About this Plan
This touring plan is carefully crafted to optimize your time experiencing Islands of Adventure’s rides and attractions. This plan can be used if you’re visiting the park for a single day or multiple days. It’s also suitable if you have a park-to-park ticket, which permits access to more than one Universal Orlando park within the same day.
Download the App
Before visiting Universal Orlando, we recommend downloading the Universal Orlando app from the App Store or Google Play Store. The app provides wait times, showtimes, a resort-wide map, and more.
Entering the Park
We suggest arriving at the park entrance at least 30 minutes before the park opens, especially on projected busy days. You can check the crowd level forecast for your visit using our FREE Universal Orlando crowd calendar. Keep in mind that it may take up to 30 minutes to reach the front gates from the parking booth if you’re driving. It’s a good idea to download the official Universal Orlando app in advance to view attraction wait times, check showtimes, navigate the park, and much more.
Experience Within First or Last Few Hours
The following attractions typically have the longest wait times. To avoid lengthy lines, you should visit them as soon as the park opens or a few hours before the park closes as the wait times are generally shorter. The attractions listed below are in alphabetical order, not the order in which you should experience them; visit the attractions based on your interests and their proximity to one another.
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Attraction type: High-speed roller coaster
Height requirement: Minimum height of 48 in (122 cm)
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Attraction type: Motion-base dark ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 48 in (122 cm)
Jurassic World VelociCoaster
Attraction type: High-speed roller coaster
Height requirement: Minimum height of 51 in (130 cm)
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Attraction type: 3D motion-base dark ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 40 in (102 cm)
The Incredible Hulk Coaster
Attraction type: High-speed roller coaster
Height requirement: Minimum height of 54 in (137 cm)
Experience After Noon
The attractions in this section can experience high crowds, but they are typically more manageable. It’s best to visit them after noon. The attractions listed below are organized alphabetically, rather than in the order you should experience them; visit them based on your interests and their proximity to each other.
Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
Attraction type: Launch and drop tower ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 52 in (132 cm)
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
Attraction type: Water flume ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 44 in (112 cm)
Flight of the Hippogriff
Attraction type: Kid-friendly roller coaster
Height requirement: Minimum height of 36 in (91 cm)
Jurassic Park River Adventure
Attraction type: Water raft ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 42 in (107 cm)
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
Attraction type: Water raft ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 42 in (107 cm)
Pteranodon Flyers
Attraction type: Suspended kid-friendly ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 36 in (91 cm); maximum height of 56 in (142 cm)
Skull Island: Reign of Kong
Attraction type: Motion-base dark ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 36 in (91 cm)
The Cat in the Hat
Attraction type: Kid-friendly dark ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 36 in (91 cm)
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
Attraction type: Elevated trolley ride
Height requirement: Minimum height of 36 in (91 cm)
Experience at Dusk
The experiences in this section are nighttime shows, viewable only after dark. Remember to consider showtimes when visiting other attractions in the park.
The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle
Attraction type: Nighttime show featuring projection mapping and fireworks
Height requirement: Any height
Experience at Any Time
The attractions below usually have low crowds, making them accessible most times of the day compared to the park’s other attractions. Please note that although these attractions are listed in the “Experience at Any Time” section, some of them may close before the park does; they are included here because of their minimal crowds. The attractions listed below are organized alphabetically, not in the order you should visit them; experience them based on your interests and their proximity to each other.
Frog Choir
This attraction has scheduled showtimes. Plan accordingly and arrive early.
Attraction type: Live musical show
Height requirement: Any height
Jurassic Park Discovery Center
Attraction type: Interactive learning center
Height requirement: Any height
Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear!
This attraction has scheduled showtimes. Plan accordingly and arrive early.
Attraction type: Storytelling and musical show
Height requirement: Any height
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Attraction type: Aerial carousel-style ride
Height requirement: Any height
Triwizard Spirit Rally
This attraction has scheduled showtimes. Plan accordingly and arrive early.
Attraction type: Live stage show
Height requirement: Any height
Specific Ticket Required to Ride
The following attraction requires a park-to-park ticket, allowing you to visit multiple parks in a single day, or an annual pass. This is because the attraction starts in one park and concludes in another.
Hogwarts Express: Hogsmeade Station
Attraction type: Train ride and transportation system featuring special effects
Height requirement: Any height
Dining
We’ve highlighted some of our favorite dining locations for lunch and dinner that you might enjoy. However, for lunchtime, you can also opt to pack snacks or buy some from the many concession stands in the park if you prefer to minimize your time dining.
Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous
Located in the Seuss Landing area, this quick-service eatery has a whimsical circus tent setting. The menu features pasta, burgers, sandwiches, and unique creations.
Mythos Restaurant
If you’re looking to treat yourself to a high-quality dish, Mythos Restaurant is highly recommended. This full-service restaurant has been rated the top theme park restaurant in the world numerous times. The menu offers a mix of Mediterranean, Asian, and American fare, including beef medallions, risotto, pad thai, salmon, burgers, and chicken sandwiches. If you’re interested in dining here, consider making a reservation. You can do so online by clicking here or by calling (407) 224-3663.
Three Broomsticks
Three Broomsticks is a quick-service restaurant in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogsmeade. The remarkable level of detail and excellent food quality make it a standout spot. The menu includes fish and chips, beef pasties, spare ribs, shepherd’s pie, rotisserie chicken, and more.
Thunder Falls Terrace
Thunder Falls Terrace is a quick-service restaurant located in the Jurassic Park area. It offers a diverse menu beyond typical theme park cuisine, featuring items like ribs, pernil, rice bowls, wings, and more.
Vegetarians and Vegans
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, Islands of Adventure offers a variety of meals for you. Click here to view our Universal Orlando vegetarian and vegan guide. This guide highlights various dining locations throughout the park with meals that cater to your dietary needs.
For complete information on all of Universal Orlando’s rides and attractions, click here.
Additional Information
Tips
- If you’re visiting the park for just one day, we recommend having breakfast before you arrive to maximize your time for enjoying the attractions.
- To reduce your wait times, consider purchasing Universal Express to skip the regular lines at most rides and attractions.
- If you’re staying at a Universal Orlando on-site hotel, take advantage of early park admission. This gives you a head start, allowing you to experience more attractions throughout the day. To find out when early park admission is available and learn more about it, click here.
- At select quick-service restaurants throughout the park, you can use the Universal Orlando app‘s mobile ordering service. This feature allows you to order your meal in advance, so when you arrive at the restaurant, you can quickly pick up your food and avoid long lines at the ordering counter.
- Don’t rush from one attraction to another. Take your time to explore the different themed areas of the park, especially The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogsmeade.
- Remember to capture your memories by taking photographs with characters and in the various themed areas.
To see more tips for visiting Universal Orlando, click here.
Note
This touring plan includes most rides and attractions at Islands of Adventure, so visiting them all in a single day may not be feasible if crowd levels are high. It’s best to choose the attractions that interest you the most.
