Suggestions required: 1 man in I of A, 1 day, once in a lifetime - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Suggestions required: 1 man in I of A, 1 day, once in a lifetime
Hi
in a few weeks time I plan on visiting Islands of Adventure for a once in a lifetime trip. I say that sincerely. I don't think I'll ever get the chance to come back again.
I have 1 full day and possibly the second morning, but that would just be a bonus.
I'm 40, I love adrenelin rides - for my big birthday last year I took the day off work and a buddy and I rode the good coasters at Alton Towers in the UK just because you should before its too late
I'm also a bit of a film and comic geek and thats where my problems start.
I've been told that Universal Studios is more about the films and I of A about the comics and the rides are "more extreme"
So, I bow to your knowledge.
How should I spend ONE DAY in the parks on my own, getting the best out the day? I will happily use the single rider queues where possible or invest in any fastpass/expresslane ticket if it gets more done in ONE DAY.
What should I try and stop to see and whats to be avoided?
Hi Sccobysnax - welcome to the Passporter Message Boards and the Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure forums!
The only ride in IOA that has a single rider line is Spiderman, best I can remember. For thrill rides, the must-dos are the Hulk, Spiderman, Dr. Doom's Freefall, Dragon's Challenge, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park. Dudley Do-Right is pretty fun - it's a water flume ride. I'm not crazy about the shows at IOA, so you could skip them and concentrate on the thrill rides. Cat in the Hat is a cute little ride that usually has no wait time.
US also has some thrill rides: the Mummy coaster, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Men in Black and the Simpsons are pretty action packed as well. Movie attractions? You've got Terminator 2:3D, Shrek 4D, ET, Jaws, Twister. We love the Horror Makeup Show - there is usually no wait for that.
Get to the park early - they often open the gates before the posted opening time. I would wait about purchasing an Express pass until you're there and you can determine if you need it.
Consider staying on-site. You are so close to the parks, you can walk to either park in about 10 minutes without rushing. no worrys about parking. The express pass comes free with your room. You use your room key at the express line. You can get off & get back on if you want to which is always required by my kids on Men in Black. It depends on when you go but sometimes the lines can get pretty long for the good rides.
For a once in a lifetime trip I'd consider a night onsite as well. You can certainly make due without the express pass, but it's a great perk. My two oldest DS love thrill rides and think Universal is a lot of fun - they love Rip Ride Rocket and the Mummy best. I don't do coasters, but I love Spiderman, Men In Black and The Simpsons. Jaws is also fun and of course Forbidden Journey is a must do. They liked the Jurassic Park water ride, as well.
My kids are teenagers now. They love all of the rides now. Many we ride multiple times. It seems like only a few years ago that I was having to ride the thrill rides alone. DH gets motion sick easily. One ride that surprizingly I didn't like is Rip Ride Rocket. I don't know if it was the straight up ascent or the fact that there were no shoulder harnesses, but I didn't feel secure. When I heard about them shutting it down for a while over safety concerns, I know I wasn't the only one who felt uneasy. The Mummy, Men in Black, Spiderman, The Simpsons, and Jaws are all multiple rides for us. Once isn't enough
I agree. If you can, spend at least one night onsite. Having that front of the line room key pass makes a world of difference in how many things you can do. You can buy an express pass but it's only good for one time through each queue line whereas your room key can be used as often as you want on the day you check in and the day you check out. The Forbidden Journey doesn't have a express pass entrance but pretty much everything else with any kind of line does. And the extra hour you get to spend there first thing in the morning is another great perk of staying onsite.
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