Visit Harry Potter and Many Other Fantastical Folks at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure

A couple years ago, my aunt and uncle took a trip to Florida, and while they were there, they saw advertisements for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which would be opening the following year. My aunt told me that whenever they decided to go to Florida to check out this new park, I was invited to go along. Just before my birthday this year, they announced that we were going this spring, and it was an epic vacation that included Universal and Disney World, as well as Sea World, a drive-through safari, a renaissance fair and an airboat ride through a swamp filled with alligators. But Harry was the one who propelled this particular venture for my aunt and uncle, who, unlike me, are seasoned travelers. We spent two days at Universal Studios, which was where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was located.

Universal is divided into two parks. Our passes allowed us to visit both parks, but on our first day, we ventured only into Islands of Adventure, which includes several themed sections, of which the Harry Potter one is the newest. We also returned to this part of the park our second time through, after we had made our way through Universal's more low-key park. Islands of Adventure is jam-packed with rides, attractions and costumed characters, and you'll be hard-pressed to see everything you want to in a single day.

As it happened, our first day at Universal was St. Patrick's Day, and the park seemed to be especially packed as a result. We just made our way through in order of what was closest to the entrance, which meant that we started out with the section focusing on classic comic book characters. Marvel Super Hero Island included some pretty intense-looking rides; the only one I went on was the Spider-man ride, which simulated a ride through the city where we helped Spider-Man battle baddies and got sprinkled with water or tinged with heat from fiery explosions. While we were in this part of the park, we saw a parade of Marvel characters and snapped a few pictures. A few of them came up onto the sidewalks and posed for photos with guests.

While the Marvel world was fun, I really loved Toon Lagoon, which was filled with nifty cut-out displays of characters from comic strips ranging from Beetle Bailey to Family Circus. We spent a fair bit of time here just snapping pictures of each other next to or under the various displays. I loved the one with the cranky Shoe editor muttering, "A good editor never sleeps," and I got a kick out of the unaccompanied dialogue bubble just above head level simply stating, "I feel like there is a cloud over my head."

This part of the park included my two favorite rides, aside from the thrilling Hogwarts Castle tour. Dudley Do-Wright, the clueless Mountie, was the theme of the log flume, and we spent close to two hours waiting for Dudley Do-Wright's Ripsaw Falls, after which point we decided that the fast passes would be a good idea. The wait wasn't bad, though, because the line was filled with quirky announcements, Dudley Do-Wright cartoons and artwork. The ride itself is a log flume ride rather like the Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain, and it tells a story using jumbo figures and dialogue and narration coming out of the speakers nearby. The basic storyline has Dudley clumsily saving the day from the nefarious Snidely Whiplash, with the result that he is celebrated by the town but still rejected by the girl of his dreams. The tale is entertaining, and the ride is tons of fun for a hot day. I rode it three times over the course of two days, and I got completely soaked each time - though the third time, I rode it later in the day than I should have, with the result that I was shivering all through dinner. You're best off getting this one out of the way well before 5:00. Same goes for Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges, which is comparable to the white water rapids ride at Hersheypark. If the splash from going down a waterfall doesn't get you, the downpour from waterfalls above you will. Plus, you have the people up on the bridges paying to aim water at you. There's no avoiding getting drenched on this ride, though handily, there is a sealed plastic compartment in the middle in which to store your belongings, and they'll stay pretty dry as long as you put them in there. Like Ripsaw Falls, this includes several jumbo figures from the cartoon scattered throughout the ride and combined with dialogue from the speakers. It's very entertaining and refreshing.

Another ride involving a circular raft is the Jurassic Park River Adventure, the only ride I went on in that section of the park. It starts out nice and mellow, almost like the Jungle Cruise, and the gorgeous score from the movie augments the beauty of those animatronic plant-eating dinosaurs. Then you leave the sunny outdoor area and go inside, where it's dark and dire warnings about malfunctions flash and blare. This part of the ride is creepy, particularly the huge Tyrannosaurus Rex that lunges down upon you just before you go down the ride's final hill. There's a bit of a splash to this one, but it's nothing compared to the ones in Ripsaw Falls and Bilgerat Barges, and you could probably ride this one a little later in the day and not have to worry so much about getting dry. Outside of the ride, there are a number of photo spots, and we just enjoyed wandering through on our way to the wizards. The Lost Continent is around here too, and we didn't spend much time there at all the first day, but the second day we did the walk-through show Poseidon's Fury, which had some really cool special effects, not to mention a very enthusiastic human guide.

Seuss Landing is designed mostly with kids in mind, so none of the rides are that thrilling for adults, but this part of the park is incredibly visually appealing. Everywhere you look is a statue of some Seuss character, and the whole thing is eye-poppingly colorful. I took oodles of pictures in this part of the park, and it's just a joy to walk through. Whatever your favorite Seuss book is, you'll probably find it here in some form or another. The carousel is a real thing of beauty, populated as it is by all sorts of Seussish creatures, and I love the display dedicated to the Lorax and the old Onceler. We rode on the Cat in the Hat ride, which is an entertaining dark ride that takes you through the events of the book, and the trolley ride, which provides a little tour of all the Seussian attractions in the area. Kids should love this park, along with adults who appreciate whimsy.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an amazing sight for any Rowling fan. You get there, and it's like you have entered the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, where Hogwarts students go for occasional field trips. It's so compact that it's hard to really get a feel for how it looks without standing in the middle of it. Shops tower on all sides, some of them actually selling merchandise, others only storefronts there just for show. While the Hogwarts Express does not actually go anywhere, you can get your picture taken with the engine and stroll through the station. This park has three rides, two of which I went on, as the Dragon Challenge looked a little too twisty for me. The Flight of the Hippogriff is short, but it's an exhilarating little roller coaster, and I love the line for this ride because it includes Hagrid's hut, and you get to hear his voice booming out from the speaker. I was hoping that there would be a photo op spot with Hagrid or a character walking around, but this little area is very cool. I just wish that guests were able to actually go into the cabin.

The park has no specific characters walking around, but it is filled with witches and wizards serving as prefects. The main attraction of the park is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a mega-cool virtual tour of Hogwarts. You can't use express passes on this one, and the line is rather confusing. You're not allowed to bring loose articles with you, unless you can manage to stash them in your clothing. I didn't realize this until I got almost to the front of the line, and I was told to go downstairs to stash my stuff in a locker, except there wasn't a locker available. My aunt was waiting outside, so she took my purse for me and I went back and managed to get back to roughly where I had been in line before, and I ended up on the ride just a few minutes after my cousin. Still, I think the line seemed a bit disorganized. I loved looking at all of the displays inside the castle, though. Talking portraits, desks of significant characters, the Gryffindor common room... It was a definite feast for the eyes and ears. The ride itself is a three-dimensional deal that combines movement and physical displays with virtual ones. You'll get to see several major points inside the castle and out. The idea is that you're following Harry and Hermione on broomstick, and some of the angles are pretty dizzying. I'll admit I walked off this one feeling a little woozy, but it was worth it to get the sensation that I was soaring over the Quidditch pitch or swooping through the Hogwarts dungeons. Several characters from the movies make an appearance as well, so this ride really is a lot of fun.

Also inside the castle is the massive gift shop, Filch's Emporium, where you can buy t-shirts, pillows, pins, action figures and all sorts of other collectibles. One thing I didn't see there was a postcard rack; there's a separate shop for that, and while we were there, they rolled a small cart outside so that we could buy postcards from there as well and have them stamped with the Hogsmeade postmark. Filch's Emporium was the only shop we entered the first day; on the second trip, we perused Zonko's joke shop and Honeyduke's candy shop, both of which were feasts for the eyes. My park souvenirs included a Hagrid pin and Harry's wand; while we didn't brave the massive line at Ollivander's wand shop, a couple of other places sold the wands as well, with styles modeled after the wands of several major characters.

Of course, we also had to try some butterbeer, the beloved beverage that so many Harry Potter fans have longed to taste. Scattered throughout this portion of the park are several butterbeer kiosks, and they draw quite a crowd as well. The plastic souvenir mugs are both snazzy and practical, as you won't have to worry much about them breaking while you're wandering through the park. After the first one, though, you can get it in disposable cups instead the mugs and pay less. The drink itself is a sort of mix of cream soda with butterscotch foam, and it's very refreshing on a hot Florida day. Pumpkin juice, another prominent Harry Potter drink, is available too, but we didn't try that, nor did we eat at the Three Broomsticks, the park's restaurant. Just as the pair of Mickey Mouse ears was my one essential purchase at Disney World, the butterbeer was my Must Buy at Universal, and it was worth the anticipation. Speaking of souvenirs, I highly recommend bringing a couple rolls of quarters and pennies so you can use the pressed penny machines located at many points throughout the park. These are very inexpensive but fun collectibles, and it can be a sort of treasure hunt to track as many down as you can. I think I returned from Florida with more than 30 from the different places we went to, and I would have had more if I'd thought to bring quarters ahead of time.

All in all, Universal's Islands of Adventure is an amazing place to spend the day. It's crowded and pricey, but the rides, characters, shops and general extravagance of the themes presented in as much vibrant detail as possible make it a thrilling stop for Harry Potter fans and fun-lovers of all ages.

Take the Plunge Off Ripsaw Falls With Dudley Do-Right at Universal Islands of Adventure

On March 14, I set off from Maryland with my Aunt Barb, Uncle Chuck and cousin Casey on a 14-hour drive that landed us in Orlando, Florida. One of the major stops on our itinerary was Universal Studios, particularly because the Wizarding World of Harry Potter had just opened there the year before, and it’s no secret what a fan I am of that series. In fact, when Casey joined my family for a trip to Ocean City, Maryland 11 years ago, I risked carsickness and spent every spare moment in the car reading my brand-new copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I may be a Muggle, but I was eager to get a peek at the lifestyles of the magical and famous.

What I realized when we arrived for our first day at Universal was just how huge the place is. It’s divided into two parks, and each one is expansive. We worked our way toward Harry Potter, but oodles of fun awaited us first in other areas of Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Once we’d spent some time snapping pictures with the Marvel and classic cartoon displays in the two sections nearest the entrance, Aunt Barb made a beeline for Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, so that served as my introduction to the rides at Universal, and it was a good one.

The ride towers above much of Universal’s classic cartoon section. The name of the ride stands out at the top of an entryway, with a large circular saw blade neatly slicing the words “RIPSAW FALLS” in half. Other striking landmarks include the tower with a red Mountie hat on top and the sculpture of villainous Snidely Whiplash and pretty young Nell Fenwick carved into the side of the mountain. At the entryway, a wooden cut-out of Dudley helps riders determine whether they are tall enough to ride. The line then divides into regular riders and those with Fast Passes.

We didn’t have Fast Passes, so we went to the right, where a long line awaited us. This was St. Patrick’s Day, as well as Spring Break week for many students, so the park was packed. It took us well over an hour, and probably closer to two, to finally get on the ride. I didn’t mind too much, though, since there was so much within the line itself to keep us entertained. Various cut-outs scattered throughout the line made me chuckle, and several short videos played on the TV screens mounted on the walls. If you went into the ride unfamiliar with Dudley Do-Right, you certainly should have had a good idea of what this cheerfully dopey Canadian officer was all about by the time you got on.

Adding to the fun were the periodic announcements over the loudspeaker from other members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. All of the ride employees wore snappy red uniforms that matched Dudley’s, which made the experience that much more immersive. After we realized how incredible crowded the park was that day, my aunt decided that we should get Fast Passes, which cost nearly as much as the price of park admission but cut your wait time down hugely, especially on such a busy day. We liked Ripsaw Falls so much that after we bought the Fast Pass, we went back and rode it again. The Fast Pass will only get you on each ride once, and a few of the rides don’t have Fast Pass lanes, but our experience tells me that if you buy a Fast Pass right off the bat, you should be able to get on every ride in Islands of Adventure if you put a full day in. The second time we rode Ripsaw Falls, we waited for fewer than ten minutes.

Ripsaw Falls is a pretty typical log flume ride, which takes you up big hills, around twisty bends and down sharp slopes, at the bottom of which you are pretty much guaranteed to get a soaking. Leave bags and other loose items with a non-rider if that’s an option, but your stuff will probably be all right in any case. I took my purse/camera bag on with me all three times, and my camera was inside and didn’t get wet. I definitely would recommend keeping cameras in some kind of bag, though, and holding them at such an angle as to minimize water exposure.

It’s not the wettest ride at Universal – that would be Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges – but Ripsaw Falls is a close second. The ride proceeds like an episode of the series, which originated as a regular segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Every once in a while the over-the-top narrator blasts some description out of the loudspeaker, and once in a while one of the major characters, integrated as statues all along the route, speaks as well.

There’s Dudley to the rescue, bumbling things every step of the way, shrieking Nell and slickly vile Snidely. At one point, we also get to see a struggling Inspector Fenwick expressing his spluttering displeasure at his situation. The ride ends with a splash and a curious combination of exultation and defeat as you ride in under a wide banner announcing “Big Award Ceremony Today!!” and hear the narrator conclude that “A Mountie always gets his man – but not necessarily his girl!” Because no matter how many times poor Dudley may inadvertently save the day, Nell is just not that into him.

This ride is pretty close to the entrance of Islands of Adventure, and with good reason. You probably want to ride it earlier rather than later. Granted, I probably wouldn’t get on it at 9 in the morning, but I would recommend getting it in by 3 or 4. I think it was nearing 1 the first time we rode it, and closing in on 2 the second time, and we had no trouble at all drying off in the sun. By the time we got to Harry Potter, we were good and ready for those frosty butterbeers.

The second day we went, we hit the other side of the park and only came back to Islands of Adventure to catch a couple of the best rides as we wound down. I think it was close to 5 when we rode it that day, and by the time the sun had gone down and we were having dinner at CityWalk, the avenue of shops and restaurants just outside the main park area, Aunt Barb and I were shivering and wishing we’d paid the five bucks to go through one of the super-strength people dryers located near the water rides.

Aside from the wet factor later in the day, the only downside to the ride is that you have to get in the logs with your legs flat out in front of you, and it’s pretty awkward to get in, especially since they really rush the process. My aunt and I both struggled to arrange our legs properly as we sat down, and Casey had to give us a hand getting up.

Still, the fact that this was the only ride at Universal that we went on three times tells you that it’s a pretty fantastic ride. It’s fun, with the theme perfectly carried out throughout the line and the ride alike. It’s a bit of a thrill, not least when you emerge from the long wait in darkness and emerge half-blinded into the bright sunshine. And on a hot day, it sure is refreshing. Like most of the rides at Universal, this one snaps your picture, so you can savor the experience even more with a photo as you zoom screaming down the hill. Come to think of it, I’m a little surprised none of us went for that, as many times as we rode it. But I don’t need a picture to remember this ride by; Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls stands out clearly as one of the best rides at Universal.

Go Along on Shrek and Fiona's Harrowing Honeymoon with Shrek 4-D

When I went to Florida recently with my aunt, uncle and cousin, we split our trip to Universal Studios into two days. We tackled Islands of Adventure on March 17 and spent March 21 at Universal Studios Florida. We did make it into Islands of Adventure again toward the end of our second day, and the crowd was noticeably thinner than it had been the first time around. However, I would say that generally speaking, Islands of Adventure was the more crowded of the two parks. After our experience the first day, my aunt got Fast Passes as soon as we got into the park, and we had no trouble whatsoever getting in on everything we wanted to ride in this park. In fact, by the end of the day, she said that she suspected we wouldn’t have really needed them. Overall, Universal Studios Florida had a much more relaxed feel to it.

The fun started with Shrek 4-D, one of several rides I rode on vacation that was more show than ride. We went through the Fast Pass line quickly, with just enough time to stop and get a good look at various displays like the Duloc bulletin board, upon which are plastered notices for upcoming events, personal ads and all sorts of other goodies. Phony movie posters scattered throughout the line were fun, too; I especially liked the looks of Donkey-Xote: A Feel Good Comedy of the Dark Ages. From outside the ride line, you can see several enormous stills from the movie, as well as a couple of large three-dimensional displays, and nearby you can get your picture taken with Shrek and Donkey. If you’re a big fan of the movies, you’ll probably also want to check out Shrek’s Ye Olde Souvenir Shoppe after the ride ends.

As we got closer to the inner ride area, we saw a television screen upon which Shrek was playing. We happened to catch it right at the end of the movie, so we got to see Fiona’s marriage scene before moving on to the area where we got our real introduction to the ride. Inside, a combination of animatronic characters and images on screens got us up to speed with the fact that several of Shrek’s friends had been captured and were being tortured and that even though the thoroughly unpleasant Lord Farquaad had been eaten by a dragon, his ghost was determined to thwart Shrek and Fiona’s happiness.

We were standing for this portion of the ride, clustered together with everyone trying to get a good view. I didn’t have any trouble seeing what was going on, though at times I didn’t quite catch everything that was being said. It generally wasn’t a problem, though, and I enjoyed the banter of the ride employees as well as the exposition of the Magic Mirror, particularly the tip of the hat to Star Wars.

The main attraction was in the theater, on the way into which we picked up our pairs of glasses. The ride employees want to make sure that as many people can get on as possible, so they try to keep this process orderly, seeing to it that everyone moves all the way down his or her row so that no seats remain empty. The seating process didn’t end up taking very long, and soon we were all comfortably resting with the glasses on our heads, ready for the show to begin.

What Shrek 4-D really is, more than anything else, is an animated short that serves as an epilogue to Shrek. Fiona and Shrek have embarked upon their honeymoon, and Donkey is by their side whether they want him there or not. This attraction doesn’t take the sequels into account; it was first unveiled in 2003, before Shrek 2 came along. So don’t expect to see Puss in Boots anywhere, but his presence wouldn’t make sense anyway given the timeline of the film. You do get to see plenty of Donkey, who is my favorite character in the movies, and of Shrek and Fiona too. Plenty of familiar voices reprise their roles, most notably Mike Myers as Shrek, Eddie Murphy as Donkey and John Lithgow as Farquaad. The animation is high-quality, and the story and jokes are well written. I think we may have laughed more on this ride than any other ride at Universal Studios Florida.

This is definitely a kid-friendly attraction, with lots of silly gags and nothing too off-color in the humor. The 4-D element comes into play now and then, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s fun when a character seems to pop out of the screen or the audience gets sprayed with a light mist when Shrek and Donkey get wet, but there’s nothing too intense here. The seats move a bit, with rickety motion during some of the big action sequences, but it’s just a slight jostle and nothing to cause any concern to those who suffer from motion sickness, as I often do. It’s just a fun, laid-back ride and a great little story that made for a great start to our day. If you’re bonkers for ogres, you certainly won’t want to miss it.