Orlando 2026 May 8–17
Day 3 Sun, May 10
🦖 Islands of Adventure Universal

Islands of Adventure

Highest-intensity Universal park, on its 👍 crowd day. Hagrid's first via rope drop or Express.

All Islands of Adventure info
Rides, heights, dining, characters
Queue Scavenger Hunt
Hogwarts, Hagrid's, VelociCoaster & more · saves progress

Park hours

Open
9:00 AM
Close
8:00 PM
  • Confirm in Universal app day-of.

Source: AllEars Universal May 2026

Rope drop

At the gate 45 min before open. Straight to Hagrid's through Marvel and Toon Lagoon — don't stop. Riders queue Hagrid's; non-riders peel off to Flight of the Hippogriff right next door (36"+, walk-on at rope drop). Then Velocicoaster (riders) or Skull Island: Reign of Kong (everyone, 36"+). Regroup at Three Broomsticks for late breakfast.

Kid plan

The Younger Three loop (Briggs 42" / Louie 43" / Bowen 46") — blocked from 5 headliners: Hagrid's, Velocicoaster, Hulk, Doom, Forbidden Journey. Run this in parallel while the rider crew tackles those.

Their hit list:

  1. Pteranodon Flyers (Camp Jurassic, 36–56" only) — their ride. Adults can only ride with a kid in that height range, so the boys are the gatekeepers.
  2. Flight of the Hippogriff (36", right next to Hagrid's) — pair with adults doing Hagrid's.
  3. Skull Island: Reign of Kong (36") — pair with adults doing Velocicoaster.
  4. Spider-Man (40") — group ride, everyone clears.
  5. Camp Jurassic playground — huge climbing structure, slides, caves, suspension bridges. No waits, no heights. Energy burn.
  6. Jurassic Park Discovery Center — interactive DNA exhibits, "build a dino" station.
  7. Me Ship Olive (Toon Lagoon) — climb-on boat with water cannons that spray Bilge-Rat riders below.
  8. Seuss Landing — Cat in Hat (36"), Caro-Seuss-el, One Fish Two Fish (36"), Trolley Train (40").

Shows + bonuses: Triwizard Spirit Rally + Frog Choir (Hogsmeade), Mystic Fountain (Lost Continent — sasses kids by name), Ollivander's wand experience (~6 kids per round get picked), and the IOA scavenger hunt (easy/medium filter built for them).

Use Rider Swap (Child Swap) at every height-gated headliner — one adult waits in the swap room with kids, the other rides, then they swap without re-queueing.

Cadence: rotate which adult is the "kid adult" every 60–90 min so no one's stuck in childcare all day.

Must do (11)

  • Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (rope drop OR Express)
  • Velocicoaster (Lucy + adults; single rider)
  • The Incredible Hulk Coaster (54" — Lucy + adults)
  • Doctor Doom's Fearfall (52" — Lucy + adults)
  • Forbidden Journey at Hogwarts Castle (48")
  • Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
  • Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls (44" — flume, prepare to get soaked)
  • Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges (42" — soaking guaranteed)
  • Skull Island: Reign of Kong
  • Flight of the Hippogriff (36")
  • The Cat in the Hat (36" — Seuss Landing for the kids)

All rides (17)

  • Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
    48" Express thrill

    Blocks: Bowen, Briggs, Louie

    On Express. Rope drop OR Express — otherwise expect 60+ min wait.

  • Velocicoaster
    51" Express Single Rider extreme

    Blocks: Bowen, Briggs, Louie

    One of the best coasters on earth. Single rider is fast. Charlotte cleared at 51".

  • The Incredible Hulk Coaster
    54" Express extreme

    Blocks: Bowen, Briggs, Louie, Charlotte

    Marvel Super Hero Island. Launch coaster, multiple inversions. Lucy + adults only.

  • Doctor Doom's Fearfall
    52" Express thrill

    Blocks: Bowen, Briggs, Louie, Charlotte

    Marvel. Drop tower — short but intense.

  • Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
    40" Express moderate

    Blocks: Briggs?

    Indoor 3D motion simulator.

  • Storm Force Accelatron
    Express moderate

    Marvel spinner — like teacups but Marvel-themed.

  • Jurassic Park River Adventure
    42" Express moderate

    ⚠️ CLOSED Jan 5 – Nov 19, 2026 for refurb. You will get wet. Steep final drop.

  • Skull Island: Reign of Kong
    36" Express moderate
  • Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls
    44" Express thrill

    Blocks: Briggs, Louie

    Toon Lagoon flume. Steep drop, you will get drenched.

  • Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges
    42" Express moderate

    Toon Lagoon raft ride. Soaking guaranteed.

  • Flight of the Hippogriff
    36" Express mild

    Good first coaster for younger kids.

  • Forbidden Journey (Hogwarts Castle)
    48" Express thrill

    Blocks: Bowen, Briggs, Louie

    Indoor — closes for technical issues, less for weather.

  • The Cat in the Hat
    36" Express mild

    Seuss Landing. Family ride — younger kids love it.

  • The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride
    36" Express mild

    Seuss Landing. Slow elevated train.

  • Caro-Seuss-el
    Express mild

    Seuss Landing. Carousel for the youngest kids.

  • One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
    Express mild

    Seuss Landing. Dumbo-style spinner — get sprayed if you sing the wrong note.

  • Pteranodon Flyers
    36"–56" No Express mild

    Kid-only (adults must accompany 36–56" kid). NOT on Express.

Meals (1)

Express / Lightning Lane

Express Pass works on most rides including Hagrid's and Velocicoaster (both recently added). NOT valid on Pteranodon Flyers. Rope drop is still the cheap path; Express if you want both Hagrid's and Velocicoaster fast.

Shows & parades (4)

  • Triwizard Spirit Rally ~10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 (alternates with Frog Choir)
    show Hogsmeade outdoor stage

    10 min — Beauxbatons & Durmstrang

  • Frog Choir ~11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:30, 3:30
    show Hogsmeade outdoor stage

    10 min — Hogwarts students

  • Oh! The Stories You'll Hear
    show Seuss Landing

    Outdoor character street show — multiple daily.

  • Mystic Fountain
    show Lost Continent

    Wisecracking talking fountain. No fixed schedule.

Live show times
IOA shows & entertainment

Times above are typical patterns — confirm in the app or TouringPlans on the day.

Rain backup

Hagrid's runs in light rain, closes for lightning. Pivot to indoor: Forbidden Journey, Spider-Man, Skull Island. Loop back when storms clear.

Skip (1)

  • Jurassic Park River Adventure — CLOSED Jan 5 – Nov 19, 2026 for refurb

Notes

Height blocks

  • Bowen (46”): out at Hagrid’s (48”), Forbidden Journey (48”)
  • Briggs/Louie (42–43”): out at Hagrid’s, Forbidden Journey, Velocicoaster (51”)
  • Charlotte (51”): clears Velocicoaster · out at Hulk (54”), Doctor Doom (52”)

Single rider: Velocicoaster line is fast. Adults swap and cycle.