Universal Islands of Adventure
| Location | Orlando, Florida, United States  |
|---|---|
| Opened | May 28, 1999 |
| Owner | NBC Universal, The Blackstone Group |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Attractions | |
| Total | Unknown |
| Roller coasters | 5 |
| Water rides | 3 |
| Website | Islands of Adventure Homepage |
Universal's Islands of Adventure is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened in May 1999 as part of an expansion that, along with CityWalk and the Portofino Bay and Hard Rock hotels, converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort. The park's overall theme is that of a journey of exploration, where guests depart from a main port on an "inland sea" to visit five "islands," each having its own distinct theme, but all emphasizing fun and adventure. A planned sixth island, to open in late 2009, will be based on the popular Harry Potter franchise.
In 2007, Islands of Adventure hosted approximately 5.3 million guests, ranking it #9 among United States parks and #15 among all parks worldwide.[1]
The park has even inspired a soundtrack album that once was available in its many souvenir shops.
Islands
Islands of Adventure consists of five "islands" plus the Port of Entry, arranged around a "lagoon." The islands are presented in clockwise order, starting at the park entrance (as if you were standing with your back to the main entrance). Various live characters interact with guests throughout the day, including: Spider-Man, Captain America, Storm, Wolverine, Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat, Merlin the Magician, Popeye, Bluto, Olive Oyl and plenty more. King's Row and Comic Strip Lane are just two locations where you can mingle. The locations, characters and times vary from day to day.
Port of Entry
The Port of Entry is the park's main entrance and is home to many shops and services, including Guest Relations. The theme is that of an Arabian bazaar. Its main features are the Confisco Grille restaurant (one of two full-service restaurants in the Park) and the Islands of Adventure Trading Company, the park's primary gift shop. An attraction information board is located near the shore of the lagoon.
Marvel Super Hero Island
Marvel Super Hero Island has rides inspired by Marvel comic books, and focuses primarily on thrilling rides. The island features such Marvel characters as Wolverine, Captain America, Spider-Man, and some villains such as M.O.D.O.K., Hobgoblin, and Kingpin.
Rides and attractions
- Incredible Hulk Coaster, the only launched Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster. Opened: 1999
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, a 3-D simulator ride set in New York. Opened: 1999
- Doctor Doom's Fearfall, a pair of Space Shot towers from S&S Power. Opened: 1999
- Storm Force Accelatron, a faster version of the traditional "teacup" ride manufactured by Mack Rides. Opened: 2000
Toon Lagoon
Toon Lagoon is geared toward both kids and adults, and is based on the characters of King Features Syndicate and Jay Ward. The area focuses on water-based rides (hence the name) and features 3 counter-service restaurants: Comic Strip Cafe (offering Italian & Chinese Cuisine, Burgers & Dogs, and Fried Chicken & Fish), Blondies (home of the famous Dagwood), and Wimpy's (only open during peak seasons) & All On Mulberry Street.
Rides and attractions
- Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls, a traditional log flume based of the old cartoon Dudley Do-Right.
- Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, a river rapids ride.
- Me Ship, the Olive, a kids' playground built around and in Popeye's ship.
Jurassic Park
Set in the time of the Jurassic Park movie. The area has some thrilling rides and has discovery-based exhibits. The character of John Hammond even puts in an appearance from time to time.
Rides and Attractions
- Jurassic Park River Adventure, a highly-themed "shoot-the-chutes" ride through the exhibits of Jurassic Park, culminating in an 85 ft (26 m) drop away from the jaws of a menacing T-Rex. Opened: 1999
- Pteranodon Flyers, a children's low-speed, suspended roller coaster which takes 2 riders at a time around the sky above Camp Jurassic.
- Camp Jurassic, a children's play area centered around an imported 50-foot Banyan tree.
- Jurassic Park Discovery Center, a replicated (but not entirely duplicated) version of the Visitor Center from the film. Features various hands-on exhibits aimed mostly at kids, including a trivia game show in which guests compete, hatching Velociraptor eggs, and other educational, interactive exhibits.
The Lost Continent
This island is themed to ancient myths and legends, and is roughly divided into three smaller sections. The first section is designed to resemble medieval Europe. The second section is ancient Arabia. Last is mythological Greece. It contains several live-action shows. This land is also home to Mythos, winner of best theme park restaurant several times by Theme Park Insider, and one of two full-service restaurants in the park.
Rides and attractions
- Dueling Dragons, a pair of dueling inverted roller coasters which is located in the medieval future section.
You can ride on either the fire or ice dragon as they commence in an aerial battle and pass within inches of each other. This inverted rollercoaster soars at 125 feet and in seconds manages to perform a cobra roll, corkscrew and vertical loops. Opened: 1999
- Flying Unicorn, a Vekoma junior roller coaster also located in the medieval Europe section. Opened: 2000
- The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad, a live-action stunt show located in the ancient Arabia section.
- Poseidon's Fury, an indoor special-effects show located in the mythological Greece section.
- Mystic Fountain, a fountain that entertains and interacts with guests.
Seuss Landing
Seuss Landing is specially geared towards small children and is based on the works of author Dr. Seuss. It has several Seuss-themed attractions. There is also a Green Eggs and Ham Cafe and Circus McGurkus restaurant. One of the unique characteristics of this area is, like in the books, there is not a single straight line anywhere. Palm trees, curved by the winds of Hurricane Andrew, were even installed in the area to continue this theming.
Rides and attractions
- Caro-Seuss-el, a carousel
- The Cat in the Hat, a modern dark ride based on the book
- If I Ran the Zoo, an interactive play zone for kids
- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, a spinning ride with a musical riddle that will help riders escape water-spitting fish.
- The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride, a twin-track tour above and around Seuss Landing.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
On May 31, 2007, Universal Orlando announced that it had secured the rights from Warner Bros. and from British author J. K. Rowling to bring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Islands of Adventure.[2] The twenty-acre island will feature attractions, shops and restaurants set inside such locations as the Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade Village and the iconic Hogwarts castle. Some existing attractions within the Lost Continent are to be updated to the new theme, and will be joined by a state-of-the-art attraction that remains unannounced. J. K. Rowling revealed in a television interview that one ride will be designed for young children. Ground breaking began in 2007, with completion of the expansion planned for December 1, 2009.[citation needed] The new island will replace a portion of the Lost Continent, while expanding the park into what is currently a backstage support area and employee parking.
Universal Express Plus
Several attractions in Islands of Adventure allow guests to utilize the "Universal Express Plus" Pass. This pass admits users to a separate line for the attraction, which is given priority status when boarding. Universal Express Plus is not a virtual queuing service, where users receive a specific time to return to the priority line. Instead, passholders may enter the Express Plus line whenever they wish.
Universal Express Plus is not included in park admission. There are a limited number of passes available each day and they are often sold out in advance.[3] The cost of the pass varies based on what parks are selected and even what day is selected, with higher prices charged on peak operating days during the year.
Purchasers of the Express Plus pass may use the shorter priority line once per enabled attraction. Guests of Universal's three on-site resorts--the Royal Pacific Resort, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Portofino Bay Hotel--may show their room keys for unlimited uses of the faster line for each ride. Also, guests who hold Universal Orlando's Premier Annual Pass receive the same unlimited privilege extended to hotel guests after 4 pm.[4]
Former attractions
As with almost any amusement park, older attractions are sometimes removed to make way for newer ones. Some will simply close, not to be replaced, while others will be changed from their initial concepts, sometimes significantly.
Closed attractions
- Island Skipper Tours (1999-2002), a transportation service using one of three uniquely-themed water taxis to shuttle passengers between Port of Entry and Jurassic Park.
- Triceratops Encounter/Triceratops Discovery Trail (1999-2005)(name changed in 2003), where guests could get up close and interact with a full-scale animated replica of a Triceratops, while a "veterinary technician" performed a semi-annual exam on the Trike. The attraction actually featured three different Trikes--Topper, Chris, and Cera. All 3 were female. Chris was named after a member of the team that created the dinosaurs who died before the attraction opened.
Revised attractions
Poseidon's Fury, Lost Continent's special effects show, originally had a different storyline. In this first version, an old tour guide known as The Keeper wove a tale about the great lost city of Atlantis and an epic battle between Zeus and Poseidon. The Keeper led guests to the Temple of Poseidon, where the evil god appeared and welcomed guests to their new permanent home. The Keeper revealed himself to be Zeus in disguise and, after an effects-laden battle, defeated Poseidon. Based on guest polling data, Universal decided to revise the attraction story. Now, guests meet Taylor, a nerdy archaeologist, who guides them through the attraction, albeit slightly differently. Upon reaching the lost city, the party is captured by Darkanon, a new evil god-like creature. Fortunately, Poseidon, a benevolent god in this version, comes to the guests' rescue thanks to Taylor's assistance and defeats Darkanon.
While Poseidon's Fury's plot has changed, its arsenal of special effects has remained intact. The battles use water projection screens, fire and water effects, and high-speed set-changing technology.[5]
Over in Toon Lagoon, the island's show arena has hosted numerous presentations. Originally, it featured a live show with the various cartoon characters of Toon Lagoon. It was replaced in 2002 by a Mat Hoffman-themed BMX stunt show. It has also hosted Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (during Halloween Horror Nights). It was the home studio of NBC's iVillage Live television show until June 29, 2007.
Altered concepts
Seuss Landing was slated to open with 'Sylvester McMonkey McBean's Very Unusual Driving Machines', a track-based aerial ride where guests would drive individual cars around the elevated track. However, it was pushed back due to contractual disputes and safety issues. The bankruptcy of the ride's original manufacturer postponed its opening indefinitely. In 2006, the track was rebuilt in a new format and finally opened as the 'High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride.'
References
- ^ "TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report 2007" (PDF). www.themeit.com. 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Majendie, Paul (2007-05-31). "All aboard for the Harry Potter rollercoaster". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
- ^ Express Plus Passes http://www.universalorlando.com/tic_express.html
- ^ Premier Annual Passes http://www.universalorlando.com/annualpass/ap_prem.php.html
- ^ Hettema, Philip D. (1999-01-12). "Patent for the "Set transformation effect" used in Poseidon's Fury". Universal City Studios, Inc. United States Patent Office. Retrieved 2006-10-03.
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