Good evening, everyone. I wanted to do something special for this post. This year, Universal Orlando’s second theme park, Islands of Adventure, is celebrating its 25th birthday. When it opened on May 28, 1999, Islands of Adventure, along with Citywalk and Portofino Bay Hotel, turned the lonely Universal Studios Florida park into the multi-park destination resort that we know today. After a botched marketing campaign that was titled “Universal Studios Escape” lost Universal some money and potential attendance, they changed course and renamed the resort “Universal Orlando”. Over the years, Islands of Adventure has experienced some changes over the years. Even with the changes, the theme of being immersed in different islands based on timeless stories is still there. For this post, I will go over the park’s history, including its development, opening, and changes. After that, I’ll share my many memories of going to this park over the years. In a way, this is a tribute to my all time favorite theme park. Let’s get this thing started.
To start things off, I want to take you back to when Universal Orlando was just a solo park: Universal Studios Florida, which opened on June 7, 1990. After the park had a disastrous first day of operations, which resulted in refunds and compensatory tickets for everyone who attended, Universal was able to get things back on track with their rides. Among those rides were Jaws, Kongfrontation, Earthquake, ET Adventure, and Back to the Future (though BTTF would not be open until May of 1991). As Universal was doing that, bigger plans were on their minds. They wanted to keep Universal Studios Florida from being just a day trip in the middle of many families’ Disney trips. The first idea for a second theme park in Orlando was going to have a lot of cartoon characters in it. The proposed park, named “Cartoon World”, would have rides and attractions based on Jay Ward comic strip characters and Popeye, Looney Tunes, DC Comics (mainly Batman and Superman), and Dr. Seuss. They were able to get the rights to the Jay Ward and Popeye characters (for the Toon Lagoon island) and Dr. Seuss. With Dr. Seuss though, Universal had to convince his widow Audrey that the land was going to be part of an incredible theme park. They succeeded in 1995, and Seuss Landing was able to be made. With getting the rights to DC Comics and the Looney Tunes characters, however, Universal was not able to reach a deal with Warner Brothers. With that, the “Cartoon World” idea was scrapped. However, that didn’t mean the idea of a second theme park didn’t die with that. Universal was able to get a deal done with Marvel Comics to still have that comic book land for the park. That deal is in perpetuity, which means that Universal can have the Marvel characters in the park, even after Marvel was bought by Disney in 2009. With Marvel, Jay Ward/Popeye, and Dr. Seuss confirmed, Universal was able to fill in the two remaining slots for the newly called “Islands of Adventure” theme park with an island based on ancient myths and legends and an island based on Jurassic Park. Official groundbreaking for Islands of Adventure began in 1995 and a preview center opened at Universal Studios Florida next to Kongfrontation in 1997. After some soft openings in early 1999, Universal’s Islands of Adventure officially opened on May 28, 1999.
(Here is the map of Islands of Adventure from its opening year. Full credit to Universal for the map.)
I would like you to imagine yourself being at Islands of Adventure on Opening Day May 28, 1999. Heading into the parks from the newly built parking garages and walking into CityWalk, you would go to your left bridge towards the Pharos Lighthouse. Walking closer and closer to the park entrance and turnstiles, the music for the entry land "Port of Entry" would enter your ears and make you fall in love with it. With no doubt in my mind, Islands of Adventure has my all time favorite soundtrack for a theme park, with the Port of Entry music at the top of my list. As you wait to enter the park, you will see the words "The Adventure Begins" ahead of you. After you go through the turnstiles, you go under those words and enjoy the sights and sounds. To the left is the Islands Trading Co. store for the whole park. To the right would be stores with sweets, Christmas/Holiday stuff, plus first aid and guest services. Going further forward, you would see a couple of eateries, including Confisco Grille and Croissant Moon Bakery. At the edge of Port of Entry, you would get a chance to go on a boat as part of the Island Skipper Tours attraction that was in the park for the first couple of years of operation. To me, Port of Entry is the best introductory area of any theme park I have ever been to. All of the details make it as a place where people from across the world have come together to share their experiences and cultures.
Moving on to our right, we would enter the island called "Seuss Landing". This island has no straight lines at all. The palm trees that were planted for this island were repurposed from Hurricane Andrew, which caused all of those trees to bend like the way that they are shown in this island. The rides that opened with Seuss Landing were a dark ride based on "The Cat in the Hat", a carousel named "Caro-Seuss-el", and a Dumbo-like ride based on "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish". There is also a play area with water effects based on "If I Ran the Zoo." There was an attraction planned that was going to be like bumper cars on rails, but was never complete. That is why there were roller coaster-like tracks above the peiple walking in Seuss Landing. The main quick service eatery in this island is inside a huge circus tent. There was also a Green Eggs and Ham building that didn't bring in a lot guests (until years later anyway). There are plenty of Dr. Seuss books available to purchase for the little ones as well as plush characters. Overall, I appreciate Seuss Landing for the many details that make you feel like you're in a Dr. Seuss book, from the lack of straight lines to the wacky soundtrack created for this island.
Crossing the bridge and exiting Seuss Landing, we enter the next island: The Lost Continent. This island was comprised of three sections: The Lost City (Atlantis), Sinbad's Bazaar, and Merlinwood. The main attraction in "The Lost City" was a special effects show/walkthrough called "Poseidon's Fury: Escape From the Lost City". Walking into the attraction's entrance was great as you were going into Poseidon's temple. The facade was detailed as heck and there is a tall statue of Poseidon's hand holding his trident outside of the entrance. The most impressive special effect found in this show was an incredible water vortex that you were able to walk through with minimal chance of getting wet. Even though the show was not perfect, the effects were great to witness every time. To the left of Poseidon's Fury is a full-service restaurant named Mythos, which is praised by many as a great place to eat at while at Islands of Adventure. The details on the outside and the inside are magestic and the music surrounding the restaurant is wonderful to listen to. There is a walking path to the left of Mythos that you can take a break at and relax to the music and hear a troll under the bridge. You also get great views of the lagoon and the rest of the park. Walking past The Lost City, you enter the next section of The Lost Continent: Sinbad's Bazaar. Based on "1001 Arabian Nights", this part of The Lost Continent has an Arabian marketplace feel to it. It is full of things to do, including shops, eats, and even a fotune teller. The main attraction for this section was "The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad" stunt show. Full of cheesy jokes and stunts galore, this show was over the top in a lot of ways. The best part of the show was the stage itself, which was also over the top. I am not forgetting about The Mystic Fountain, which is an interactive fountain that reacts in real time to any guests that come near it. Occasionally, it plays music and sprays water at guests, which can be great during the summer months. Once done with Sinbad's Bazaar, it's time for the last area of The Lost Continent: Merlinwood. Based on the tales of Merlin and King Arthur, this section is full of medievil details and fun. To the left was a quick service called The Enchanted Oak Tree, which had chicken, ribs, and plenty of good grub for the whole family. The back of the restaurant and the outdoor section had extra tree roots that touched the water of the Islands of Adventure lagoon. To the right, you would see two dragons angry at each other. Their names were Blizzrock (Ice) and Pyrock (Fire), and they were the first things that you saw as you entered the queue for Dueling Dragons. Dueling Dragons were two inverted coasters built by Bolliger and Mabillard that "dueled" against each other. Dueling Dragons was by far the highlight of the entire Lost Continent island for me. The Lost Continent will always be appreciated for showcasing ancient myths and legends in an entertaining and (in the case of Dueling Dragons) thrilling way.
Once done with The Lost Continent, we cross the bridge and go under the iconic Jurassic Park arch. We also get to hear the iconic music by John Williams throughout the island. This island is full of stuff to do for dinosaur and "Jurassic Park" lovers, including a fully interactive Discovery Center that looks like the one in the movie. In the downstairs portion of the building, you can take on dinosaur trivia, make your own dinosaur that has your face in it, and see a raptor hatch from its egg. You are able to exit the Discovery Center through large doors to a spot that gives you a great view of the rest of the park. There was also a port for the Island Skipper Boats that were once part of IOA. There is a burger place in the upstairs portion called Burger Digs and a store called "Jurassic Outfitters" that has a whole bunch of dinosaur-related stuff for you to buy. Once done with the Discovery Center, people were able to come face to face with Triceratops in a close-up encounter that had detailed Triceratops animatronics along with some team members acting as dinosaur health workers. Also in the Jurassic Park island is a photo opportunity with the T-Rex and a Jeep from the Jurassic Park movie. Other eateries in Jurassic Park include a pizza place and a quick-service eatery called Thunder Falls Terrace, which is to the left of the River Adventure. Thunder Falls Terrace is full of good things to eat, including chicken, ribs, and turkey legs, among other offerings. For the young (and the young at heart), there is a play area called "Camp Jurassic", which is full of things to do. Among them are looking for fossils, exploring amber mines, and a ride named Pteranodon Flyers that gives you a great view of the Jurassic Park island. Before we move on to the next island, there is the main attraction: Jurassic Park River Adventure. This water ride is the same ride that debuted at Universal Studios Hollywood back in 1996, with some minor scene changes. The main scare factor is the T-Rex that roars at you before you go down the 85-foot drop and make a big splash that soaks all of the riders and some people that go to the Splash Zone near the Thunder Falls Terrace restaurant.
Once your tour of Jurassic Park is over, you go under another Jurassic Park arch before crossing another bridge. This bridge leads to Toon Lagoon, which is the next island for us to explore. This land is based on the Sunday Funnies and includes characters from the Jay Ward cartoons (Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right) and some classic characters from the Fleischer Studios (Betty Boop, Popeye, Bluto, Olive Oyl). All of these classic characters are given a spotlight in this island. In the amphitheater, there was a cartoon revue show (which only lasted for a short while) featuring all of these characters in a musical revue show. The rides in Toon Lagoon are guaranteed to get you soaked. Both Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls and Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges are fantastic water rides that can cool you off on a hot day. Next to Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges is Me Ship, the Olive, which is a multi-level play area for the young (and young at heart) to play on. You can spray water at unsuspecting riders on the raft ride or trigger the iconic Popeye theme on the piano inside the ship. There is also a slide to go down on if you're interested. If you walk past the ship, there is another walking path where you can (mostly) get away from the chaos and take in the great views of the park. The main eatery is Comic Strip Cafe, which has a wide array of foods to try out (with varying results of satisfaction). Other than the rides, there are a whole bunch of interactive things around Toon Lagoon, including plenty of photo opportunites under chat bubbles, hanging on to a dog leash, and other ways to get wet if the waits for the water rides are too long. Also, you get to hear some goofy cartoon music while in this island. I do have hope that Toon Lagoon stays because the water rides are too popular and too fun for Universal to get rid of.
Last, but certainly not least, we enter Marvel Super Hero Island. This island drops you right into a Marvel comic book. All around the island, you'll see giant comic book characters, including Captain America, Wolverine, and many more from The Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four franchises. Comic books and Marvel-related shirts and merchandise are for sale with many characters available. There are two quick-service eateries, one themed to Captain America and the other themed to the Fantastic Four. The soundtrack for this island is full of 90s-sounding rock and roll music. This island has the most thrills of any island in Islands of Adventure. There is The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, a fantastic ride combining physical dark ride effects and 3-D (and 4-D) effects that make it a must-ride every visit. To its left is Dr. Doom's Fearfall, which is a pair of S&S towers that shoot you up nearly 200 feet in the air and give you great views of either the surrounding Orlando area or the rest of Universal Orlando. After you're done with Dr. Doom's Fearfall and walk past the arcade, you turn right and see a green coaster train launch out of a tunnel into a zero-gravity roll. Walking further towards that, you go past Cafe 4 and see the entrance sign for The Incredible Hulk Coaster, which is a incredible coaster by Bolliger and Mabillard (pardon the pun there). The launch for this coaster was made by Universal and requires a lot of power each time the coaster is launched up to the zero-gravity roll, which is the first of 7 inversions on this coaster. Other than going on the rides, you can also have a chance to interact with a lor of characters around Marvel Super Hero Island and just take in the sights and sounds of the island.
Once done with Marvel Super Hero Island, you cross the bridge that the Hulk coaster train goes under in its underwater tunnel and go back to Port of Entry. Before heading through the turnstiles, you see the words "The Adventure Lives On" as you exit the park. You are able to get some last minute merchandise at the Islands Trading Co. store. Available for sale are items representing each of the islands as well as merchandise with the Islands of Adventure logo. Once everything is done, the light from the lighthouse will guide you back to your vehicle in the parking garage.
(Universal Orlando released the full IOA soundtrack on their YouTube page. Link to it is below. All credit to them.)
Now that our tour of Islands of Adventure in its opening year is over, I will go through the changes throughout the years. Just a year after the park opened to the public, two family rides were added after initial complaints about the park not having enough for families to do together. Next to The Incredible Hulk Coaster in Marvel Super Hero Island, a Teacups-like ride themed to the X-Men’s Storm opened to everyone. Next to Dueling Dragons in the Merlinwood section of The Lost Continent, a Vekoma family coaster named The Flying Unicorn was open for the young (and the young at heart) to ride. Later on in the next year or so, Poseidon’s Fury was given a new story where we see Poseidon as the hero, one that remained until the very end of its life (which I’ll get to later). Fast forward to a few years (2006 to be exact) and the overhead tracks that were originally set for a bumper car attraction on rails were finally used for a ride: The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride. This train ride gives you fantastic views of the rest of Seuss Landing, including a look inside the Circus McGurkus restaurant on one of the tracks. Plus, in true Seuss fashion, the on-ride narration is rhymed just like one of his many books.
Other than those additions, there were not a lot of new things at Islands of Adventure during its first decade of operation. There were still 6 distinct areas of the park: Port of Entry, Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, and Marvel Super Hero Island. On June 18, 2010, that all changed when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened where the Merlinwood section of The Lost Continent was. Right as you enter, you feel like you're in the village of Hogsmeade from the Harry Potter movies and books. You hear the Hogwarts Express train on your right as you enter and you can eat at The Three Broomsticks or buy wands, robes from each of the four houses of Hogwarts, plenty of treats, and so much more. A plus is that everything feels in-universe, which means no Coca Cola bottles can be bought inside Hogsmeade (no Freestyle machines either). There is Butterbeer, which is a non-alcoholic cream soda with a butterscotch cream foam on top. Everything from the food to the drinks to the special merch that you can get make you feel like you've been where the characters have been in the books and movies. Dueling Dragons was rethemed to Dragon Challenge, with Fire renamed to Chinese Fireball and Ice renamed to Hungarian Horntail. Thankfully, both of the coasters still had that dueling aspect that everyone loved (but not for long though, which I'll discuss soon). The Flying Unicorn was rethemed to Flight of the Hippogriff, with Hagrid's Hut in the queue and a Hippogriff animatronic greeting you as you climb the lift hill. The headlining attraction of Hogsmeade is "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey", which is a dark ride using KUKA Robo-Arm technology, physical sets, and turntables showing film projections of certain parts of the ride. This ride, which is set in the iconic Hogwarts Castle, lets you come face to face with a dragon, huge spiders, and Dementors as the KUKA Robo-Arm makes you go from side to side and nearly upside down. Also, you're able to see the characters from the movies with the actors and actresses coming back to film scenes for the queue and ride. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter had a huge impact on attendence to Islands of Adventure. There was a super huge line to get into Hogsmeade on its opening day that spanned Citywalk and the Universal Studios side of the resort. In addition, the land's opening sparked a new era where we can go into detailed "Living Lands" based on our favorite movies and characters, including Diagon Alley in 2014 at the Studios park and the upcoming Epic Universe theme park that is opening in 2025.
A couple of years after Hogsmeade opened, there was an HD upgrade to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man that upgraded the film and 3-D effects and the soundtrack. It is still the same ride that has been loved since the day the ride (and the park) opened in 1999. Around this time, Universal quietly closed off the Triceratops Encounter and did nothing about it until a few years later (which I'll get to later). In 2015, Universal took advantage of the release of "Jurassic World" (which ended up grossing over 1.6 billion dollars at the box office) by opening up a new Raptor Encounter in the Jurassic Park area of IOA. Also in 2015, The Incredible Hulk Coaster shut down for a major refurbishment. Basically, B&M was brought back to rebuild the whole coaster from start to finish while keeping the launch tube intact. The new version of the Hulk opened up on August 4, 2016 with a new theme, a new soundtrack, a smooth ride experience, and a great lighting package for night rides. It was still the same coaster that has been enjoyed by every coaster lover since it opened along with IOA in 1999. A new King Kong trackless/3D ride based on Skull Island also opened in 2016 between Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park, forcing Universal to eliminate one of the Jurassic Park arches (that should be fixed soon, darn it).
In 2017, a year after the Incredible Hulk Coaster reopened to the delight of coaster lovers everywhere, those same coaster lovers had to say goodbye to the ride formerly known as Dueling Dragons. To be honest, the coasters' days were numbered ever since the dueling aspect was retired 6 years prior due to people not being careful with their loose items (those people should have used the free lockers near the entrance). Rather than rebuild the coasters from scratch and potentially bring back the dueling aspect, Universal decided to tear the coasters down and build something new on the same plot of land. 2 years later, a multi-launch story coaster by Intamin called "Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure opened, with a nod to Dueling Dragons in the queue. Even it's not as intense as the coasters that were in its plot, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a must-ride experience, especially on the motorbike side. Also in 2019, work began on a new project near the Jurassic Park Discovery Center. Even a year after that started, with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down everything, they were continuing work on the project. Work on this project involved them clearing everything from the old Triceratops Encounter attraction and completely changing the area in front of the Discovery Center. All of that work culminated on June 10, 2021 with the opening of Jurassic World Velocicoaster, which is a fantastic coaster by Intamin that has lots of awesome moments, including 2 launches, 4 inversions, a top hat, and close calls with raptors in the paddock area of the coaster. Yes, there is the weird addition of Jurassic World characters into the Jurassic Park area, but the coaster is still well-themed and a blast to ride, especially in the front row.
I can't go on without addressing the "Elephant in the Room": the future of The Lost Continent. Originally, there were three distinct areas of this island: The Lost City with Poseidon's Fury as the main attraction and the Mythos restaurant, Sinbad's Bazaar with The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad stunt show and the talking Mystic Fountain, and Merlinwood with Dueling Dragons, Flying Unicorn, and The Enchanted Oak Tavern eatery. Ever since Hogsmeade opened where Merlinwood was, there has been a feeling among many that The Lost Continent may not be part of Islands of Adventure forever. The year after the coasters formerly known as Dueling Dragons closed, The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad stunt show closed down, leaving the stage without a show to have on it (the stage is still there to this day unchanged). Thankfully, the Mystic Fountain stayed open even after the stunt show closed. As for Poseidon's Fury, it did shut down and remain closed for the pandemic until 2022, when it reopened for everyone to enjoy. Just a year after that though, Poseidon's Fury closed in May of 2023, thereby having the restaurants, the shops, the fortune teller, and the Mystic Fountain as the only things to do in The Lost Continent. That is a shame because The Lost Continent was an island that was incredible in detail in all three areas. Now, it's just walked past to get to Velocicoaster and Hogsmeade, and I think Universal knows that and will do something about it. As for when exactly, I think that will be saved for after Epic Universe opens and (hopefully) attendance at that park is fantastic. That will also be the case for when/if Universal does anything extra with the existing 2 theme parks (looking at you, now 2D Skull Island).
(Here is a collection of maps throughout Islands of Adventure's history, with full credit going to Universal.)
2000:
2004:
2007:
2017:
2022:
2024 (not the biggest fan of the new logo):
I have had plenty of memories going to Islands of Adventure, starting when I went with my family at the age of 9 in December of 2001. During this partciular trip, I was afraid of going on upside down coasters, so I kept my head down on Hulk and Fire Dragon. I was just getting into roller coasters at the time, but I was definitely not ready for some of the biggest rides yet. Seeing them on TV or VHS or DVD is not the same compared to going on them in person. I also remembered meeting the Grinch and sitting on his lap. For reference, Seuss Landing (and the rest of Islands of Adventure) was fully decorated for the holidays. The year prior to my first trip to IOA (and Universal Orlando as a whole), there was a live action version of the Grinch that starred Jim Carrey as the Grinch and some weird looking Whos in Whoville. There was even a small show that retold the story of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" with some of the 2000 film's elements, including the song "Where are you, Christmas". In the Jurassic Park area, I remembered being scared of the climax of the River Adventure. At the end of the park day, I ended up being lost in the Port of Entry area while the others went to somewhere else. I was found by one of the people who work there. That person helped me stay safe and I eventually reunited with my family. Thankfully, that moment was not a thing in the other times that I have been to Universal Orlando.
There were 4 other trips in the 2000s that me and my family took to Universal Orlando, which allowed me to have more fun on the rides at the parks (2002, 2004, 2005, and 2009). With Islands of Adventure, I got brave enough to go on the Hulk, Dueling Dragons, Dr. Doom's Fearfall, and the water rides with no problems at all (other than being iffy about Doom when there were thunderstorm clouds in the sky). Hulk was awesome every time from start to finish. That buildup to the launch to hearing the roar of the track as I went through each of the coaster's elements. Dueling Dragons was thrilling and terrifying at the same time, no matter which dragon I was on. The fact that people's feet were 18 inches apart at the near-miss elements made my heart stop for a moment when I went on the coasters. The three water rides are definitely a great way to cool off during the hot summer months, plus they don't mess around in terms of getting you drenched. There are huge dryers that you can pay 5 bucks each, but it's less expensive to go on the coasters and dry off that way. The two shows/experiences at The Lost Continent were both cheesy as heck, but Poseidon's Fury gets my vote over the Sinbad stunt show because of it being a bit less cheesy to me and because of the water vortex effect. The rides and attractions in Seuss Landing are definitely the most family friendly, but I still appreciate that island for thr details that immerse me in a Seuss book, including the trees that were repurposed from Hurricane Andrew. Near the bathrooms in Seuss Landing, I heard a voice that said "Q. Q is for Quan. Quan is for Quandary." Overall, I enjoyed each of my trips to Islands of Adventure when it was the original 5 islands and Port of Entry.
(Here is an on-ride photo from the Hulk in 2005)
My first time experiencing Hogsmeade was when I was a senior in high school. On May 7, 2011, I was able to go with my high school friends to Grad Bash. Me and my group spent most of the night in Islands of Adventure after doing the Simpsons Ride and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at the Studios park. After walking across the way to Islands, we made it a priority to go to Hogwarts Castle for a ride on Forbidden Journey. I did see a video about the ride beforehand, but I loved all of the details in the queue, which takes you right into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Me and my friends actually were stuck near the start of the ride for a few minutes, but we were able to finish the ride without being evacuated. After that ride, we went to the rethemed Dueling Dragons (the name was Dragon Challenge). I was able to go on the front row of Chinese Fireball and dueled with Hungarian Horntail. After that (plus a meal break at Fire Eaters Grill), we walked through Seuss Landing to the front of the park. We crossed the bridge to Marvel Super Hero Island and went on the Hulk, Dr. Doom, and Spider-Man. I wanted to do front row on the Hulk, but my friends told me that the line was too long and I listened to them. The back row was awesome at night, which is usually when the coasters feel faster. We did not do any of the water rides, but it was cool to see them running at night. After some of my friends went elsewhere, we made it back to Hogsmeade and rode on Hungarian Horntail. I initially thought on going front row like on Chinese Fireball earlier in the night, but my friends got me to consider otherwise. It was still fun dueling with Chinese Fireball, even on a different row. Little did I know that the Grad Bash trip would be the last time experiencing the Dragons in their dueling form. I did try a regular cold Butterbeer and enjoyed it a lot. After that, we made our way back to the bus and headed home.
(Here is a picture of the Grad Bash shirt that I still have to this day.)
My next trip to Islands of Adventure was in December of 2011, when I learned that the dragons were no longer dueling. My first thought when I saw the blue train go up was that they only had one side operating at a time, but I then learned that they found a way to release the trains so that they don't come close to dueling. It was definitely a lesser experience going on the coasters in their non-dueling form. I was also able to experience the original version of Spider-Man for the last time during that 2011 trip. A dumb thing that me, my sister, and her boyfriend at the time did was when we went on Jurassic Park River Adventure in the front row when it was a bit cold at night. Thankfully, we went on the Hulk to dry off after that. The next trip was in May of 2012 with my family and some friends of ours. I was able to experience the HD version of Spider-Man, which I enjoyed as much as the original version. I was also able to ride the Hulk in its original form a couple of times with the launch tunnel in its purple and green glory and the roar of the coaster train going through the course. After Marvel, we enjoyed the rest of the park, including taking an AC break in the Discovery Center where there are plenty of interactive areas to explore. Hogsmeade was a bit difficult to explore in its first couple of years due to large attendance, which is not surprising considering that its opening in 2010 brought Universal a whole bunch of money and people. Not only that, but it does feel cramped during busy times, leading to frustration for everyone in the land. I did enjoy my time at Islands of Adventure with the friends that we had with us.
It was not until 2016 that I was able to get back to Universal Orlando. During that trip in September of 2016, I was lucky (thanks to my dad) to get an annual pass to Universal Orlando. A month before, the Incredible Hulk Coaster reopened with new track, new supports, but the exact same layout as the original Hulk coaster. That was the first thing that I did after me and my parents checked into Royal Pacific and then got the passes at Will Call. My parents were able to let me go by myself, allowing me to go on the Hulk as many times as I wanted. The Hulk was not the only thing that I rode on that trip, as I experienced most of the other rides and attractions at Islands of Adventure, including all three water rides in a row. I was able to get on everything with little to no wait thanks to the Express that was included with my stay at Royal Pacific. Over the first year of me being an annual passholder, I was building up my rides on the Hulk. I counted each ride as the coaster was leaving the station and going up the launch tunnel both out loud and in my head. It culminated during a Passholder Exclusive Night at Islands of Adventure on August 26, 2017. Entering that night, my ride count on the Hulk was at 93. I had a mission to get to 100 rides on the Hulk. My dad shared it on the Facebook page, and I got a whole bunch of love in the comments. When the passholders were allowed to enter, I speed-walked past Port of Entry, over the bridge, and to the lockers to store my waist pack for free (metal detectors are in the queue). 6 rides later, and my parents and I were greeted by one of the team members who worked at the Hulk. He escorted us to the exit platform and we were given the front row for my 100th Hulk ride. One of the other team members shouted me out as the train was leaving the station. After the ride was over, I was given a free picture and poster for the 100th ride. I was also given a celebratory pin for the occasion. Throughout the night at IOA, I high-fived a lot of fellow passholders who wanted to say hi to me. I even added an extra ride on the Hulk to end the night at 101.
(My picture from ride 100 on the Hulk)
That August 2017 trip was also bittersweet because it was the last time that I was able to ride the coasters formerly known as Dueling Dragons. Like I said earlier, I thought that the coasters' days were numbered when Universal made the decision to eliminate the dueling aspect due to unfortunate incidents with loose items. Someone said to me one time or another that "it takes a few bad people to ruin it for everyone else", and that easily applies to the loss of the dragons' dueling aspect. I still had fun with the coasters individually, but it was not the same without the near-miss moments. When the coasters closed on September 4, 2017, it was definitely a sad day. Immediately after closing day, they started the process of dismantling the coasters and putting them in the scrap yard. Seeing that scrap pile was sad to see on social media and I was able to see the Ice vertical loop when I went in October of 2017. It was definitely sad, but I was hopeful that what they built on that plot of land would be great. During that two-year period, I continued going to the parks and having a great time on the rides that were open. I was able to get to my 200th ride on the Hulk roughly a year after I got the 100th picture. On that day (August 25, 2018 to be exact), I entered Islands of Adventure and went to my right towards guest services. I was 2 rides away from 200, and I explained to the person at guest services that I was approaching that big milestone number and asked him if he could help me. He responded by giving me a celebratory button and two paper one-use Express passes, which I used to get to 200 rides on the Hulk. I did get a free picture like when I got to 100, but not a poster that time around.
Each trip that I went before the replacement for Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge opened, I was keeping on the progress of the project. When it was announced that Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was opening in the summer of 2019, I was excited to go on it. I waited a couple of months after the coaster officially opened to try and get on it. It was in August of 2019 that I went to Universal with the hope of getting on Hagrid's at least once. On Sunday August 18, 2019, I was at Islands of Adventure about an hour before rope drop, hearing the fantastic entry music during that hour. After the gates were open and I was allowed to go in, I went to the right and followed the mass to Hagrid's. We were put in the area that used to have the Sinbad stunt show, which closed the year prior. The problem was that the ride was going through some technical issues that ended up with me and everyone else staying in that area for three hours. Thankfully, team members gave everyone a Ruby Pass that gives you access to the Express line for Hagrid's (which is still not regularly available 5 years later). The day after that fiasco, I got into Islands of Adventure and avoided that area until some time in the afternoon. Thankfully, I got into the queue and used that secret passageway to wait less than regular guests. It still took about 40 minutes, but I was able to get on the coaster and have a lot of fun. I was on the motorbike side while the lady next to me from the single rider line was in the sidecar in the second to front row. The launches were fun, the twists and turns were quick, and the on-ride audio was superb. Everything about the coaster was fantastic from start to finish and the theming was top-notch. I was able to get on Hagrid's more than once during my next trip to Universal, which was right after the parks reopened from a three-month closure due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that trip, I reached 300 rides on The Incredible Hulk Coaster, getting another celebratory pin in the process. I was able to get some good pictures of the then under construction Velocicoaster. I did have Express thanks to staying at Royal Pacific, but the parks were a ghost town as many people did not want to risk getting sick. Masks and social distancing were enforced at all times while on Universal property, with the exception of eating, drinking, designated rest areas around the parks, and sleeping at your hotel room. I still had a fun time even with those rules in place.
Unfortunately, that was not the case when I went a couple of months later, on Labor Day weekend. On Saturday September 5, 2020, I had a miserable time at Islands of Adventure as I was only able to go on a couple of rides. The lines were long, the weather was humid, masks had to be worn, and I only stayed in the park for a few hours before I had enough and went back to the hotel. That day was the only day that I went to IOA during that trip. When I went in November of 2020, I had a more confortable time thanks to the weather being nicer and the lines being less long. I was able to go on more rides due to the shorter lines and I was able to see the holiday decorations throughout the parks. Also, during each of these trips, I was able to see more Velocicoaster progress all around IOA. That was also the case in my trip on Super Bowl weekend in February of 2021, just four months before Velocicoaster opened. After that trip in February of 2021, I waited about 11 months before coming back. I knew that Velocicoaster was opening in June, but part of me wanted to wait for the initial buzz to die down. In what has been my last trip so far in January of 2022, I enjoyed the heck out of Velocicoaster from start to finish. The theming was great, the raptor animatronic heads looked realistic, and the coaster experience is one of my all time favorites. Right now, Velocicoaster is my favorite coaster in the state of Florida and in my top 5 all time. I did 13 rides on Velocicoaster and 13 rides on the Hulk, doing 3 on each one on Friday the 7th and 10 each on Saturday the 8th (thanks to Express). I still had to wear masks because of the potential danger of COVID-19 variants. Thankfully, I didn't get sick during the trip while enjoying Islands of Adventure. The bummer was that Poseidon's Fury was still closed due to COVID restrictions, which meant that I was not able to bid it farewell before it closed forever in May of 2023. I can't wait for my next trip in December of this year, when I can go to my favorite theme park on its 25th birthday year.
In conclusion, I want to say a Happy 25th Birthday to Universal's Islands of Adventure, a theme park that I have loved and will still love for my whole life. If there was a chance for me to be in a theme park for a 24-hour special event, it would be Islands of Adventure. I would love to go on the Hulk, Velocicoaster, and Hagrid's as many times as I want, plus the rest of the rides available (with Spider-Man being my favorite dark ride ever and the three water rides being great to go on and get soaked). In addition to that, it would be peaceful for me to take a break in Port of Entry, where I could listen to the fantastic music. It would be interesting for me to go back in time and experience Islands of Adventure in its first years of operation as an adult, when I could appreciate everything better than as a kid. Even then, I am thankful that I have been able to visit IOA plenty of times over the park's lifetime. From listening to the Port of Entry music to roaring on the Incredible Hulk Coaster to swinging along with Spider-Man to getting drenched on the water rides to experiencing the near-miss moments on Dueling Dragons to having a blast on Velocicoaster, none of that will ever be forgotten. As always, I will look forward to any future visits to IOA. To everyone at Universal, thank you for creating my number one favorite theme park.
(Here are some pictures of mine from my trips to Islands of Adventure, plus some postcards that I still have.)
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