Top 10 Universal Studios Orlando Thrill Rides Ranked Worst to Best

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Universal Studios Orlando has some of the very best thrill rides in the U.S. Many of them, including The Incredible Hulk and Velocicoaster have won plenty of awards and are highly regarded among theme park enthusiasts.

What sets it apart from other theme parks is that they not only have thrilling attractions, but they also have amazing theming that transports you to another world.

Revenge Of The Mummy, for example, is a great roller coaster, and on top of that, is themed to an Egyptian Temple and has outstanding effects.

Universal also has some particularly intense thrill rides.

I’ve been on The Incredible Hulk plenty of times, but I still get shaky when I’m on it. Which makes it perfect for any thrill-seeker.

There are plenty of fantastic thrill rides at Universal Studios Orlando. Here, we’ll count down the top ten best thrill rides at Universal Studios Orlando, and see which one rises above the rest.

10. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls

A log flume ride based on the cartoon character Dudley Do-Right. You’ll help him save the damsel in distress, Nell, from the evil villain, Snidley.

Dudley Do-Right’s has three drops. The last one is 75 feet long and leads you into a short roller coaster section. So it’s not a kiddy ride. The drops are big and steep – definitely more intense than Splash Mountain.

It’s a great thrill ride for a summer day. But the reason it’s at the bottom of the list is the theming is lackluster. It feels more like a Six Flags ride than a Universal ride.

I’d still recommend it though. It’s fast-paced and the drops are so steep that you’ll fly off your seat.

Height Requirement: 44 in. (under 48 in. needs a supervising companion)

Express Pass Available

Type of Ride: Water thrill ride

Best For: Tweens, Teens, Adults

9. Jurassic Park River Adventure

A slow relaxing boat ride where you can see the magnificent beasts that once ruled the Earth – which then turns into a nightmare when the dinosaurs inevitably escape… It plays out exactly like a typical Jurassic Park movie, which is what makes it so great.

When you enter the carnivore section, it is genuinely scary.

You don’t know where the hungry dinosaurs are hiding and when they’re going to pop out.

It all ends with you coming face-to-face with a life-size T-Rex before you plunge down a hair-raising 85-foot drop in the dark. It’s one of the most iconic and memorable moments on a ride at Universal Studios in Orlando.

I would put it higher on the list, but the ride is in a bit of a rough state right now.

Some of the animatronics aren’t working and are just sitting there motionless. Some of them are just covered up. It’s not great when the speaker goes “Welcome to Jurassic Park,” the theme blasts triumphantly in your ears, the doors open, and the first thing you see is a brachiosaurus covered by a massive conspicuous box.

Nonetheless, if they get everything working it is one of the most thrilling and terrifying rides at Universal’s Islands Of Adventure.

Height Requirement: 42 in. (under 48 in. needs a supervising companion)

Express Pass Available

Type of Ride: Water thrill ride

Best For: Tweens, Teens, Adults

8. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

A one-of-a-kind roller coaster where you listen to some of your favorite songs as you ride. When you get in your seat, you quickly pick a song of choice from a selection of 5 songs on a touch screen embedded in the handlebar. The selection includes:

• “Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance
• “Humble” by Kendrick Lamar
• “Sandstorm” by Daurade
• “Waterloo” by Abba
• “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” by Shania Twain

The roller coaster itself is wild, with a vertical lift hill, twisted loop, giant near-vertical drops, and a unique portion of the track that looks like a treble clef.

However, the only issue is that it’s very rough. It’s fun, but it can be pretty shaky.

Height Requirement: 51 in. (under 48 in. needs a supervising companion)

Express Pass Available

Type of Ride: Roller coaster

Best For: Teens, Adults

7. Harry Potter And The Escape From Gringotts

Escape From Gringotts puts you in the middle of the Gringotts heist sequence from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Bill Weasley invites you to take a tour of Gringott Bank, unaware of Harry Potter’s plan to break into Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault to obtain a Horcrux the same day. So it’s bad timing, to say the least…

My favorite part of the attraction might actually be the queue. They replicated the Gringotts lobby set straight from the Deathly Hallows Part 2, so it feels like you’ve stepped inside the movie.

The best way I can describe this attraction is a combination of Revenge Of The Mummy and The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man. It’s a mix of a roller coaster with 3D screens combined and practical effects.

One problem with this ride is there isn’t enough roller coaster sections. Essentially, there’s just a small drop and a catapult launch. Also, they rely too heavily on 3D effects as opposed to practical effects.

However, it’s definitely up there with some of the most immersive rides at Universal Studios Orlando.

Height Requirement: 42 in. (under 48 in. needs a supervising companion)

Express Pass Available

Single Rider Available

Child Swap Available

Type of Ride: Roller Coaster/3D Motion Simulator

Best For: Tweens, Teens, and Adults

6. The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man

Now we’re getting to the really good stuff!

In this attraction, you help Spider-Man save New York City from his worst enemies, including Doctor Octopus, Electro, and the Green Goblin.

It’s the same kind of ride as Transformers – The Ride: 3D. It spins around on a track and uses a motion base to simulate what’s going on in the story.

However, in my opinion, this is way better than Transformers.

It is really hard to tell what’s real and what’s a 3D effect. It all blends seamlessly together. It’s one of the few rides where you really feel like you’re there. Whereas Transformers relies too much on screens and doesn’t use as many practical effects.

This is a personal favorite of mine and is among the best attractions at Islands Of Adventure.

Height Requirement: 40 in. (under 48 in. needs a supervising companion)

Express Pass Available

Type of Ride: Spinning 3D motion simulator

Best For: Tweens, Teens, Adults

5. Revenge Of The Mummy

This is one of my personal favorites!

Based on Brendan Fraiser’s The Mummy movies, this is a high-speed, thrilling roller coaster through a cursed Egyptian temple. It’s in the dark, there are mummies around every corner, flames everywhere, scarabs covering the walls, and soon you discover that there is no way out…

The effects and sets are outstanding. They’re so realistic, that it makes you feel like you’ve been dropped in a movie.

Revenge Of The Mummy throws new surprises at you every second. You never know what terror is coming next.

And my goodness, the roller coaster is amazing! It has lots of air-time moments, a launch section, and even a – well, I won’t spoil it.

I put this above Spider-Man, given that the roller coaster portions of the attraction make it more thrilling than Spider-Man.

This is Universal at its best. It’s thrilling, the sets are larger than life, and the effects blow you away.

Height Requirement: 48 in.

Express Pass Available

Type of Ride: Roller Coaster

Best For: Tweens, Teens, Adults

4. Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey

A magical journey through Hogwarts, where you’ll live out the best moments from the Harry Potter movies. You’ll go to a Quidditch game, enter the Forbidden Forest, see the Chamber Of Secrets, and more.

This ride uses a Kuka arm to simulate the feeling of flying. It combines practical effects with screens to immerse you in the experience.

Perhaps the best part of this attraction is actually the queue. It takes you through Hogwarts and all its iconic locations from the movies, including the Gryffindor Common Room and Dumbledore’s Office. It’s one of the few theme park queues that are actually fun to wait in.

The ride is surprisingly very frightening. The monsters jump scare you and get very close to you. It feels like you could touch them if you reach your hand out. At times it can even feel like a horror movie, making Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey one of the scariest rides at Universal Studios Orlando.

While it’s more than 10 years old, Forbidden Journey still remains a masterpiece. The effects really make it feel like you’re in the world of Harry Potter and few theme park rides have come even close to its level of immersion.

Height Requirement: 48 in. (under 48 in. needs a supervising companion)

Express Pass Available

Child Swap Available

Type of Ride: Kuka arm motion simulator

Best For: tweens, teens, adults

3. The Incredible Hulk Coaster

A heart-pounding, adrenaline-filled attraction that is arguably the most intense roller coaster at Universal Studios Orlando.

It’s themed after the Hulk from the Marvel comics. It’s your one and only chance to feel what it’s like to transform into the Incredible Hulk.

It’s utterly relentless – you start with an uphill launch section, straight into a zero-g roll, then down a drop at 67 MPH, then into a cobra roll, then into a massive loop. All of that in the span of less than 30 seconds… I like roller coasters, but even I need some mental preparation before riding this one.

This roller coaster has won many Golden Ticket awards and still stands as one of the best roller coasters in Orlando.

Height Requirement: 54 in.

Express Pass Available

Type of Ride: Roller coaster

Best For: Teens, Adults

2. Jurassic World Velocicoaster

Often referred to as the best roller coaster in Orlando, Velocicoaster is one of the most thrilling (and terrifying) attractions at Universal.

It’s a roller coaster through a Raptor paddock in Jurassic World. Claire Dearing, head of parks operations, urges guests that the coaster is perfectly safe. Owen Grady on the other hand, points out that putting guests in close proximity to four hungry, agitated raptors might not be a bright idea…

Velocicoaster includes a 155-foot tophat, 4 inversions, and two heart-pounding catapult launches. What makes it particularly special is that there are no over-the-head restraints, just a regular lap bar. This means your body is free to fly around as the coaster twists and turns.

Arguably, the scariest part is when you twist upside-down over the water. There’s no describing that brief moment of panic where you question whether the restraints are actually tight as you hang over the water.

It’s a unique roller coaster for enthusiasts who are ready for a pure adrenaline rush.

Height Requirement: 51 in.

Type of Ride: Roller coaster

Best For: Teens, Adults

Related: The Complete Guide to the Veolcicoaster

1. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

In this attraction, you board Hagrid’s motorbike and can either choose to ride the bike or the sidecar. You blast through the forbidden forest, seeing all kinds of creatures, including Fluffy the Three-Headed Dog, Centaurs, and unicorns.

Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure has pretty much everything you could ask for in a roller coaster: a backward drop, a freefall drop, and a record-breaking 7 launches.

While it’s not as intense as some of the other attractions, the unique ride car and the fact that it has so many different elements to it (a backwards drop, seven launches, etc), make it stand above the rest. It’s very exhilarating zooming through the trees as Harry Potter music blasts through the speakers.

It’s got everything Universal does best. It’s the perfect thrill ride.

Height Requirement: 48 in.

Express Pass Available

Virtual Line Available On Select Days

Type of Ride: Roller coaster

Best For: Tweens, teens, adults

Universal Orlando Resources

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