Great ideas for a stress free and fun day at Universal Studio s Islands of Adventure.
For families with older children and teenagers, we think we have found an excellent formula to get the most out of this theme park without too much queuing.
Instead of arriving at 9.00 when everyone is rushing to get in, have a leisurely breakfast and a morning swim at your villa, then leave for the park at about 11.00. Most of the crowds have dispersed by then and you will arrive relaxed and refreshed. We have found that working your way around Islands of Adventure, turning left after entering towards Hulk is much better, as most people seem to turn right towards Seuss Landing.
We notice that Spiderman is very popular and we recommend you get express passes for this immediately you enter the park, as the wait for this ride can be particularly long. (It is a ride well worth going on). You will be allocated an express pass time to go onto Spiderman, build your day around that time! For example, if your wait is one hour, spend this time on Hulk, a great rollercoaster, or Doctor Dooms Fearfall, which catapults you 150 feet into the air and drops you back to earth faster than gravity. If your wait is longer for Spiderman and you are a fairly fit family, venture on to Jurassic Park River adventure. We were so busy looking at the T Rex that we didn t see the drop down into the splash zone. A super ride.
We found the food at Thunder Falls Terrace restaurant, located in the Jurassic Park River adventure area splash zone consisting of either barbequed ribs or chicken or a combination of both very good quality at a reasonable price. Also it was great fun standing in the splash zone on Thunder Falls Terrace and trying to escape the water before it hits you. This proved particularly difficult on a full stomach.
If you are brave enough, Duelling Dragons is another excellent roller coaster. We found the Fire Dragon more exhilarating than Ice Dragon. Both give different rides and at one point the coasters pass within feet of each other.
The last area we suggest you visit is Toon Lagoon which has two great water rides where you WILL get very wet. We recommend taking these rides last because you do not want to walk around in wet clothes all day. Dudley Doo Right's Rip Saw Falls is a log flume which is steep and exhilarating, but our favourite ride is the Popeye and Blutos Bilge Rat Barges. Its a rough ride down rapids with people spraying water at you from various viewing locations above. Great fun!
At the end of the day, if you are not too wet from the water rides, (or if you didn't do the wet rides) you must pay a visit to Hard Rock Cafe the food is amazing and reasonably priced. We expected the prices to be high but were pleasantly surprised! After your meal you can take a walk around the restaurant and see all the rock music memorabilia adorning the walls the atmosphere is fantastic.
Afterwards if you still have the energy spend some time in the shops full of trendy clothes and great souvenirs your teenage kids will love, or visit the Cineplex on Citywalks and sit and watch a film and let your feet recover!
Island of Adventure at Universal Studios will be a firm family favourite for many years to come.