This marvelous area of Universal Islands of Adventure theme park has four spectacular rides to enjoy that are sure to get your spirit soaring with excitement. Feel the power of a gamma ray created behemoth on The Incredible Hulk Coaster. Be spun around in the wind by a mutant's power to summon and control the weather within the Storm Force Accelatron. Doctor Doom's Fearfall will rocket you into the sky! And you won't want to miss the chance to web sling your way swinging across the rooftops of New York City in The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK COASTER
The Hulk greets you outside as people are ushered into a high-security research compound. By getting into line for THE INCREDIBLE HULK COASTER you've just volunteered to become a test subject for a science experiment based upon Dr. Bruce Banner's research. Your group is blasted with gamma radiation and suddenly catapulted out of the facility like a fighter jet. Having the power of the Incredible Hulk you'll be propelled upside down into a weightless zero gravity roll then race faster and faster through the track. Reaching a top speed of 67 miles per hour this coaster traverses you through seven inversions and two subterranean trenches before you get your feet back on the ground returning to human form. This ride was completely refurbished a couple of years ago and the updated coaster is sure to provide a smashing good time!
STORM FORCE ACCELATRON
The X-Men's Storm has been tasked with swirling power generator pods around an accelatron chamber created by Professor X. If she can harness enough energy from the wind, this device will create an electrical field that will contain the X-Men's dreaded adversary Magneto. Any you are along for the ride sitting inside one of the pods!
This is a very kid friendly ride and located in the shadow of THE INCREDIBLE HULK COASTER a great way to pass the time while other more courageous members of your super hero team are tackling the roller coaster. It is fun time for kids and kids at heart similar to the teacups rides found at the Disney parks. My children were all smiles when riding the STORM FORCE ACCELATRON.
DOCTOR DOOM'S FEARFALL
Don't let the name mislead you! Unlike rides like the Demon Drop and Tower of Terror that plunge riders in a free fall, DOCTOR DOOM'S FEARFALL rockets you into the sky! One of Marvel Comics most dangerous super villains Doctor Doom has come up with a plan to defeat the Fantastic Four team of super heroes. He is going to use a device to capture people's fears to power the ultimate weapon.
You've been captured and Doctor Doom is planning to harvest your fear. How is he going to do this? His henchmen are going to blast you 185 feet into the air with more thrust than a 747 jet accelerating you faster than the space shuttle taking off. Wow! Oh guess what?! Then gravity is going to pull you back down to the Earth. Have to admit I didn't ride this one myself. From the screams echoing around MARVEL SUPER HERO ISLAND from the ride I'm hoping people were having a good time!
THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SPIDER-MAN
This is my family's favorite ride at Universal Orlando Resort's theme parks. During our last visit, we rode it a dozen times. It really is spectacular!
In fact it is one of the most popular rides in the history of amusement parks. It won Amusement Today's prestigious Golden Ticket Award for Best Dark Ride for twelve consecutive years from its opening in 1999 through 2010. It was knocked off by another Islands of Adventure ride "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey."
Despite its age, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SPIDER-MAN is still going strong! The ride's imagery was enhanced a few years ago with vibrant, high-definition 3-D animations to keep it exciting and giving it a new lease on life. It gives you the feeling of being immersed within the pages of a Spider-Man comic book story.
Jump onboard a Daily Bugle vehicle called a "Scoop" as the newspaper's new super hero beat reporter and follow Spider-Man as he attempts to foil the nefarious actions of the Sinister Syndicate which includes Doctor Octopus, Electro, Hydro-Man and the Hobgoblin. As you are racing around New York City keep an eye out for four cameos within the ride by the legendary Stan Lee who created many of Marvel's most popular comic book characters. Can you spot all his appearances? Watch out! Doctor Octopus will try to launch you on a 400 foot free fall when your guard is down!
What is great about this ride is that you feel like you are scaling buildings, swinging from roof tops and soaring through the sky yet the Scoop never actually leaves the ground. This ride combines the roving motion vehicles you sit in with 3D projections on 30 foot tall screens along with, elaborate physical sets and special effects including fog, fire, wind, heat, mist, strobe lights, and water spray to simulate a sense of motion and environment. THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SPIDER-MAN really is amazing! My whole family LOVES this ride!
ARTWORK SCAVENGER HUNT
While making your way around MARVEL SUPER HERO ISLAND you'll notice there are elaborate caricatures of Marvel comic book heroes and villains all about. This artwork is really impressive! It was all created by an actual comic book illustrator named Adam Kubert and he placed his signature someplace within each piece of artwork. Looking for Kubert's name can be a fun game! Do you think you can find all his signatures in this artwork scavenger hunt?
COLORFUL ILLUSSIONS
Being from the Motor City, I found this MARVEL SUPER HERO ISLAND special effect especially interesting. Keep an eye on the buildings as you walk around! Many of them were painted with a special paint developed by the automotive industry. You'll notice that buildings actually change colors before your eyes. As sunlight hits the surfaces with this special paint from different angles it appears a building has changed colors. You won't want to miss this impressive illusion!
FANTASTIC EATS
Along with the rides there are a couple of shops with comic books, super hero themed collectibles, and amusement park souvenirs to peruse. There also is an elaborate video game arcade to explore. Plus two restaurants; one themed around Captain America and the other focused on the Fantastic Four.The Captain America Diner has the standard amusement park fare of hamburgers and chicken fingers that parents with picky eaters are always on the eye out for and can really appreciate. Café 4 though is one of my favorite places to eat in Islands of Adventure though … and not just because it highlights the Fantastic Four who haven't been getting much love from Marvel in recent years. These were some of my favorite super heroes growing up and lately they've had their comic book series cancelled and several bad movies made featuring the characters Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the Thing. Doah!
Café 4 puts the Fantastic Four front and center. It also had a menu with some Italian flair that is a bit different from standard amusement park restaurant fare but yet will still be enticing for picky eaters to bite into. It has a menu that includes several varieties of pizza, spaghetti, chicken parmesan and meatball subs. Moms and dads can get draft beer in souvenir pilsners as well while the place has juice and soda for the kids. I'd recommend eating a piece of cheesecake too for desert!
MEET AND GREETS
You never know who you'll bump into during a visit to MARVEL SUPER HERO ISLAND. Captain America along with X-Men including Cyclops, Storm and Wolverine are some of the character encounters you can have while wandering around the place. Even some of the villains like Doctor Doom make an occasional appearance. Get an autograph or strike a pose for a memorable photo op.
You won't find your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man wandering around like these other heroes and villains though. He has an exclusive character encounter space across the street from THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SPIDER-MAN ride at the back of a store selling mugs, t-shirts, toys and other items featuring the Wall Crawling super hero. While it is free to meet Spider-Man if you want a background for a pic with him that is something other than a green screen you need to purchase a souvenir photo package with your choice of one of their comic book themed settings.
Whether or not you are a comic book fan, MARVEL SUPER HERO ISLAND is sure to provide a fantastic time. Experience the adrenaline of a super hero adventure through the thrilling rides and meet some of your favorite characters from the Marvel comic book universe. Plus take some time to enjoy the incredible larger than life artwork all around the place that generates an atmosphere where you feel like you are walking through the pages of a comic book. Excelsior!
In addition to MARVEL SUPER HERO ISLAND, an excursion to Universal Orlando Resort's Islands of Adventure theme park also lets you take an entertaining trek through Jurassic Park, The Lost Continent, Toon Lagoon, King Kong's Skull Island, Seuss Landing and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There is a lot of fun to discover at Islands of Adventure! For more information, head over to universalorlando.com.
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