We don't always have time on our trip to Orlando to do everything we want. Therefore, it is important to know how to set up a Islands of Adventure Day Trip and others city parks.
On this post
In today's article, we will help you plan your visit and put together a 1-day itinerary to enjoy what the park has to offer.
Of course: you can't see EVERYTHING Island of adventures in just one day. It is, after all, one of the biggest parks in Orlando, full of adventures.
Plus, some of the attractions are so cool that you'll want to go more often. So, to enjoy how the Islands of Adventures deserves, the ideal is to try to go more than one day.
Not only the attractions, the theme of the park is very cool, you will find from ancient ruins to dinosaurs, passing through the Magical world of Dr. Seuss.
But if you only have one day in your schedule, no problem. You can have a lot of fun and have a satisfying experience anyway.
So, if that's your case, you've come to the right place. Read on for our guide (oh, don't forget to save this article as a favorite so you can refer back to it whenever you need to!).
Understanding our 1 day itinerary at Islands of Adventures
Before we start, let's clarify some important details about our 1-day itinerary in Islands of Adventures, OK?
Firstly, this itinerary aims to offer an experience that takes in all areas and main attractions of the Island of adventures.
However, not everything in the park is for everyone. As the name implies, it is a park with attractions more geared towards those who like adventure and adrenaline. Even though it's the house of the cute Seuss landing.
If you want, you can change some of the attractions or even change their order to better suit your interests, ok?
In addition, we created the 1-day itinerary at Island of Adventures thinking about enjoying a little bit of each area. That doesn't mean, however, that you can't stay in one place or another anymore.
For example, if you want to get more out of the Harry Potter, you can get there sooner. The same with the Marvel sector, of course.
The important thing is to understand this script as a basis for building yours, ok?
If we understand, let's move on to the fun! So keep reading!
Islands of Adventures 1-Day Itinerary: A Radical Morning
Our itinerary starts very early, as soon as the park opens, at 9 am. In fact, we started a little earlier.
If you have the opportunity to stay at one of Universal's hotels or resorts during your trip to Orlando, we recommend that you stay. Even if it's for a day or the time you set aside for the company parks.
That's because you get two very important bonuses: the first is the Early Park Admission and the other is the Water Taxi.
Let's explain what these bonuses are very quickly so you don't waste too much time:
Early Park Admission is a treat that Universal offers its hotel and resort guests. Those staying there have an extra hour of access to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and other company facilities.
So instead of entering the park at 9 am, you enter at 8 am. If we are talking about just a day at the parks, then it is worth taking advantage of this extra hour to enjoy a little more, especially with a shorter line at the main attractions.
The other bonus is the water taxi, a boat that takes guests from hotels and resorts to amusement parks for free. And the best part: it doesn't stop anywhere before, which makes the trip very short.
To give you an idea, the longest journey by Water Taxi takes 15 minutes. In other words: if you leave the hotel at 7:30, you would arrive at Islands of Adventure at 7:45 and have 15 minutes to get organized and enter.
Great, huh? That's why we recommend staying at Universal hotels or resorts to take advantage of these two features that other visitors don't have.
But without further ado, here we go!
a morning of adventures
Our 1-day Islands of Adventure itinerary starts with an adrenaline rush in the Marvel sector of the park.
The area is called Marvel Super Hero Island and is to the left of entering Islands of Adventure.
Attraction 1 – The Incredible Hulk Coaster
One of Orlando's most famous roller coasters and my favorite of all Universal's parks! And the The Incredible Hulk Coaster.
I have great memories of that roller coaster, I rode it every day before going to work when I worked on the Island of adventure.
We recommend starting with her because you are already connected to 220 at the beginning of the day.
Plus, it helps set a standard for your expectations. You've probably heard about it and you can take it off your list first thing in the morning.
Attraction 2 – The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
After a good roller coaster ride, we'll show you another amazing attraction type from Islands of Adventure.
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a show apart, with special effects, 3D movie and more. It's a spectacle (and prepares you for other attractions in the same style).
Attraction 3 – Doctor Doom's Fearfall
This attraction is one of those free-fall attractions, themed and narrated by the Fantastic Four and their main villain, Doctor Doom.
It's worth checking out for the visuals and of course the adrenaline.
You'll notice that we're ignoring the X-Men's Storm Force Accelatron attraction for now. We'll return to it at the end of our 1-day Islands of Adventure itinerary (but it's for good reason!).
Next we will continue straight to the second island of the day, Toon Lagoon.
This island is made up of water attractions, as well as a charming street with several shops and other establishments.
We recommend heading straight to the attractions and enjoying the shops afterwards, if you have time.
Also, remember that they are water attractions and you will get wet. So bring towels or a change of clothes in your backpack.
To top it off, it's important to do these attractions in the morning to give yourself time to dry properly.
Attraction 4 – Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges
Our first attraction at Toon Lagoon is the Popeye themed rafting river.
It's a fun attraction, especially for someone who grew up watching his drawing.
Attraction 5 – Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls
One of the most popular attractions at Islands of Adventures is Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls.
The attraction is a kind of hybrid roller coaster, mixed with a rushing river. It's really fun! so put it in your script.
After our aquatic tour of the Toon Lagoon is over, we head to the last two islands of the morning full of adventures.
The first of these is Skull Island.
At the time of publication of this text, the island has only one attraction: the Skull Island: Reign of Kong. However, she's likely to get more soon, considering all the investment in her and the King Kong movies.
Attraction 6 – Skull Island: Reign of Kong
The tour includes passages through a series of mechanical constructions simulating the characters and monsters of the King Kong franchise.
It's impressive from a technical point of view and a lot of fun too.
After Skull Island, we head to Jurassic Park, the island that simulates the dinosaur franchise movie park.
Here, we will participate in two attractions before closing our morning.
Attraction 7 – Jurassic Park River Adventure
This aquatic attraction consists of a ride through a flowing river simulating the Jurassic Park attractions of the movies.
It's a lot of fun and exciting, but the risk of getting wet is very small.
Attraction 8 – Pteranodon Flyers
This is an exciting roller coaster, simulating the flight of a pteranodon.
It is worth remembering an important detail: at the time of publishing this 1-day itinerary at Islands of Adventure, a new high-speed roller coaster is under construction on Jurassic Park Island.
However, we still don't know anything about her and we don't even have a way to recommend her in the script. The roller coaster will be functional sometime in 2020.
Lunch time
After so much adventure and excitement in our morning at Islands of Adventure, it's time to take a break from the fun and go to lunch.
Like all other Orlando parks, Islands of Adventure has a number of restaurant options for your visitors.
There are counter restaurants (fast food type, you go to the counter, order the dish and pay) or restaurants with table service.
We recommend getting the quickest meal possible. Not because you need to be in a hurry and such, but because meals in these restaurants are normal.
So it's not worth wasting a lot of time in your day for an hour or more lunch at a table-service restaurant. Especially if you're only staying one day at Islands of Adventure.
However, if you want to eat in a restaurant like this, to have a better meal and to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the morning, feel free. It won't affect the progress of the script, ok? Perhaps, depending on the pace of your day, you may need to cut out one attraction or another, but nothing major.
Where to eat?
The question of lunch in the park will depend, of course, on your particularities as a tourist. If you have the Universal Dining Plan, for example, you will have some facilities that other people don't.
Another alternative is to bring your own food to lunch there. This is very common and you will see a few hundred families enjoying a picnic in the park at lunchtime.
Considering the value, it is worth preparing some sandwiches at the hotel and taking them to eat in the park, with other snacks to go with them. It is a valid and economical option.
Or you can, of course, eat at Islands of Adventure's own restaurants. In this case, we recommend a few options:
- Confiscate Grille: This restaurant serves food with dishes from around the world. It is a little more expensive than the average for the park. You will pay something like $16 dollars for a sandwich or $20, $24 for a more elaborate dish. However, the food is good;
- Captain America Diner: The Captain America themed diner is a good option, especially on a hot summer day. The price is good: a cheeseburger with bacon, potato and milkshake costs $13 dollars, but you can find sandwiches for $11;
- Thunder falls terrace: located in the Jurassic Park area, this restaurant serves a little of everything and with a lot of quality. The prices are high, but you can share the ribs and other dishes.
1-Day Islands of Adventure Itinerary: An Afternoon of Exploration
After lunch, it's time to continue with our 1-day Islands of Adventure itinerary. To do this, head back to the park entrance (note that the restaurants we recommend are all on the left side of Islands of Adventure).
This time, go right to reach the Seuss landing, an area dedicated to themed attractions based on the work of Dr. Seuss.
The cool thing about Seuss Landing is that it works as a very interesting leeway for anyone traveling to Islands of Adventure.
Basically, all the attractions there are for children. So, if you're traveling alone or with adults only, you can jump straight to the next island or use this time to rearrange your itinerary.
For example, you can repeat the funniest attractions you did in the morning or manage the time to put morning rides here after lunch. Just don't put anything too agitated so you don't get sick, okay?
If you have kids, it's worth wasting an hour or two here. That's because in addition to helping with digestion, you still offer a quiet ride for the younger ones.
Attraction 9 – High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!
This train ride is very easy and goes almost completely around Seuss Landing. The height is acceptable and there is no great speed. Children will love it.
Attraction 10 – Caro-Seuss-el
It's a normal carousel, but decorated with all the characters and colors of Dr. Seuss.
For younger children, it is a very successful attraction, as they love the colors and movement. For parents, it can be a little tedious.
Attraction 11 – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Another attraction more focused on children, it works like a carousel, but a little different. In it, you are seated on a bench in the shape of a fish, which is held by a bar in the center of the toy.
The fun thing is that you can control the fish and go up or down.
The trick is that there is a song playing and you have to pay attention to it. When the song says go up, it should go up. When the song says go down, it must go down. Whoever makes a mistake ends up getting wet. Children like to play.
Attraction 12 – Cat in the Hat
This is an indoor stroller tour that simulates Dr. Seuss. It's fun for kids and those who grew up with books (which is the case for Americans), but others might not find it so fun.
Also take the opportunity to take a picture with the cute characters you find there! Like us in the photo to the side!
As you can see, Seuss Landing is focused on kids and nostalgics who grew up with Dr. Seuss. If that's not your case, you can head straight to The Lost Continent or use the time to rest, have a leisurely lunch or return to the attractions in the morning.
In The Lost Continent, you will find a really cool themed area, which simulates different legends and myths of humanity.
Part of the scenery reproduces an ancient Arab market and another part represents a kind of Atlantis, a Greek city, something like that.
The cool thing about Lost Continent is that it doesn't have roller coasters or adventure attractions, but is more focused on narrative and visual shows. There are two really cool ones that we recommend:
Attraction 13 – The Mystic Fountain
Originally, The Mystic Fountain was a show to entertain people who stood in line for the Eighth Voyage of Sindbad, which was an action stunt show.
However, Eighth Voyage of Sindbad closed in September 2018 and the park has yet to announce a replacement.
Attraction 14 – Poseidon Fury
The Poseidon Fury is an exciting and impressive light show and special effects. It's worth taking part in it, even if you don't understand English, even if it's just to enjoy the impressive view.
As you can see, the afternoon is a little quieter and without great emotions. Therefore, it is a period that we separate in our 1-day itinerary at Islands of Adventure to give visitors room for maneuver.
Therefore, you gain leeway to make many decisions. For example, did the morning feel too bloated? You can skip the Lost Continent and Seuss Landing to enjoy the extreme attractions more calmly.
Another alternative: repeat the morning route to enjoy the attractions there twice. Or, of course, follow the script to the letter to enjoy the entire Islands of Adventure experience.
Either way, it's nice to have some of that leeway to accommodate your day. This is important because there is no point in planning the smallest details, there is always something unforeseen.
Dinner time
With the afternoon complete, it's time to dine and prepare for the night's adventures. The park closes at 9 pm, so it's good to start dinner at 6 am or 5:30 pm to have a good window to end the adventure.
If you get hungry afterwards, you can always grab a snack at the hotel or park just before closing.
For dinner, the scheme is the same as for lunch: you can enjoy the park's restaurants or take your food from the hotel.
Of the restaurants of this second ?half? of the park, we recommend the following:
Mythos Restaurant: This is Islands of Adventure's most famous restaurant as it has won the “Best Restaurant in Theme Parks” award for over 200 years in a row. Hyperbole aside, Mythos is highly prized, and with good reason. The food there is really good, it doesn't look like a “theme park restaurant”. The price is also a little higher than the park's average: you'll pay $15, $16 dollars for a fancy sandwich, accompanied by French fries.
Doc Sugrue's Kebab House: this is one of my favorite places in Islands of Adventure, as I like Kebab a lot. The price is good: $12, $13 dollars in a kebab.
Three Broomsticks: based on the famous three brooms from the franchise's books and films, this restaurant serves Harry Potter-themed dishes at a good price;
Hog's Head: Also based on a restaurant in the Harry Potter franchise, this pub is a little less popular than the Three Broomsticks, but it's worth checking out.
Islands of Adventure 1 day itinerary: a magical night
We purposefully saved the most popular Islands of Adventure spot for last on our 1-day Islands of Adventure itinerary.
the area of Hogsmeade it is highly popular and because of this it is best to visit it at night, when there are fewer people in the queues.
Also, the night atmosphere blends in very well with the decor of the place, so it's a very interesting bonus.
In the area, there are several cool attractions for you to do. Check out!
Attraction 15 – Ollivander
The best way to start your adventure through the world of Harry Potter is to buy a wand, right?
At Ollivanders, you can participate in the ceremony where a wand chooses its sorcerer and buy a wizard wand. Including replicas of those used in the movies.
Attraction 16 – Flight of the Hippogriff
One of Harry Potter's great roller coasters is Flight of the Hippogriff, which offers a pretty cool experience for fans of the series.
Attraction 17 – Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
One of Orlando's most popular attractions is the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. In it, you walk through various scenarios that are replicas of the movie and get to know many areas of Hogwarts, before participating in an incredible cinematic adventure.
Attraction 18 – Light Show at Hogwarts
Before leaving the area, don't forget to enjoy the light show that takes place at Hogwarts Castle at night. It's magic!
Attraction 19 – Storm Force Accelatron
Remember how we said to save the Tempest attraction for last?
So before you leave, stretch out a little and take that last ride on Marvel Super Hero Island.
It's worth going at night because that's when you get the most out of the attraction, as it has a light show that simulates the storm's rays and you can only see them at night.
That was our 1 day itinerary at Islands of Adventure. You do an intense morning period, rest a little in the afternoon and end with a magical night.
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Don't forget to also check out our itinerary 1 day at Magic Kingdom!
