Islands of Adventure

Overview
Opened in 1999, Islands of Adventure (IOA) was Universal's second park in the area and the first serious challenge to Disney as a highly immersive, themed park. This isn't surprising, since many of IOA's designers had once worked for Disney! Incongruously, IOA offers mostly thrill rides and roller-coasters, so the level of theming and the type of rides target different audiences: one attracts families with children, the other teens and young adults. The result is a great park, but somewhat schizophrenic.

How to Visit
IOA sits on the opposite side of a lagoon from Universal Studios Florida, and at one end of the Universal Citywalk shopping zone. This resort area is situated several miles north of WDW along Interstate-4. One tricky element to visiting is the way cars are routed off I-4. Electronic signs above the freeway dictate which off-ramp is CURRENTLY advised for visiting Universal, and the answer changes based on time of day. Following the signs, though, is pretty easy. You'll end up in one of two giant parking structures. Note: the Preferred parking is definitely not worth the expense.

Planning Your Day (aka, “Touring” the Park)

1. Make use of Universal EXPRESS, which is a ride-reservation system. The system works like Disney's FASTPASS: feed in your admission ticket, and out will pop a piece of paper with your "Return Time" stamped on it. You are now free to do other things - it's as if a virtual copy of you is standing in line. One point of confusion: EXPRESS itself is free for anyone. There is a second kind of EXPRESS which is not free; a very small amount of "unlimited" EXPRESS passes are sold each morning. These special kinds let you hold an EXPRESS pass for multiple rides at once. Lastly, people staying at the Universal-owned hotels also get a kind of unlimited EXPRESS pass. If avoiding lines is important to you, and you are visiting in the busy season, then staying at a Universal hotel might be an excellent idea.

2. Start early. Better yet, stay late. Crowds at Universal and IOA drop off faster than similar crowds at Disney parks, and lines are shorter late in the day.

3. The star attraction is Spider-Man; it's a Disney-quality ride with thrills unique to Universal. Use EXPRESS or wait until late in the day. Lines are usually long for the nearby Hulk coaster, while lines are more moderate at the excellent Fire and Ice suspended coasters.

4. The park is organized in one giant circle, around a large and empty lagoon. Themed lands create "islands" (hence the park name) of unified decor. Most folks work around the circle in either direction and barely have enough time to see everything. If repeat rides on the coasters is a priority, count on needing to backtrack a lot and make heavy use of EXPRESS.

Where to Eat
If an extraordinary dining experience isn’t your goal, by all means, make use of the frequent fast-food options in the park, including carts along the street. However, if you’re looking for some variation, here are some ideas:

1. Mythos in the Lost Continent provides highly themed table-service, in a park otherwise dominated by fast-food options.

2. The Burger Digs in Jurassic Park, while one of the aforementioned quick-service locations, stands out for its impressive theming as the Jurassic Park Welcome Center, and its spacious seating, which provides plenty of room to escape the heat or rains outside.

Our Bottom-Line Recommendations
Come to IOA expecting a park that caters to thrill-seekers, and you won't be disappointed. The theming, while unusually immersive for a non-Disney park, does not mean the park is family-friendly when it comes to rides. Children not meeting a minimum height in particular will find little to do here, though the Seuss Landing area does offer several attractions geared toward them. For those seeking roller coasters and other thrills, IOA does not disappoint and holds its own even when compared with Disney parks. It's definitely worth a visit at least once.