Islands of Adventure

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Islands of Adventure (IoA) is one of the biggest and most-visited theme parks in Orlando, Florida. First opened in 1999 as part of an expansion to Universal Studios Resort, it has several themed areas and crazier rides than what is in Universal Studios Florida. It is walking distance from its sister park, Universal Studios, but IoA closes earlier.

Tips

If you want to save on dining, it is best to eat at Citywalk outside of the theme park. There are fast food chains there (i.e. Moe's & Denny's) where your whole group can have a decent meal with better portions and prices than what you will get from inside the park. You can always go in and out of the park provided that you get your hand stamped by an attendant before you exit.

If you are short on time and realize that the rides you want to go on have queues that can last for hours at a time, it may be worthwhile to invest in the Powerpass. This is an additional paid ticket that you can buy which gives you front-of-the-line access to most of the rides in the park. It's around $ 20 USD + extra per person, which is a bit pricey, but may be worth your time.

The best way to save on tickets if you plan on spending more than a day is getting a multi-day park pass - which allows you to go through both parks. In theory, you can finish Islands of Adventure in one day if there are no queues, but if there are, the most cost efficient is getting a three-day pass for both Universal and IoA.

Getting There

Most hotels have shuttles that go to and from Universal Studios. Check with your hotel for exact times and if you need to reserve a slot in advance. Some hotels are within walking distance to the park, so you can walk if you can stand the Florida heat, especially during summer. If that is not an option, another way to go to the park is by renting a car. Do note that if you do rent a car, parking at the park costs an additional $ 17 USD per day as of this writing for regular parking, pay more if you want the preferred parking (which is a closer walk to the park). Public transportation to the park is also available, but may not drop you off directly in front. Expect to walk from the closest street to inside the park.

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Author: ruby917. Last updated: Apr 11, 2015