Universal Islands of Adventure

A funny thing happened on the way to Citywalk to hunt for work and meet a friend for lunch. Yeah, as soon as I saw the coasters in the distance...it was all over. The theme park impulse, coupled with new Florida excitement and the severe lack of parks over the last couple summers said "You will go NOW, MISTER!" (Yes my impulses speak in Tackleberry's voice from Police Academy. Why do you ask?)

Needless to say, this snap decision was a good one, especially when your park buddy is carolinacaniac (Gary T) from Theme Park Review. I'd met Gary last year with his friends at Dollywood, so it was a pleasure to hang out again and explore IOA. Oh yes, much comedy insued...

Our first stop was, (what else) Popeye & Bluto's Bilgerat Barges...with a 5 minute wait! Hey, it was around 60 degrees so it was doable. Absolutely loved it and got so soaked! After the 1st ride, I joking said "Wanna go again?" Gary agreed and off we went for another ice cold, spine ripping, drenching and a whole lot of laughs. Yes, 2 rounds of painful cold was plenty, even for me. Keep in mind I was wearing corduroy pants (which are quite heavy when wet) and looked like I showered with my clothes on. One of the ladies on the second go round said, "My fat is shivering!" Later on, I bought a sackpack, and t-shirt/hoodie combo just for something dry to wear.

Here's the short list of what we did:

• Popeye and Bluto's Bilgerat Barges
• Jurassic Park Discovery Center
• Obligatory Harry Potter area pictures
• Whopper Bar at Citywalk (thumbs up on Bourbon Whopper)
• Twister (Cow on Strings!)
• Jaws
• Men in Black (got to duel wield pistols since noone was next to me)
• Amazing Spider Man (almost set off my motion sick, but way fun)
• Gary hit Dueling Dragons and Hulk for both under 5 minute waits

Ok back to the cold and wet thing. Gary and I decided to head to car and hotel for dry clothes after a stop at the BK Whopper Bar. Luckily, one of my duffle bags with dry clothes was still in my car. Unfortunately I had to strip naked to put on said clothes with people walking by and sitting in the car in front of me. Luckily noone looked in. If they did, oh well, I was freezing!

After meeting back up we headed over to Universal, where we got pictures and video of Rockit at night. First stop was Twister to get in out of the cold. Never done the Twister simulated tornado thing, so it was worth a stop. Seeing flying Cow on Strings added to the fun. Twister's que also passes very close to Rockit's track, particularly the part going through the Ghostbuster's firehouse. Gary and I MySpaced with the nearby support for humor's sake.

Next up was Jaws, a classic boat ride I'd ridden before in high school, but didn't remember. Gary ended up in the wet seat and was over in my lap a couple times to avoid the water coming over the side of the boat. Who could blame him after the dousing we got on Popeye Barges?

The next stop was Men In Black, a shooting dark ride and a high priority on my do list. It did not dissappoint. We opted for the well themed que line and about a 30 minute wait. Just before we pulled out of the station, a cast member says "Hey! Go dual wield, all gunfighter style." Who am I to argue with a cast member? Yep, there were some amused folks in line watching a crazy man with 2 blasters and a maniacal laugh pull out of the station. Got spun a lot during the ride but thoroughly enjoyed it. As for my shooting, let's just say the barns are safe, particularly the broad sides.

We took a look at The Simpsons and Kwik E Mart, but skipped the 45 minute wait. Krustyland would wait for another visit, which was just fine.

Earlier in the day, we checked out Jurassic Park after a photo session at the Harry Potter construction. The detail is most impressive and I think it'll be a big hit when it opens this coming spring. Naturally we scanned the dino eggs and watched a rapter hatch. Entertaining, yet didn't these people learn anything from the movie?! And for some reason, I was really craving an omlet...Also shot a rather amusing clip of a toy dinosaur head. (You just had to be there).

With the major wants done at Universal, we went back to IOA for Dueling Dragons, Spidey, and Hulk. If you guessed that I only road Spidey, give yourself a cookie or Dole Whip or something equally gratifying. While Gary hit the coasters for a couple runs each, I sat and posted Twitter and Facebook updates and just soaked in the awesome themeing of IOA.

We briefly stopped back at Popeye to see if anyone was crazy enough to ride in the now dropping temperatures. Yes. There were bigger loonies than me on the water ride. They were brave souls, because even my rapids enthusiasm has it's limits. On a side note, Jurassic Park River Adventure and Dudley Do Right's Ripsaw Falls had 5 minute waits. Not quite sure why though...

Now we get to the 3D awesome that is Amazing Spider Man. I'd heard nothing but good things about this attraciton, and was happy to ride, especially with only a 30 minute wait. BTW, I've never had so much stuff so insanely up in my face. The effects, combined with the motion almost set off my motion sickness, especially during the rising and falling parts. Granted, the vehicle doesn't leave the ground, but the illusion is so convincing that I had to shut my eyes in places. Needless to say, I was not walking straight for a bit after we got off. Did I enjoy it and would I ride again? You better believe it! Besides, it had Doctor Octopus, my favorite Marvel Villian. Oh, and yes we took studly pictures in our style 3D glasses. Lookout ladies! ;)

Gary's ride on Hulk wound up a great impromptu day at IOA. It's one thing to see a new park by yourself, but having somebody cool along with similar sense of humor makes it that much better.

This was definitely one of the best trips to a park I've ever had and I'll remember it for a very long time.

To the folks at Islands of Adventure, from design, to themeing, to rides, Outstanding job!