VelociCoaster at Islands of Adventure

Wondering about the best rides at Universal Orlando? Want to avoid the worst ones? In this ultimate Universal Orlando north campus ride ranking, we rated every major attraction across Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida theme parks, from worst to best.

There are currently twenty-two (22) (twenty-three (23) if you count both Hogwarts Express stations separately, which we don’t for the purposes of this guide).

RELATED: Click here to read our complete rank of every new attraction at Universal’s EPIC Universe.

RELATED: While this guide only ranks major north campus Universal Orlando attractions, head over to our complete 2026 ride list to see details of every single ride and attraction, including all kid-oriented attractions and upcoming EPIC Universe attractions.

Universal Unlocked logo for Unlock: ride rank

The Ranking System

We grade on theme and immersion in the ride facade, in the queue, and on the ride itself, the presence of the dreaded pre-shows, average ride wait times, deployment of the Universal Express Pass, and overall efficiency and experience.

NOTE: We’ll often refer to a ride pre-show or antechamber. They are present on many rides and will result in an immediate deduction of points in our ranking. A room that you must queue for, then enter and listen to a skit or message before you continue to another queue. Never not annoying.

Some people are going to argue that sometimes you need these pre-show messages for safety. We disagree. Somehow there are plenty of Universal Orlando rides that get the safety instructions across without these tedious rooms.

Some people, more reasonably, argue that pre-shows add to the overall experience and story of a ride. It’s a much more valid opinion, but still not one that we share.

Read on to find out which rides measure up. From worst to best. Or skip to our specific ride reviews with this table of contents.

DISCLAIMER 1: The views expressed in this guide are the author’s opinions only, and you will not be forced, coerced, threatened, or extorted to agree with them.

DISCLAIMER 2: This guide is fairly spoiler free, but in any case read on at your own risk.

Universal Unlocked’s Ultimate North Campus Ride Ranking

22. Fast & Furious – Supercharged™ 👎👎👎👎👎

UPDATE: On January 20, 2026, Universal announced the 2027 closure of Fast & Furious – Supercharged. The closure will coincide with the debut of a new Fast & Furious themed coaster, also opening in 2027. Stay up to date with all Universal Orlando updates on our news page.

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, San Francisco
  • Opened: 2018
  • Replaced: Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride … Starring You
Fast & Furious - Supercharged™ ride facade at Universal Studios Florida
Fast & Furious – Supercharged™ ride facade at Universal Studios Florida

This is, quite simply, the worst ride across all of Universal Orlando Resort. Y’all it is not Supercharged. It is consistently panned by critics and audiences alike. It’s just terrible.

Employing the dreaded pre-show not once, but twice, the ride attempts to parlay the success of the Fast and the Furious movie franchise into attraction success by using the famed cast to create the illusion that you’re inside the fast-paced movies. It doesn’t work.

The ride facade, entry, and first part of the queue quite promisingly feature a big auto garage for souping up (is that what the kids say?) the Fast and the Furious cars. But the interesting part of the ride stops there.

The fun set cannot make up for the atrociously long line, followed by a pre-show where you listen to extremely expositional banter to set the premise for your ride. And then another line. And then another pre-show. And then, somehow, any even longer line. And then the ride itself is just such a boring dud.

It also loses major express pass points. The main queue and the express queue merge way too early, essentially negating the express pass all together. And trust us, if there was ever a ride where you wanted it, it’s this one. We also have it on good authority that they’ve stopped running duel rides and cut to one to make the wait time longer so the ride looks more popular.

It’s also a tram attraction. This works for Reign of Kong, but it doesn’t work here. You feel like you’re on a slow bus through the city. That’s literally it.

It opened in 2018 and while there are perennial rumors that Universal will shut down and replace it, seven (7) years is way too long to force this ride on an innocent and unknowing public.

It’s the worst feeling ever to get off a ride and think “omg I just stood in an hour long line for that?” … which is what you’ll think when you exit Fast & Furious – Supercharged.

Explore Fast & Furious – Supercharged™.

21. Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges®

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Toon Lagoon
  • Opened: 1999
  • Replaced: Original

These types of rides across the U.S. have a history of flipping and killing people, so we skip them. We are not suggesting that this has happened—or ever will happen—at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. But better safe than sorry is a bit of a motto for us at Universal Unlocked.

Ranked low by default. Notice it still beats Fast & Furious though.

Explore Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges®.

20. Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon™ 👎👎👎

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, New York
  • Opened: 2017
  • Replaced: Twister… Ride It Out (insane downgrade)

The Jimmy Fallon ride attempts, in part, to return to the days when Universal Studios Florida was a solo theme park that was half ride attractions and half functioning film studio. The queue includes interesting NBC Tonight Show memorabilia, and the facade is a great recreation of 30 Rock. There is also a production to sit through that isn’t as interesting.

You’re probably thinking, wow a ride this badly ranked probably has an pre-show. And you’d be right. A particularly annoying one where you must sit through multiple Tonight Show skits that aren’t funny or related to the ride itself.

The ride itself is arranged in a theater setting that uses motion simulation and 3D effects while you follow Jimmy Fallon as he drives through New York City.

The line is way too long for the experience. And it is too reminiscent of Universal Orlando’s myriad other 3D offerings, failing to offer anything new to set it apart.

Explore Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon™.

19. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit™ 👎👎

UPDATE: Rip Ride Rockit is now permanently closed to make way for Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, opening in 2027. Catch every update on the new experience on our News & Updates page.

18. Doctor Doom’s Fearfall®

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Marvel Super Hero Island
  • Opened: 1999
  • Replaced: Original
Doctor Doom towers in Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure
Towers of the Doctor Doom ride in Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure

Doctor Doom’s Fearfall is a vertical launch ride, similar to one you’d find in other theme parks across the U.S. However, unlike those other rides that launch you up and drop you several times without warning, Doctor Doom comprises a single vertical launch and then brings you slowly down. It might be fun if there was nothing to compare it to, but there is.

We would probably rate the theming across the facade, queue, and ride as some of the worst in the parks.

Two good things about Doctor Doom: (1) the line is usually super short, and shorter if you have an express pass, and (2) after your vertical launch, you have an amazing view of Universal Orlando while you drift slowly back down.

We will sometimes hop on this just because it’s a quick in and out with a great view.

Explore Doctor Doom’s Fearfall®.

17. The Simpsons Ride™

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, Springfield
  • Opened: 2008
  • Replaced: Back to the Future: The Ride
Entrance to the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida
Entrance to the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida

If you could hop on and hop off this virtual roller coaster through iconic Springfield locations from the Simpsons TV show, it would rate higher than this. Alas, you cannot. The line is usually long, the express pass isn’t particularly effective, and even when it’s short it has … you guessed it … the dreaded pre-show. You also have to really like the Simpsons because episodes play throughout the queue.

If you really like the Simpsons, however, you’ll likely love this—pre-show included. The original cast voices the characters, and original writers are credited with all the bits and humor throughout. And the queue features tons of props brought to life from the series.

Explore The Simpsons Ride™.

16. Skull Island: Reign of Kong™ ⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Skull Island
  • Opened: 2016
  • Replaced: Original

We have to give Reign of Kong credit where credit is due. The theming is some of the best at the parks. But that makes it extra scary. And we’re not a fan of scary, to be completely honest. There’s lots of bugs and bats and other creepy crawlies.

Reign of Kong is one of the many 3D / motion simulation rides at the parks. Like Fast & Furious, the ride itself is a tram-like apparatus. These start to blend together (though this is lightyears better than Fast & Furious). The line is always long, but it does use the express pass well. We don’t hate this ride, but we’re pretty meh about it.

Explore Skull Island: Reign of Kong™.

15. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls® ⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Toon Lagoon
  • Opened: 1999
  • Replaced: Original

Ripsaw Falls is your standard log flume water ride. But those are fun, right? It also has great thematic elements from the Dudley Do-Right cartoon.

Explore Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls®.

14. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem™ ⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, Minion Land
  • Opened: 2012
  • Replaced: Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast

This is one (1) of two (2) kid-oriented rides that we’re including because it is the definition of a “major attraction” at Universal Orlando. Minions are all the rage. The ride itself is a 3D and motion simulation based experienced almost identical to the Race through New York, which isn’t our favorite. But it is drenched in minions. So kids—and more than a few adults—are wild about it. Theming is on point across the board.

But it’s extreme popularity also contributes to the ride wait times, which are almost always long. If we were ranking kids rides only, it would probably be #1. But mixed with all major attractions, for us it’s too similar to the other 3D rides at Universal Orlando. Plus, it has an insanely long pre-show and the express pass is barely helpful at all.

Explore Despicable Me Minion Mayhem™.

13. MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack!™ ⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, World Expo
  • Opened: 2000
  • Replaced: Set of the Swamp Thing TV series, display of Doc Brown’s Locomotive from Back to the Future III.
MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack!™ ride facade at night
MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack!™ ride facade at night

Maybe one of the most immersive movie themed rides at the resort, the Men in Black ride takes you through an MIB headquarters set straight out of the original movie. The ride itself is an interactive shooting game copied from the shooting game in the first movie. It always brings out our competitive streak.

The wait is never that long, especially with an express pass. There is no pre-show. While there are many rides we love more than this one, we do still really like it.

UPDATE: We’re changing our tune on ranking this one so low. After riding it again recently, the fact that you feel like you’re legitimately on the set of the movie all through the queue makes this ride so quality. We might rank it higher in 2026.

Explore MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack!™.

12. E.T. Adventure™ ⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, Hollywood
  • Opened: 1993
  • Replaced: Original

E.T. Adventure is the coolest on a couple levels. First, it’s the only ride in the park that was part of the original opening in 1990. Major staying power. It’s also literally cool. You queue through an airconditioned peaceful forest, a welcome respite from the blazing Orlando sun.

The facade is nothing of note, but the queue and the ride theming is excellent. Board the bike and gently fly through scenes from the iconic movie.

The wait times are usually okay, but the express pass isn’t that helpful. And we do have to deduct points because of the pointless pre-show. It would likely rank higher otherwise.

Explore E.T. Adventure™ .

11. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® ⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Marvel Super Hero Island
  • Opened: 1999
  • Replaced: Original

The Spider-Man ride in Marvel Super Hero Island is one of the many 3D / motion simulation rides at Universal Orlando. And while we agree with a large segment of Universal Orlando acolytes that the number of these rides has crossed over into “way too many” territory, we will not dock points for it this time because Spider-Man pioneered the tech way back in 1999. The OG gets a pass.

Over the years, Universal Orlando has added the “4D” effect to some 3D rides, including Spider-Man. This just means you experience touch, e.g., heat or water splashes, on the ride. The 4D effects add an extra element, but the Spider-Man effects often don’t work.

Also, the theming is amazing. This is back before they started making a million Spider-Man movies. Before Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland ever put on the spandex. So the ride is based solely on the comics, and it soars. You walk through the offices of the Daily Bugle, which is also the outside facade of the ride.

The queue is typically still very long (great staying power) and the express pass merges too quickly to be of any real use. But it’s usually on our itinerary because Spider-Man is a Universal Unlocked household favorite.

Explore The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®.

10. TRANSFORMERS™ The Ride-3D ⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, New York
  • Opened: 2013
  • Replaced: Hercules and Xena: Wizards of the Screen and Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre.
Transformers: The Ride - 3D facade
Transformers: The Ride – 3D facade

Transformers is another one of the 3D motion simulation rides at Universal Orlando. (See? We said there were too many.) It is essentially identical to the Spider-Man ride, and it didn’t pioneer the tech.

Why, then, did we rank it so high? Pure biased preference, mostly. We love the 2008 Transformers movie. And this does an excellent job of bringing it to life. The facade is the N.E.S.T. facility, and the queue has a pre-show that sets the stage for a fun ride through the city with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Starscream, and Megatron. And manages to do so without trapping you in an antechamber.

Transformers also employs the 4D effects, at times more effectively than other attractions. For whatever reason the lines are typically shorter than Spider-Man, and the express pass is much more effective. Another reason it gets a higher ranking from us.

But the bottom line really is that if you’re more of a Transformers fan you will like this one better. If you’re more of a Spider-Man fan, you will like that one better.

Explore TRANSFORMERS™ The Ride-3D.

9. The Incredible Hulk Coaster® ⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Marvel Super Hero Island
  • Opened: 1999
  • Replaced: Original
The Incredible Hulk Coaster® in Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure
The Incredible Hulk Coaster® in Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure

We love rollercoasters, so every rollercoaster is going to rank high for us. The theming of the ride puts you inside Bruce Banner’s lab in a really fun way. The coaster itself is thrilling, and you can almost always count on Hulk to have short lines. If you’re holding an express pass you can often walk on. It gets extra express pass points because the lines never merge.

On our last trip to Universal Orlando we rode Hulk three (3) times in a span of about ten (10) minutes on our way out of the parks on our last day. Efficient!

Opened in 1999, we also love its staying power. (Many more original attractions at Islands of Adventure have survived the test of time than original attractions at Universal Studios Florida.)

Why only three (3) stars? We have to deduct significant points because, while the ride has many satisfying thrills, those thrills usually come with a headache. In our experience it’s a very jerky ride that bangs your head around your shoulder harness.

If you’re wearing earrings, we strongly recommend you take them out for this ride. We’ve been stabbed in the head with our own studs more than once. If it was a smoother coaster, it would be five (5) stars and creeping up toward #1.

Explore The Incredible Hulk Coaster®.

8. Jurassic Park River Adventure™ ⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Jurassic Park
  • Opened: 1999
  • Replaced: Original

Another Islands of Adventure ride that has stood the test of time. If we were fonder of getting wet, Jurassic Park River Adventure would be in our regular rotation much more often. The theming is some of the best across the parks.

You basically take a serene boat ride through plush greenery and animatronic dinosaurs. Straight out of the first movie. Then things get ramped up right before the 85-foot drop, which is a different kind of fun, but still a lot of it. Great theming. A not too long ride queue. Good use of the express pass. No pre-show. Excellent ride. Not many notes.

Explore Jurassic Park River Adventure™.

7. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™ ⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Seuss Landing
  • Opened: 2006
  • Replaced: Original
Boarding area of The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™
Boarding area of The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™
A Universal Unlocked child riding The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™
A Universal Unlocked child riding The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™

Is this a kid-oriented ride? It is. Do we still love it beyond? We do. If you need a break from the sun, faster rides, or life in general, we highly recommend the Seuss Trolley. Seuss Land in general is extraordinarily immersive, and the trolley is no exception. You definitely feel like you stepped into the world of Dr. Seuss books.

The trolley either reads an audio book to you or goes through the alphabet as you ride, depending on your track. It takes you through the Circus McGurkus Cafe and other parts of Seuss Landing. It’s calm and serene. The kiddos will love it. And it gives amazing views of Islands of Adventure. Many of the Universal Unlocked pictures come from this ride.

Wait times can vary significantly, but there are plenty of times the queue is very short. The express pass never merges and drops you off right at the top in the ride boarding area.

You’ll love it. Just trust us.

Explore The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™.

6. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Diagon Alley™
  • Opened: 2014
  • Replaced: Jaws
Bank lobby in Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™
Bank lobby in Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™
Bank vault in Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™
Bank vault in Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™

We’re going to go ahead and call this the most immersive ride in the parks, even considering the next ride on the list. 👇👇 The Gringotts Bank facade—complete with a dragon that breathes real fire every fifteen (15) minutes—is right at home in the completely immersive Diagon Alley area of the Wizarding World that transports you straight into the books and movies.

The ride queue starts in the lobby of the wizarding bank, and the detail is mind-blowing. If you held up a picture of the ride lobby and a still from the movie it would be difficult to tell which was which.

UNLOCKED TIP: Harry Potter fans, look for the Goblin warning immediately when you enter the queue.

 As you move deeper into the bank, the immersion never lets up. The queue takes you through the depths of the bank and scatters fun wizarding artifacts, bank vaults, and goblin offices across your path.

The ride itself is a dark low-thrill coaster that uses 3D tech to great effect.

It gets dinged—and placed behind Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey—for a couple reasons. One—you guessed it—there is a pre-show. It doesn’t stop us from ranking it in the top six (6), but it does put it behind the other Wizarding World major attractions. There are actually two (2) pre-shows. One adds to the immersion, and one just doesn’t. And after the pre-shows there is another very long queue.

Ride facade of Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™
Ride facade of Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™

The second reason we ranked it last among Harry Potter rides is simply the wait times. They are always longer than Forbidden Journey, and the express pass merges too early to make a big difference. And while totally worth it, it can take a significant chunk of your day.

If you’re ok splitting from your party, the single rider line is usually the shortest and doesn’t require a special pass. Be careful though, the single rider queue path changes, and sometimes it shortcuts you past some of the best themed elements of the attraction experience.

This also gets a ding from Universal Unlocked because, while it is technically a roller coaster, we think it could have been a more thrilling ride, considering the subject matter.

Explore Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™.

5. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™
  • Opened: 2010
  • Replaced: The Merlinwood area of the Lost Continent
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™
Hogwarts Castle, which houses Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was the first major Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal Orlando. It’s a mix of screens, animatronics, and groundbreaking motion simulation. 

Probably the most immersive ride in the park after Gringotts, even if the ride itself was bad (it is not), it would get four (4) stars for the facade and queue theming alone. The ride is built inside a stunning replica of Hogwarts Castle in the Hogsmeade area of the Wizarding World.

The queue takes you through the inside and outside of the castle, including the greenhouses, Dumbledore’s office, the portrait of the Fat Lady, the Sorting Hat, and more. The ride itself takes you throughout Hogwarts Castle and its extended grounds.

We’ve never seen the queue get very long. (Likely because it makes a lot of people sick. So, fair warning?) The express pass never merges with the main queue but takes you through the same scenic elements in the castle. (Sometimes an express or single rider line will shortcut you past some great parts of the queue. This one doesn’t.)

The greenhouses at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™
The greenhouses at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™

We’ll regularly ride this more than once because you can often walk right on with little to no wait using the express pass. It’s thrilling but also cool, breezy, and kind of calm at times. And there’s no pre-show! (Which proves high theming and immersion is possible without one.) Excellent ride. Very few notes.

Explore Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™.

4. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™
  • Opened: 2019
  • Replaced: Dragon Challenge (formerly Dueling Dragons)
Hagrid's Hut in Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™
Hagrid’s Hut in Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™ in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™ at Islands of Adventure
Ride track in Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™ in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™ at Islands of Adventure
Ride track in Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™ in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™ at Islands of Adventure

Wild to rank the world-famous Hagrid coaster only #4, right? Yeah, we know. And we will happily change it to #1 when (and big if) the crowds ever calm down. We just cannot justify any higher ranking for a ride that has regular wait times upward of two (2) hours. It’s too big a part of the day, even if you have more than a couple days to do it.

It also doesn’t accept the express pass. There is technically a single rider line, but (1) you have to ride in the sidecar every time, and (2) the single rider line fills to capacity almost all the time so it is hard to catch. And even if you do catch it, it’s upward of an hour long.

UPDATE: As of May 30, 2025, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is accepting the Universal Express Pass.

However, if you put the wait time unpleasantness aside, this is the perfect ride. Which is why the lines are that long. Yes, we get it.

Highly immersive, the queue takes you through the Hogwarts grounds and past Hagrid’s cabin. The queue is extremely—sometimes shockingly—long (literally every time we’re like, another room?? Surely it wasn’t this long last time), but every part of it is interesting. Lots of Harry Potter artifacts to peruse. There is a 3D pre-show with Arthur Weasley, but it’s not an in an antechamber, and trust us, you have the time for it.

And the rollercoaster itself is so much fun. We’re going to call it mid-thrill because it has to compete with Hulk and VelociCoaster, but it’s quite exhilarating all the same—especially from the motorbike seat.

Explore Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™.

3. Hogwarts™ Express – King’s Cross Station and Hogwarts™ Express – Hogsmeade™ Station ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Diagon Alley™ and Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™
  • Opened: 2014
  • Replaced: Jaws / Merlinwood in the Lost Continent
Hogwarts™ Express in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™
View of Hogwarts™ Express in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™
Hogwarts™ Express in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Diagon Alley™
Hogwarts™ Express in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Diagon Alley™

The Hogwarts Express train ride connects the Wizarding World areas, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley (King’s Cross Station is technically in London outside Diagon Alley, but you get it.) You need a park-to-park ticket to ride. It is probably tied with Hogwarts Castle for second most immersive ride in the parks.

RELATED: Read more about ticket passes in our ultimate 2026 Universal Orlando planning guide.

King’s Cross Station is an absolute delight from start to finish. It mimics a real London train station and uses groundbreaking tech to put you through the barrier and onto Platform 9 ¾. Hogsmeade station is a great deal less themed and more reminiscent of a simple village train station. Which is very appropriate!

Hogsmeade™ Station in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ at Islands of Adventure
Hogsmeade™ Station in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ at Islands of Adventure
King's Cross Station in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ in the London area of Universal Studios Florida
King’s Cross Station in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ in the London area of Universal Studios Florida

The train itself features Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and Fred and George, and all their train to school hijinks. It’s a different journey each way, so make sure to catch both trains.

The queues for both station experiences can get quite long on the right peak crowd days. But the express pass merges late in King’s Cross and not in all in Hogsmeade, so that’s helpful. There is no single rider line.

It’s innovative. It’s straight out of the books and movies. It’s fun for all ages. It’s a break from the heat. All in. No notes.

Explore the Hogwarts™ Express at King’s Cross Station and Hogsmeade™ Station.

2. Jurassic World VelociCoaster ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Islands of Adventure, Jurassic Park
  • Opened: 2021
  • Replaced: Triceratops Encounter
Jurassic World VelociCoaster in Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure
Jurassic World VelociCoaster in Jurassic Park at Islands of Adventure

Off the bat we’re just going to say there is nothing about this ride we don’t like. Literally nothing. It checks every box.

Unlike the 90s theming of Jurassic Park River Adventure, the VelociCoaster facade and queue are modeled after the high-tech Jurassic World franchise.

The queue uses animatronic velociraptors to great effect. A prep video acts out a background instructional and safety scene that would fit right into the 2015 movie. Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt star in their roles from the franchise.

The ride itself is the most intense coaster anyone at Universal Unlocked has ever been on. It’s incredibly fast but also extremely smooth. The big drop almost feels like a break because it’s the only time you slow down for a second.

Even the ride lockers are high tech and innovative. Instead of dropping your park gear in a locker before you queue (like every other ride locker station in the parks), the middle of the queue houses the locker room.

Store all your stuff because you pass through metal detectors before continuing in the queue to the ride. The lockers are two-sided, with drop off and pick up happening in different rooms. It keeps the crowds down significantly.

Also if we were grading on the child swap area, it would be first by a mile. There are toys and screens in a very clean and roomy space.

There is both an express pass line and a single rider line. The express line is not the best we’ve ever seen, but it does cut down the wait times. Which are never too bad.

There is nothing we would change about this ride. 10/10. No notes.

Explore Jurassic World VelociCoaster.

1. Revenge of the Mummy™ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • Location: Universal Studios Florida, New York
  • Opened: 2004
  • Replaced: Kongfrontation
Revenge of the Mummy™ in the New York area of Universal Studios Florida
Revenge of the Mummy™ in the New York area of Universal Studios Florida

☕☕☕☕ IYKYK.

This completely indoor coaster is our favorite for many reasons, and we can’t lie—one of them is pure nostalgia. It’s been thrilling us longer than any other rollercoaster at Universal Orlando.

Revenge of the Mummy opened in 2004 and is one of the longest running rides at the resort. It was refurbished in 2022 (for a whole year) which is great for multiple reasons. One—obviously updates are nice. But second—and mainly—it’s a show of faith from Universal and an indication that the ride won’t be replaced any time soon.

We live in constant fear of this. Seriously. Nineteen (19) years is a long life for a Universal Orlando ride. They even got rid of Back to the Future. If Doc Brown ain’t safe, ain’t nobody safe. They did change around the express path which wigged us out the first time. All told Laney (alone) has ridden this ride over 100 times, and she doesn’t like change.

The facade and queue are equally immersive, and the ride is completely in the dark. In a slightly meta twist, the ride doesn’t take you into the Mummy movies. Instead, it takes you onto the set of the Mummy movies. A hilarious difference that leads to some great comedic moments. The queue is in almost complete (and cool) darkness and is littered with props from the movies.

It’s a short but thrilling coaster that includes some of the 4D physical effects. The wait times are almost always reasonable, and the express pass is very effective. Allowing us to ride over. And over. And over.

Our longest love affair. No notes.

Explore Revenge of the Mummy™.

Conclusion: The Ultimate North Campus Universal Orlando Ride Ranking

Thanks for reading! If you agree, disagree, or want to yell at us for controversial opinions, you can contact us here. Even if your ranking is completely different than ours, we hope you have the best time at the parks. 😁😁

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