Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure

When I went to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. I personally liked it, but they play loud music in the elevators, lobby, and pool area. If you don't like loud rock 'n' roll music then I would stay at either the Portofino or Royal Pacific.
    There are two good restaurants I think in the Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios. The first is a restaurant called Mythos in the Lost Continent island. This restaurant has a very random menu with everything from burgers to tacos. The interior of this restaurant is like a cave and even if you don't eat there I would at least pop in to see how it looks inside. The second restaurant is the Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter island. This restaurant has an English menu and looks kind of like an old fashioned inn. I thought the food & decor at Mythos was better but the menu makes more sense at the Three Broomsticks and the Butterbeer is one of the best drinks I have ever had. If you choose Mythos you might want to make a reservation.

    If you stay at one of the three hotels I mentioned in the first paragraph, you get an express pass to all the rides except Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. You also can get to the park at 8:00 an hour before it opens to the general public. However only part of the park opens early: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. So when you actually get there you run through Suess Landing and Lost Continent and get to the Wizarding World. The first thing I would do is Get in to the line for Ollivander's. The show takes about 7 minutes and then you enter the shop. The main item sold at the shop is of course: wands. I'd say about everyone under 13 that goes to the park gets a wand. After you've bought yourself a wand you should hurry to get in the line for Forbidden Journey before 9:00. This ride is commonly known as the best ride in the world. You sit in a 4 seat bench while a mechanical arm moves you around in front of a series of TV screens and stuff. After you ride the Forbidden Journey I would ride the other two rides Flight of the Hippogriff and the Dragon Challenge. After you have ridden all the rides you can explore Hogsmeade. Be sure to stop at Honeydukes (you really should know what this is, but it's a candy shop) fairly early because sometimes lines will form just to get into the store, however, there is a back entrance through Zonkos.
    By now it should probably be at least 9:00 so you can head to Jurassic Park. The first thing I did was try to ride Pterodon Flyers, but you have to have someone with you under a certain height to ride. The next thing I tried was Camp Jurassic. This is a high in the sky playground made of ropes stretched tightly between wooden platforms. I wouldn't recommend  this  attraction, but I wouldn't say it was that bad. If I was planning your trip the only thing in Jurassic Park I would do is the Jurassic Park River Adventure. You sit in a boat similar to a large roller coaster car and start off in raft ride fashion. Then you take a wrong turn and drop 85 feet at a 90 degree angle. After the River Adventure you keep going into Toon Lagoon.
   Toon Lagoon has three main attractions: Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls, Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barge, and Me Ship, The Olive. Dudley Do-Right's is pretty much dumping a gallon of water on your lap so if you don't like getting wet I would not ride this ride. Me Ship, The Olive is pretty much a spinach-run boat converted into play area. I went in the ship and I thought all the spinach was cool but other than that it wasn't a great experience. The only thing in Toon Lagoon I would highly recommend is  Popeye &  Bluto's Bilge Rat Barge. It is a raft ride with a great story.
   After Toon Lagoon you head into Marvel Super Hero Island. The first thing I would do is The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, one of the best rides I have ever ridden. The other good thing is The Incredible Hulk Coaster. I didn't ride this because I am at the medium extremity level, and this ride is high.

   The next island is Suess Landing. I think this looks better than any of the other islands except maybe  Harry Potter.  You might think because of this  the  trolley  ride  would  be great.  However  this ride goes  so fast you don't really get to see anything. But another one of my favorite rides "The Cat in the Hat" calls Suess Landing home. This ride takes you through the story of the classic book and terrifies the average three year old. After the Cat in the Hat you can head on to the Lost Continent island.
   This island has no rides but the show Poisidon's fury takes place here. I won't tell you about this because it has a certain element of surprise. The restaurant Mythos  also is in the Lost Continent. The Lost Continent  is the last Island of adventure so if somehow you still have time before 7:00 (when the park closes in January) you can go to Universal Studios.

   The first thing in Universal Studios is Shrek 4-D, an alternate Shrek 2 in 4-D. After that you should ride Jimmy Neutron Blast a simulation of riding a slightly unpredictable rocket ship. After that you should walk through either New York or San Francisco (fake remakes) to either Men in Black or The Simpsons Ride. After you ride which ever one you rode first, ride the other one then go home. Don't forget to eat lunch!

EXTREMITY SCALE

High-The Incredible Hulk Coaster

Medium-Men in Black: Alien Attack,Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Dragon Challenge, Jurassic Park River Adventure, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man,

Low-Flight of the Hippogriff, Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barge, Cat in the Hat, Shrek 4-D, Jimmy Neutron Blast, The Simpsons Ride, Camp Jurrasic, Me Ship, the Olive


Show/Shop-Poisidon's Fury, Ollivander's, Honeydukes, Zonko's, Dervish and Banges

Eatery-Hog's Head, Three Broomsticks, Mythos