Islands of Adventure Trip Report Day 2: Ride Order and Wait Times

📍 Universal Islands of Adventure — 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819, USA

📍 Universal Studios Florida — 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819, USA

Following on from my last post, today I’m sharing Day 2 of my Universal Orlando trip. If you missed Day 1, check out the post below!

🔗 Universal Studios Florida Trip Report Day 1: Ride Order and Wait Times

This time the plan was to focus on Islands of Adventure and then take the Hogwarts Express over to Universal Studios Florida in the afternoon. I had both a Park-to-Park ticket and an Express Pass, so I kept moving as efficiently as I could!

Visit date: 2025.10.06 Weather: Cloudy (rain in the afternoon)

8:40 Shuttle to Universal

We set out around 8:00, but between shuttle delays and a huge line, it took about 40 minutes before we finally got on a shuttle… Maybe because it’s a value resort, there were a lot of guests taking the morning shuttle.

9:00 Arriving at Islands of Adventure

As soon as we arrived, we headed straight for the Marvel area.

9:15 #1 The Incredible Hulk Coaster (Express)

The signature roller coaster at Islands of Adventure. You have to put everything, including your phone, in a locker before riding. A staff member gives you a paper ticket that opens the locker. The launch at the start is incredibly fast and the inversions are intense, so the thrill factor was top-notch. But it was very rough, so it was a bit of a painful ride. The regular wait was 15 minutes, and I think we rode within 5 minutes with Express.

9:45 #2 The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (Express)

Spider-Man’s day-job office

A popular attraction that combines 3D screens with a motion simulator. It really felt like Spider-Man was right beside us helping out. The regular wait was about 15 minutes, and we walked right in with Express.

10:00 Marvel character meet

Captain America was really tall

While walking through the Marvel area, I saw Captain America doing a photo op, so I jumped in while the line was short.

In Toon Lagoon, the raft ride and the log flume were both down, so we left them for later and moved on.

10:15 #3 Skull Island: Reign of Kong (Express)

You ride a vehicle like a jungle expedition truck, and in the end Kong comes to the rescue. The 3D effects were good, and the giant Kong animatronic at the end has an amazing presence. The regular wait was about 20 minutes, and we went straight in with Express.

10:30 #4 Jurassic World VelociCoaster (Express)

I rode it yesterday, and I came back to ride it again today! It’s the most intense coaster at Universal. The launches and inversions are all powerful, and it’s a lot of people’s favorite coaster. The ride stopped temporarily, so we waited 40 minutes even with Express. But once I’d ridden it, I thought, “That was worth the wait…” It’s the most thrilling attraction.

The path from Jurassic Park into the Harry Potter area has a great view of Hogwarts Castle, so it’s a photo spot!

Be sure to take a photo here~

12:00 #5 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (Express)

The signature Harry Potter attraction that you board inside Hogwarts Castle. It uses robotic-arm technology to recreate the feeling of actually flying, and it was incredibly immersive. The regular wait was 20 minutes, and we walked right in with Express. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, I absolutely recommend it. That said, there are a lot of scene transitions, so it can make you a little dizzy.

12:30 #6 Flight of the Hippogriff (Express)

A short, cute family coaster. It was fun as a light ride, and the scenery around it is pretty. The regular wait was about 50 minutes, and we waited about 10 minutes with Express. It’s not very thrilling, so I think I’d have felt it wasn’t worth a 50-minute wait.

13:00 #7 Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

I enjoyed it yesterday, and I rode it again today. It was just as fun the second time. You ride on a motorbike, and the storytelling and effects are excellent. It was the attraction I was most satisfied with at Islands of Adventure. The regular wait was 130 minutes; with Express we rode after a 30-minute wait.

14:00 Lunch at Three Broomsticks

A restaurant where you can soak up the Hogsmeade village atmosphere. At 1 p.m. it was crowded and we had to line up, but by the time we came off Hagrid’s, lunchtime was over and it was quiet. Here’s what we ordered; no tip was required, and it came to $73.43.

• Chicken and Ribs Platter
• Fish and Chips
• Butterbeer

I had Butterbeer yesterday too, but it was so good I ordered it again. Make sure you get it frozen!! The ribs were tasty, but the chicken was disappointing. I do recommend the fish and chips! The fried fish was tender and delicious.

15:00 #8 Hogwarts Express

Just like yesterday, I took the Hogwarts Express to switch parks. The window displays were different from yesterday’s ride in the opposite direction, and it was a really convenient, comfortable way to get to Universal Studios Florida.

On to Diagon Alley at Universal!

15:30 #9 Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

An attraction that combines a roller coaster with a simulator. The dark atmosphere and villain-focused storyline are what make it great. I was disappointed to miss it yesterday, and today I finally got to ride.

Harry Potter Forbidden Journey pre-show

The effects were outstanding and it was so much fun. The regular wait was about 80 minutes; with Express we rode after 15 minutes.

16:00 Exploring Diagon Alley

The Weasleys’ shop is recreated here too, and every alley and shop looks so much like the films that it’s a great place for photos.

A chessboard Ron would love

Finally, I went back to Toon Lagoon to ride the raft ride and the log flume, but because of bad weather they were closed again. So I didn’t get to ride them today either 😢

Maybe because I’d already done a lot of attractions the day before, I felt that a 1-day Park-to-Park ticket alone would be enough to enjoy both Universal parks. Using the Express Pass made getting around really smooth overall.

I hope my blog helps make your trip a little more magical ✨ If you have any questions, feel free to reach out through the contact page. Thanks for reading!