Double Secret Honorable Mention Skill Games
To justify their existence in a theme park, skill games need to have two main components. They need to be themed to the land they are in AND they need to offer great prizes that also relate to the area they are in. For years both Universal and Disney completely mailed it in when it comes to skill games at the park, making them feel like tacky cash grabs you would see at places like Fun Spot or Six Flags. The tide has turned and now for the most part the skill game areas at Disney and Universal are worth going out of your way to experience
Several years back, the skill games in Jurassic Park had a major glow up in terms of how they look and now are all currently themed to Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchises. However, despite the new theming and presentation, for years the prizes were still outright junk and not worth your time. Recently they have started to incorporate Jurassic World themed prizes, greatly elevating the experience.
What Is Jurassic Park
Overgrown plant life and the sounds of prowling predators greet guests who pass through the massive stone gateway into a modern take on prehistoric times welcome to Jurassic Park, an island based on the blockbuster book and movie series, in which humans have recreated living, breathing dinosaurs by using DNA taken from fossilized dino blood.
Children of all ages will love Camp Jurassic, a dinosaur-themed playground featuring caverns, water cannons, slides, and climbing nets. Dino fans also have the opportunity to come face-to-face with a T-rex on Jurassic Park River Adventure or have their picture taken with Blue the velociraptor in Raptor Encounter. To make your visit an educational one, stop by the Jurassic Park Discovery Center, a dinosaur museum filled with exhibits, activities, and life-sized dino replicas.
Best Water Ride: Dudley Do
If youre looking to escape the Florida heat, climb aboard Dudley Do-Rights Ripsaw Falls®, a themed log-flume ride set in the Canadian mountains. Experience a 75-foot drop, then plummet below water level for a real rush! Be warnedthis ride will leave you soaked.
Still haven’t made your decision yet? Try perusing our Ultimate Guide to Universal Orlando Resort for the best coupons, discounts and deals to help save you time and moolah.
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Are There Guest Services Available In Jurassic Park
Restrooms
Restrooms in Jurassic Park are located by Pizza Predattoria, next to Jurassic Park River Adventure.
Lockers
Lockers are available for a price outside River Adventure. Riders might want to consider getting one of these to protect anything they dont want to get wet. The lockers are $4 for the first 90 minutes, and $3 for each hour after that.
First aid
The nearest first aid location is over in the Lost Continent section of the park.
ATMs
Youll find an ATM at the Jurassic Outfitters shop, next to River Adventure.
Islands Of Adventure Trading Co
Encounter a host of exploration-themed merchandise perfect for everyday adventures. Guests grin at the enormous banner outside of the shop promoting the largest selection of Universal’s Islands of Adventure souvenirs. Theres definitely a wide selection of wonderful items to satisfy a variety of ages and tastes.
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Universal Studios Islands Of Adventure Afternoon Plans
Once youve hit proper midday at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, we suggest to power through the typical lunchtime and try more rides. Islands of Adventure food lines will be the longest between 12:00PM 2:00PM, hence, why we planned out a later breakfast.
- 1:00PM 2:30PM Head to Marvel Super Hero Island and ride the Incredible Hulk Coaster, and The Amazing Adventures Spider-Man if there is time.
If rides are not the number one priority for your trip, you can always try some of the outdoor Islands of Adventure shows at this time, as well. You can also find plenty of Islands of Adventure characters that will be wandering around for photos!
- Triwizard Tournament Spirit Rally Hogsmeade Village
- Frog Choir Hogsmeade Village
- Oh! The Stories Youll Hear Seuss Landing
Right around 3PM is a good time to grab lunch and get out of the Florida midday heat.
The Best Order To Ride Islands Of Adventure Rides
If you want to ride all the best rides at Islands of Adventure, youre gonna need a game plan! Ill give you the order we suggest hitting the rides, for the shortest wait times.
My first tip is to arrive nice and early. Most people dont, which means youll be able to get on several rides before the crowds really start pouring in, and youll be that far ahead of them. It also helps if you go during a slower time of year and on a weekday.
If youd like, you can purchase Express passes one version allows you to jump to the front of the line once per ride, and the unlimited pass lets you do so as many times as you want. But these are a significant added expense and not an option for everyone.
Be sure to download the Universal app, so you can score some virtual queue passes! These virtual passes are free and allow you to choose a time to return to a ride later in the day. Usually Universal either offers a stand-by line OR virtual queue , so if a ride is currently offering virtual queue, you will need to get a pass to enter the line for the ride. Be sure to check first thing, as the park is opening, and if there arent any available, keep refreshing. More will appear throughout the day. And keep your eye on the app because sometimes a ride will transition to using virtual queue later in the day.
Heres the order I suggest hitting the rides, but of course you might need to adjust based on any virtual queue passes youve snagged or the current wait times.
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How Many Rides Are At Universal Studios Islands Of Adventure
Another common question we receive when talking about the rides at Islands of Adventure is, how many rides are at Universal Islands of Adventure? Very simply, as of 2022 Universal Islands of Adventure has 16 rides for guests to enjoy in the theme park. Its also home to two of the newest rides at Universal Orlando with them being the VelociCoaster and Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
Rides Included With Early Park Admission At Islands Of Adventure
- Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster
For your Island of Adventure itinerary, we suggest getting into the park as soon as you possibly can and heading straight to Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
- 7:10 AM Get in line for Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- 7:45 Head to Jurassic World VelociCoaster and queue up before official park open
By the time you get off of Jurassic World VelociCoaster, regular park hours will most likely have started. That usually means the most popular Islands of Adventure rides will have higher wait times.
- 8:30AM 10AM Ride less popular attractions
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Best Overall: Harry Potter And The Escape From Gringotts
This 4D ride brings one of the classic movie scenes to life. As the featured attraction of the Diagon Alley section of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you wont want to miss it.
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After you get your adrenaline rush on the ride, youll be ready to explore the rest of Diagon Alley, preferably with a Butterbeer in hand. Grab an English bite at The Leaky Cauldron before heading to Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC, where youll be picked out by your wand. Yes, we said that right — only true fans will know what we mean.
Universal Orlando’s Islands Of Adventure
Islands of Adventure opened as Universal Orlando’s second gate on May 28, 1999, joining Universal Studios Florida next door.
One of the big attractions here is the original The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, which opened in 2010. IOA also includes lands themed to Dr. Seuss, Jurassic Park, King Kong, and Marvel Comics for which Universal obtained the perpetual east-coast theme park rights years before Disney bought the company.
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Our recommendations below come from our annual survey of Theme Park Insider newsletter subscribers. Locations with star ratings ranked especially highly among our readers. to our free weekly email of theme park news to participate in the next ranking survey.
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Island Market And Export Candy Shoppe
Candy-lovers and dessert-lovers may never want to leave this purveyor of sugary confections. Once inside, guests will want to head straight to an enormous glass counter with a tempting display of candy-, chocolate- and caramel-dipped apples and strawberries, plus brownies, chocolate turtles and specialty candy.
Best Islands Of Adventure Food
There is so much good food to be enjoyed at Islands of Adventure! You could spend just as much time eating as you could riding rides. If youre interested in a full-service experience, Mythos Restaurant in The Lost Continent has a reputation as one of the best theme park restaurants.
You can also sit down at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade order your food via the Universal app and then it will be brought to your table. We love their Rotisserie Smoked Chicken and Pumpkin Fizz.
The Fire Eaters Grill in The Lost Continent always tempts me when I walk by. Their Chicken Stingers are delicious!
Another favorite is the Green Eggs and Ham Cafe in Seuss Landing. Im ashamed to say we havent tried the Green Eggs & Ham Tots just yet , but we DO love the Pizza Tots and Buffalo Chicken Tots!
Every few steps youll find some kind of treat or delicious surprise waiting for you you wont go hungry, thats for sure!
There is so much fun to be had at Universals Islands of Adventure. I hope this post was helpful for your planning, and have a wonderful visit!
Headed to both Universal parks? Dont miss this post: Your guide to all the rides at Universal Studios Orlando!
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Triple Thread Honorable Mention Royal Pacific Resorts Jurassic World Kids Suite
Were going to leave Islands of Adventure to finish this article and head on over to the nearby Royal Pacific Resort. At RPR there is a Jurassic World Kids Suite that makes sure that both kids and adults alike remember the sage advice: dont lose your dinosaur.
A kids suite at Universal hotels is basically comprised of two separate living areas A main bedroom and space for adults, and an ultra themed bedroom for kids. The adults bedroom has a king size bed, a love seat, a desk area, and the suites bathroom. The attached room is for the kids and has two twin beds modeled as gyrospheres from Jurassic World.
I am a huge fan of the family suites over at Disneys Art of Animation, however one thing I never understood was that the main bedroom where the adults sleep is separated from the rest of the suite, giving kids unsupervised access to the hotel door. Universals kids suites are the complete opposite, with the adult bedroom having the only access to the rooms entrance and exit, while the kids room door only opens into the adults room. It is a minor thing, but it helps me sleep better at night.
Imagine yourself as a kid again and opening the door to your and seeing this
One of the more interesting thing we saw when staying onsite at LEGOLAND Florida was that the room had a price sheet if you took things from it I chuckled about it at the time, but if Loews would have given a price for one of these Mosasaurus bed pillows I think it would be in my house right now.
Islands Of Adventure Food Lunch
There are so many great quick service options at Islands of Adventure that are perfect for lunch options. Here is a list of our favorite places to eat for lunch:
- Cafe 4
- The Burger Digs
- Thunder Falls Terrace
If youre done eating around 4PM, it is a good time to stay out of the heat and we suggest doing Poseidons Fury, which is a unique interactive show. It is all indoors and air conditioned, which you cant go wrong in the Florida sun.
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Express Pass At Universals Islands Of Adventure
Express Pass can be added to your admission tickets and will allow guests to get through the lines faster. The pass is good for one-time per ride at select rides and attractions. The pass allows holders to enter a shorter line. There are options for a 2-Park Universal Express Pass or a 1-Park Universal Express Pass.
Universal Express Unlimited allows guests admission to both theme parks each day plus unlimited access to the participating attractions. This is a separate admission ticket.
- 2-Park Express Access starts at $39.99 per person, per day. This is added to your theme park admission.
- Universals Islands of Adventure Express Pass starts at $34.99 per person, per day. This is added to your theme park admission.
- Universal Studios Florida Express Access starts at $34.99 per person, per day. This is added to your theme park admission.
- Universal Express Unlimited starts at $209.99 per person, per day. This includes admission to both theme parks plus unlimited access to the Express Pass lines each day.
Universals Islands Of Adventure Dinner
If you really want to optimize your Islands of Adventure 1-day tickets, you can absolutely pack in more rides after youve settled from late lunch.
Between the hours of 5PM 6PM is great time to jump in line for water rides, as the lines will calm down as the sun starts to drop. Or grab other attractions that you may have missed earlier on in the day. If youre making sure to grab all Universal Orlando thrill rides, then make sure youve hit Doctor Dooms Fearfall over in Marvel Super Hero Island.
You can also go speak to The Mystic Fountain in the Lost Continent or even do the Ollivanders Wand Show over in Hogsmeade Village. Guests can wait in a short line and experience the Wand Chooses the Wizard moment for one special guest.
- 630PM Grab dinner at one of the Islands of Adventure restaurants
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Popeye And Blutos Bilge
A classic wet ride, the rafting ride puts a group of people in a large circular spinning raft and tosses them up and down a river with lots of water obstacles waiting to soak them.
Who loves it? Everyone on a hot day. No one on a cold day. If you liked to get soaked, youll love it.
Height requirements? Minimum height is 42 but anyone under 48 will need to have a supervising companion.
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Take a spin on this ride as you choose which fish you want to sit in. You can choose when you go up and when you go down, but listen to the instructions if you want to avoid getting wet in the process.
Who loves it? Everyone seems willing to give this a shot at least once, but dont be surprised if your littlest ones keep asking to do it again and again and again.
Height Requirements? Theres no minimum height, but anyone under 48 will need to have a supervising companion.
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Complete Guide To All Rides At Islands Of Adventure
In this article well cover the complete 2022 Islands of Adventure ride list to be as prepared as possible for your next Universal Orlando vacation! If you and your family love thrill rides, then youll want to make sure to plan a day to explore Islands of Adventure! With so much to choose within the the different themed areas such as Hogsmeade Village at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Jurassic Park there is something for everyone!
So if youre ready to learn about all of the rides at Islands of Adventure read on!
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Complete Guide To Jurassic Park River Adventure At Universals Islands Of Adventure
There are some theme park rides that are simply legendary and Jurassic Park River Adventure is right up there at the top of that list. Not only do you get to travel into the Jurassic story and experience what started it all, the ride is absolutely thrilling. And, as a mom of the biggest 8-year-old dinosaur lover ever , Jurassic Park River Adventure is the one ride we never miss on a trip to Universals Islands of Adventure.
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Best Overall: The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Hogsmeade
Even if youre not a huge Harry Potter fan, we dont know many people who could resist picking up their pace a little as they catch the first sight of the castle on their way to experience this bustling fantasy world brought to life in screaming color.
Discover the outer park banks with our handy Insider’s Guide to Universal Orlando Resort for more heart-pounding, intense adventures.
Fun Fact: The Lost Continent is now known by most as a walkway to get to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but it was once its own specially-themed part of the park based on famous myths.