Islands of Adventure is the second of the Universal Studios Parks, reached, as is Universal Studios through Universal City Walk, which includes restaurants, clubs, shops & cinemas.
It is quite a long way to the entrance to the parks from the car parks so consider valet parking or preferred parking, worth the extra charge if you have anyone in your party who would not relish a long walk. Buggies & wheelchairs are available to hire as usual but these are situated within the parks so there is quite a walk first.
Islands of Adventure is split up into five ‘islands’ so the best way to plan your day is to get a map & decide what you cannot afford to miss - also agree on a place to meet up if you get lost! There is also the usual ‘Express Ticket’ option so it’s a good idea to consider some of these straight away.
The islands are situated round a lake & you can either go clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on what are your priorities! Marvel Super Hero Island is a noisy & exciting place, particularly when the ‘heroes’ roar into town on their custom vehicles to sign autographs & pose for photos. Some of the biggest rides are here like the Incredible Hulk – Zero to 40mph in just 2 seconds, but you have to be 52” to ride! If you still have a stomach left after that you will definitely lose it on ‘Dr Dooms Fear Fall’ – you are rocketed 150 feet up into the air & then pushed back down faster than gravity! The last big ride here is ‘Spiderman’ & though the height restriction is down to 40” its still packed with 3D thrills.
The next island is Toon Lagoon, which sees the start of the ‘wet rides’! Both of them have height restrictions - 42” for ‘Popeye & Blutos Bilge-Rat Barges’ & 44” for the wild & wet ‘Rip Saw Falls’ (probably best to close your eyes for the big drop if you’re squeamish!) There’s a play area here for the little ones & again opportunities to meet characters through the day.
Jurassic Park is the third of the islands with another raft ride to get wet on & the great ‘Pteranodon Flyers’ – a type of chair ride for those over 36” (without vertigo!) Again there’s a kid’s playground & an interactive area based on dinosaurs.
The Lost Continent is home to the famous ‘Duelling Dragons’ – choose Fire or Ice– if you’re really brave, pick the front seat! They’re the world’s first inverted, duel roller coasters soaring 125 feet in the air and reaching speeds of 55 mph as they narrowly pass within inches of each other! If you don’t meet the 54” height restriction, try the Flying Unicorn, which is still a bumpy ride. If you’re feeling in need of a sit down by now try The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad show or for the brave, ‘Poseidon’s Fury’ is a walk through attraction with some exciting surprises!
Seuss Landing is the final island & obviously aimed at small children. There’s a sing along type show, a beautiful ‘Caro’Seuss-el’, and a great play area. There’s also ‘One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish’; a fun ride through water fountains & the brilliant ‘Cat in the Hat’ ride which all ages will enjoy!
A trip to Islands of Adventure would give you another action packed day. The only problem we found that with differing age groups it may be better to split up into those who want to/can do the big rides & those who cant or there can be a lot of waiting around until the braver ones stagger back looking somewhat greener!!!!