Islands of Adventure Height Requirements

We always get asked, “What can my kids ride at Islands of Adventure??” By knowing the Islands of Adventure height requirements before your trip, hopefully, you can come up with a game plan for what to ride, and how to deal with youngsters that aren’t quite tall enough to ride it all.

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ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE RIDES WITH NO HEIGHT REQUIREMENT

Caro-Suess-el™: Located in Suess Landing, this traditional carousel of Dr. Suess characters is good for the whole family. You can even make the characters blink, wiggle their ears, and turn their heads! Express Pass is available.

Hogwarts Express pulling into the station at Islands of Adventure

Hogwarts™ Express: This train ride between Universal Studios (King’s Cross Station) and Islands of Adventure (Hogsmeade) does require a park-to-park ticket, but it’s a can’t miss ride for our family. Make sure to do it in both directions because the journey is different each way! Express Pass is available.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish™: Similar to Dumbo, this gentle ride takes you up, and down, and all around. Express Pass is available.

Storm Force Accelatron: This classic spinning ride has no height requirement! It’s kind of hidden to the side of The Hulk – so much so that we’ve never actually ridden this one! Express Pass is available.

MUST BE AT LEAST 36 INCHES FOR THESE ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE RIDES

Cat in the Hat™: One of our faves for the best air conditioning, you go through the ride in a couch car as the story of Cat in the Hat is brought to life. Express Pass is available.

Flight of the Hippogriff™: This is the ride in Wizarding World with the lowest height requirement. Kids will love this kiddie coaster as they race through the pumpkin patch and past Hagrid’s hut. Express Pass is available.

The High in the Sky Suess Trolley Train Ride!™: This is a train ride, high in the sky, giving a birdseye eye of Suess Landing. Express Pass is available.

Pteranodon Flyers height requirement Islands of Adventure

Pteranodon Flyers™ – Guests over 56″ tall must be accompanied by a rider 36-56″: Designed for kids from 36-56″ tall, this one requires an adult companion to ride with the child – but adults cannot ride alone! Soar over Jurassic Park, suspended from a Pteranodon on this gentle ride.

Teens riding Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Islands of Adventure

Skull Island: Reign of Kong™: Hop on the bus and join an expedition through Skull Island, but hang on tight because you’ll be getting attacked by dinosaurs in no time. King Kong shows up, and an epic battle ensues. This one can be frightening for young children as it’s quite loud and violent. Express Pass is available.

MUST BE AT LEAST 40 INCHES FOR THIS IOA RIDE

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®: Put on your 3D glasses and follow Spiderman as he battles villains throughout New York. This one has you soaring above the streets, scaling tall buildings, and coming face to face with some of the most villainous bad guys around. Express Pass is available.

MUST BE AT LEAST 42 INCHES FOR THESE ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE RIDES

Girl checking her height at Islands of Adventure

Jurassic Park River Adventure™: Board a tour boat for what should be a scenic tour of Jurassic Park. As things always do in JP, something goes totally wrong, and chaos ensues. You WILL get wet on this boat trip through Jurassic Park, but not soaked like the other IOA water rides. Express Pass is available.

Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges®: Similar to Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom, this circular raft ride goes through rapids and under waterfalls. You WILL get wet! Express Pass is available.

MUST BE AT LEAST 44 INCHES FOR THIS IOA RIDE

Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls®: This log flume ride is part coaster, part water ride, and features a 75-foot drop at the end. You WILL get wet. Or, realistically, you will get SOAKED by the water cannons at the end of the ride. Express Pass is available.

MUST BE AT LEAST 48 INCHES FOR THESE IOA RIDES

Hagrid's motorbike coaster Islands of Adventure

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™: One of the newer rides, this thrilling coaster puts you on Hagrid’s motorbike or in the sidecar for a high-speed journey into the Forbidden Forest. This is often the longest line in the park, but this ride is totally worth the wait. Virtual Queue is available depending on crowds.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™: Located INSIDE Hogwarts, this is one of the most popular rides in the park – and for good reason. This 3D simulator takes you high above Hogwarts where you’re chased by dragons and dementors. The line for this one is phenomenal as you walk through Hogwarts and see Dumbledore’s office, classrooms, and common rooms. You can walk through the line to tour the castle even if you’re not interested in riding. Express Pass is available.

MUST BE AT LEAST 51 INCHES FOR THIS ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE RIDE

New VelociCoater at Islands of Adventure height requirement

Jurassic World VelociCoaster: Brand new in Summer 2021 and the newest ride at Islands of Adventure, this extreme coaster packs plenty of thrills. It travels over 70mph, has multiple inversions, a zero-gravity inverted stall, and Universal’s steepest drop. Virtual Queue is available depending on crowds, and Express Pass is available.

MUST BE AT LEAST 52 INCHES FOR THIS ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE RIDE

Islands of Adventure height requirements Doctor Doom's Fear Fall

Doctor Doom’s Fearfall®: Prepare to be launched 185 feet in the air, accelerate faster than the space shuttle, and then plunge back to the ground. Express Pass is available.

MUST BE AT LEAST 54 INCHES FOR THIS IOA RIDE

The Incredible Hulk coaster at Islands of Adventure

The Incredible Hulk Coaster®: The massive, green coaster has the highest height requirement in any of Universal’s parks. Packed with high speeds, inversions, and thrills, this one is not for the faint of heart. Express Pass is available.

TIPS FOR DEALING WITH ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS

  • Most rides at Islands of Adventure have a height requirement to ensure guest safety – a sharp contrast from Disney where kids can ride almost everything.
  • If your little one is close to a cut-off (36, 40, 42, 44, 48, 51, 52, 54 inches), practice how to stand up straight before your trip. Their head has to actually hit the measuring guide or obviously be taller than it, but we’ve seen many kids duck to fit under the guide and end up looking shorter than they actually are. And then, unfortunately, they miss out on the ride.
  • Child Swap is available at all rides with a height restriction, so make sure to utilize it if you have little ones in your party. Every ride has somewhere that one member of your party can wait with the kids while the rest of the group rides. Then, switch places, and the adult that waited with the little ones can have a chance to ride without waiting in line again. The big kids may even get the chance to ride twice, and both adults get to enjoy the attraction!
  • While we love going to Disney with kids of all ages, Islands of Adventure is really best once kids are at least 40-42 inches tall. I would lean towards waiting until your youngest is at least 48″ tall if it’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip since that will allow them to ride almost everything in the parks.
  • I’ve spent many hours at Islands of Adventure hanging out with Ellie (who is only 46″) while the big kids ride everything in the park. We usually get a special snack (like a frozen butterbeer!) to share and wander through the shops – that way, she gets to do something fun while the bigs are riding.

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