Universal's Islands of Adventure facts for kids
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| Location | Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, United States |
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| Coordinates | 28°28′18″N 81°28′17″W / 28.47167°N 81.47139°W |
| Opened | May 28, 1999 |
| Owner | NBCUniversal |
| Operated by | Universal Parks & Resorts |
| Theme | Islands with myths, legends, dinosaurs, cartoons, superheroes, children's stories, and Universal franchises |
| Slogan | Let Yourself Woah (as Universal Orlando Resort) |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 16 |
| Roller coasters | 4 |
| Water rides | 3 |
Universal's Islands of Adventure is an exciting theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It first opened its doors on May 28, 1999. This park, along with CityWalk, was part of a big expansion that turned Universal Studios Florida into the amazing Universal Orlando Resort. The resort's fun slogan, Vacation Like You Mean It, started in 2013.
Islands of Adventure is designed like a journey of discovery. Guests get to explore many different themed islands. When it first opened, the park had six islands. A seventh island, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, was added in 2010. This area is based on the super popular Harry Potter books and movies. It was a huge new project for Universal. This new area made many more people want to visit the park. In 2013, Islands of Adventure was the seventh most visited park in the U.S. and eleventh in the world, with about 8.1 million guests! The eighth island, Skull Island, opened on July 13, 2016. It is themed around the famous King Kong movies.
Contents
Cool Characters and Stories
Like Universal Studios Florida next door, Islands of Adventure uses characters and stories from many different companies, not just Universal's own. This means you can find attractions based on:
- Dr. Seuss stories
- Harry Potter books and movies (from J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment)
- Popeye cartoons
- Marvel Comics superheroes (like Spider-Man and Hulk)
Park History
Before Islands of Adventure was built, the land was going to be a shopping mall called Galleria Orlando. But those plans changed in 1990.
Sneak Peek Center
While the park was being built, Universal opened a special "Preview Center" at Universal Studios Florida. This center opened two years before Islands of Adventure. It let guests get a sneak peek at the new themes and rides. Visitors could walk through rooms that looked like the different islands. The Preview Center closed soon after Islands of Adventure opened.
Grand Opening
Islands of Adventure had a "soft opening" starting March 27, 1999. During this time, visitors could try out the park at a lower price. This helped the staff get everything ready. The official grand opening was on May 28, 1999.
Universal spent a lot of money building Islands of Adventure, CityWalk, and new hotels. They hoped to attract more visitors than Walt Disney World. At first, the whole area was called Universal Studios Escape. But people were confused, thinking Islands of Adventure was just a new part of Universal Studios Florida. So, in 2001, they changed the name to Universal Orlando Resort. This made it clear that Islands of Adventure was a completely separate park with new rides.
Park Milestones
Here are some important moments in the park's history:
- 1990s: Ideas for the park began, with plans for lands based on Marvel, Dr. Seuss, and Warner Bros.
- 1993: The hit movie Jurassic Park came out. This led to a Jurassic Park ride opening in Hollywood, and later at Islands of Adventure. Universal also announced plans for a second theme park in Florida.
- 1997: Construction on Islands of Adventure finally began. The Preview Center opened at Universal Studios Florida.
- 1999: Islands of Adventure had its soft opening in March and officially opened on May 28. It had six original islands: Port of Entry, Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Marvel Super Hero Island.
- 2000: Two new rides, Flying Unicorn and Storm Force Accelatron, opened. The annual GrinchMas event also started.
- 2007: Universal and Warner Bros. announced the seventh island: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
- 2010: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter officially opened on June 18. This was the park's biggest new area since it first opened.
- 2012: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride reopened after getting a big update with new high-definition screens.
- 2014: The Hogwarts Express opened on July 1. This train connects the Harry Potter areas in Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.
- 2015: Skull Island: Reign of Kong was announced as a new land and ride based on the King Kong movie.
- 2016: Skull Island: Reign of Kong officially opened on July 13, becoming the eighth island. The Incredible Hulk Coaster also reopened after a major update.
- 2017: Dragon Challenge roller coaster closed to make way for a new Harry Potter ride.
- 2019: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure opened on June 13. This new roller coaster replaced Dragon Challenge.
- 2020: The park closed for almost three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. It reopened on June 5 with new safety rules. Universal also announced the VelociCoaster for the Jurassic Park area.
Past Attractions
Like many theme parks, Islands of Adventure has changed over time. Some older rides have closed to make room for new ones. For example, Island Skipper Tours is gone, and Poseidon's Fury changed a lot from its first idea.
The Islands
Islands of Adventure has eight themed "islands." Most of these are based on popular movies, books, or cartoons. Only two islands are based on original Universal Pictures stories. If you walk around the park clockwise from the entrance, you will visit: Port of Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing.
Port of Entry
Port of Entry is where you first enter the park. It has many shops and guest services. The park's main landmark, the Pharos Lighthouse, is also here. Every night, this real lighthouse shines a bright beam to guide visitors. This island does not have any rides. But it has places to eat like Croissant Moon Bakery™ and Confisco Grille™. You can also find shops like Port of Entry™ Christmas Shoppe.
Marvel Super Hero Island
Marvel Super Hero Island is all about the superhero characters from Marvel Comics. The buildings here look like they came right out of a comic book! Many buildings are painted with special paint that changes color as you walk by.
You can grab a bite at Cafe 4 or Captain America Diner. There are also many shops to buy superhero gear.
The The Incredible Hulk Coaster is a huge roller coaster that roars as you enter the area. It launches you at a top speed of 67 miles per hour (108 km/h)! It closed for updates in 2015 and reopened in 2016. Storm Force Accelatron is a spinning ride themed after the X-Men. Doctor Doom's Fearfall is a ride that shoots you high into the sky, themed after the Fantastic Four. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a 3-D ride where you help Spider-Man stop villains from taking the Statue of Liberty. You can also "Meet Spider-Man and the Marvel Super Heroes" to see characters like Wolverine, Storm, and Captain America.
In 2009, The Walt Disney Company bought Marvel Entertainment. Universal announced that this would not change Marvel Super Hero Island. Disney agreed to honor the contracts Marvel had with Universal.
Toon Lagoon
Toon Lagoon is based on classic cartoon characters like Popeye and Dudley Do-Right. This island is all about water rides, which is why it's called "Toon Lagoon"! It also has three places to get quick food.
Toon Lagoon has three main attractions. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls is a log flume ride with roller coaster parts, based on the Dudley Do-Right cartoon. Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges is a river rafting ride where you help Popeye the Sailor Man save Olive Oyl from Bluto. Me Ship, the Olive is a fun playground for kids built inside Popeye's ship. It has cannons and hoses that can even spray riders on the Bilge-Rat Barges ride!
Skull Island
Skull Island is the newest island in the park. It opened in the summer of 2016. The only attraction here is Skull Island: Reign of Kong, which opened on July 13, 2016. This island brings the King Kong character back to Universal Orlando. The original Kongfrontation ride closed at Universal Studios Florida in 2002.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park is themed after the famous movie series. It looks like John Hammond's dinosaur theme park from the first movie. You can find thrill rides and exhibits here, just like in the "real" Jurassic Park.
Jurassic Park has five main attractions:
Jurassic Park River Adventure is a water ride based on Steven Spielberg's film and Michael Crichton's novel.
Triceratops Discovery Trail was a walk-through attraction where you could see and interact with a life-sized moving Triceratops dinosaur. It closed permanently in 2012.
Pteranodon Flyers is a slow-moving suspended roller coaster. Riders sit in two-seater cars that glide around Camp Jurassic. Because it is a slow ride, only children between 36 and 56 inches (91 and 140 cm) or adults with a child of that height can ride.
Camp Jurassic is a large play area for kids. It has slides, nets, water cannons, and fountains. The queue for Pteranodon Flyers is inside Camp Jurassic.
Future Attraction
- The VelociCoaster, a new roller coaster, is currently being built in this area.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade is themed around the magical Harry Potter universe by J. K. Rowling. It officially opened on June 18, 2010. This 20-acre (81,000 m2) island has rides, shops, and restaurants that look like places from the books and movies. These include the Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade Village, and the famous Hogwarts Castle.
There are five main attractions in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter:
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the main ride, located inside Hogwarts Castle. It takes guests through scenes from the Potter books and films.
Flight of the Hippogriff, which used to be called Flying Unicorn, is a smaller roller coaster.
The Hogwarts Express is a train ride that takes visitors between The Wizarding World – Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure and King's Cross Station in Universal Studios Florida.
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, a multi-launch roller coaster, opened on June 13, 2019. It replaced the old Dragon Challenge ride.
Ollivanders is an interactive shop where you can experience choosing a magic wand.
You can also enjoy a singing Frog Choir and a Triwizard Spirit Rally in the town center. These shows feature students from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang.
A new part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on Diagon Alley and London, opened on July 8, 2014, at the nearby Universal Studios Florida park. The Hogwarts Express connects these two magical areas.
The Lost Continent
The Lost Continent is themed around ancient myths and legends. It has two main parts: an old Arabian marketplace called Sinbad's Bazzaar and a Grecian-style Lost City. This area used to have a medieval section, but most of it was changed to become part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Today, the area has one live show. This land is also home to Mythos, a popular restaurant that has won awards.
There are three main attractions in the Lost Continent. The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad was a live stunt show that closed on September 15, 2018. In front of this show is The Mystic Fountain, which talks and jokes with guests.
Poseidon's Fury is an indoor show with special effects, located in the Lost City.
Seuss Landing
Seuss Landing is based on the fun books by Dr. Seuss. This island has several Seuss-themed rides, especially for younger children. It also has the Green Eggs and Ham Cafe and Circus McGurkus restaurant. Just like in the Dr. Seuss books, nothing in this area is a straight line! Even the palm trees are bent to fit the theme.
You can find food and drinks at places like Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous and Hop on Pop Ice Cream Shop. There are also shops like Cats, Hats & Things and Mulberry Street Stores Trading Co.
Seuss Landing has six attractions inspired by Dr. Seuss' books. The Cat in the Hat is a dark ride that takes you through the famous story. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride is a train tour that goes above and around Seuss Landing. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is a spinning ride where you follow a musical riddle to avoid getting wet. Caro-Seuss-el is a fun carousel with Seuss characters. Oh, The Stories You'll Hear is a stage show based on the books. If I Ran the Zoo is an interactive play area for kids.
Character Appearances
You can meet many fun characters around the park!
Current Characters
- In Port of Entry
- Puss in Boots and Kitty Softpaws
- Alex, Gloria, King Julien and the Penguins from Madagascar
- Po the Panda from Kung Fu Panda
- She-Ra from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
- In Marvel Super Hero Island
- Spider-Man
- Captain America
- Wolverine
- Doctor Doom
- Green Goblin
- Cyclops
- Storm
- Rogue
- In Toon Lagoon
- Popeye the Sailor Man and Olive Oyl
- Betty Boop
- Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose
- Beetle Bailey and Private Zero
- Dudley Do Right and Snidely Whiplash
- In Jurassic Park
- Blue the Raptor from Jurassic World
- Sierra the Baby Raptor from Jurassic Park
- In The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- Frog Choir
- Hogwarts Conductor
- Triwizard Spirit Rally
- In Seuss Landing
- The Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2
- Sam-I-Am and Guy-Am-I
- The Grinch
- The Lorax
Former Characters
- The Hulk
- Bluto
- Sinbad
- Amoura
- Horton the Elephant
- Fox in Socks and Knox
- Woody Woodpecker
Universal's Express Pass
Many rides at Islands of Adventure let guests use an Express Pass. This pass lets you use a separate, faster line for the attraction. You can enter the "Universal Express" line whenever you want. The cost of this pass is extra and is not included in your park ticket.
Park Visitors
Here's how many people visited Islands of Adventure each year:
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Worldwide rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,290,000 | 4,627,000 | 5,949,000 | 7,674,000 | 7,981,000 | 8,141,000 | 8,141,000 | 8,792,000 | 9,362,000 | 9,549,000 | 9,788,000 | 14 |
See also
In Spanish: Universal's Islands of Adventure para niños
