Best Rides at Universal Orlando: Full Rides List, Express Pass Tips, Hotel Guide & Epic Universe Updates
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The 10 Best Rides at Universal Studios Orlando
At long last that family trip to Universal Studios Resort in Orlando is just around the corner. You’ve saved up enough for four full days at the expansive 1,291-acre theme park that includes Universal Studios Orlando, Islands of Adventure, City Walk, Volcano Bay water park, and the newly opened Universal Epic Universe.
For those who are wondering, Disney World covers 27,000 acres which translates to nearly 43 square miles. This includes the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Magic Kingdom Animal Park, and the Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks.
Disneyland in Southern California is a ‘mere’ 500 acres that includes the theme park, on-site hotels, and the Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment district.
With limited vacation time and a tight budget, you’ll want to be sure to take in all of the best rides and attractions that Universal has to offer. Planning each day, which you definitely need to do, can be understandably overwhelming when the multiple parks combined offer more than 40 rides, plus 25+ live shows and play areas.
Here's an alphabetical listing of what are consensus “best rides” at Universal Studios Resort, Orlando, based primarily on input from multiple theme park ride experts. Universal Epic Universe opened on May 22, so its offerings have not yet been rated by most roller coaster and motion simulator reviewers. However, our initial thoughts about the new rides at Epic Universe are described below the top 10. Rides are listed alphabetically, so the order is subjective.
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, located in Production Central. Opened: 2012. Riders must be 40 in./102 cm. tall., and 48 in./122 cm. tall to ride alone. There are stationary platforms available for viewers who don’t meet these requirements. The Despicable Me franchise invites guests to join Gru and the girls on this family favorite simulator ride. Express Pass access is accepted, but there is often a wait up to half of the non-express time. The animation and Minion craziness makes the wait more than worthwhile.
- E. T. Adventure is located in Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone. Opened: 1990. Designed to connect best with younger riders, it may just be their parents and grandparents who enjoy it the most. Stepping back in time to June 1982 when E.T. – The Extraterrestrial was the rage at movie theaters nationwide and around the world, this classic ride has been such fun since it opened 35 years ago. The dark ride in a gondola-style carriage and flying bikes requires riders to be a minimum of 34 in./86 cm. tall. It is utterly amazing that E.T. continues to stand the test of time as an all-time classic, created and produced by a 34-year-old named Steven Spielberg. This ride offers Express Pass access, though normal wait times are not even 30 minutes, and can often be 10 minutes or less.
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts takes place in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. Opened: 2014. Riders must be at least 42 in./106 cm. tall. This popular indoor roller coaster features motion-based 4D effects and is preceded by a not-to-be-missed tour of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Note: the single rider line bypasses the tour. Express Pass access accepted. Wait times up to three hours aren’t unheard of, so make use of the Universal Studios app to know the best times to arrive.
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. HURRY! This beloved ride will be closing in September 2025 to make room for a new, yet-to-be-announced experience. Located in Production Central. Opened: 2009. Riders must be at least 51 in./130 cm. tall. Loose personal items are required to be stowed in provided free lockers. You will also find Express Pass access, a single rider line, and you can even choose to wait in a special line just for riders who want to sit in the front row. The Rockit is a high-speed outdoor roller coaster where you can choose the soundtrack you want to listen to while zipping along. Expect long wait times (use the Universal app!), and even longer due to the upcoming closing.
- Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast takes place on Illumination Avenue in Minion Land. Opened: 2023. Guests are provided with a handheld blaster that will enable you to rise higher in the villain ranks by scoring points along the way. This attraction is known for some of the shorter wait times at Universal Studios Florida which is usually 30 minutes at the most. It is, however, one of the most enjoyable attractions, in our opinion, at the park. There is Express Pass access though you may not need it to expedite entry. Villain-Con features a moving pathway in the dark based upon the Minions franchise.
- Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl takes place in Springfield, USA, home of the Simpsons. Opened: 2013. Guests have long given this ride higher scores than the “expert” reviews, with youngsters and teens being the biggest fans. There are no height requirements for your two minute flight in small flying saucers, and parents are pleased that there is nothing the least bit scary about the ride despite its name. Everyone will enjoy the narration of Kang and Kodo, especially when Kang boisterously encourages riders to destroy Springfield. Preschoolers may not understand the Simpsons humor, but devoted fans will find the insulting comments about humans to be hilarious.
- Men in Black Alien Attack takes place at the World Expo. Opened: 2000. This interactive shooter ride in the dark will officially install you as the newest recruit with MIB. Riders must be a minimum of 42 in./102 cm. tall. Loose personal items are required to be placed in free lockers provided at the entrance to the Men in Black experience. Wait times are rarely more than 30 minutes, and there is Express Pass access as a single rider line if you prefer to expedite entry.
- Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride takes place in New York City. Opened: 2004. Riders must be at least 48 in./122 cm. tall. This is an indoor high-speed roller coaster that you won’t want to miss. Although “the Mummy” has been at Universal Studios Orlando for more than two decades, it remains a favorite destination for park visitors. Wait times can run longer than an hour at peak times, but there is Express Pass access and a single-rider line to keep things moving. Loose items must be stored in free lockers that are provided at the attraction’s entrance.
- The Simpsons Ride takes place in Springfield, USA, home of the Simpsons. While which Springfield, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, or elsewhere is unknown, every state has a Springfield-like town of its own. Opened: 2008. Riders must be at least 40 in./102 cm. tall. Express Pass access is available, but this is one of those rides where wait times are usually quite short, ranging from as little as 10 minutes up to half an hour. The Simpsons is a family-friendly motion-simulator ride where there’s plenty of humor and a plethora of characters you will instantly recognize from the show.
- Transformers: The Ride – 3D, located in Production Central. Opened: 2013. Riders must be at least 40 in./102 cm. tall. There is a single rider line that is highly recommended for a fuller experience. As a NEST (Non-biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty) recruit, you’ll be in the heat of the battle along with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. The simulator ride is generally smooth, however, you will definitely feel the scene to scene transitions and the battle’s intensity. Wait times can be lengthy throughout the day but are longest midday. Use the park’s app to determine the best time to join the queue if you don’t have Express Pass access.
Author: Usa-Pyon
Despicable Me Minion
Check Out the 11 New Rides at Universal Epic Universe
- Yoshi’s Adventure: This one’s for the kids. Calming and fun. A family-friendly experience on the upper level of Super Nintendo World.
- Constellation Carousel: Another smart choice for families with youngsters, this merry-go-round features celestial creatures to ride in lieu of horses.
- Fyre Drill: A slow-moving water ride within How to Train Your Dragon. The guests stay dry without big splashes and kids have a fun time.
- Mario Kart, Bowser’s Challenge: Inside Super Nintendo World. Interactive fun with special goggles where rides travel through a larger-than-life videogame along with Mario and Luigi.
- Dragon Racer’s Rally: A themed carnival ride of sorts where dragons take their riders swooping and sweeping through the air. The direction that the 10 riders per dragon lean, or don’t, determines the banking angle of the ride.
- Mine-Cart Madness: At Donkey Kong Country inside Super Nintendo World, this is a fun indoors and out family roller coaster. Ride through the jungle near the Golden Temple and Golden Banana.
- Curse of the Werewolf: This outdoor roller coaster features spinning cars that are attached as part of a train. Thrills and chills in a dark forest setting. Beware of the werewolves!
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders: The place to raise your hands and scream while the outdoor roller coaster that looks reasonably tame (it isn’t) thrills riders with unexpected surprises.
- Monster’s Unchained, The Frankenstein Experiment: Where else would you expect to find a dark ride within Dark Universe? Enter Dr. Frankenstein’s goth mansion at your own risk. Universal calls this its “most chilling ride ever.”
- Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry: Intense dark fun with omnidirectional motions that follow Harry and his friends from Paris in the 1920s to London in the 1990s. Buckle up for sure. If extreme motion isn’t your thing, this may not be for you.
- Stardust Racers: Dueling roller coasters in Celestial Park ride side-to-side and even interact several times during this high-speed intense ride that will take your breath away.
Author: Mia2you
ORLANDO. USA. FLORIDA - MARCH 11, 2017: Toon Lagoon places. Islands of Adventure. Universal. Florida. USA.
Before You Go…
Make your visit to Universal Studios Resort in Orlando far less stressful by downloading the official app to your phone before heading for the park. The app is available for both Android devices and Apple iOS and is called Universal Orlando Resort App when you search on Google Play or your Apple iPhone.
Features include park maps, which we definitely recommend instead of carrying a paper map during your visit. Detailed maps of each themed area make it easy to navigate these large parks. You will also gain access to virtual lines, show times, up-to-the-minute wait times, mobile restaurant ordering, and many more useful features. Learn more about what the app has to offer on the Universal Orlando website.
With almost 500 hotels and 130,000 rooms in the Orlando area, how do you decide where to stay? Our suggestion is a simple one. Log onto the Travelated website, one of the most comprehensive and easy to navigate travel sites you will find for Orlando hotels, both at Universal Studios Florida and nearby.
If Orlando is just one stop on a longer vacation to other areas of Florida and the U.S. Southeast, Travelated offers hundreds of properties throughout the country in every price category. You are sure to find what you are looking for here.
And in closing, a reminder that peak season for Orlando is from Memorial Day to mid-August, Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas to New Years, and the full month of March to mid-April which includes Easter. If there is any way that your schedule can avoid these busy time periods, you will have a much more enjoyable visit to the area. During shoulder and off-season rates are lower not only at the parks, but airfares, rental cars, hotels, and dining out is less expensive, and waiting for a table is much less of an issue. The biggest positive is there will be much less traffic to contend with.
Click on this link for a complete overview of the Universal Epic Universe theme park.
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