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Universal Islands of Adventure

Orlando, Florida, USA

“World-class roller coasters, world-class water attractions, world-class dark rides”

Four Parks. One Holiday That Changes Everything. Universal Orlando Resort’s catchphrase says it all: this is the place to go for a trip full of incredible experiences. Still, my article about Universal Studios Florida was only moderately positive. The park is home to some great film IPs, but there’s a clear overdose of screen-based and 3D attractions. Fortunately, things got a lot better when Universal Orlando Resort opened its second gate back in 1999. Universal Islands of Adventure became a park with multiple world-class attractions and a theming level that is on a par with the legendary Walt Disney World, located just 10 miles down the road. It is therefore no surprise that Islands of Adventure is now at least as popular as its older sister park. And rightly so!

ROLLER COASTERS

For years, Expedition Everest at Walt Disney World was considered the world’s most expensive roller coaster. Still, Disco Yeti’s 100 million dollars is peanuts compared to the amount Universal spent on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, as this ride cost a whopping 300 million dollars. Universal got bang for the buck, though. Intamin installed a coaster with seven (!) launches and twelve (!) stunning trains. It’s also clear that Intamin worked hard to create a high throughput. Vehicles are unloaded and loaded without coming to a full stop, leading to 30-second dispatches in ideal conditions. As an amusement park enthusiast, seeing the ride’s operations brings pure joy to me. By the way… the attraction itself isn’t any less amazing. Hagrid’s is exceptionally smooth and it’s got a surprisingly long duration. The ride starts with a few tame accelerations, but the experience gradually becomes more and more powerful. The second half of the layout contains some unexpected twists and turns, and the final (unexpectedly punchy acceleration) is the icing on the cake. Conclusion? Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure counts as one of the world’s most perfect family roller coasters. This location was once home to an iconic B&M duo, but Universal has provided a more than worthy successor.

A ride on Pteranodon Flyers is out of the question when visiting Islands of Adventure without young children, but fortunately this isn’t the only Jurassic Park/World-themed credit. Let’s head to VelociCoaster, an Intamin LSM Launch Coaster that opened in 2021. This turned out to be a great year for new coasters, as I got my first rides on Kondaa and Ride to Happiness in my own home country. VelociCoaster isn’t any less awesome than its Belgian siblings, though. What makes this ride so good, is the way it works towards a climax. VelociCoaster’s first coaster section is enjoyable, but definitely not extraordinary. There is some hang time and we experience a few small bursts of air time, but the intensity remains relatively limited. From the second acceleration onwards, however, things get a lot more intense. The 47-metre-tall top hat provides magnificent airtime for the backseat passengers and the zero-G stall creates a very special sensation. The best part of VelociCoaster is hidden in the last few seconds of the ride: the so-called Mosasaurus Roll above Islands of Adventure’s central lake is absolutely brilliant. So yes, VelociCoaster is a world-class attraction. But no, it isn’t the best roller coaster on the planet. The first part of the ride may just be a little too tame and we felt a rather annoying rattle during some elements. Maybe it’s time for some refurbished trains?

Interested in another world-class coaster? Then head to the opposite side of the park for The Incredible Hulk. This enormous machine underwent a major overhaul in 2015 and 2016, which prepared it for a few more decades of B&M goodness. The Incredible Hulk is characterized by its impressive launch in a tunnel, but it doesn’t stop there. The ride is fast… very fast actually. Due to these high speeds, the inversions and curves are incredibly intense. Especially the second part, which is full of tight curves, causes a slight greyout in my head. I don’t consider this as a bad thing, though. The Incredible Hulk is a world-class roller coaster and the lakeside location is very sexy.

WATER RIDES

Talking about sexy… the park offers free wet T-shirt contests year-round. Islands of Adventure has three large water attractions and their wetness varies from refreshing to downright soaking. The epicentre of this water ride madness is Toon Lagoon. This colourful section of the park is home to Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls and Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges. The latter is undoubtedly one of the world’s most legendary rapid rivers. It’s almost impossible to exit the raft without being totally drenched. Of course this isn’t a problem, as Central Florida has high temperatures 300 days a year. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls (log flume) is a little less soaking, but it offers a thrilling and surprisingly pleasant ride nevertheless.

The third and final water ride is Jurassic Park River Adventure. This shoot-the-chute doesn’t only contain a 26-metre descent, but it’s also an immersive boat ride through Jurassic Park. Despite the fact that I’ve always adored this attraction, I should note that it’s currently not in its best shape. River Adventure could use a major overhaul and/or some extra special effects, if you ask me. Jurassic World, anyone?

DARK RIDES

Just outside the gates of Jurassic Park, we find Skull Island: Reign of Kong. I remember being somewhat disappointed by Skull Island during my first ride. I was hoping for an impressive dark ride, but instead we got a dull immersive tunnel. The attraction is a lot better when you enter the spooky temple with the right expectations, though. When it comes to immersive tunnels, Skull Island is the best of the best. The screens are huge and the real props before and after the scenes add to the overal experience. And coming face to face with that giant King Kong animatronic… it’s just really cool. Skull Island certainly isn’t the best Universal attraction, but it’s a pleasant ride nevertheless.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was the original star attraction at the Wizarding World when it opened back in 2010. The ride has a stunning queue and the ride itself is very unique. That’s mainly due to the transportation system, which involves robotic arms and revolving theatre screens. Incredible hardware, but I must admit that Forbidden Journey fails to amaze me. The ride uses a combination of real props and screen-based parts, but the transitions between these scenes aren’t subtle at all. Besides, this attraction has always had a slightly nauseating effect on me. Don’t get me wrong… I understand why Forbidden Journey is such a crowd pleaser, but I’m not that fond of it.

Fortunately, Islands of Adventure offers another world-class dark ride at the opposite side of the park. I’m talking about The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, possibly the best non-Disney dark ride ever. This was an opening day attraction at Islands of Adventure, so it’s almost 20 years old. However, the experience just keeps getting better and better during each ride. Especially the final scene (in which you’re being virtually transported to the top of a skyscraper) blows my mind every single time. This is Universal at its best.

A child-friendly dark ride (The Cat in the Hat) can be found at Seuss Landing. It’s surprisingly long and it features funny narration, but the theming level is so-so. It fits perfectly within Seuss Landing, though. This area is extremely colourful and a bit chaotic, but it’s got a very cheerful atmosphere and it’s very photogenic.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

The most unique ride at Universal Orlando Resort is the Hogwarts Express. Train rides and monorails aren’t that unusual at theme parks, but this attraction is different. On the one hand, it’s an elaborately themed experience which totally immerses you in the Harry Potter universe. On the other hand, it acts as a link between both Universal theme parks. There are stations in Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure) and Diagon Alley (Universal Studios), so the Hogwarts Express always drops you off at the other park. Because of this, Hogwarts Express is only available for visitors with 2-park admission passes. If you possess such a 2-park ticket, be sure to use the Hogwarts Express at least once for park-hopping.

WORTH A VISIT?

In my opinion, Islands of Adventure is superior to Universal Studios Florida. The latter is a rather static amusement park with lots of concrete buildings and a 3D overdose. Islands of Adventure has found a better balance between all different attraction types. The park offers two awesome dark rides, three great water attractions and Seuss Landing is a wonderful area for families with young children. However, the park’s highlights are obviously the roller coasters. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is one of the world’s best family coasters, The Incredible Hulk’s intensity never fails to amaze and VelociCoaster is able to compete with the planet’s most legendary thrill coasters. Overall, Universal’s Islands of Adventure lives up to the expectations. So yes, I’d definitely recommend a visit to this park if you’re planning a trip to Florida.

Do you belong to Team Harry Potter or Team Spider-Man? Is Incredible Hulk the most intense coaster in Orlando? And do you consider Islands of Adventure as one of the world’s best theme parks? Share your opinion in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

This article reflects my personal experience at Islands of Adventure during a visit in January 2026.