Universal's Islands of Adventure is the perfect place for the thrill seeker. If you like big and fast roller coasters, you will love the Incredible Hulk and Dueling Dragons Coasters. There are... More

Universal's Islands of Adventure is the perfect place for the thrill seeker. If you like big and fast roller coasters, you will love the Incredible Hulk and Dueling Dragons Coasters. There are lots of thrill rides here and this park is more suited for adults, teens and younger thrill ride enthusiasts. While there is not as many choices for young kids at Islands of Adventure, there are some areas of the park and rides they will love. Dr Suess Land is great for kids and the theming is awesome. They will love the fun designs and colors and will think they walked into their favorite Dr. Suess book. Universal did a nice job here with the theming- they did a good job with the details. And while it is not quite a detail oriented as Disney, it is as close as you can get. They are have done well keeping Islands of Adventures clean and well maintained.
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Universal Studios Islands of Adventure is a great place to go for riding roller coasters. The Hulk roller coaster begins by accelerating you through a mist. The ride is fast, but lasts long enough... More

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure is a great place to go for riding roller coasters. The Hulk roller coaster begins by accelerating you through a mist. The ride is fast, but lasts long enough for you to have a good time. The Dueling Dragons unique since it is two coasters in one. You can choose to ride the blue or red dragon. Both coasters intertwine to create the illusion that you are going to collide with the other coaster. I like the red one better since it has more corkscrews. Food there is decently priced. At one of the restaurants the cornbread had kernels of corn in it. It was delicious. The park had a free service where you can get an assigned time to come and skip to the front of the line.
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We went from Disney to Universal on our trip, and you just can’t compare. We did enjoy the parks at Universal and they had some really unique and interesting rides and shows, but they just aren’t... More

We went from Disney to Universal on our trip, and you just can’t compare. We did enjoy the parks at Universal and they had some really unique and interesting rides and shows, but they just aren’t at the level of Disney. The Islands of Adventure park was more themed around roller coaster and larger rides, so it reminded us of a local amusement park and it loses some of the magic there.
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We love Islands of Adventure just as much or more than Disney. My favorite ride is the Spiderman 3D. It is a rollercoaster ride (not too bad!) and Spiderman (cartoon 3D) jumps on your car and you... More

We love Islands of Adventure just as much or more than Disney. My favorite ride is the Spiderman 3D. It is a rollercoaster ride (not too bad!) and Spiderman (cartoon 3D) jumps on your car and you go with him on his adventure. The Hulk rollercoaster is unbelievable. I love the Jurasic park ride too, down a waterfall. The tickets for adults run about $60, and kids $55. Bring lots of money because you will need it!
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Islands of Aventure (IOA) is a wonderful place that has something for everything. Though this park has more fast paced rides, such as Hulk, SpiderMan. These calmer rides for those not so daring... More

Islands of Aventure (IOA) is a wonderful place that has something for everything. Though this park has more fast paced rides, such as Hulk, SpiderMan. These calmer rides for those not so daring such as cat in the hat and The flying unicorn. There's always something great to do at IOA and the workers there are outstanding and always helpful. Its well worth the money to pick up a annual if your a resident, since its a great place to go to on the weekend.
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Though geared toward teens and adults, there is something for everyone here. Young kids will love the Dr. Seuss area (as will their parents - it is like walking into a book!) Teens and adults will... More

Though geared toward teens and adults, there is something for everyone here. Young kids will love the Dr. Seuss area (as will their parents - it is like walking into a book!) Teens and adults will love the numerous roller coasters and thrill rides. The food is also way above average for a theme park, though a bit pricey. Find out when the places you want to eat at are open - some close for lunch or dinner, and it's not always well publicized. In recent years we've also found some shops and smaller snack areas closed seasonally as well. If you go to IOA, stay on site if you are able to - you can skip the lines if you stay at a Universal hotel - just show your room key and go right to the express entrance. This is a wonderful time saver in busy times!
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We love Universal Studios. It does have something for everyone, not quite as broad as Disney World but getting there. Islands of Adventure is best for teens and adults, but Seuss Landing is worth... More

We love Universal Studios. It does have something for everyone, not quite as broad as Disney World but getting there. Islands of Adventure is best for teens and adults, but Seuss Landing is worth the price of admission for little ones. The original Studios has more for younger kids. In recent years they've added more character greetings, so you can meet Jimmy Neutron, Spongebob, Shrek & Fiona, Curious George, Scooby & Shaggy, the Rugrats, and more. Rides are better than Disney on the whole, much more of an experience. Though I still do think Disney is the best vacation out there, Universal has a lot to offer. Stay on site and skip the lines, all the time. We've done this several times and it is well worth the price to not have to wait (you can also buy this for about $25 or $30 per person on top of the ticket price.) One thing to note if you have little kids - they will not publicize this, but you can take rented strollers from park to park and even to City Walk, a wonderful idea with small kids. The reason this didn't rate a perfect: The price. Hard to believe, but pricier than Disney. The food is excellent, but there are VERY limited choices for dinner, especially in the hotels. Tickets are expensive (so buy a multi-day pass that never expires.) Staying on site is costly, but the Royal Pacific is the most reasonable, and an easy walk to the park (though our favorite is the Hard Rock.) I haven't found a great website yet for Universal, though their own is pretty good. Check out Fodor's unofficial guide to Disney, it has some great Universal info.
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I love Universal Studios. It is definatly greared more towards the older crowed. It kind of stinks because my daughter love all the Nickelodeon characters and that is where they all are. The rides... More

I love Universal Studios. It is definatly greared more towards the older crowed. It kind of stinks because my daughter love all the Nickelodeon characters and that is where they all are. The rides are awesome. It is a pretty good size where you can see most of what you want in one day. It is a little bit pricey but again it is money well spent.
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I loved Islands of Adventure. There was so much to do there it was unbelievable. You definitely need a couple of days to go through and do in the entire park. They had continents and different... More

I loved Islands of Adventure. There was so much to do there it was unbelievable. You definitely need a couple of days to go through and do in the entire park. They had continents and different types of areas. Like the super hero area. A Jungle area. Suessville for the children. The brightly painted colors and the intricate detail they put into this park is incredible. They have water rides, roller coasters, food, drinks, entertainment. I never did get to go on the new the waiting time was so long. I loved all of the roller coasters. I never at anything in Orlando that tasted bad. Food can definitely be pricey in there. I could tell you my entire day but I might ruin it for you. There is something to see and do for everyone. One of the best theme parks they have in Orlando.
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I've been to most/all of the major theme parks in Florida and in my opinion, Universal Studios (Islands of Adventure) is the best. Disney is too childish, Busch Gardens is too run down and... More

I've been to most/all of the major theme parks in Florida and in my opinion, Universal Studios (Islands of Adventure) is the best. Disney is too childish, Busch Gardens is too run down and un-exciting, and Sea World isn't action-packed enough. Islands of Adventure at Universal is more mature, has a very modern park and will keep you on the edge of your seat all day. One of my biggest complaints with Busch Gardens is the quality of the rides. When I went, the water raft was out of commission and the rides were more annoying than fun. Such is not the case at IOA. The rides are smooth and use enough technology to ensure they're not just beating the crap out of you. However, it's still pricey like all theme parks nowadays, but that's how it goes.
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