Islands Of Adventure Overview
This new millennium wonder park still draws in the crowds with some out of this world thrills mixed with immersion and a keen eye for detail. Islands Of Adventure is as popular now as the day it was opened.
Basic Information
Islands Of Adventure
A few facts on Universal’s Islands Of Adventure. For more information on the attractions please scroll to the bottom of the page.
Vital Stats
Park Size:
108 Acres
Demographic:
Teenagers & Adults
Annual Visitors (2019):
10.92M
Avarage Daily Visitors:
27,725
Address
6000 Universal Boulevard
Orlando
FL, 32819
What 3 Words
Islands Of Adventure Attraction Mix
- Roller Coasters & Thrill Rides 30%
- Family & Children’s Attractions 65%
- Shows 5%
Islands Of Adventure Location
Islands Of Adventure Port Of Entry
Universal’s Islands Of Adventure
Walking Distances
The physical aspect of walking around theme parks almost every day for 2 or more weeks comes as a surprise to many people. To illustrate the physical exertion, I use my Google Fit app to track my step count and distance walked in each park. I’ve crunched the numbers and the figures below represent my most recent visit to the park.
Steps Walked
27,919
Distance Walked
15.32 km (9.52 miles)
Islands Of Adventure
Attraction Count
An overview of the attraction types you can expect to find in Islands Of Adventure
Roller Coasters
Thrill Rides
Water Rides
Immersive Rides
Children's Rides
Shows
Islands Of Adventure
Photo Gallery
A small selection of images taken by me in Islands Of Adventure
Islands Of Adventure
Park Downloads
Free guides, maps and tools to help you plan smarter!
Park Map
An up-to-date park map to give you an idea of the layout and know where your favourite attractions are in relation to one another. Days in the parks can be long, don’t walk further than you have to!
Park Guide
A handy overview of the park. Download and read at your pleasure and use in conjunction with the park map and attraction tick list to plan your day.
Attraction List
Set your priorities for the day by knowing the must-do attractions and ones to avoid. Set expectations so there is no disappointment when you arrive and know what else you can do if there is time.
Hassle Free
OPG Premium
Not sure where to begin? Let a travel professional handle the planning so you can get on with enjoying your day.
Islands Of Adventure
Attractions
Roller Coasters
What sets Islands Of Adventure’s roller coasters apart is their strikingly different designs which is welcome relief!
Thrill Rides
With Islands Of Adventure Universal set out to design a park for everyone. Because of that the thrill count is low.
Water Rides
In an age where water attractions seems to be becoming a rare species, Islands Of Adventure boasts 3 of the world’s finest!
Immersive Rides
Innovation stands out here again. Instead of just copying the past every single dark ride in IOA takes what made its predecessor great and improves on it.
Children's Rides
Designed to cater to more of a family market than Universal Studios does, the type of attractions here still cater to older children and adults.
Shows
Islands Of Adventure’s one Achilles heel is the almost complete abandonment of shows. Two theatres are left empty most of the year.
See Universal islands Of Adventure Visually
FREE VISUAL GUIDE
Islands Of Adventure
Insider Tips
Beat The Queues
So, you want to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure AND Jurassic World Velocicoaster and you don’t want to stand in the usual 1 to 2 hours queues. Here is how to beat the queues for both these rides.
Neither Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure nor Jurassic World Velocicoaster use Universal Express Passes currently but they will be introduced in the future. Keep that in mind when deciding if an Express Pass is right for you.
The best way to get on Hagrid or Velocicoaster is to stay in a Universal Orlando Hotel which allows 1-hour early entry on select days giving you a much needed time boost to get in line for one of the popular attractions before the queue gets too long. Check the universal Orlando calendar to find out which park (or both) are operating early park admission during your stay.
Make sure you are in line at IOA gates 30-45 minutes before they open for hotel guests so you are towards the front. You need to decide which you want to queue for and head straight for it. No stopping for drinks or photos just make a beeline for that queue. You should be on one ride within an hour and can get in line for the other before the gates open to the general public keeping your queuing time for both as short as possible.
Hagrid also has its own Virtual Line, check on the Universal Orlando app on the day to see if it is being offered. Universal can switch it on and off depending on demand, crowd levels and how temperamental the ride system is so it’s always worth double-checking throughout the day. If Universal chooses to keep virtual line reservations on for the duration of the day then you will need a virtual line reservation to be able to ride. Check back at 11 am, 2 pm and 4 pm for more availability if it is showing as full the first time you check.
Check Virtual Line Reservations
Universal Orlando has a great selection of attractions that can have virtual lines although availability will vary day by day.
Check the Universal Orlando app when you are in the park. To check what rides are being offered select Virtual Line in the left-hand menu then look for Virtual Line Venues. Select and attraction the tap Virtual Line Pass – Reserve to get your return time and QR code.
If you want to see about queuing options in all Orlando’s parks check out my ultimate guide to queueng in Orlando’s theme parks.
Don't Miss Out
If you visit Universal Orlando with younger children you don’t have to miss out on the fun if they are too small to ride. Most attractions in Universal’s parks offer a child swap facility so both parents can get a go. You still have to join the queue but when it’s time to ride there is a waiting area for one parent to wait their turn with the kids.
Another option is to see how long the single rider line is taking if one is offered.
