One full day spent at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is definitely enough time to experience all this park has to offer! From Toon Lagoon to Marvel Super Hero Island to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and EVERYTHING in between, we’ve got it all covered!  

First things first, get there early! On your average day, the park opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 9:00 p.m. That’s a full 12 hours to experience an action-packed day! We would suggest showing up a full 30 minutes before the park opens to give yourself enough time to park, get through security and wander around CityWalk before heading through the gates!

I’m a morning person, this means for me showing up 30 minutes early is no issue!  My first line of business when spending the day at Islands of Adventure is to walk straight through to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™! Upon entering the park make a right, you’ll walk pass Seuss Landing and through the Lost Continent right into Hogsmeade™! I prefer to start here because my personal favorite attraction happens to be Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™ and throughout the day, I find the wait grows! While here, it’s best to ride whatever others rides catch your eye! I recommend Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ if you’ve got any wizards in training with you, the Flight of the Hippogriff™.

Now it’s time for breakfast! My next move is a bit unconventional; it would make sense to then work our way around from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, BUT I like to go back to the beginning (stopping for any photo ops along the way) and grab breakfast at the Port of Entry.  I’m a simple girl and not much of a breakfast girl so let’s grab a Cinnabon and be on our way! Now that we’re back at the beginning I like to start left and work my way around!

This brings us to The Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster in Marvel Super Hero Island.  This coaster got a nice makeover a few years back and seems faster then ever! It’s the perfect adrenaline rush to get you started for your walk around the park! After The Incredible Hulk, my next move is The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.  This is ideal for those who want a break from the heat and those with children.  It’s a fun simulator that puts you right in the thick of saving New York!

Grab a quick snack from Auntie Anne’s pretzels if you need a pick me up and meet me over in Toon Lagoon! If it’s hot outside (which it probably is) then let’s hope on Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls.  You will get wet, and you will have a blast but, in this Florida heat, you’ll dry off quickly! Especially on your walk from Toon Lagoon over to Jurassic Park!  You had to know this was our next stop, hello Jurassic World Velocicoaster! Jurassic Park is home to some awesome rides and that includes the Velocicoaster, which opened in 2021, reaches 70 MPH and is just over 155 ft high! It’s a great one and if you’re into the speed and all the thrills that roller coasters offer, you’ll love this one! I also recommend the Jurassic Park River Adventure!

Now it’s about time for lunch.  Leaving Jurassic Park leads us back into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and I like to cool off with a frozen Butterbeer™.  My go-to for a good lunch is between Three Broomsticks™ here in Hogsmeade™ or Mythos Restaurant next door in The Lost Continent!  My go-to order at Three Broomsticks would be the beef pasties with a garden salad (and a side of roasted potatoes).  The beef pasties are flakey pastries filled with ground beef, potatoes, and vegetables; I can’t get enough! If I opted for lunch at Mythos Restaurant ordering is always a bit more difficult because the options are endless! There are four dishes, in my opinion, you can’t go wrong with and those would be the pan roasted wild salmon, pad Thai, the scallop and spring pea risotto (pictured below) and the Souvlaki couscous bowl with chicken kabob. PRO TIP: If you choose not to eat at Mythos, make your way inside straight to the back for some of the best views and photo ops of Islands of Adventure.

After lunch, you’ll find yourself wandering into Suess Landing and this one is perfect for the kiddos.  If you do happen to have small children in your group, I highly recommend a ride on The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! And if I’m being honest, my husband and I have ridden this to give our feet a break and to sit back and relax for a little! In Seuss Landing, be sure to stop amongst the Truffla Trees and snap some photos and head over to the Green Eggs and Ham Café to live out everyone’s childhood dream of tasting this Seuss Landing delicacy!

Typically, we find that once we’ve come full circle back to Seuss Landing, we’ve visited all the attractions that were on our must ride list. Now it’s time to do one of two things; either head out or circle the park again for some extra fun!

What’s your next move?

Contributor

Danielle Knight

Orlando Based Fashion & Lifestyle blogger at xoxodaniellemone.com