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

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. Then Velocicoaster (riders) or Jurassic Park River (everyone else). Regroup at Three Broomsticks for late breakfast.

Must do (7)

  • 📱 7am ET — Book Hollywood Studios LL Multi Pass + Rise Single Pass (for Day 6)
  • Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (rope drop OR Express)
  • Velocicoaster (Lucy + adults; single rider)
  • Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
  • Jurassic Park River Adventure (Briggs + Louie OK at 42")
  • Skull Island: Reign of Kong
  • Flight of the Hippogriff (36")

All rides (8)

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

    Blocks: Bowen, Briggs, Louie

    Now on Express (added recently). Rope drop OR Express — otherwise expect 60+ min wait.

  • Velocicoaster
    51" Express Single Rider extreme

    Blocks: Bowen, Briggs, Louie, Charlotte?

    One of the best coasters on earth. Single rider is fast.

  • Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
    40" Express moderate

    Blocks: Briggs?

    Indoor 3D motion simulator.

  • Jurassic Park River Adventure
    42" Express moderate

    You will get wet. Steep final drop. Briggs cleared.

  • Skull Island: Reign of Kong
    36" Express moderate
  • 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.

  • 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.

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: out at Velocicoaster (51”, confirm)

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