The 25-Year History of Universal Islands of Adventure

Jurassic Park

The famous arches welcome visitors into a world 65 million years in the making: Jurassic Park. This land is John Hammond’s latest attempt at making a dinosaur theme park, canonically located on Isla Aventura. The thick jungles of Jurassic Park have much to explore as it’s Islands of Adventure’s largest land at 21 acres.

Jurassic Park River Adventure

Guests can take a cruise along the rivers of time on Jurassic Park River Adventure. This peaceful dinosaur boat tour—like many other theme park rides—goes terribly wrong, putting guests face-to-face with a vicious T-Rex. The ride’s climatic 84-foot drop, which not even Spielberg himself would do, reaches nearly 50 mph, splashing riders at the end of their prehistoric journey.

The creators of this ride were faced with the not-so-simple challenge of recreating realistic dinosaurs that match the quality of the movie. Not only that, but the dinosaurs had to operate continually throughout the year in water under the bright Florida sun. It’s all part of the task of making a real-life Jurassic Park.

Camp Jurassic

Kids at Islands of Adventure can run wild at Camp Jurassic: a vast play area with caves, climbing nets, and interactive elements to discover.

Pteranodon Flyers

Little ones can get a bird’s-eye view—or a pteranodon’s-eye view—from a small suspended coaster in Camp Jurassic called Pteranodon Flyers.

“It’s a way to introduce kids to the idea of roller coasters in a manner that won’t scare the living bejesus out of them.”

– Bob Shreve, show producer of Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure

Triceratops Encounter

Jurassic Park had other tame experiences. Guests could get up close and personal with a living, breathing dinosaur in Triceratops Encounter. This walkthrough attraction took guests to a research outpost where a triceratops was getting a veterinary checkup.

The attraction had three triceratops animatronics standing 10 feet tall and 24 feet long. These animatronics were among the most advanced in the park, being able to breathe, sneeze, and even go potty.

Discovery Center

The attractions in Jurassic Park capture the awe from the 1993 film, and the Discovery Center is no different. Not only does the Discovery Center look stunning from across the lagoon, but it’s also a place where visitors can experience exhibits, interactive areas, and the magic of raptor hatchings.

The Lost Continent

The prehistoric trails of Jurassic Park led to another ancient world: The Lost Continent. This land of myths and legends was divided into three sub-areas—Merlinwood, Sindbad’s Bazaar (later renamed Sindbad’s Marketplace), and The Lost City—each with its own major attraction.

Merlinwood

Merlinwood was a kingdom of medieval fantasy under the protection of the great sorcerer Merlin. He was enchanted and transformed into a giant tree, which served as the Enchanted Oak Tavern restaurant. The story and excitement of Merlinwood, however, continued.

Dueling Dragons

Travelers could take a journey into the deep woods where they would find Merlin’s ramshackled castle. Two fierce dragons—Pyrock and Blizzrock—ravaged the land, took over the castle, and defeated any enemies with their powers of fire and ice. Guests joined the fiery, icy battle aboard two intertwining inverted coasters: Dueling Dragons.

“Conventional wisdom would say—you know—avoid all objects. We intentionally set these two [coasters] out on a collision course to create near-misses at really incredible incredibly high speeds.”

– Mark Woodbury, chief creative officer of Universal Studios Creative

The two coaster tracks interacted with each other, coming within as close as 18 inches in three near-miss elements, which were all visible from a single vantage point on the pathway. The two coaster trains were individually weighed and released at exact intervals so the flyby moments lined up perfectly.

The Dueling Dragons queue was a prime example of Universal’s newfound emphasis on creating immersive environments. The believably decorative queue in the plundered castle was half the experience. It was enormous and could fit more than 5,000 guests, but some of that space was already earmarked for a future expansion.

Sindbad’s Bazaar

The Lost Continent continues into a land of Arabian myths: Sindbad’s Bazaar. Guests exploring this land could stumble across the trapped soul of the Mystic Fountain, the catchy tunes of the Bandits Out of Time street show, or the heroic stunts in The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad—yes, Sindbad was spelled with a D in this case.

The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad

This stunt show followed Sindbad in his search for treasure, including bungee and fire acts. The kitschy show had action, romance, and a bit of comedy, entertaining crowds in the 1,700-seat theater.

The Lost City

The final stop in The Lost Continent is a Grecian area that seems to have emerged from the depths of the sea. The Lost City is home to the restaurant Mythos, designed by the person behind The Cheesecake Factory, as well as what may have been the most unique attraction in the park.

Poseidon’s Fury: Escape from the Lost City

Poseidon’s Fury: Escape from the Lost City was a walkthrough attraction in a classic showdown between good and evil—Zeus and Poseidon. It had an impressive facade with a crumbling statue of Poseidon and striking stone ruins. The experience inside was led by a guide named the Timekeeper, trekking into ruins, through a 42-foot-long water tunnel, and into a massive theater with an elaborate room transformation effect.

The water vortex was among the show’s highlights as it forced water around the tunnel at up to 100 mph. The finale and its 200 flame effects had some of the earliest uses of water screens in a theme park, projecting a raging ocean being held at bay and a tense battle of good vs. evil.