Universal Orlando capped off its week of roller coaster revelations in a fiery way. Coming soon to Islands of Adventure theme park will be the blast-ended skrewt, the latest unveiled element of its upcoming thrill ride called Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
The blast-ended skrewt — described as giant scorpion meets elongated crab — will join the Wizarding World of Harry Potter population when the Hagrid ride opens June 13.
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The skrewt is also notable because it was not seen in the “Harry Potter” series of films. It was introduced in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” book, the fourth in the series of seven. The creature was also mentioned other “Potter” books.
Fire comes from the blasting end, not to mention a strong odor.
Its appearance in the new attraction represents “one of the most life-like animated figures Universal Orlando has ever created,” according to a Friday news release.
Other creatures, revealed this week, that visitors can expect to encounter include:
CENTAURS: Within the attraction’s Forbidden Forest will dwell an 8-foot-tall half-human, half-horse being. He’s also an archer “ready to strike,” Universal says.
DEVIL’S SNARE: OK, this is more plant than creature, but too visual for Universal to pass up. This viney thing hates light and fire, likes strangling people.
CORNISH PIXIES: The ride will have 20 or so of the little mischief makers, which comes as no surprise since Universal has used a little blue guy in promotional material for the coaster for some time.
FLUFFY, THE THREE-HEADED DOG: Universal says this guard dog weighs in at 8,000 pounds and is the size of two cars. Fluffy, who belongs to Hagrid, made his big screen debut in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first of the movie series.
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventures is under construction at the former site of the Dueling Dragons / Dragon Challenge ride. It will be unique to Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter.