Islands Of Adventure!!! It Erases EVERYTHING

I feel like I went on a drug-free acid trip.

Every ACEer who was fortunate enough to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event must have felt like a kid in candy store at this eye-popping, dazzling, total sensory spectacle called Islands of Adventure. It was the most fun I have ever had at a park. I traveled with fellow RRCers Shawn McLaughlin and Chris Hartman. When we arrived at the Universal Studios Escape parking garage I knew immediately this would be an intense and extremely original day. The garage is the world's largest, yet it is very easy to navigate and provides much easier access to the parks than a tram system. Immediately after leaving the garage the assault on your senses begins. Everything is shiny and futuristic, and nothing seems ordinary or familiar. The music announcing your arrival is haunting and upbeat at the same time. It definitely grabs your attention! After exiting the overhead bridge you enter CityWalk, and it's impossible to look straight ahead. *Everywhere* you look is something exciting and original. Across the waterway stands the world's biggest Hard Rock Cafe, looking like a Greek coliseum in ruins. The only thing giving it away is the Cadillac pushing through one corner of the boulders. There are all sorts of exciting clubs, shops and restaurants in CityWalk, which I would guess to be around 30-40 acres. I noticed certain restaurants that looked very inviting - Emeril's, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, NASCAR Cafe, and Pastamore. Everything - all of the shops, the walkways, the eating places, is a first class blend of sophistication without pretension. Nothing is laid out in uniform fashion though - it's a complicated and exciting hodgepodge of architecture and business, all connected by waterways. And the views are just amazing, with Universal Studios off to your right and Islands of Adventure to your left. Photo courtesy of RRC Page We approached the gate to IOA, bought our tickets and waited for the gates to open. It was at this time I got to see just how many ACEers made it for this day. The television that night said over 300. I was particularly impressed by the large number of Florida Coaster Club members in attendance, whose t-shirts were very visible all day throughout the park. Somebody's doing something right with that club! The wait at the gate gave me an opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones. Throughout the day I met up and rode with Sean Flaharty, Glenn Payne, Kevin Teufer and his friend Tom, Todd and Billy Long, Robert and Sam Ulrich, Tom Kelley and Curt Hassinger, Jeff Johnson, Jeff Cook, NoDreadlockJim, Itzadapope and Steve Nuss, who I was very happy to finally meet (he is the long lost son I have always wanted). It was also a pleasure to meet Kevin Teufer and his friend Tom, who were just a blast to hang out with! Sean Flaharty suggested we go to Dueling Dragons first, since The Incredible Hulk was closest and most everyone would go to it first. He said we should save Hulk for the latter half of ERT, then head straight for Spiderman, and afterwards go to Pteranodon Flyers. Sean seemed to be a bit starry-eyed from visiting IOA the day earlier. He also said he wanted to sit by me for the first ride on Spiderman. Finally at 8:00 a.m. they opened the gates to the park. The music began, and I simply cannot describe how overwhelmingly beautiful this music is. It is piped in everywhere throughout the park, and changes seamlessly at the entrance to each island. Todd Long called it "no spillover or pollution." It is absolutely amazing to carry on a conversation with someone and still be able to hear and be absorbed by this beautiful music. We entered Port of Entry first. Instantly I knew this was the finest, most original park I'd ever set foot in. The lighthouse stands off-center in the open courtyard, and it is a highly original, and perfect example of this park. It is immaculately designed, and everywhere you look there is so much detail you simply cannot take it all in! There are cannons and dog sleds and all sorts of things that are easily missed, so extravagant is the theming in this place. I must have passed the Confisco Grille five or six times before I even realized it was there and what a grand and beautifully designed restaurant it was. Even as we left the park Kevin was pointing out new and delightful things that should have been obvious to see, but with *so much* detail it was impossible to catch. Welcome to IOA!!! We made our way to the Port of Entry's lakefront, clapping and cheering the whole way. We turned our backs to the oh-so-inviting Incredible Hulk and went to the right. We immediately came upon Seuss Landing, and I started clapping and jumping up and down. I could not, and still cannot, believe how fanciful this island is! You actually need sunglasses, so bright and vivid are the colors! I immediately thought this must be what Dorothy felt like when she landed in Munchkinland! Photo courtesy of RRC Page Oh my God, you can't even imagine how fanciful this place is! Every single thing is covered in cartoon color, and all the employees speak in rhyme. Even the queue railings are bent and twisted to look like a cartoon! There's Green Eggs and Ham come to life! The Cat in the Hat! What a ride! It's even better than Roger Rabbit! And One Fish Two Fish!!! It was so much fun - I heard that song in my head over and over that whole night. And oh my God, look at that Caro-Seuss-el!! Mine had a very long neck and I could make his head bob up and down. Steve Nuss got his to move it's entire neck! Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoopendous has to be seen to be believed! All of the island is awash in cartoon color and rhyme. The entire area is one big funny. Seuss Landing is every bit as much fun for adults as it is for children! We walked along the colorful walkway until we...... came...... to...... The Lost Continent. My God, you just have to see this place to believe it. A city in ruins, even the walkways have cracks in them. The Mythos Restaurant features the heads of huge Greek Gods built into the mountain with a gushing river of water pouring from its mouth. Again, I started yelling and clapping. Then Sean said "look to your right." Oh. My. God. A *GIGANTIC* fallen statue with a hand held torch buried into the ground stuns you at first sight. It is absolutely an amazing looking statue. Then you see the ruins laid out behind it, and it is the most breathtaking scene imaginable. The building is home to Poseidon's Fury, and even though this attraction wasn't open yet, this is my favorite area of the park. It is indescribeably beautiful. There is also an incredibly picturesque view of The Incredible Hulk coaster across the lake! There is a tree in the Lost Continent that is quite unique. It is a single root with eight palm trees growing out of it. Kevin Teufer told me Universal went into a bidding war with Disney over it. I must say I'm glad they won they battle, it looks magnificent. They also picked an unusually subtle and quiet part of the park in which to place the tree. There are "subtle" moments like this all over the park. There is a mean statue in the Lost Continent. It is an awesome looking statue actually, with the face of some Greek or Roman God. But it talks like a high-pitched chipmunk, and says mean things to you. I heard it tell a girl "Oh really, well, I can see into the future and I have a prediction for you...... you will never get a date." Then it spit on her. The Enchanted Oak Tavern looks like a gigantic Oak tree. We didn't get to eat there, but someone told us the inside is like a hollowed out tree. Finally, we came to Dueling Dragons. Oh, my. Huge statues of the dragons in battle front the entrance to the ride. It is a grand and magnificent front, and only the beginning to what is the most intricately themed ride in the world. The queue winds it's way up a long, long walkway toward a huge castle that sits on a hill. Along the way, you are entranced by the soothing but haunting sounds of a man in agony, a man who sounds as though he has lost his very own battle with the dragons. The music in this queue is my very favorite of all the Islands. It is mysterious and frightening, and above all, haunting. Photo courtesy of Universal Studios IOA: Unofficial Guide Once you enter the castle you are immersed in a surreal environment, where huge stained glass windows change panes, and piles of human skulls cry out in terror. The path through the castle is extremely dark and very scary. The only comforting thing about it is the air conditioning (a welcome relief) and the ice cold water fountains which were placed at two different spots inside the castle, with two other locations outside as well. I could go on and on about this castle. It is unlike anything you've ever experienced. Suffice to say I was overwhelmed by it's size and unbelievably well-thought out detail. It truly is a magnificent castle, whether or not there was a coaster on the other side. Fortunately, there *was* a coaster on the other side! Actually, there were two! (Well, at least in my book). We opted for the front seat of Ice Dragon. The climb up the lift hill was fun, just like a racing woodie. As we plunged down the first drop I started screaming along with everyone else. When we got to our first dueling moment I couldn't believe it. We did a heartline inversion (I think) while Fire Dragon hopped over us in a camelback hump. What a freaking rush to see another bunch of coaster riders coming right over your head as youre going upside down!!! Photo courtesy of Thrills 'R Us Then...... the moment. One of the most thrilling moments ever, and definitely THE most fun moment on a coaster I've ever had. The moment when both coasters come face to face for the ultimate duel. They come out of their inversions at opposite ends and head down the track straight for each other. Only at the last second are both coasters lifted up, and your feet are only inches from the opposing riders! It truly feels like you could kick their feet! We then rode Fire Dragon. Fire has the better design. I liked the frontseat of Ice Dragon and the backseat of Fire. In fact I think the back left seat of Fire Dragon is even better than Montu. When I saw the expression on Shawn McLaughlin's face as he was lifted out of his seat and was airborne for a full 5 seconds, I thought I would never stop laughing. He was absolutely *in shock!* It was truly one of the greatest coaster moments I've ever had - and I wasn't even the one getting the airtime! The forces on Fire Dragon are extremely intense, specifically in the backseat. Not only is the airtime in abundance, my feet and lower back went numb on every ride. I have never had my lower back go numb on a coaster before. We rode Dueling Dragons 12 times that day. Throughout the morning and afternoon we were allowed to take the shortcut through double doors that brought you back into the dispatching area. Sometime during the evening, however, a new crew took over and they refused to let anyone use the shortcut, despite the fact there were no lines for any rows but the front. The walk to the exit, back up to and through the castle took approximately 10 minutes, not to mention the wear and tear it took on my feet! This seemed unreasonably harsh and I hope the park does something to better accommodate those wishing to reride. After our front seat rides on Fire and Ice Dragon, we headed straight for Incredible Hulk to round out our ERT. Back to the front of the park we went, this time taking the other direction. We passed through Jurassic Park. This is the largest of the islands, and in some ways the most disappointing. I really did not care for the Jurassic Park Discovery Center or Triceratops Encounter. I thought both attractions did not live up to the grandeur and detail of the rest of the park. And while Pteranodon Flyers was okay for what it is, it has an absolutely horrific throughput. There just are not enough Flyers on the track. Jurassic Park River Adventure, however, was incredible! However, we had an experience somewhat akin to what Cindy Stout went through on Monster Plantation at SFOG - we all thought we were going on a leisurely boat ride when we made a wrong turn and all hell broke loose! I don't know if there was something in the air or not, but something was definitely stirring up alot of animals in the South over the weekend! I also really enjoyed Camp Jurassic. It felt like boot camp! Steve Nuss guided me through it, and I had a ball! Chris Hartman and I both got stuck trying to go down the slide - we're just too tall! But the ropes and tunnels and shafts and prehistoric theming were great fun! We hooked up with Tom Kelly and Curt Hassinger and enjoyed spending some time in Toon Lagoon. Curt and I posed in front of a huge plate of Wimpy burgers and pretended to be eating, then some of us opted for the real thing. A Wimpy burger was only $3.99 ("I will gladly pay you Tuesday..."), and it was a *very* good burger! Then we all posed for pictures at the lakefront with the Hulk in the background. I must say, I really love the lake at IOA. It's very pretty, and it gives all of the attractions facing it another view from any angle in the park. I can't count the number of times I stopped and looked at Hulk from a new angle across the lake and thought "WOW!" Back to Toon Lagoon. This really is a great island. The fountains along the midway are so fanciful! This, too, is one big cartoon, yet it's very different from Seuss Landing. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls looks like *so much fun* and I am so pissed it wasn't open! I want to ride it now!!! Also, we stopped to watch the boats cycling at Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges. Um, okay, this looks *intense* - I mean to say there is serious white water rafting going on here! I have never seen so much water rushing so fast down a rapids ride before - I have a funny feeling this ride will get toned down quickly because, and I'm serious, it looks INTENSE! We made it to Marvel Super Hero Island. This is the most, for lack of a better word, sparsely decorated island. It feels like you're walking down the middle of a twenty first century street. All the window panes on the buildings change color! At one point I noticed a statue of Spiderman looking at us through a hole in a wall. As we passed he turned his head and followed us! FREAK ME OUT!!! The blasts of air conditioning coming out of the stores is a shock as you walk down the midway. And they are a welcome relief because there really aren't any trees along the midways of Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon or Seuss Landing. You really don't notice it much, though, until you get to Marvel. Thank goodness most of the queues at IOA are indoors and have powerful air conditioning, because it will be more than a bit uncomfortable during the summer! Photo courtesy of Thrills 'R Us Finally, we made it to The Incredible Hulk. There are lockers at the entrance of each attraction, and they are free for the first ninety minutes. I think Universal is right on with this policy! The queue for Hulk is circular inside, very laboratory, very green and silver. We went immediately for the backseat. The coaster moves slowly out of the station and toward the tunnel. The anticipation builds, the warning is sounded and BLAM!!! out you go and upsy-daisy!!! The Incredible Hulk is one GREAT coaster. It has a fantastic mix of elements and pacing and speed and power. The dive into the mist is great, and I loved watching the GP watching us from the bridge. The airtime off the mid-course brake was HUGE! Personally, I loved the front seat the best. I think everyone unanimously agreed Hulk is a winner - maybe even No. 1 on alot of people's steel coaster lists. For me....... I don't know. I think I like what Shawn McLaughlin said. Hulk is the best coaster, but Dueling Dragons was the most fun! Finally, we went over to Spiderman. Sean Flaharty said he couldn't wait to see my reaction. Well, I wouldn't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it, so all I will say is OOOOOH MYYYY GOOOOD!!!!! Spiderman is the most amazing ride I have ever experienced! It's truly an original, the signature ride for this park. I jumped, I screamed, I laughed, I clapped, I cheered! Spiderman is the most thrilling non-coaster ride in existence. It has everything a great thrill ride should have. It also has a great big green penis! When I saw it I shouted "That's a big penis!!!" Sean started laughing and later agreed. No one else in our group caught it but when we all rode again later that afternoon I pointed at it and screamed "There it is!" and everyone agreed it was a big, green penis. Tom Kelley, in particular, was ashamed he didn't catch it the first time. Anyway, Spiderman is one amazing ride. It's Universal at it's best. We rode everything at IOA that day. Altogether we rode Dueling Dragons 12 times, Hulk 7, Spiderman twice and everything else once. The only things we didn't get to do were the attractions that weren't open - Poseiden's Fury, Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls and Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges. Oh, there *is* one thing I didn't get to do. I am SO MAD I didn't get to eat Green Eggs and Ham! They closed the park one hour earlier than I expected so I didn't get a chance. But really, I didn't even want to stop to eat that day. It was the same kind of day I had at Rip Roarin' Rampage last year - the kind of day you wished would last forever, and it did. At one point someone said it was only 10:45 a.m. and we all started whooping because it seemed so much later. The same thing happened twice later in the day. Of course when it came time to leave I REALLY didn't want to! I shopped till I dropped after the park closed. I should point out that the IOA baseball caps are really comfortable and fit well! And the One Fish Two Fish t-shirt is something I've wanted for a long time. Now the only thing I can't wait to get is the IOA soundtrack. It really is the most amazing soundtrack I've ever heard! I just want to quickly add that we did the 300 ft. skycoaster and also the Skyscraper. The skycoaster, well, I did it and I'm glad I did it. The Skyscraper, well, that's another story. Chris said I was convulsing after I got off. Kevin Teufer said the viewing section was full and they all clapped and cheered everytime we came around because we were screaming so loud. I don't remember any of it. All I know is I will never get on it again! Thanks to everyone who brightened my day by sharing it with me! It really was the most fun I've ever had at a park. IOA now shares a spot with SRM and PPP as must-attend annual events. I'll be back in the fall! Mark