Planning the perfect Florida vacation? Of course, going the beach is at the top of the list or maybe going to Disney World, but you have to visit Universal Studios in Orlando! With both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventures spanning over 209 acres, there are so many amazing themed rides and roller coasters for everyone to enjoy! Here are my top ten favorite rides at Universal that are definitely worth the long wait in line (unless you splurge and get the fast passes!)
1. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
Unless you're one of the first people to purchase a ticket and you can sprint there in time, expect a fairly long wait for this insanely popular ride. The shortest amount of time I've had to wait was about 45 minutes, and the longest was 65 minutes! But to me, the wait has never been a problem, because the Rockit Roller Coaster is probably my favorite ride. When you finally get to the car boarding, you get to choose a song that plays as you zoom around on the tracks. I personally like to listen to "Kickstart my Heart" by Motley Crue, but there are many other songs and genres to pick from, like the Beastie Boys, The Black Eyed Peas, and even Kenny Chesney. This is definitely a coaster to ride multiple times during your day at the park!
2. The Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster
In Islands of Adventures' Marvel Super Hero Island lies the big, green and mean Incredible Hulk ride. Before you get onto the car, the line takes you through Bruce Banner's laboratory, where you can even watch video clips of "The Hulk!" Once you make it to the ride, and have made it through the agonizingly slow crawl up the tracks, you're jolted about 40 miles per hour into swirls, loops, twists and turns. And even more exciting: Universal has recently closed and reopened a renovated Incredible Hulk ride, enhancing and refurbishing it! The ride normally doesn't have that long of a wait, mostly because each car can hold about 32 people, so The Incredible Hulk ride is definitely one to check out at Universal's Islands of Adventures.
3. Harry Potter World
Okay, if you're alive and breathing, you know about Harry Potter and how amazing it is. Opened in 2010, Universal and Islands of Adventures gives us muggles a chance to immerse ourselves in Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and even Hogwarts! Every ride and attraction is worth the wait! Join Harry, Hermoine and Ron as you fly through the Forbidden Forrest, a quidditch match and even get chased by a dragon -- a Hungarian Horntail to be exact -- on "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey." You can also ride on hippogriffs on "Flight of the Hippogriff" or through the tunnels of Gringotts Bank on "Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts." My favorite ride, however, has to be the "Dragon Challenge" where you can choose to either ride a Chinese Fireball or a Hungarian Horntail.
While you're in either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley, make sure you check out some of the amazing stores, like The Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes Sweetshop, The Leaky Cauldron and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes joke shop! And, to travel through each part, don't forget to hitch a ride on the Hogwarts Express!
4. Jurassic Park River Adventures
Based on Steven Spielburg's film "Jurassic Park," the Jurassic Park River Adventure takes you to a place where dinosaurs are huge and everywhere. The ride takes you through Ultasaur Lagoon, Stegosaur Springs and Hadrosaur Cove. As you float through the water, there's a big surprise (and splash) at the end of the ride! It's better to wear clothes you don't mind getting wet (sometimes the car you sit in is still pretty wet.) The wait time can be kind of long -- the longest I've seen is 60 minutes -- but the line usually moves along fairly fast once you're there!
5. CityWalk
Located at the entrance of Universal Studios, CityWalk is home to many restaurants, gift shops and stores, nightly entertainment and of course the big Universal Globe. If you're hungry, you can check out one of CityWalk's many options for food such as Hard Rock Cafe and Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville! CityWalk also provides a great deal of entertainment, like daily performances by the Blue Man Group (which is life changing and I totally recommend seeing them), a movie theater and even mini golf! CityWalk doesn't offer rides or rollercoasters, but the atmosphere surrounding it and with all it has to offer is plenty for me. And even better, there are really no lines to stand in!
6. Revenge of the Mummy
Based on the popular "Mummy" franchise, this indoor ride takes you to the site of an
archaeological dig with the cast and crew of the films! The ride
actually features many drops, turns and even goes backwards at one
point despite it being indoors. The cars even reach speeds up to 40
to 45 miles per hour! The wait time varies, but it's really not that
bad considering the line is indoors and you have the opportunity to
look at the cool decorations that fill the waiting areas. The Revenge
of the Mummy is definitely one of my favorite rides, and I always
make the attempt to ride it multiple times while I'm visiting. Don't
forget to go to the gift shop and see the picture that's taken on the
ride!
7. Transformers: 3D Ride
Before you even go on the actual ride, make sure you stop and get a
picture with either Bumblebee, Optimus Prime or the Decepticon,
Megatron! Both times I've gone, I've gotten to take a picture with
Bumblebee, and I wasn't disappointed (huge "Transformers" fan over
here!)
After you've actually gotten to meet the Autobots, now, you have to go help them save the world from Megatron! This 3D indoor ride allows you to follow Optimus Prime and Bumblebee through the city as they work (with a little bit of your help) to defeat the Decepticons! Though the 3D glasses you get to wear kind of hurt my head a little bit, I still enjoyed the ride! The wait time can be fairly long, with a line that starts outside and works its way into the building, but for a "Transformers" fan like me, the wait time is totally okay!
8. Men in Black: Aliens Attack!
Have you ever wanted to help Agent K and Agent J defeat aliens in the "Men in Black" films? Well, here's your opportunity! At this indoor ride, jump in a car where you shoot at aliens (and compete with your friends for the most points) and save New York City. Dream come true, right? For me, I've never had to experience a long wait time in the many times I've been on this ride, so I definitely recommend trying it out! Not to mention, who doesn't want to try and kill aliens with the Men in Black?
9. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls
WARNING: you will get soaked on this ride, so be prepared for that!
At this ride, passengers help Dudley Do-Right save Nell Fenwick after
she's been kidnapped. Riders sit in a log-like car and travel through
Wontyabe Mine, a cave, and through Snidely's (who is responsible for
kidnapping Nell) lair! The ride coasts along with small drops and
splashes, but at the final drop, passengers are sent 45 miles per
hour down the hill, ending with a big splash. As the ride ends, watch
out for other people walking by over the bridge -- other parkgoers can
pay a small fee and spray passengers with water as they ride by!
While this ride is a lot of fun, the line can be extremely long. There are even some areas where it can almost seem claustrophobic to some and can be very hot. If this a ride you definitely want to check out (which I think everyone should,) then you should try to time it just right!
10. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
If you've ever dreamed about becoming a reporter for The Daily Bugle and helping Spider-Man save New York City, then the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride is for you! Located on Marvel Super Hero Island in Islands of Adventures, riders get the chance to become reporters and help Spider-Man save the Statue of Liberty from evil villains such as Sinister Syndicate, Doctor Octopus and Hydro-Man! This is a 3D indoor ride (with 3D glasses included, like the Transformers ride) takes riders through the city-and sometimes up the side of buildings- in a Daily Bugle car called the “Scoop.” The line can be pretty long, but the wait takes place indoors and it's easy to get distracted by the videos of Spider-Man and the villains that constantly play! This is definitely a ride Spider-Man fans will enjoy!
