This review is from two visit that I made to the Islands of Adventure. The first visit was with Rhittney's 5th grade class and a week later we went as a family.
It is not hard to see that the Island of Adventure is a theme park dream come true. From the major highway I-4 you can see the two major rides--Incredible Hulk Coaster and Doctor Doom's Fearfall. Island of Adventure is worth every bit of the admission charge. When I went with Rhittney's class to the Island of Adventure, I really did not get a chance to see things like I wanted to. It was the trip with the family that I really got a chance to enjoy this park.
As a rule, our family always goes in the left hand direction of the park. You will find that most people will go to the right and there is where you will experience the longer lines. However, we decided to the right this time because the huge rollercoaster(The Hulk) was on the left hand side and no one in the group had build up the nerves to ride it yet. The first stop was Suess Landing. I really thought that we were going to pass this part of the park up because my kids have long passed the Cat in the Hat stage. To my surprise, the first ride they wanted "The Cat In The Hat". If you have ever read the book, you will understand this ride. I did get a little dizzy over all of the really really bright colors. One part during the ride it was stuck and you had to hear Thing One or Thing Two over and over again. After the ride, I thought "Oh My it is another "It's a small world".
Our next stop was "One Fish,Two Fish,Red Fish,Blue Fish". Another kiddie ride that was a hit with the family. I could not help but see the excitement in the attendents who ran the ride. The young lady was claping and dancing to the music. The ride is more a game in that the song instructs you whether to keep your fish high in the air or low to the ground.
After I had a chance to look at the map, I realized that we walked right through "The Lost Continent" and ended up at "Jurassic Park". Now I usually don't tell you about surprises that you can expect on a ride but I feel the need to make this an exception. The ride---Jurassic Park River Adventure. Picture this..You are on a boat going along looking at nice dinosaurs when all of a sudden the boat is knocked off course and you head into a restricted area. There is an empty cage that use to hold a T-Rex. The next thing that you feel is your boat going up a ramp and then down the ramp. That drop is not pleasant but the ride continues. If you have any fear of dropping or you have neck and back problem..watch out...The secret about this ride is that it will seem as though your boat is going straight to the mouth and arms of the T-Rex. While you are paying attention to the T-Rex you do not see what is coming. One of the steepest and scariest drops that I have ever encountered. If this might bother you, take it from me. Close your eyes, hold on very very tight, and brace yourself low in the seat. The drop makes you feel as if you are coming out of the boat. When the water hits you then you are at the end of the ride. I did not like it at all.
After the trauma of the ride, the family went over to the "Pteranodon Flyers". I can honestly say that I have nerver seen anything like this ride before and the way everyone in the park was looking up neither had they. The best way to describe it is that you know the sky lift at most parks that takes you from one part of the park to the other? It is sort of like that but your legs hang out of the bottom and it is really fun. This is a nice slow paced ride to visit after the trama of "Jurassic Park River Adventure"
We skipped the "Camp Jurassic" because the children thought they were to old for one of those playgrounds. Our next stop was "Triceratops Encounter". If you are pressed for time, go ahead and skip this one. You walk through a plant forest and end up in a room with a life-like dinosaur. I felt a little sorry for the attendent who has to work this station. She had to talk to this pretend dinosaur and we had to belive that she was talking to a real dinosaur.
Next stop was "Toon Lagoon". There we got ready to ride Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges. Do yourself a favor and if it is going to be a hot day, ride this ride during the hottest part of the day. YOU WILL GET WET!!! I think that this is one of the best water rides. It is much better that the one at Busch Gardens. The ride is a longer one and it has several rough waves to go through.
Finally, we headed to "Marvel Superhero Island". It was there that my son Rhasaun and I decided that today was not the day that we would be brave enough to ride either Doctor Doom's Fearfall or the Incredible Hulk Coaster. Doctor Doom's Fearfall looks scarey from the ground. You are shot into the air on a tower and dropped. Up again and down again a few more times. I think that only the true dare devil would venture to ride this ride.
Amgad and Rhittney felt the call of the wild and decided to ride the "Incredible Hulk Coaster". This is a must for all of you who love rollercoasters. The unique thing about this rollercoaster is there is not tick tick tick tick and then the drop that is custom with many rollercoasters. There is a tick tick tick and you are shot out of a tube and then the drop followed by loops, turns,spins and . Both Amgad and Rhittney said that they were totally surprised by this coaster. Rhasaun and I were amazed from the ground as we ate our Funnel Cake :-).
Well to our amazements, we had about 20 mins left before the park closed so we decided to go back to the area of the park that we missed "The Lost Continent". Rhittney and Amgad decided to pass up the "Dueling Dragons" which I am told are two rollercoasters on different tracks that start off twisted together to make it seem as if one car is going to crash into the other. Another huge rollercoaster. We did decide to make our last stop the "Poseidon's Fury:Escape from the Lost City". I really should have spent that time getting another Funnel Cake. You enter a big room--a character comes out and talks to you---big thunder clap--door opens---you go in----Poseidon and Zeus battle--more thunder claps---water---fire and bye bye.
The end of the day came and we were pretty pleased with this park. I think that it is one of the best and if you are short on time for your vacation--make "Island of Adventure" your first stop.
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