How to Spend One Day at Universal Islands of Adventure 2025

How to Spend One Day at Universal Islands of Adventure 2025

How to Spend One Day at Universal Islands of Adventure 2025

This is your complete guide to spending the day at Islands of Adventure Park at Universal Orlando Resort. Do you have a one-day ticket to Universal’s Islands of Adventure but don’t know exactly what is the best way to fill the time? We’ve got tips like using Early Park Admission, avoiding peak crowds, and more!

So if you’re ready to learn all about how to spend one day at Universal Islands of Adventure 2025, read on!

We hope you find this post helpful! Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time and money on your next Universal Orlando vacation!  If you are planning a trip to Universal Orlando be sure to check out our discounted multi-day Universal Orlando tickets and Universal Orlando vacation package deals which include EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Universal Orlando check out our Universal Crowd calendar!

Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar

How to Spend One Day at Universal Islands of Adventure 2025

Islands of Adventure is absolutely a park you can do in one day with a great plan in place with things like Early Park Admission and Express Pass.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

Something to take into consideration is the seasonal Islands of Adventure hours. While the opening time doesn’t change too much, the closing time of Universal’s Islands can vary vastly. Make sure to double-check the Islands of Adventure hours long before your trip to make sure you can plan effectively.

Our how to spend one day at Universal Islands of Adventure 2025 theme park guide is going to work off of peak, weekend hours, when the park closes at 9 PM. Be sure to note that the park can close as early as 6 PM or be open as late as 10 PM.

Universal Islands of Adventure rides priority checklist 2025

• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
• Jurassic World VelociCoaster
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Flight of the Hippogriff
• Pteranodon Flyers
• Jurassic Park River Adventure Ride
  
• Skull Island: Reign of Kong
• Dr. Doom’s Fearfall
• Incredible Hulk Coaster
• Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• Incredible Hulk Coaster
• Dr. Doom’s Fearfall
• Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-rat Barges
• Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls
• High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train
• Caro-Seuss-El
• One fish, Two fish, Red fish, Blue Fish
• Cat in the Hat Ride

Related post: The Guide to Universal Studios Vs. Islands of Adventure

How to Start Your Day: Universal Islands of Adventure Morning with Early Park Admission

One of the best benefits of purchasing a vacation package or multi-day tickets through the Park Prodigy is our Early Park Admission. This allows guests to enter participating Universal Orlando parks an hour early before the regular park opens. Islands of Adventure hours typically start at 8 AM, which means your park day would start at 7 AM with Early Park Admission. This is perfect for Harry Potter fans especially since they can enter the Wizarding World an hour early!

Morning Start at 7 AM

We are going to start our day after you grab a coffee from City Walk at 7 AM and utilize early park admission to get on either Jurassic World VelociCoaster or Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Rides included with Early Park Admission at Islands of Adventure 2025

• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Flight of the Hippogriff
• Jurassic World VelociCoaster

For your Island of Adventure itinerary, we suggest getting into the park as soon as you possibly can and heading straight to Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

• 7:10 AM – Get in line for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in Harry Potter World
• 7:45 – Head to Jurassic World VelociCoaster and queue up before the official park open

By the time you get off of Jurassic World VelociCoaster, regular park hours will most likely have started. That usually means the most popular Islands of Adventure rides will have higher wait times.

• 8:30 AM – 10 AM – Ride less popular rides (Flight of the Hippogriff, Cat in the Hat, The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!)

Related post: Guide to Hotels Near Universal Studios Orlando with Free Shuttle

Mid-Morning Plans for Islands of Adventure – 10:30 AM

By mid-morning, many of the Islands of Adventure rides would be at the highest wait time, which means it is a good time to grab a snack or breakfast.

• 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Grab Islands of Adventure food for breakfast or a snack.

Islands of Adventure food – Breakfast or Snack

• The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade Village
• Green Eggs and Ham in Seuss Landing
• Starbucks in Port of Entry
• Cinnabon in Port of Entry

After your morning recharge, it might be a good idea to look for another attraction to ride that has a lower wait time.

• Noon – Check wait times on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man or Skull Island: Reign of Kong and pick one.

If it is projected to be a really hot day, we suggest switching out these two rides with either Jurassic Park River Adventure, Popeye’s Bilge-Rat Barges, or Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls. On hotter days at Universal Islands of Adventure, water rides tend to reach peak wait times during the afternoon.

Related post: Complete Guide to Universal Coke Freestyle Cups

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure Afternoon Plans – 1:00 PM

Once you’ve hit proper midday at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, we suggest powering through the typical lunchtime and trying more rides. Islands of Adventure food lines will be the longest between 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, hence, why we planned out a later breakfast.

• 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM – Head to Marvel Superhero Island and ride the Incredible Hulk Coaster, and The Amazing Adventures Spider-Man if there is time.

If rides are not the number one priority for your trip, you can always try some of the outdoor Islands of Adventure shows at this time. You can also find plenty of Islands of Adventure characters that will be wandering around for photos!

• Triwizard Tournament Spirit Rally – Hogsmeade Village
• Frog Choir – Hogsmeade Village
• Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear – Seuss Landing

Right around 3 PM is a good time to grab lunch and get out of the Florida midday heat.

Islands of Adventure Food – Lunch

There are so many great quick service options at Islands of Adventure that are perfect for lunch options. Here is a list of our favorite places to eat for lunch:

• Cafe 4
• Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendulous
• The Burger Digs
• Thunder Falls Terrace

Related post: Complete Guide to all Universal Orlando New Rides

Universal’s Islands of Adventure Dinner-time Plans – 5 PM

If you want to optimize your Islands of Adventure 1-day tickets, you can pack in more rides after you’ve settled from late lunch.

If rides are not the number one priority for your trip, you can always try some of the outdoor Islands of Adventure shows at this time. You can also find plenty of Islands of Adventure characters that will be wandering around for photos!

You can also go speak to The Mystic Fountain in the Lost Continent or even do the Ollivander’s Wand Show over in Hogsmeade Village. Guests can wait in a short line and experience the “Wand Chooses the Wizard” moment for one special guest.

• 630PM – Grab dinner at one of the Islands of Adventure restaurants

Islands of Adventure Food – Dinner

After a long day of running around the theme park, there is nothing better than sitting down and enjoying a relaxing dinner. For Islands of Adventure dining, this is what we suggest for dinner:

• The Three Broomsticks
• Mythos Restaurant

Related post: Complete Guide to Universal Orlando Characters

Islands of Adventure Evening Plans – Sunset

Now that it is starting to get dark, it is time to start thinking of Islands of Adventure shows. Luckily, depending on when you visit, there should be a show at Hogwarts Castle to end your night perfectly. Starting at dusk about every 20 minutes a show plays on the Hogwarts Castle ending with very brief fireworks at Islands of Adventure.

Shows at Islands of Adventure – Hogwarts Castle Night Shows

• The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle (year-round)
• Hogwarts Dark Arts Light Show (Halloween time)
• Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle (November – January)

We suggest at around 8 PM, or an hour before the park closes, to grab some butterbeer and find a spot in front of Hogwarts Castle. If you happen to catch an earlier viewing of the Hogwarts Castle Show, then you might have time to hop on one more ride before closing.

If you want, you can go for another round on Hagrid’s or VelociCoaster or you can queue up for a ride you may have missed out on earlier.

Islands of Adventure Rides 2025 FAQ

Q: How many rides at Islands of Adventure?

Islands of Adventure has 17 total attractions, 3 of which are roller coasters: Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, and Incredible Hulk Coaster

Q: What rides are included with Early Park Admission at Islands of Adventure?

Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

Q: Can you do Islands of Adventure in One Day?

Yes, you can visit Islands of Adventure in just one day, especially with Early Park Admission. You may not get to see everything or ride every ride in the park however, you will be able to get your top attractions done in just one day.

Q: How long do you need at Universal Islands of Adventure?

Ready to Plan Your Next Universal Orlando Trip?

Beat the crowds with our discount Universal Orlando tickets! All guests who purchase their tickets from The Park Prodigy will get EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter FREE! This could save you a ton of time in the parks and avoid buying express passes!

Make sure to check out our friends at Theme Park Today for great tips on how to have the best Universal vacation!