Have U Heard had a great opportunity to visit Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida.

To say we had a great time is an understatement!!  From start to finish our trip was amazing!!

Universal Orlando is comprised of two amusement parks, three on-site hotels, and the Citywalk area.  To get into the parks you need to navigate your way through Citywalk which is flanked by the two amusement parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.   No admission charge is required to enter Citywalk, which boasts dozens of shops, restaurants, and night clubs.   On one side of  Citywalk is the entrance to Universal, and on the other side is the entrance to Islands of Adventure.   Both parks are located next to each other but require separate admission, although Universal does offer tickets which allow admission to both parks on the same day.

The two themed amusement parks provide thrills and excitement for all ages.  Islands of Adventure is currently composed of six distinct “islands”, each having its own theme. Visitors start off in the Port of Entry and make their way through the various islands - Marvel Super Hero Island, which is like walking through a giant comic book and has the not to be missed, Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, which features some excellent special effects.   Toon Lagoon, features two of the best water rides of their kind: Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls – a flume ride with an insanely intense final drop cascading over a waterfall, and the roughest, wettest, and best themed river rapids ride I’ve ever seen Popeye & Bluto Bilge-Rat Barges. Dinosaur lovers will be in awe  Jurassic Park.  The Lost Continent is  themed around ancient mythical time and Seuss Landing. The little ones were fascinated with the Seuss Landing, which is brightly decorated and has many innovative rides involving Dr. Seuss’ classic characters.  A new island, themed to the popular Harry Potter film and book series, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, is scheduled to open on June 18, 2010.

After our exciting morning at IOA we took our 4 kids for the short walk over to Universal Studios.  Universal Studios Florida is separated into seven different areas—Production Central, Hollywood, New York, San Francisco/Amity, World Expo, Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone and The Lagoon.  As you enter each area it is as if you are stepping into a new world.  Every detail has been considered when designing each section,  including; dining, shopping, rides, shows and character appearances.  Production Central  serves as the park’s main entrance. The section is a cluster of motion picture sound-stages, each of which houses attractions inspired by today’s most popular films and television shows or actual film & television filming.  A family favorite was  Shrek 4-D, a 4-D film set between the events of the motion pictures Shrek and Shrek 2.

The Hollywood, New York and San Francisco sections of the park recreated parts of each city including some of their greatest monuments, architectural styles and character that each city is famous for.   Some of the attractions included in these areas are what have made Universal a must go to destination for all families.  Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across Time, Twister…Ride it Out, a live-action attraction that uses special effects to simulate a tornado and Jaws which puts you aboard Captain Jake’s Amity Boat Tours, are just a few of the rides we enjoyed.

World Expo takes its inspiration from the international expositions of the 20th century.  One of my favorite rides is located in this area, The Simpsons Ride, which is a motion simulator ride that takes you through the world of Krustyland with The Simpsons Family, it was hilarous and scary at the same time.

Then when you need to cool off stop by Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone. Curious George Goes to Town is a play area within this section that  features two large water troughs that dump 500 gallons of water on its visitors every few minutes, and a ball area where guests can shoot squishee balls out of cannons, great mellow funny after riding some of the heart-pounding rides.  You also get to meet Curious George and Woody Woodpecker.  The seventh area is The Lagoon, which  is a large lake located in the middle of the park and is the stage for Universal 360, a seasonal fireworks display that showcases scenes from various Universal films, featuring lasers, projectors and fireworks.

We were thrilled to also have the Fast-Track pass which allowed us to skip the line for the rides.  However, during our visit there the parks managed the crowds very well and we really did need it.  If you find the parks crowded the Fast-Track would be well worth getting to avoid waiting for the rides.

So, if you are looking for an amazing, memory-making experience for the whole family, Universal Orlando fits that bill.  We can’t wait to do it all again and are looking forward to the highly anticipated opening of  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

With two adults and four children the only way to get there was Jet Blue Airlines.  Each child had their own television – which meant no arguing and no downtime. The flight was pleasant and made getting there painless.   We didn’t get in until after 11pm so we were a bit nervous about our rental car.  We rented a van but had visions of a small compact car showing up.  Thankfully Hertz was wonderful and had a van waiting for us and there were no worries.

Please let us know about your experience at the fun-filled Universal Studios and Islands of Adventures in our comments section, we would love to hear all about it!!