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Islands of Adventure (IOA) is the best of Universal Orlando’s three theme parks, especially for adults and older kids.
It’s home to the most thrilling roller coasters, wettest water rides, and the magical Hogsmeade village in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Here we share our picks for the best rides at Islands of Adventure plus other must do experiences and tips for making the most of your visit and avoiding long lines.
Contents
- Tips for Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Most Popular Rides at Universal Islands of Adventure
- 10 Best Rides at Islands of Adventure Orlando
- Other Top Things to Do at Islands of Adventure
- What to Pack for Universal
- Is Islands of Adventure Worth Visiting?
- Other Universal and Disney Posts
Tips for Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Stay Onsite For Early Entry
If you can afford it, I highly recommend staying onsite at a Universal Orlando Hotel.
Not only will you be close to the parks, but you’ll also gain entry to Islands of Adventure one hour earlier than other guests.
The available attractions during Early Park Admission are all those in Hogsmeade plus the VelociCoaster.
As this includes the two most popular Islands of Adventure attractions, this is a huge bonus.
I recommend arriving 30 minutes before Early Park Admission starts as they let us in 15 minutes early. Make sure to head straight to Hagrid’s Motorbike!
We stayed at the Portofino Bay Hotel, which is a 15-minute walk from IOA or a short boat ride.
We loved the Italian theme and three pools, and it was convenient having multiple restaurants onsite.
Portofino is one of the three Premier resorts that offer another amazing perk—a free Unlimited Express Pass (more on that below).
The other Premier resorts are the Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific.
Consider Purchasing an Express Pass
At busy times of the year, you might consider purchasing an Express Pass which allows you to skip the lines on most IOA attractions (once per ride).
There’s also a more expensive Unlimited Express Pass, which allows you to skip the lines as often as you like on each ride.
Our Unlimited Express Pass was included with our stay at Portofino Bay.
It really made our visit stress-free as we never had to worry about wait times or the optimal time to ride. With our pass, we never waited more than 10 minutes and it was usually a walk-on.
The major exception that is not included with Express Pass is Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. We rode this during Early Park Admission instead.
With our pass, we managed to ride nine IOA attractions during one morning (four hours including short food breaks), so if you want to visit both Universal Orlando theme parks in one day (IOA and Universal Studios Florida), an Express Pass would be the best way to do it (make sure you purchase a Park-to-Park ticket).
Ideally, you’ll spend two days at the two parks for a more relaxed experience.
Utilise Single Rider Lines
If you don’t purchase an Express Pass and lines are long, consider joining the Single Rider lines, which are much shorter, but you won’t be seated next to your companion.
Many rides at Islands of Adventure have Single Rider lines, but they might not be used during quieter times of year.
The most useful are VelociCoaster, Hulk Coaster, and Forbidden Journey. Hagrid may also have one but it doesn’t always operate.
Get a Paper Ticket
Many rides at IOA restrict what you can take on with you. Free lockers are provided if you can’t take on bags or in some cases, phones and other loose items. I’ve noted if this is required for each ride below.
Make sure you have a paper version of your park ticket, not just an e-ticket on your phone. On Hulk Coaster and VelociCoaster, you’ll need to leave your phone in a locker and you need your park ticket to access the lockers.
If you are staying in a Premium Universal Hotel, your hotel keycard doubles as your Express Pass. You’ll need to keep that with you as well as your paper entrance ticket.
We ended up buying a lanyard as it was more convenient for quick scanning of the pass and ticket.
Download the Universal App
Before your trip, download the Universal Orlando Resort App. This is useful to check ride wait times and show times, place food orders, find the nearest restroom and more.
You can also turn on notifications to alert you when a ride that is down reopens.
Most Popular Rides at Universal Islands of Adventure
These are the Universal Islands of Adventure rides that have the longest lines with their average wait times over a year:
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – 97 minutes
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster – 51 minutes
- Flight of the Hippogriff – 43 minutes
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls – 41 minutes
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong – 40 minutes
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – 38 minutes
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster – 38 minutes
These will vary over the year with waits for water rides like Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls dropping during the winter months.
The top two IOA rides are always Hagrid and VelociCoaster, and unsurprisingly these top our Islands of Adventure rides list.
Despite its popularity, Flight of the Hippogriff did not make our list as it’s a short, gentle kiddie coaster that almost always has a long wait and probably isn’t worth it for most adults.
10 Best Rides at Islands of Adventure Orlando
These are the Islands of Adventure must do rides that you won’t want to miss ranked in our order of preference.
Make sure to also see our guide to the best rides at Universal Orlando for the top rides in the neighbouring park (including the amazing Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts).
1) Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Type of Ride: Thrill Ride
Minimum Height: 48 inches (122cm)
Express Pass: No
Locker Required: Yes for bags (free)
Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is one of the best rides at Universal Islands of Adventure.
It’s also by far the most popular and our personal favourite—don’t miss it despite the long lines!
This is so much more than a regular roller coaster—Universal call it a story coaster.
The immersive experience starts on the edge of the Forbidden Forest in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter with a detailed queue that takes you through the dark, dungeon-like corridors of the ruins that Hagrid has been using for class prep.
You see his workspace (check out the giant gloves!) and even dragon eggs waiting to hatch.
The ride itself is a motorbike trip through the forest for Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class. You either ride straddling the motorbike (obviously the coolest) or in the sidecar, but both are fun.
Along the way, you spot cool creatures from the Harry Potter stories including Fluffy (the three-headed dog), Blast-Ended Skrewts, a centaur, unicorn and more.
The Hagrid animatronic is remarkably lifelike and his voice narrates the ride.
Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure is a fairly smooth and gentle coaster compared to Universal’s other thrill rides, but there are some fun and unique surprises.
It’s the longest roller coaster in Florida at 5,053 feet (nearly a mile) with seven launches.
We absolutely loved it and wished we could have ridden it again. We only waited 20 minutes during Early Park Admission, but the line quickly became very long.
2) Jurassic World VelociCoaster
Type of Ride: Thrill Ride with Inversions
Minimum Height: 51 inches (130cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: Yes for bags and all loose items including phones (free)
Location: Jurassic Park
The other of the two top rides at Islands of Adventure is Jurassic World VelociCoaster, a highlight for thrill seekers.
It’s Florida’s fastest and highest coaster and it is intense! You are flung upside down and spun around in multiple twists and turns, some of them right above the park’s lagoon, as you speed through a raptor paddock.
There are fantastic views of the park—if you manage to keep your eyes open!
While this is an undeniably scary ride, I found it smoother and less jarring than the older coasters like Hulk.
Express Pass is accepted or ride this one early. We only waited five minutes during Early Admission (riding straight after Hagrid).
3) Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Type of Ride: Thrill Ride, 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 48 inches (122cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: Yes for bags (free)
Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is another Islands of Adventure must do for me (and all Potter fans).
This wonderfully immersive experience takes place inside the incredible Hogwarts Castle.
The queue is as amazing as the ride itself as you see highlights from the movies like Dumbledore’s office (he even speaks to you), the portrait of the Fat Lady, Gryffindor common room, and various classrooms.
The ride is a mix of dark ride and 3D motion simulator. You journey through and then fly over the castle following Harry Potter on his adventures and even taking part in a Quidditch game.
The same ride at Universal Studios Japan triggered my motion sickness, but I didn’t have a problem with this version. I did take Dramamine before visiting the park as Universal features a lot of 3D rides that cause sickness.
Don’t miss this unique and exhilarating ride! Luckily, wait times aren’t too bad these days.
4) Hogwarts Express
Type of Ride: Family
Minimum Height: None but any children under 48 inches (122cm) need to be accompanied by an adult
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Hogwarts Express is both a ride and transport between Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure and King’s Cross Station at Universal Studios Florida.
A Park-to-Park ticket is needed to ride, and you’ll want to ride it both ways for different experiences.
The train features interactive video screens in the windows and doors so you feel you are really riding the Hogwarts Express along with Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
5) The Incredible Hulk Coaster
Type of Ride: Thrill Ride with Inversions
Minimum Height: 54 inches (138cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: Yes for bags and all loose items including phones (free)
Location: Marvel Super Hero Island
Island of Adventure’s second major thrill coaster is The Incredible Hulk Coaster.
It’s incredibly intense with a super fast uphill launch, seven inversions, and a 115 feet drop.
I found it more rattly than VelociCoaster and felt dizzy afterwards. Simon loves it and rode it multiple times.
6) Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
Type of Ride: Water Ride
Minimum Height: 42 inches (107cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No, Paid lockers available (bags will get wet)
Location: Toon Lagoon
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges is one of three water rides at Islands of Adventure and Simon’s favourite. You get wet on all of them, so we rode them one after the other.
On this ride, you go white-water rafting in a circular raft into a canyon with fun drops and waterfalls. You will get absolutely drenched on this one (including your feet).
7) The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Type of Ride: 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 40 inches (102cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: Marvel Super Hero Island
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a mix of dark ride and motion simulator as you ride in moving vehicles amongst physical sets and 3D projections.
Spider-Man even rides in your vehicle with you as you join him in a fight against the villains who have stolen the Statue of Liberty.
It’s immersive and chaotic and one of the best 3D rides at Islands of Adventure.
Motion sickness can be an issue but my Dramamine worked well here.
8) Jurassic Park River Adventure
Type of Ride: Water Ride
Minimum Height: 42 inches (107cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No, Paid lockers available (bags will get wet)
Location: Jurassic Park
My favourite water ride at Islands of Adventure is Jurassic Park River Adventure as I think it has the most interesting theming.
Seated in a forward-facing raft, it starts off as a gentle boat ride past herbivorous dinosaurs, but something goes wrong and the tour takes a detour.
You end up inside the raptor enclosure where the reptiles have escaped. You come face to face with a roaring T-Rex before plunging 85 feet into the river below.
The scary dinosaurs and big drop could be pretty terrifying for small kids.
While we did get wet, we weren’t soaked like on the other water rides.
9) Skull Island: Reign of Kong
Type of Ride: Thrill Ride, 3D Motion Simulator
Minimum Height: 36 inches (92cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No
Location: Skull Island: Reign of Kong
On Skull Island: Reign of Kong you ride in a huge safari truck beneath 3D screens to experience the treacherous jungle ending with a close encounter with King Kong himself.
The immersive, rather creepy line is considered one of the best in the park and some visitors prefer it to the ride.
10) Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
Type of Ride: Water Ride
Minimum Height: 44 inches (112cm)
Express Pass: Yes
Locker Required: No, Paid lockers available (bags will get wet)
Location: Toon Lagoon
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls is by far the most popular water ride at IOA, perhaps because the huge, steep drop is easily viewed walking around the park.
While the drop is fun, the rest of this log flume journey is a little dull and the theming isn’t great.
You will get wet, especially your feet and any bags on the floor, as you sit single file in logs with your legs stretched out in front.
Lines peak in the afternoon on hot days, so ride it in the morning if you don’t have Express.
Other Top Things to Do at Islands of Adventure
Some of our favourite things to do at Islands of Adventure are not rides at all. Make sure to allow time to wander and soak up the atmosphere of the park.
11) Wander Hogsmeade
The absolute best-themed area of the park is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade.
The recreation of the wizarding village from the books and movies is so well done.
Stroll the cobbled streets beneath snow-capped stone buildings, shop in Honeydukes for sweets or Filch’s Emporium for Hogwarts apparel, and mail letters with a Hogsmeade postmark in The Owl Post.
After an early morning ride on Hagrid’s, we like a warm blueberry scone from the Neeps stall.
You can also enjoy street entertainment from the Frog Choir and Triwizard Spirit Rally (check the app for times).
Hogsmeade is best experienced at the start or end of the day when it’s quieter—do both if possible as it’s extra magical at sunset and after dark.
On select nights, Hogwarts Castle is lit up with a special light display.
12) Watch the Wand Ceremony at Ollivanders
One of the highlights of Hogsmeade is Ollivanders Wand Shop. The dark room feels so authentic with its towering piles of wand boxes on dusty shelves.
Don’t miss the wand ceremony where one person is chosen from the room to be paired with their perfect wand. Ollivander has them do spells to test the wand and find the right fit.
If you want to be chosen, wearing a Hogwarts robe could increase your chances of being picked (anecdotally). The chosen wizard can choose to purchase the wand in the shop next door, as can anyone.
13) Cast a Spell with a Wand
If you decide to buy a wand in Ollivanders, make it an interactive one (from $63), so you can cast spells around Hogsmeade (and in Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida).
We did this on our Universal Studios Japan visit and it was a lot of fun!
Sometimes it takes practice to get the wand movements just right to create magical effects like setting off the spinning wheels in the Jonko’s joke shop window or making flowers bloom in Dogweed and Deathcap.
Look out for the gold medallions on the floor that show you where and how to cast a spell. Saying the spell out loud isn’t essential to success, but of course, it’s part of the fun.
14) Drink Butterbeer
Another Hogsmeade must do is enjoying a drink of Butterbeer. This sweet, non-alcoholic beverage with a frothy head is available hot, cold or frozen.
You can buy one from the street stand, but for the most authentic experience, order your drink at The Three Broomsticks, a rustic tavern serving hearty British fare like fish and chips and Shepherd’s Pie.
You can also drink in the neighbouring Hog’s Head pub.
I recommend sharing a drink on your first try as the cream soda/butterscotch flavour isn’t to everyone’s taste and it’s rather sickly.
My favourite version is actually Butterbeer ice cream from Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour in Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida as it’s a little less sweet.
15) Eat at Mythos
While Three Broomsticks is considered the best quick-service restaurant in Islands of Adventure, the best table-service restaurant is Mythos.
The setting is impressive with a cave-like interior with waterfalls cascading down outside the windows.
The food is a mix of Mediterranean, Asian and American, with more healthy and vegan choices than most Universal restaurants.
We found the Pad Thai too sweet but the Souvlaki Couscous Bowl with tofu was good.
You’ll likely need to book a table in advance.
16) Explore Seuss Landing
Seuss Landing is an area primarily aimed at kids, but the colourful land is worth a look.
The best ride for adults is High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride, a relaxing ride through the area with great views.
There’s also the Cat in the Hat dark ride and a few other rides for children.
What to Pack for Universal
Universal differs from Disney in that having a backpack with you here is a pain.
Many rides require you to put it in lockers (free) and we found it much easier when we avoided a bag on our second morning.
Waist bags/ fanny packs are also a popular option, but you can’t take them on all rides.
When we did take a bag in, we were glad for the water resistance of our Matador Beast 18 backpack, as we could take it on water rides and avoid the paid lockers.
Here’s what else we found useful:
- Lanyard – We had to pay $20 for one in the park so buy yours in advance. It’s much easier to show your ticket and Express Pass in this.
- Dramamine – I took motion sickness medication the night before and the morning of my Universal visits as the many 3D rides make me ill otherwise.
- Water bottle – One with a wide opening is best (we like this Klean Kanteen one) so you can grab free cups of ice water from restaurants and add the ice to your bottle to cool down the refills from water fountains.
- Quick dry clothes – You will get soaked on the water rides but our clothes dried quickly. I wore a dress from PrAna and Simon wore a Bluffworks t-shirt and shorts (all their clothes are quick-dry and wrinkle-free). Alternatively, wear a poncho but we couldn’t face that in the heat.
- Comfy shoes – You’ll be walking a lot. We were glad for our Teva hiking sandals as they dried quickly after the water rides.
- Cooling towel – In the summer heat, you’ll appreciate this.
Is Islands of Adventure Worth Visiting?
Universal’s Islands of Adventure is definitely worth visiting! It’s our favourite of the Universal Florida theme parks with the magical Harry Potter world, the best roller coasters (including the unique Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure) and some fun water rides.
If you can only visit one Universal park, this is the one I’d choose, but it’s worth spending a full day at both parks if you can. Buy a Park-to-Park ticket so you can travel by Hogwarts Express train between the two.
Don’t miss our guide to the best rides at Universal Studios Florida if you are visiting the sister park.
Other Universal and Disney Posts
Read our guides to other Universal Studios and Disney parks in Orlando and beyond.
USA
- 11 Best Rides at Universal Orlando
- 26 Best Things to Do at Disney World: Must Do Rides in Each Park
- Planning a Trip to Disney World on a Budget
- Is Disney Genie Plus Worth It? Everything You Need to Know
- Must Do Rides at Magic Kingdom
- Best Things to Do at Animal Kingdom
- Best Things to Do at Epcot
- Must Do Rides at Hollywood Studios
- Disneyland & California Adventure in One Day: An Itinerary for Adults
Elsewhere
- 11 Best Universal Studios Japan Rides for Adults
- 6 Best Universal Studios Singapore Rides for Adults
- Disneyland Paris for Adults: Itinerary for 2 Parks in 1 Day
- 12 Best Tokyo Disneyland Rides for Adults
- 14 Best Tokyo DisneySea Rides for Adults
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