Upon your descent through the majestic gates of Universal, you’ll want to know what the best rides at Islands of Adventure are!
You may not have time to try out each and every ride in the park on your trip, so you’ll want to know what the must-do attractions are before you even come face-to-face with this incredible theme park.
Well look no further, I have put together the 5 best attractions at Islands of Adventure just for you! So, let’s dive right in…
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#5 Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
To get started on today’s exciting trek, let’s hop over to Marvel Superhero Island and take a ride on the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
Although this was one of the attractions that originally debuted with the opening of Islands of Adventure, the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is still one of the most popular rides in all of Universal Orlando Resort.
On super busy days, you can see the line stretch beyond the indoor queue with guests taking up space in the backup area outside of the attraction.
The motion simulator, track based ride has 4K digital high-definition ride animation, a top-of-the-line Infitec 3-D projection system, a high energy music score and 3-D “Spider-Vision” glasses to help enhance your web-slinging adventure.
Ride Storyline of the Spider-Man Ride
On your trek, you’ll become a journalist for the Daily Bugle where you’ll board the “Scoop” mobile to do some high profile snooping.
Once you start your journey, you’ll find out that Sinister Syndicate has stolen the Statue of Liberty using the anti-gravity gun.
It’s now up to Spider-Man to save you and to restore the Statue of Liberty. During the battle, you soar high in the sky leaping across buildings and plunging “400-feet” hoping to be saved.
Along the way, you’ll dodge some of Marvel’s most famous villains such as:
- Doctor Octopus
- Scream
- Electro
- Hydro-Man
- The Hobgoblin
Fun Facts About The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man has won the Golden Ticket Award for Best Dark Ride for 12 consecutive years.
While you’re on the ride, be sure to check out a cameo by legendary Spider-Man co-creator, Stan Lee.
What to Know Before You Ride the Spider-Man Ride at Islands of Adventure
- Minimum Height: Minimum Height 40” (102 cm)
- Express Pass Accepted
- Single Rider Line available, but open at random times
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#4 The Incredible Hulk
On this ferocious roller coaster, you’ll step inside a high-security research compound commanded by General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross as a research subject.
On September 8, 2015, Universal closed the attraction to:
- redo the queue line
- replace sections of the track
- add new trains with speakers that would be on each seat of the ride vehicle
- compose a new song from Patrick Stump of the Fall Out Boy band to complete the ride experience
The refurbishment was completed in the summer of 2016 with the official reopening date of August 4, 2016.
Storyline of the Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster
As you make your way through the queue, you’ll officially become a volunteer on one of Dr. Bruce Banner’s research experiments.
Before you can truly get started, a blast of gamma radiation sends you launching 67 miles per hour in true disastrous Hulk fashion, as you smash your way through a zero-gravity roll, seven inversions and two subterranean trenches.
What to Know Before You Ride The Hulk Roller Coaster at Islands of Adventure
- Minimum Height: 54″ (138 cm)
- Express Pass Accepted
- No Single Rider Line
#3 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
It’s time to talk about one of the most popular rides in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter– Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey!
Or as most people know it, the ride inside Hogwarts Castle.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the most exciting rides on this list because it actually takes you inside the castle. A dream for EVERY Harry Potter fan!
You get to see iconic rooms like Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room and the Room of Requirement. This makes it one of the best rides at Islands of Adventure.
Storyline of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
There’s really no clear storyline of this attraction at Islands of Adventure.
You’re there to basically live out your Hogwarts fantasies and experience famous scenes from the movies in a most fun and thrilling way.
You are chased by a Hungarian Horntail dragon (that Hagrid brought home…and then promptly lost) while Harry and Ron try to help you! Talk about a hair-raising storyline!
What to Know Before You Ride Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey at Islands of Adventure
- Minimum Height Requirements: 48″ (122 cm)
- Express Pass Accepted
- Single Rider Line Available
Hipster Power Tip: If you have any issues with motion sickness, then you’ll want to do a bit of prepping before you board this attraction to help combat any possible nausea that may occur.
#2 Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Hagrid’s Magical Creature’s Motorbike Adventure is a completely immersive experience that draws on the movie’s most-loved elements– Hagrid’s clumsiness, Arthur Weasley’s love for Muggles and Sirius Black’s motorbike.
You will get to sit in replicas of the motorbike. And yes, you can choose to sit in the sidecar!
Storyline of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
It all starts with a bunch of Cornish Pixies getting loose during Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class.
In the resulting adventure to recover them, you race through the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid and Arthur Weasley, meeting the Wizarding World’s most dangerous creatures on the way.
Now that’s one thrilling class you won’t forget!
What to Know Before You Ride Hagrid’s Roller Coaster Islands of Adventure
Before you embark on this epic Harry Potter-inspired coaster, you should know a few little details about Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure.
- Duration– 3:25
- Roller Coaster Type – Steel Launch Coaster
- Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure Height– 65 feet
- Number of Inversions– 0
- 17-foot free fall drop
- Riders per Train – 14
- Number of Launches – 7 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) Launches (a world record)
- Manufacturer – Intamin
- Length – 5053 feet (longest in Florida)
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Speed – 50 m.p.h. (miles per hour)
- 1,200 trees planted to hide the roller coaster
- Minimum Height Requirements: 48″ (122cm) Minimum Height
- Express Pass Not Accepted
- Single Rider Line Available
#1 VelociCoaster
Now we’re on to the BEST ride in Islands of Adventure, VelociCoaster. This Jurassic World inspired roller coaster is wild, it’s crazy, it’s unpredictable, but it’s also FUN!
Before you get on this unique roller coaster, you should know that it was designed by the Universal Orlando Creative Team and manufactured by Intamin.
Intamin is the famous roller coaster manufacturer who has also built other spectacular rides such as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventures.
This revolutionary ride has been dubbed as Florida’s fastest and tallest launch coaster with 4,700 feet of track, including near-misses and a barrel roll right above the Islands of Adventure lagoon.
There are also high-speed launches with the fastest maxing out at 70 miles per hour in 2.4 seconds.
Plus, the famous “Top Hat,” which will shoot you up 155 feet in the air straight into an 80-degree drop (Universal’s steepest drop yet).
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Storyline of VelociCoaster
You’ll be happy to know that the same cast from the movies – Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and BD Wong – are reprising their roles as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing and Dr. Henry Wu.
You then learn that Dr. Wu has created a cutting-edge new coaster that has been claimed as the newest “carnivore expansion” at Jurassic World.
Unfortunately, it may not be the safest way to experience an attraction that’s right in the middle of the raptor’s habitat!
What to Know Before You Ride VelociCoaster at Islands of Adventure
Before you grab your seat on VelociCoaster at Universal, you should know a few things that you can expect. Below are the stats for this ride:
- Drop: 140 feet (43 m)
- Duration: 1:15
- Height: 155 feet (47 m)
- Inversions: 4
- Speed: 70 miles per hour
- Track Length: 4,700 feet (1,400 m)
- Minimum Height Requirements: 51″ (130 cm) Minimum Height
- Express Pass Accepted
- Single Rider Line Available
My Final Thoughts on the Best Rides at Islands of Adventure
You now know which attractions at Islands of Adventure are the absolute MUST-DO’s for your visit.
It was pretty hard coming up with this list as each attraction at this Universal Orlando theme park has something profoundly unique about it.
Now it’s your turn, what’s one of your favorite rides at Islands of Adventure? Leave your comment below.
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
My name is Nikky. I’m a wife, a mother, a pharmacist turned theme park blogger, USA Today 10Best Contributor, and a writer who loves ALL things amusement park related!
Traveling alone to the parks has changed my life and I want to show how you can create your own solo theme park memories.
Connect with me on Instagram!
UP NEXT: How to Do Islands of Adventure in One-Day (Full Itinerary and Guide)
(Original Article Date: February 16, 2022/Updated on February 18, 2024)