Islands of Adventure Guide Overview
Welcome to our free Universal’s Islands of Adventure Vacation Planning Guide. With over 10 years of experience visiting the park, we created this guide to help you have the best trip ever and maximize your vacation time.
Enjoy all the resources below completely free with no annoying internet ads. Does it get any easier than that?
Guide Contents: Park Overview | Key Vacation Resources | Explore the Park | Tips & Recommended Reading | Stay Connected
Islands of Adventure Park Overview
Let the adventure begin at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. This second theme park at Universal Orlando Resort opened in 1999 and features lands themed to Marvel, Jurassic Park, Dr. Seuss, and Harry Potter. Most notably, the park hosts The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle. Also, this land offers three attractions and multiple shows and was the first wizarding land to come to Universal theme parks globally.
Other guests favorite as the park include Jurassic World VelociCoaster, the park’s newest roller coaster, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man 4-D dark ride, and three of the wettest water rides in Orlando.
Key Vacation Resources
Avoid the Crowds
Daily Touring Plans
- 1-Day Islands of Adventure Touring Plan
- 1-Day Universal Park-to-Park Touring Plan (Both Theme Parks)
Navigate the Parks
- Guide to Universal Express Passes
- Guide to Single Rider Lines at Universal Orlando
- Guide to Lockers at Universal Orlando
- Guide to Child Swap at Universal Orlando
Other Universal Orlando Vacation Planning Guides
- Universal Orlando Resort Overall Planning Guide
- Universal Studios Florida Planning Guide
- Halloween Horror Nights 2023 Event Guide
Explore Universal’s Islands of Adventure
View in-depth information and recommendations on park attractions, entertainment, and dining options below.
Port of Entry
Dining
Confisco Grille & Backwater Bar (full-service)
Croissant Moon Bakery (quick service)
Cinnabon (quick-service)
Starbucks (quick-service)
Marvel Super Hero Island
Rides & Attractions
The Incredible Hulk Coaster
Storm Force Accelatron
Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Dining
Cafe 4 (quick-service & character dining)
Captain America Diner (quick-service)
Chill Ice Cream (quick-service)
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels (quick-service)
Toon Lagoon
Rides & Attractions
Me Ship, The Olive
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
Dining
Comic Strip Cafe (quick-service)
Blondie’s (quick-service)
Wimpy’s (quick-service)
Cathy’s Ice Cream (quick-service)
Skull Island: Reign of Kong
Rides & Attractions
Skull Island: Reign of Kong
Jurassic Park
Rides & Attractions
Camp Jurassic
Pteranodon Flyers
Jurassic Park River Adventure
Jurassic Park Discovery Center
Jurassic World VelociCoaster – New for 2021
Entertainment
Raptor Encounter
Dining
Thunder Falls Terrace (quick-service)
Pizza Predattoria (quick-service)
The Burger Digs (quick-service)
The Watering Hole (quick-service)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade
Rides & Attractions
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Flight of the Hippogriff
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
The Hogwarts Express – Hogsmeade Station
(Note: Park-to-park admission or annual pass required to ride)
Entertainment
Frog Choir
Triwizard Spirit Rally
Ollivanders Wand Shop – Hogsmeade
The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle (projection show)
Dining
Three Broomsticks & Hog’s Head (quick-service)
The Lost Continent
Entertainment
The Mystic Fountain
Dining
Mythos Restaurant (full-service)
Doc Sugrue’s Desert Kebab House (quick-service)
Fire Eater’s Grill (quick-service)
Seuss Landing
Rides & Attractions
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
Caro-Seuss-el
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
The Cat in the Hat
If I Ran The Zoo
Entertainment
Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear!
Dining
Moose Juice, Goose Juice (quick-service)
Hop On Pop Ice Cream Shop (quick-service)
Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous (quick-service)
Green Eggs & Ham Cafe (quick-service)
Tips & Recommended Reading
We are still actively creating this guide, so please enjoy a few general tips below as we create additional vacation planning content to put here in the future.
- Guests need a “park-to-park” ticket to ride The Hogwarts Express between parks.
- Butterbeer is served four different ways including regular, hot, frozen, and as ice cream.
- The water inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade (labeled “Gillywater”) is more expensive. Gillywater costs $5.50 while Niagara bottled water, found in most other places, costs $2.00 less at $3.50.
- Guests may bring two sealed water bottles into the park with them.
- Hotel guests, and some annual passholders, qualify for Early Park Admission to enter the parks before normal guests and experience select attractions with little to no wait.
Stay Connected
Thank you for using our Islands of Adventure Vacation Planning Guide! Stay connected with us by liking our Facebook page or following us on Twitter to learn when big new additions are added to this guide.
Also, if you’re a fan of Universal Orlando trivia, we recommend checking out our Quiz Corner page featuring a handful of trivia quizzes about the resort.