Islands of Adventure

Islands of Adventure is a Theme Park, in fact it is THE Theme Park. Located in Orlando as part of the Universal Studios resort, it opened in 1999 with Steven Spielberg as it's creative consultant.

It makes U.K Theme Parks (and I'm not knocking them) look like broken down travelling fairs with two dodgy-looking rides. The theming of the park is breathtaking, each 'land' has an entirely unique look and even the soundtrack is great. Oh, ...
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Islands of Adventure is located in Orlando near International Drive. The park is opposite Universal Studios which is linked by City Walk - an complex of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and shops.

The park can be reached by water taxi if staying at any of the Universal Hotels, there are large car parks and most hotels on International Drive have free buses that go there every morning. The car parks and bus ... more

Islands of Adventure is a Theme Park, in fact it is THE Theme Park. Located in Orlando as part of the Universal Studios resort, it opened in 1999 with Steven Spielberg as it's creative consultant.

It makes U.K Theme Parks (and I'm not knocking them) look like broken down travelling fairs with two dodgy-looking rides. The theming of the park is breathtaking, each 'land' has an entirely unique look and even the soundtrack is great. Oh, and lastly, the rides. It is going to be a struggle to describe how good they are. You could say I quite liked the place when I visited in April last year with my girlfriend.

LOCATION

Islands of Adventure is located in Orlando near International Drive. The park is opposite Universal Studios which is linked by City Walk - an complex of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and shops.

The park can be reached by water taxi if staying at any of the Universal Hotels, there are large car parks and most hotels on International Drive have free buses that go there every morning. The car parks and bus parks are linked to City Walk and both parks are a five minute walk from the entrance.

PRICE

As part of our holiday package, we purchased a five park flexi ticket that gave us unlimited access to SeaWorld, Wet 'n Wild, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens for 14 days. This cost about $225 each ($200 for children) and proved excellent value. You are given a ticket at the first of the parks you visit which can then be used to access any of the parks as many times as you like (including visiting more than one on the same day). This also includes a free bus ride from Seaworld to Busch gardens in Tampa.

A 4 park flexi ticket is also available (it doesn't include Busch Gardens) for around $180 ($150 for children). If you are planning on visiting all the parks on your visit then these tickets are the way to go.

For a one-day visit to Islands is around $60 for adults and $50 for children while a better value is the two-park two-day pass giving access to Islands and Universal Studios for two days for around $100. There are often other deals going on for extra days.

THE PARK ITSELF

Islands of Adventure is all about the rides, there is a stunt show, a walkthrough adventure, a dinosaur museum and a couple of play areas but otherwise it is rides, rides, rides (and ride shops) and what rides they are.
It is worth getting to the gates before opening. Official opening is 9.00am but both times we visited first thing we were in the park by 8.45 and on the Hulk 5 minutes later. Making the effort to get up and get to the park can mean you can walk straight onto a lot of rides one after the other before the park gets too packed. We were very lucky even in the quieter time of April as we visited the park for the first time after spending most of the day at Universal Studios (you can move between parks) and managed to walk straight onto all the rides one after the other between 4.00pm and 7.00pm (this was a fantastic but tiring day). Our other two visits we got there straight away for opening and again walked straight onto everything. In the summer I suspect this would be more difficult but the earlier you get there the better.

The parks close anywhere between 7.00pm to 10.00pm depending on time of year.

If it is busy then a lot of the rides use a fast pass system called Universal Express. This allows you to use you park ticket to pre-book a time period to ride on one of the main attractions (in this case most of them). You'll be given a time period, usually an hour window but sometimes less, that will allow you to use a different queue line to get onto the ride. These slots are limited so it certainly reduces queuing time plus the queues are actually a shorter walk from the ride (and once you've walked through the grounds, castle and dungeons of Duelling Dragons you'll appreciate how long these queues can take to walk even if they are empty).

Clever use of this system can really increase the amount of rides you get on in a day and its worth remembering that once your window for a certain ride begins you can then get another pass for another ride. You don't actually have to go on the ride first.

It is always worth checking the fast pass times even if you think there won't be any left. When we went to the Hulk at 3.55pm on our first visit there was a fairly large 'normal' queue but there were fast passes available for 4.00pm to 5.00pm. This is a rarity and I'm not sure why no-one else was using them but we got our passes, waited 5 minutes and was on the ride in 5 minutes!!

THE RIDES

The park is split into 5 lands that follow on from each other around a large lake in a circle so the park can be walked in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction.

The entrance to the park is themed as a bazaar so a maze of shops and places to eat hit you as soon as you walk into the park. After you make your way through the streets you'll arrive in front of the huge lake and chances are your eyes (and ears) will be drawn to the huge green monster on your left……..

***Superhero Island***

The theme of this land is Marvel Superheroes and the pain part of it is a large city street with giant cut-outs of Marvel superheroes. As well as the rides, it contains the Fantastic Four Café (complete with Fantasticar outside), an arcade, a comic shop and a couple of other shops as well. Marvel superheroes also appear from time to time on small motorbike type vehicles and are available for photo opportunities. It is a nicely themed start to the park and kids who are fans of the comics and comic-geeks (of which I'm one) will be in heaven.

But before you see any of that, you'll probably still be mesmerised (or perhaps terrified) of the big green monster I mentioned earlier.

THE HULK - A steel mean green roller coaster that looks fantastic (pictures attached to review), is built over the lake (pictures attached to review) and provides a superb coaster experience. After the Kraken in Seaworld this was my favourite coaster in Florida. It starts off with a terrifying launch before roaring its way through loops, twists and turns. Looks great, sounds (you'll have to go to see what I mean) and is a great ride. Being the first ride at the entrance this can get very busy and there is a height restriction as this is a full on, monster coaster. Remember not to get it angry, you wouldn't like it when it was angry. Also, I've never been on a ride where so many hats, shoes, etc came off people during the ride so make sure everything is secure or left in lockers or with someone a little less brave.

STORM FORCE ACCELARATION - This has an X-men theme and is basically a tea-cup ride. I'm not a fan of these as they usually make me feel sick but my girlfriend insisted we ride it. The trick to riding these if you are not a fan is to look directly at the person with you on the ride which negates the whole effect of the ride. Can't really comment on if it is better than the tea-cups at Disney but I would guess it is a bit more intense.

DOCTOR DOOMS FEARFALL - After Hulk, this will be the second test of your bravery and also a ride you can see from a fair way off. A more descriptive name for this would be DOCTOR DOOMS FEARRISE as this is two identical drop towers that launch you very high into the Florida skyline before dropping back down. The fear part is more in the ascent than the descent as you sit there listening to the good Doctor yabber on about killing the Fantastic Four before being shot up very quickly and without warning.
The theming is really good and it takes some nerve to go on the ride but it isn't as good as the Tower of Terror in MGM and your view of the park will depend on what side of the tower you are on (I was a bit disappointed to get a view of the car park on my first ride). Height restrictions and not for the feint hearted - worth doing at least once.

THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SPIDER-MAN - If I've seemed slightly negative about the last two rides then prepare for a lot of praise. The final ride on Superhero Island is arguably the best ride in all of Florida. Spiderman is an indoor ride where you travel through New York in search of Spidey and his enemies. It is not only a ride but also a motion simulator as you move around a track in front of different screens where the action takes place while special effects (and some real ones) make the action on screen very impressive. AND, the whole thing is in 3D. Its impossible to describe this properly and do it justice but the technology and inventiveness combining ride/motion simulator/special effects and 3D is superb. It is a fantastic, jaw dropping experience with a great story and a great ending. There is a height restriction but not as high as the coasters, you don't get thrown around too much and as motion simulators go it is nice and smooth so a ride for all the family and what a ride. If you ride every ride in Florida then I guarantee this will be in your top 5 (at least). This gets very, very busy (a friend who visited last summer said the queues were 2.5 hours plus) but you HAVE to go on it at least once.

****Toon Lagoon****

The theming of Toon Lagoon is all around comic strip characters (Hagar, Popeye, Beetle Bailey, etc) and water, lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of water. You'll be greeted by large cartoony buildings containing shops and places to eat as well as fire hydrants and pipes spraying water everywhere. If so inclined you can get nice and wet here by running about a bit but don't as why waste the energy when the rides can do it for you.

There are just the two rides here but what rides they are.

DUDLEY DO-RIGHTS RIPSAW FALLS - A log flume with a Dudley Do-Right theme and easily the greatest and wettest log-flume I have ever been on. A fun story, some good twists and turns before an fantastic final drop. We rushed onto this without looking at the last drop first and both went bog-eyed with fear as we tipped over the top - its not as bad as it looks (once you've figured out what it does) - honest. You will get soaked, soaked, soaked. Height restrictions again on this but a must ride.

POPEYE & BLUTO'S BILGE-RAT BARGES - A water rapids ride where lots of people sit in a big circular tub and laugh at whoever get wet. Well that's how water rapids ride usually work. Bilge Rat Barges, however, takes the water rapids ride and turns it up to 11. This isn't about who gets wet or even who gets the wettest as everyone gets soaked. Its a rapids ride with no limits, water fly's from all directions, the theming is fantastic and I can't see how there can ever be a better rapids ride than this. Ride it at least twice - the first time you'll be shouting "No way" and "Surely not" as you turn the corner to the next fiendish looking soaking. Second time around you can give a knowing smile to any new riders. Be careful with what you take on this ride as it is as close to jumping into a swimming pool with your clothes on as you can get.

There is also a children's play area here in the form of Olive Oils boat. On the second floor are cannons which can be fired at the barges to get the passengers even more wet (if that is possible).

From here, there is no point waiting to dry off as it is time to head to…..

****Jurassic Park****

A great moment awaits as a you leave Toon Lagoon. The familiar music from the blockbuster film fills the air as you walk through a large archway with Jurassic Park emblazoned across it.

After a picture with a T-Rex (which you'll certainly want to take) head straight to

JURASSIC PARK RIVER ADVENTURE - After being thrown around Super Hero island and the soaking at Toon Lagoon then a relaxing river ride watching dinosaurs sounds like just the job. Unfortunately, something goes wrong………… Another great ride with good animatronics dinosaurs and effects finishing off with a final soaking as the ride plunges down a 90 foot drop in the dark. Height restrictions and it is a big drop but you can't see it coming (or see it before you get on) but the drop is meant as part of the story rather than to scare so it is a family friendly ride.

PTERADON FLYERS - Double back from River Adventure to reach this ride. Its a sort of hanging monorail that goes around the area and is only open to children or one adult and one a child as each flyer is built for two and I guess there is a weight restriction of some sort . However, on our last visit to the park they were letting anyone on so we queued up and had a ride. It is pretty brief and not a lot happens and the queues are long (as only two people at a time). Younger kids will enjoy it though.

Also in Jurassic Park is a play area for kids, food outlets and a shop. Plus there is a large building containing loads of information on dinosaurs with lots of interactive exhibits and displays and is well worth visiting.

****The Lost Continent****

The penultimate area in the park has a mystical theme. Lots of places to eat, shops and games and the final white knuckle ride in the park.

THE FLYING UNICORN - A kiddie coaster with a woodland setting. See Woodie Woodpeckers's Coaster at Universal Studios and Goofy's Barnstormer at Disney.

DUELLING DRAGONS - Definitely not kiddie coasters are these two fearsome beasts. Two intertwining hanging dragon coasters - Fire and Ice.
Even the queue for this ride is impressive as it winds around gardens, then into a castle and down into a dungeon. The whole queue takes 5/10 minutes to walk even with no-one else around and is almost an attraction in itself. After negotiating most of the dungeon, the queue splits between the two coasters.

As stand-alone coasters both Fire and Ice are fantastic and slightly different from each other but what makes the ride extra special is how the two coasters intertwine and have near misses - the highlight being adjacent 360 loops where you literally go toe-to-toe with the passengers on the other dragon.

With hanging coasters, the front seat offers an amazing experience as there is nothing in front of you at all so its well worth waiting a bit more time to queue for the front row. I'm not sure if this happens all the time but after riding one of the coasters you can go back around to re-ride either coaster without going right back round. We clocked up three consecutive rides this way with minimal wait in between (although prepare to feel the effects when you finally start waking around the park again). Height restrictions as these are white knuckle coasters and a very very good.

EIGHTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD - We didn't get a chance to watch this but it is a stunt show staring Sinbad. I did see come clips from this on the TV on Thursday night and it looked impressive.

POSEIDONS FURY - Its not made clear what this is on the maps and guides to the park so I'll explain without spoiling. Its a walkthrough 'show' through an underwater temple and contains some fantastic special effects. Sort of like being in the middle of an Indiana Jones type adventure. Well worth a visit.

****SUESS LANDING****

The final area in Islands of Adventure is all for the kids and based around the stories of Doctor Seuss. It is a colourful fun looking place and there are lots of characters walking around. We only went on the one ride but younger kids will love it here.

CARO-SUESS-EL - A very whacky carousel

ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH, BLUE FISH - This is like the Dumbo ride at Disney with Fish that spin around and go up and down.

THE CAT IN THE HAT - A Disney-esque indoor story ride telling the story of the Cat in the Hat. We did go on this and it was a lot of fun as the cars spin around.

There are also play areas, shops (including a big sweet shop) and I'm sure somewhere to eat. You may also notice a monorail track that winds around the area and you may catch a glimpse of something going along on it. I think this was originally going to be a ride but there was an issue with getting people off it if it broke down. However, the cat in the hat sometimes takes a ride on it. I tell you this now as we spent ages looking for the ride entrance ;-)

Food and shops

We never actually ate in Islands of Adventure as we split out days with Universal Studios and either ate there or in the Hard Rock Café in City Walk. There are lots and lots of place to eat and I assume they are of similar prices as the other parks (I.e. pretty expensive) but I'm sure there are some nice meals to be had. There is a restaurant opposite the Sinbad show which is supposed to be excellent and is known as one of the best Theme Park restaurants in the world.

Shop wise there are plenty, not as many as Universal Studios but plenty of places to pick up Grinches, dinosaurs, comics, Wolverine figurines and dragons. I might be wrong but I don't recall any on-ride photo's being available (except perhaps the Hulk)

Conclusion

As I said at the top of the review, Islands of Adventure is THE Theme Park. Despite having very few changes to it when it first opened it tends to top the best Theme Park awards on the internet even now. The whole place is brilliantly designed, the rides are outstanding with possibly the best water rides in the world, two brilliant coasters, some great rides for kids and Spiderman which is out of this world.

If you've got really small kids or hate rides with drops, water and motion simulators then it may not be the place to come. Otherwise, it is a must visit when you get to Florida. You'll need a whole day and if you can another half day to re-ride. We managed to do the whole park three times on three separate occasions in half days and the experience of getting to the park as soon as it opened and then running onto each ride one after the other was probably my favourite overall time of the whole holiday. In the summer I would guess it gets very busy as I suspect it's a park that attracts a lot of the local teenagers as well due to the big rides and the water rides.

A five star theme park in every sense of the word and its taking all my willpower not to bust out my credit card, quit my job and book a trip there right now.

 

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