Best Thrill Rides

When it comes to thrill rides, Universal Orlando did not shy away from including some of the world’s best when they built Islands of Adventure. While Universal Studios lets you “ride the movies” and is more family-oriented, Islands of Adventure is a playground for thrill seekers of all ages (granted that you meet the height requirements).

Dueling Dragons and the Incredible Hulk Coaster are on nearly everyone’s top wish lists for attractions at IOA – and with that, you may find a bit more of a wait than for other rides in the park. Dueling Dragons is a one-of-a-kind thrill ride located in the Lost Continent. The two dragons, the Fire Dragon and the Ice Dragon, are the world’s first inverted, dueling rollercoasters. With speeds of at least 55 mph (the Fire Dragon actually approaches 60 mph) and heights of up to 125 feet, riders come within 12-18 inches (depending on who you ask) from each other three different times on the 2:25 ride. For the best ride, try to get two of the outside seats on each row, and beware of the line-splitting as you approach the dock. If you are a daredevil, the wait for the front row is more than worth it, so stick it out and you will get the most adrenaline rush from this perspective.

Where can you go from 0 mph to 40 mph in just TWO seconds? That would be on the Incredible Hulk rollercoaster, located in the Marvel Super Hero Island. After you are rocketed from a dark tunnel into sunlight, you can expect seven inversions on this 2:15 ride, including two deep drops as well. The Hulk launches it 32 passengers 150 feet in the air and reaches speeds of 67 mph – so make sure you really do check your pockets and hold onto anything you don’t want to lose before you go for the ride.

If you are headed over to Universal Studios, The Revenge of the Mummy is the best thrill ride this park offers. Dubbed as a “psychological thrill ride,” Revenge of the Mummy relies on speed (45mph), pyrotechnics and robotics to play a mind-game with its riders. This attraction is indoors, unlike its two peers above, but the Egyptian sets, passageways and tombs that your car goes through makes it a cut above other indoor rides, and the total darkness adds to the ambiance of the ride. Your car will go in both directions on this five-minute journey, and you can expect to face anything from fireballs to scarab beetles to an army of warrior mummies during your ride, which reinvents all conventional thinking about rollercoasters.