Islands of Adventure

Location: Orlando, FL
Official Debut: 1999

Roller Coasters
Flight of the Hippogriff
Incredible Hulk Coaster
Pteranodon Flyers

Thrill Rides
Doctor Doom's FearFall

Defunct Roller Coasters
Dragon Challenge

If you are looking for a park that has great theming, great food, great staff, is clean, and has incredible rides, than Universal’s Islands of Adventure is your park. Located right next door to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida Islands of Adventure defines the perfect theme park. Islands of Adventure is split into 6 themed islands, the Port of Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing.

You enter the park through the Port of Entry, there are no rides here, but there are plenty of shops here. The next island you walk into, when you head to the left, is Marvel Super Hero Island. The first major thrill ride you see is the Incredible Hulk Coaster. It is 3700ft of green steel track that features 7 inversions and speeds of 67mph. The next is Spiderman is 3D dark ride and is one of the best non-coaster rides out there. The last major ride is Doctor Doom’s Fear Fall, which are twin 199ft towers that launch you in the air to about 160ft.

The next island is Toon Lagoon, which features 2 of the best water rides in the country. The first is Dudley Do Rights Ripsaw Falls. It has a 65ft drop and is considered one of the best log flumes in the country. The other water ride is Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges. It’s your average river rapids ride with a huge dose of theming. Just one more thing about these 2 rides, you will get soaked.

Jurassic Park will be the next park you go in to. This island is full trees, and dinosaurs. There is only one major ride here, and it is another water ride. It is the Jurassic Park River Adventure. You are taken through Jurassic Park on boats, but halfway through you run off course and head into the building. I won’t spoil what’s waiting for you at the top of the lift, but after it you drop 85ft and get pretty wet. The other ride in Jurassic Park is the Pteranodon Flyers, but it is a small kiddie suspended coaster.

The Lost Continent, which is the next island, has probably the best theming in the entire park. Every part of the island looks incredible. Some of the better places is the Dueling Dragons queue line and the Poseidon’s Fury building. The Dueling Dragons were the world’s first dueling inverted coasters, and are 2 of the best inverted coasters in the world. Each dragon, Fire and Ice, has 5 inversions, while Ice goes 55mph and Fire goes 60mph. The other major attraction is Poseidon’s Fury, which is pretty good. The highlight of it would be theming of the building. There is also a kiddie coaster located here in the Lost Continent, and is called the Flying Unicorn.

The final island in the park is Seuss Landing. It may sound like a kid’s area, but it is not. It is an area that the whole family can enjoy. The rides here are the Cat in the Hat, which takes you on a journey through the book, the Caro-Seuss-el, and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. This is a bright and colorful place and really feels like Dr. Seuss book.

This should be a must visit park for everyone who hasn’t been to it already. If you can’t get the 2-park pass to visit both Universal’s here and can only go to one, defiantly go to Islands of Adventure. You will get one of the best experiences of your life.