Walt Disney’s various parks in Orlando are obviously the big attraction in town but they are seeing real competition from this park. Islands of Adventure is a much more active and has more thrill-seeking, adventure loving appeal to offer its visitors.
When you enter the park you will walk through the required shops and stores. You will have to dodge the photographers that want to catch the magical day on film. Once you have crossed through this wallet-emptying gauntlet, you are confronted by a choice:
- Go left for thrill rides that will rival any park in the US (yes, even Cedar Point in Ohio) OR
- Go right for an area dedicated to the zany and crooked world of Dr. Seuss that is guaranteed to thrill the kid in all of us.
This park features several fantastic thrill rides topped off with The Hulk, Dr. Doom, and the Dueling Dragons. It also has one of the best 3D adventure movies ever made: Spiderman.
The park will let you purchase a pass that will get you to the front of the line. This pass is fairly expensive but if you are visiting on a busy day you may have no choice but to make this investment. Otherwise you will risk not being able to partake in all the park has to offer because you will simply run out of time waiting in line.
The admittance to the park is actually quite reasonable. If you are planning on being in Orlando for multiple days, you may want to invest in a multi-day pass and plan on spending partial days at the park. As with most Orlando parks, if you can get to the park very early in the morning and then late in the afternoon you will be able to maximize your enjoyment while minimizing your time waiting in long lines.
HINT: Arrive at any Orlando park at least 60 minutes before they open. Be first in line for your favorite couple of rides and then leave the park for lunch. While you are out of the park, enjoy some Orlando shopping or go to the pool at your hotel. Then go back to the park at 4 or 5 in the afternoon and you will have missed the biggest rush, the heat of the day, the grumpy parents, and the whiny little kids.
If your family is into collecting autographs from characters, you won’t be disappointed in this park. The theme for most of the park are the Marvel superheros (Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Captain America, etc.) coupled with Duddley Do-Right and the Seuss characters. How can you go wrong?
Islands of Adventure, and its sister park Universal Studios Florida, are on the back side of a large shopping and entertainment district called City Walk that will entice you with many ways to fill your hours (and empty your wallet). Make sure you check out Jimmy Buffet’s restaurant for a margarita and Cheeseburger in Paradise.
If I had to choose one park in Orlando to entertain my family, it would be Islands of Adventure. It allows more fun and laughs per dollar spent than any other park.
Technorati Tags: islands+of+adventure, Universal+studios, hulk, spiderman, Seuss
Other articles that you may be interested in:
- Kings Island
- Epcot
- Cedar Point
- Wrigley Field - Home of the Chicago Cubs
- Epcot - Future World - Imagination! Pavilion
- Glacier National Park
- EPCOT - FutureWorld - The Land
- EPCOT - FutureWorld - Wonders of Life
- Yankee Stadium
- Epcot - Future World - Mission: SPACE Pavilion
