Yes, I Rode BOTH the Dueling Dragons at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure!
Written: Apr 17 '01 (Updated May 29 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of rides ranging from juvenile to scary, clean and colorful park.
Cons: It gets crowded later in the day. Go early!
The Bottom Line: Plenty of scary rides to entertain older children and foolhardy adults. There's a bit of everything to appeal to a wide range of park goers. It's an adventure for everyone.
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| diverpam's Full Review: Universal Studios Islands of Adventure |
What do you do after going on a ride that leaves you soaking wet from head to toe? Well, you go for a wild ride on an open-air roller coaster. Talk about a blow-dry!
Cooling Off on a Hot Day
It was so hot the day we visited Islands of Adventure that I made my husband stay on one of the water rides (Popeye & Bluto's) until we were literally soaked through to the skin. We squished around the park for a while trying to dry off, then found ourselves at the entrance of the Dueling Dragons roller coasters.
Fired and Ice -- Very Nice!
These twin coasters are not identical by any means -- one is Fire and the other Ice. Both leave your feet dangling open in the air and you are quickly twisted and spun in a variety of means. The ride was fairly short on the Fire Dragon (good thing, since I was screaming the whole time)! What a blast that was... a dizzying whirl, high above the park.
I was a bit wobbly upon our return, but I was still wet and my husband was ready to ride the Ice Dragon. Once again, we squeezed into the tiny compartments, had ourselves locked down tightly and went whirling away at about a zillion miles an hour.
This time I was really dizzy when I got off the ride. It all happens so fast, you don't have time to realize how many times you've been hurled upside down and up and down the track. It was a fast, smooth, scary, yet very fun ride.
Incredible Hulk
I was almost getting dry by this time. We walked across the park to the Incredible Hulk roller coaster. My husband had been wanting to ride it all day. I guess he thought he'd worn me down enough to get me on another roller coaster. Think again, honey!
I was content to stand on the bridge near the ride and watch people screaming past me suspended upside down. It was fascinating to see all the junk that had fallen from their pockets and had been caught in the net suspended overhead. Sunglasses, anyone? My husband had to wait a good while to get on the ride because he opted to get in the special line that allowed him to ride in the front row. He wanted to get the full effect.
Amazing Spiderman - Me, in a comic book?
Across from the Hulk is the Amazing Spiderman ride. I was surprised at how much fun it was. There were tons of special effects that had us feeling as it we were flying through the air and passing all sorts of hazards along the way. I was ready to get back in line and ride it again.
The Twister - Wish I'd Missed 'er
The Twister was a waste of time. We all stood in the back of the stage area while twister-like special effects were taking place in front of us. There was wind, rain and things supposedly blowing about. Overall, this was very disappointing. I wouldn't stand in line for it again.
Jurassic Park River Ride - Watch out for T-Rex!
This was a river boat ride that took us around a lot of hidden curves where various prehistoric critters leered and snarled at us. The culmination of the ride was a stuffy ride through very tight quarters that suddenly opened up to a rather drastic plunge, as if we had gone over a waterfall.
The Jurassic Park display area was pretty interesting. We felt as if we had walked onto the movie set and into the real Jurassic Park Visitor's Center.
Recommendation
This was just a sampling of the rides that you can find here. The park is a fun place to visit when it's hot, because there are plenty of opportunities to get cooled off with a giant splash or two. I recommend you go early -- as soon as the park opens. By not having to stand in line so long you can hit a lot more rides and be ready for a cooling lunch break in the park.
Wasting Away in Margaritaville
I recommend Margaritaville Restaurant, which is located just outside the Islands of Adventure in the central entry area of the Universal complex. There's nothing like listening to Jimmy Buffet, watching a volcano erupt periodically and sipping a frozen Margarita after a hard morning riding dragons and battling prehistoric creatures.
Recommended:
Yes
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diverpam
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Member: Pam
Location: Collierville, TN
Reviews written: 263
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~~~~So many oceans...so little time!~~~~
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