Universal Islands of Adventure

Universal Islands of Adventure, often shortened to Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida, United States. It originally opened as Universal Studios Islands of Adventure on May 28, 1999, along with Universal CityWalk, as part of a major expansion that transformed Universal Studios Florida into Universal Orlando Resort. The investment was Universal's largest since the resort's founding in 1990. A short time later in 2001, the park was renamed Universal's Islands of Adventure, which remained in effect until 2023. It was the second theme park to open at the resort, followed by Universal Volcano Bay in 2017 as the first water park, and Universal Epic Universe in 2025 as the third theme park.

Islands of Adventure is designed around the concept of exploration, with each section of the park representing a different themed island. Initially, the park featured six themed areas. A seventh area called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, based on the Harry Potter franchise, was introduced in 2010 and resulted in a notable increase in attendance. In 2024 the park hosted 9.4 million visitors, making it the 14th-most visited theme park in the world that year.

Before Islands of Adventure was built, the site was originally planned as a shopping mall called Galleria Orlando. Plans were first drawn up for the mall in 1985, but it was ultimately cancelled in 1990, the same year Universal Studios Florida opened next door.

During the construction of IOA, Universal opened the Islands of Adventure Preview Center at adjacent Universal Studios Florida. Opening two years before the new theme park, the Preview Center was designed to give guests a sneak peek at some of the themes and attractions for Islands of Adventure. It was housed in the Paradise Theater building located in the New York section of Universal Studios Florida, next to the Kongfrontation attraction. In the attraction, guests would walk through various rooms themed to the various "Islands" in the new park. The final room stated when the Islands of Adventure Park would open, and showed guests Universal's future plans for the Universal Orlando Resort. The Preview Center was closed shortly after the opening of Islands of Adventure. The space that was used for the preview center is now a locker room and a year-round "Tribute Store".

Islands of Adventure had a soft opening beginning March 27, 1999, during which visitors could preview the park at a discounted price while the staff conducted a technical rehearsal and worked on the "finishing touches." During this soft opening, guests were informed that attractions might open and close throughout the day without notice and that some attractions might not be open at all. Initial plans were to open the park in mid-May, but this was ultimately delayed until May 28, 1999.

After the enormous capital expenditure required to build Islands of Adventure, CityWalk, and the resort hotels, Universal sought to overtake nearby Walt Disney World in attendance. However, with the addition of the second park, new resorts, and entertainment district, the resort was named Universal Studios Escape. Essentially, it seemed that visitors were confused by the name, assuming that Islands of Adventure was a new area added to the already-existing Universal Studios Florida theme park. For the first two years, attendance did not rise as expected. By 2001, the marketing was revamped, clarifying that Islands of Adventure was indeed a second, completely separate park with new rides and attractions. Universal Studios Escape was renamed Universal Orlando Resort and ended up being the only resort in the Orlando area to have an increase in attendance after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

At Islands of Adventure many past attractions have been closed, some simply being closed with no replacement like Island Skipper Tours while others like The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! were altered from their initial concept to the attraction that operates today. Other rides closed include Dueling Dragons, renamed and rethemed to Dragon Challenge for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a dueling inverted coaster. The two sides of the coaster eventually stopped dueling and were dispatched at separate times after guests were hit by belongings of riders from the opposite ride vehicle flying toward and colliding with them during the "duel" section. As a result, the ride declined in popularity and eventually closed. It was replaced with what is now known as Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Islands of Adventure consists of eight themed "islands", the majority of which are based on licensed intellectual properties, with only two lands based on original Universal Pictures works. They are, in clockwise order from entry: Port of Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing.