First, the unique aircraft tire-driven launch portion was designed and built by Universal themselves, while the rest of the ride was done by B&M. Our guides provided us with some interesting information about the ride. Even though the ride "only" propels you up to 40 MPH in 2 seconds (a pittance compared to Top Thrill Dragster), it's still a big kickoff, and the rest of the ride is twisty and fun, with seven inversions. This ride starts with the cars in the train being launched upward through a giant tube out into the sky and immediately into a roll and half-loop (that is, a split-S, for you airplane nerds). Yes, yes, this is a roller coaster tour, so let's get back to the subject at hand!įirst is The Incredible Hulk. We even braved the bizarre Seuss animals on their truly unique carousel. (You might also note that each individual post in the curved fence around them is not only curved, but curved differently.) Here we are, aping the Zax as they stand, unmoving, under their Zax bypass. Then, just like in the story, the built the rest of the area around them. So when Universal built Seuss Landing, the very first thing they did was to erect a stand upon which they placed the statues of the Zax. The famed "Zax bypass" was built to route a highway around them as the town engulfed them. Years and years went by, during which time the town expanded out to where they stubbornly stood. One day, they met face to face along a trail outside of the town, and neither would give way to the other, since nether would move sideways. One Zax would only walk northward, and the other only southward. Seuss, there were the "Zax" characters, the very epitome of stubbornness. One more factoid gives you an idea of the effort that they went to to keep true to the theme (and, reportedly, the demands of Geisel's widow!). You just cannot avoid feeling a bit like a kid in this area of the park. You might think that this would be garish and cacophonous, but somehow it all works and it is simply charming.
And the level of detail and Universal's obsession with being true to the theme is astonishing. (Double-click to enlarge.) Within each area, not only are the rides themed specifically in accordance with the theme, but everything around you, from the lampposts to the landscaping, architecture, vending, and signage is harmonious as well. The park is divided into discreet areas of adventure, as depicted in this map. We arrived to enjoy valet parking (included in the tour package) and a continental breakfast, and we were quickly off with our guides for what turned out to be over four hours packed with information and fun. Not only that, but we had two tour guides (one of whom was in training).
We expected up to twelve people to be on this tour, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was only the two of us.
#INTIMIDATOR 305 G FORCE FULL#
In addition, we arranged something unique for this trip: A full guided tour, including "backstage" tours of many of the attractions. At all of the Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks we visited, while most of the rides are "themed" to some degree (e.g., Top Thrill Dragster puts forth a "drag racing" theme) and there are a few areas for the kiddies that feature a cartoon character or two, none of them come close to the total immersion and level of detail that Universal applied to Islands of Adventure. Any ride you enter through the mouth of a scary clown has to be good, right?Īnd now for something completely different: A real "theme park," where thrill rides take a back seat to the overall experience. Freeze: Reverse Blast." You enter an old, abandoned ice cream warehouse that is themed to be the hideout of Batman's enemy, Mr. Fittingly for a ride called Pandemonium, it started raining mid-ride!įinally, our favorite ride here is called "Mr. On this ride, the cars move along a track conventionally, but the 4-person cars themselves spin freely, which means that each time you ride it you get a unique ride. We hopped on a ride called Pandemonium, which is a mild ride but fun. Even though the park was very slow on this cloudy Monday, it was annoying to stand there watching grass grow. These gals were taking their sweet time loading and checking the trains. We experienced something here we had not seen at other parks: a very inefficient crew. Our preference on these is to be in the front, since otherwise your view is blocked. Batman is a suspended-type 'coaster, similar to other Batman rides we have enjoyed at other parks.
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