into the Top Five Dark Rides on five occasions since it opened in 2014.

Did You Know?

• The ride's building features a 60-foot (18 m) dragon statue that uses special effects to simulate breathing fire.
• Upon opening, wait times for the ride reached up to seven hours long.
• The outdoor queue can stretch up to 2.5 miles in length on busy days.
• The ride has a track length of approximately 2,000 feet (610 m).
• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts has ranked in the Top Five Dark Rides in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards five times since 2014.