This is not just a ranking of which rides we find most enjoyable at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, but the rides that I feel are the best, even if we sometimes don’t ride them. I’ve ranked them first in each park separately then both parks together for those of you going to both parks in one visit (which I highly recommend). I won’t be going in-depth about each ride on this post but watch for my posts for individual rides that will be going up in the future. I also won’t be ranking the kiddie rides in either park as I don’t feel they really need to be ranked.
While I recommend going to the parks for a minimum of two days (three is ideal), this list can help you prioritize which rides are a must ride and which ones can be skipped if you feel like you will be pressed for time.
Universal Studios Florida
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™
- Hollywood Rip Ride™ Rocket
- Transformers: The Ride – 3D
- Revenge of the Mummy™
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem™
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon™
- The Simpson’s Ride™
- Fast & Furious – Supercharged™
- Hogwarts Express: King’s Cross Station
- E.T. Adventure™
- Shrek 4D
- Men in Black™ Alien Attack™
- Kang & Kodo’s Twirl n’ Hurl
Universal's Islands of Adventure
- Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster™
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman™
- Hogwarts Express: Hogsmeade Station™
- Flight of the Hippogriff™
- Jurassic Park River Adventure™
- Doctor Doom’s Fearfall®
- Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
- Poseidon’s Fury™
- Storm Force Accelatron®
Overall Ranking for Both Parks
- Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster ™
- Hollywood Rip Ride™ Rocket ™
- Transformers: The Ride – 3D
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
- Revenge of the Mummy™
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem™
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon™
- The Simpson’s Ride™
- The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman™
- Fast & Furious – Supercharged™
- Hogwarts Express: King’s Cross Station
- Hogwarts Express: Hogsmeade Station™
- Flight of the Hippogriff™
- E.T. Adventure™
- Jurassic Park River Adventure™
- Shrek 4D
- Men in Black™ Alien Attack™
- Doctor Doom’s Fearfall®
- Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
- Poseidon’s Fury™
- Kang & Kodo’s Twirl n’ Hurl
- Storm Force Accelatron®
To be completely honest, I no longer ride the Rip Ride Rocket coaster because it started giving me a headache a few years ago. That being said it’s an awesome roller coaster and my husband still goes on it regularly. Also, we are not much for water rides so they tend to rank pretty low for us. If you like water rides these may be higher on your list!
If you are only going to be in the parks for one day you will likely need to skip some of the rides or consider purchasing a Universal Express Pass which will get you onto rides quicker. Read my post on “Saving Time at Universal Studios” (coming soon) to find out more ways to maximize your time at the parks!
