Over spring break I went to Universal Studios for the first time in my life. While we only got to go to Island of Adventure there were still so many rides/attractions we got to see and experience. So, if you’re planning on going to Universal over the summer or are just interested in what rides may not be worth the wait time here are my least to most favorite rides at the park.
Coming in last at number 9 is Poseidon’s Fury. Located in the “Lost Continent” Poseidon’s Fury is like a walk-through show with really cool visuals, sound effects, and a tour guide leading you throughout the story. While this was cool to experience I recommend only doing this if you have an extra 30 minutes or you’re not really into the fast roller coaster vibe.
Number 8 is The High In The Sky Suess Trolly Train Ride. When you first walk into the park you go through Suess Landing. Suess Landing is filled with all things Dr. Suess obviously, so while this area is more defined as a “kids’ area” the trolly train ride was cool to start the day off because you can see some of the park from up above while it walks you through the different parts of Suess Landing.
Next at number 7 is Skull Island: Reign of Kong. While I know some people love this ride, out of all the real “rides” it didn’t surprise me or make me think “wow that was worth the hour wait”. This ride is in Skull Island which overall had pretty cool decorations throughout this section of the park but we waited in line for what felt like forever. You put on 3D glasses and get into these huge trucks, most of the ride is using screens and some movement but overall I wasn’t impressed with this one.
Number 6 is Doctor Dooms Fearfall. At first, I didn’t even want to go on this ride, but then we saw the wait time said 10 minutes so we thought “why not”. We walked right up and got on without a wait. Being that I used to go to Carowinds every year with my family I was expecting it to be like the drop zone, and while it did have the same sort of feel to it instead of going up slowly it shoots you up and then drops you in little increments. Overall, if you enjoy these types of rides check it out whenever it has a short wait time!
Now at number 5 is The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. Going into this ride I was expecting to be just like the Kong 3D ride but it was so much better. In my opinion, the graphics and storyline were a lot more interesting which made the ride feel more immersive and overall just more worth the wait time.
Number 4 is the Incredible Hulk Coaster. This one was for sure worth the wait. Located in Marvel Super Hero Island even the wait line is very entertaining to make the line feel much shorter than it actually is. If you like really fast and thrilling coasters this one needs to be on your list to do!
Number 3 is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This ride is actually inside the Hogwarts castle and the line felt a little shorter due to all the caste decorations but we did wait a very long time for this one. We loved this ride so much that we actually went on it twice… here’s a little tip, while the nightly castle show is happening that’s when you should ride this ride because the wait time was around 15 minutes and we got in and out so quickly. Overall this ride is so worth it but that’s also coming from me whose obsessed with Harry Potter:)
Almost there I promise, number 2 is Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. I had to think long and hard about whether I was going to put this one at number 2 or 1 because I loved this ride so much. We probably had the longest wait time for this ride but I can promise you that it was so worth it. I had no previous expectations about this ride so I went into it blindly and I had the most fun (besides when a bird pooped on my head while waiting in line) besides that this one is worth the long wait time.
Lastly, coming in at number 1 is no surprise Jurassic Park Velocicoaster. Now before even going to Universal everyone and their mom told me about this ride. In my brain, I held it to the same standards as the Fury at Carowinds. We first rode this ride in the middle of the day, I had no clue what it was going to be like but I was so excited. My best friend’s sister rode next to me and before even getting on she was like “I think I might pass out” welp yeah she did pass out right after take off. This ride was actually the fastest most thrill-seeking ride I have ever been on. We loved it so much that we went again at night and stuck it out in the 2-hour long wait and it was even more fun the second time.
So while these are just the rankings of the rides we had time for in 1 day at Island of Adventure, Universal has so many other rides and attractions for those who don’t love the fast, scary, thrilling roller coasters. Overall, if you’re debating which rides to skip out on or for sure go on I hope this list makes it a little easier to decide.