Park size: 101 acres (41 hectares)
Time: One day
START: Port of Entry
END: Seuss Landing
Points to note: Try to get to your top outdoor attractions first, especially in summer when there are often thunderstorms in the afternoon. Park rides will close if lightning is within 5 miles (8km).
Islands of Adventure is set around a small lake, so you can only approach the various islands from one direction or the other. Your actual route will probably depend on whether you have younger children, Harry Potter diehards or thrill-seeking teenagers in your party. Although the main focus of this park is on thrilling rides to suit all levels of courage, it also has shows and some wonderfully creative theme sets to explore. This route proceeds clockwise around the park, taking in the highlights.
The Incredible Hulk Coaster
Universal Orlando Resort
Opened in 2017, Volcano Bay is Universal’s newest venture, a huge water park neighboring Islands of Adventure. You’ll still have thrills, relax, and cool off as you wish, but new technology means you won’t need to wait on lines or haul huge rubber tubes uphill yourself. Themed as Waturi, a remote fictional Pacific island, the park boasts 18 attractions including a 200ft (61-meter) erupting volcano and a vast selection of rides, slides, and all things watery.
Marvel Super Hero Island
Stroll through the Port of Entry, lined with shops and snack bars. When you reach the waterfront, turn left over the bridge and look up – you are now right underneath the first of the park’s extreme thrill rides, the Incredible Hulk Coaster 1 [map]. This high-speed roller coaster, recently revamped for yet bigger thrills, catapults you to high speeds in mere seconds. Themed around high-tech lab equipment and a ‘Hulk-a-fication’ process, you’ll zoom through a tunnel then be propelled out high over Marvel Super Hero Island, all to the tunes of a new score by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump.
Marvel Super Hero Island
Universal Orlando Resort
After that, you may think you’ve lost your senses when you see the likes of Batman and Wonder Woman meandering through the streets, but the superheroes make several appearances throughout the day. There’s more spinning and shaking in store at Storm Force Accelatron 2 [map] next door, while Doctor Doom’s Fearfall 3 [map] rockets you 150 feet (45 meters) in the air and then drops you in stomach-churning intervals to the ground.
Coming face to face with King Kong
Universal Orlando Resort
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man 4 [map] is one of the park’s most fantastic rides. This high-tech, 4-D experience is a great option for those who want the thrills but don’t like roller coasters, although if you suffer from vertigo you might want to think twice.
Outstanding computer animation – seen through your night-vision goggles (3-D glasses) – combines with impressive motion simulation as you follow Spider-Man’s eerie rooftop journey through the deserted city in search of villains. At one point the superhero jumps right onto your car (sit in front for the best effect) in all his three-dimensional glory. When you take a 40-story plunge from the top of a skyscraper, it all seems terrifyingly real.
Meeting Spider-Man on the rooftops
Universal Orlando Resort
Toon Lagoon
As you enter the next island, you feel like you’ve walked right into the pages of the Sunday funnies. All the classic cartoon characters are here, from Betty Boop to Blondie and Dagwood to Beetle Bailey. The bright colors and larger-than-life whimsical facades add to the sensation of being part of a comic strip. If hunger strikes, step into the quick-serve Blondie’s, see 1, and order a Dagwood – a fresh overstuffed sandwich reminiscent of those the character’s husband eats in the comic strip.
Ride Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges 5 [map] through churning white-water rapids – expect to get soaked. You’ll also be fired on by water cannons from Me Ship, The Olive 6 [map], a fun place for young children. More watery thrills are in store at Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls 7 [map], a flume ride that plunges you down a steep, 75ft (23-meter) drop at high speed into the pond below – drenching guaranteed.
Skull Island: Reign of Kong
Next on your journey is Skull Island: Reign of Kong 8 [map], a land designed around a single heart-thumper of a ride. The trackless 3-D newcomer, which brings a three-story-tall King Kong to life (you’ll feel his breath), involves curved overhead screens, flying dinosaurs and, let’s face it, lots of screaming. The queue itself, beyond the giant King Kong sculpture out front, gets its own high ratings for a temple filled with corpses and an animatronic worm.
Toothy raptor at Jurassic Park
Universal Orlando Resort
Jurassic Park
Then on to the Jurassic Park River Adventure 9 [map]. After escaping from the claws of giant raptors and the jaws of T-Rex, your boat plunges through the dark to emerge with a big splash in the river below.
This island also contains a children’s ride and playground, and the Jurassic Park Discovery Center ) [map], a hands-on interactive attraction where you can scan dinosaur fossils, create a dinosaur with your DNA, and even watch the hatching of a dinosaur egg.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade
Grab a magic wand – or rather buy one at Ollivanders (the wand actually chooses you) – and join Harry, Hermione, and the gang in this realistic replica of Hogsmeade, decked out with snow-capped buildings and carts selling butterbeer. Try the regular and frozen, then debate which is best. The shopping is spirited, but most visitors flock here to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ! [map]. After winding through the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry while in line, you’ll board a motion-based ride that seems to move in several directions while flying over the castle grounds. For a smaller buzz, choose Flight of the Hippogriff @ [map], a light roller coaster tied into the theme. For old-fashioned roller-coaster fun, try one or both of the Dragon Challenge £ [map] tracks, which intertwine. Both Chinese Fireball and Hungarian Horntail loop and twist like serpents’ tails, turning you upside down several times in a variety of ways.
It’s all smiles on Flight of the Hippogriff
Universal Orlando Resort
The Lost Continent
This quiet land is known more for Mythos, for more information, click here, one of the park’s best restaurants, than entertainment. Still, Poseidon’s Fury $ [map] draws on special effects in an ancient temple, including a walk through an inversion tunnel surrounded by swirling water.
Seuss Landing
The zany world of Dr. Seuss comes to life in this wonderful robustly hued island, one of the most creative sets in any theme park anywhere. The design is so true to the illustrations of the famous children’s books that you won’t find a single straight line – even the trees are crooked. Although the rides are mostly geared for kids, nostalgic adults love Seuss Landing just as much. Take your time strolling through here and enjoy all its delightful detail.
Get an overview from the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! % [map]. Instead of traditional horses, you’ll ride Dog-alopes, Cowfish, and Aqua Mop Tops on the Caro-Seuss-el ^ [map]. Steer a fish through squirting musical fountains in One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish & [map]. The highlight of Seuss Landing is undoubtedly The Cat in the Hat * [map], where you ride through the topsy-turvy household of Dr Seuss’ most famous character.
Before, after, or instead of visiting the Universal Studios and Island of Adventure theme parks, consider spending time at CityWalk, a dining/shopping/entertainment plaza that connects the two. Entry is free except for admission to certain clubs. Lining the waterfront, CityWalk is packed with enough themed bars, restaurants, and nightclubs to keep you entertained every night of the week. They include Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, the world’s largest Hard Rock Café, Pat O’Brien’s Orlando (based on the New Orleans original), Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom, Red Coconut Club, and the multi-level club The Groove. CityWalk is generally open from 11am until 2am, and parking is free for Florida residents after 6pm.
Food and drink
1 Blondie’s
Toon Lagoon; tel: 407-224-4233; $
If you’ve ogled Dagwood’s super-sized sandwiches reading Blondie in the funnies all your life, now’s your chance to have one yourself. Deli sandwiches honor the hapless husband, all made to order. Heartily topped hot dogs are also available.