Are you wondering what the best Islands of Adventures rides for toddlers are? Universal Studios Islands of Adventure is renowned for its thrill rides with big scare factors but are there rides for toddlers? In this guide we rank all of the Island of Adventures toddler rides alongside the other best things to do in Islands of Adventure with toddlers to help your little one have a fantastic time in the park.
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Is Islands of Adventure Toddler Friendly?
It is true that Islands of Adventure is one of the more restrictive theme parks for toddlers in Orlando. There are lots of rides at Islands of Adventure with height restrictions, many of which are too tall for toddlers.
But fear not there are some rides that your toddler can go on and will love at Islands if Adventure. There are a few rides that have no height restriction at Islands of Adventure and many that have a relatively low height restriction of 36 inches. My tall two year old toddler was just over 36 inches on our trip however I would expect most average sized toddlers to reach this height restriction around age 3.
For this reason you may want to wait until your toddler reaches this height to get the most out of your trip.
Best time to Visit Islands of Adventure with Toddlers?
One of the best things about traveling with toddlers generally is that, unless you have older children too, you are not restricted to traveling in school holidays.
Therefore we recommend if you are traveling to Islands of Adventure with toddlers is to travel off peak and outside of the school holidays. This way you will be rewarded with shorter queues and less crowds in the park.
Also if you, try and avoid visiting on public holidays when the crowds at Universal soar. In particular visiting Universal on Thanksgiving or during Christmas you will find the crowds to be very high so these are best avoided if you can. But if you must visit during peak times then we recommend getting a Universal Express Pass. To find out why we think a Universal Express Pass is worth it check out this post.
Islands of Adventure for Toddler Tips
Now before we get onto the best rides at Islands of Adventure for toddlers it is worth rounding up some of our tips for enjoying Islands of Adventure with toddlers.
Don’t just do rides
Islands of Adventure is more than it’s ride. There are some amazing playgrounds and character meet and greets that your toddler will enjoy just as much, and in some cases more than the rides. Don’t miss out on the other experiences.
Bring Snacks
Best Snacks to Take to Universal Studios
Although Universal is full of amazing food and drink options we recommend bringing snacks to Universal. There is nothing worse that traveling with a hangry toddler and mine always get hungry in the most inconvenient places i.e. in the middle of a long queue.
Having some snacks with you will save you a lot of stress.
For more information on what to pack for Islands of Adventure check out this post.
Bring a Stroller
And even if your toddler at home has stopped using a stroller we recommend bringing one with you to Universal. The parks are big and little legs can get tired especially in the heat. A stroller may help keep your toddler happy and help extend the hours you can do in the park.
Where to Find Toddler Friendly Rides at Islands of Adventure
Best Islands of Adventure Rides for Toddlers
When you are looking for toddler friendly rides at Islands of Adventure it should probably be no surprise that you need to head to the Dr Seuss landing.
To find Dr Seuss landing, when you enter the main park follow the main thorough fare and then follow signs to the right. The land is quite well signposted and is close to the entrance so your little one shouldn’t have too far to walk.
Other ares where you will find toddler friendly rides are in Hogsmeade Village and the Jurassic Park area.
And be sure to introduce your toddler to the characters you are going to see by watching these best movies to watch before going to Universal?
Best Islands of Adventure rides for toddlers
Caro-Suess-El, Dr Seuss Landing
Caro-Seuss-al – Best Islands of Adventure Rides for Toddlers
As you can probably guess from the name, the caro-seuss-el is a traditional carousel ride but themed with characters from Dr. Suess. As with any carousel this is a great atrtraction for toddlers, especially for those who may not be experienced at theme parks.
The ride is gentle, there is no darkness or scare factor and toddlers can see exactly what they are going on before they board.
I think this is a great first ride at Universal with your toddlers.
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Dr Seuss Landing
This is the other ride in the Seuss land where there is no minimum height restriction. This was actually my little one’s favorite ride in Islands of Adventure.
For those family with the Magic Kingdom or the Universal Studios, this ride can be easily compared to Dumbo the Flying Elephant or the King and Kodos Twirl and Hurl ride.
You will board a fish that you can then operate and move up and down while you fly around.
The Cat in the Hat, Dr Seuss Landing
The Cat in the Hat – things to do at Islands of Adventures with toddlers
Height Restriction – 36 inches minimum – adult supervision required if under 48 inches
The Cat in the Hat ride is one of the Dr Seussland rides that has a height restriction. My toddler reached the 36 inch mark at age 2 however I think more typically toddlers above the age of 3 usually can reach this height.
The ride is a dark ride but a gentle one where Thing One and Thing 2 wreak havoc on a house. The house then needs to be tidied before Mother gets home.
My toddler really enjoyed this one and there is nothing scary that happens in this ride making it another great ride for toddlers at Islands of Adventure.
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train, Dr Seuss Landing
Height Restriction – 36 inches minimum – adult supervision required if under 48 inches
One of the things I like about this ride is that you can actually have two different experiences if your ride this twice. There are two tracks which have slightly different theming.
The first track features the Seuss characters the Sneetches while the other track features the ABCs. Because of this we recommend riding this twice with your little one as the tracks really do feel like two different experiences.
Please note: this queue is extremely hot so we recommend doing this in the morning.
Pteranodon Flyers, Jurassic World
Pteradon Fliers – Things to do at Islands of Adventures with toddlers
Height Restriction – 36 inches minimum and 56 inches maximum – adult supervision required if under 48 inches
The Pteranodon Flyers was a huge hit with both our little kids. I know many older kids who are actually sad when they exceed the 56 inch height requirement as this is such a fun ride.
The premise of this ride is that you fly around the area like a Pteradon. However it is worth noting that although your toddler may reach the 36 inch height requirement you may not want to take them on this until they are slightly older because of the ride set up.
On this ride you basically have two swing type seats one in front and one behind. The younger rider will sit in the front, with the adult behind so it can be hard to comfort your little one if they are scared or not enjoying the ride.
If your little one is of a nervous disposition this one may be better to ride once they are older but if you have a dare devil then this one should not be missed and was definitely a favourite with my little ones.
Hogswarts Express, Hogsmeade
Hogwarts Express
This was without a doubt my little boys favorite ride in Universal full stop. He loves trains so even watching the train come back and forth in the queue was a delight for him.
Once on board he really enjoyed the experience and even though Death Eaters do fly by the windows and the Dementors do board the train I actually think it is done in a really clever and unscary way so both my kids loved this one.
However it is worth noting that if you only have tickets for Islands of Adventures, rather than a park hopper you will be unable to ride this attraction as this ride serves as a connector between the two parks.
Other things to note about this ride is that it is good to do at the hottest part of the day as the attraction and the queue are air conditioned and you can actually take your stroller with you in the queue (because you are essentially transferring parks when you board this train so you wouldn’t want to leave your stroller behind.
Having said that however, we recommend taking your toddler out of the stroller and carrying it folded, up the stairs. There is only one elevator to get from ground to platform level (and voice versa) at this attraction so waiting for the elevator can really add to your queue time.
Flight of the Hippogriff, Hogsmeade
Flight of the Hippogriff
Height Restriction – 36 inches minimum – adult supervision required if under 48 inches
This is a small rollercoaster in the Hogsmeade area and is the only ride in this area that does not have a high height restriction (other than the Hogswart Express).
This is a small rollercoaster very similar to the Woody Woodpecker Rollercoaster at Universal Studios or the Barnstormer rollercoaster at the Magic Kingdom.
My toddler loved this ride and went on a couple of times and is probably the most grown up ride that you can take a toddler on at Islands of Adventure.
Skull Island King Kong – AVOID
Skull Island
Now the Skull Island King Kong ride is one to be absolutely avoided with toddlers. The height restriction is 36 inches however it really isn’t suitable for toddlers. My toddler didn’t ride this but my husband took my 6 year old on this. She is normally quite the dare devil and things do not usually faze her but she found this queue to be too much.
Toddlers would be terrified before they got to the ride, simply walking through the queue. Therefore although you could technically take your little one on this I would avoid this at all costs.
Best Things for toddlers at Islands of Adventures (non rides)
If I ran the Zoo Playground, Seuss Landing
Best Playgrounds at Universal
On top of the rides in Dr Seuss Land there is also a great playground that is perfect for toddlers.
The If I ran the Zoo playground recounts the story of Gerald McGrew in the If I ran the Zoo Book. There are lots of interactive elements as well as play equipment that your little one will love.
Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear Show, Seuss Landing
Oh! The Stories You’ll Hear is a musical show featuring some of your favorite Dr Seuss characters such as the cat in the hat, Thing One and Thing Two and the Lorax to name but a few.
Be sure to check the timings on the app on your day of visit as your toddler will not want to miss this one.
Camp Jurassic Playground
The camp Jurassic is located in the Jurassic World area of the park and is an absolutely mega playground. In this area your little one can climb through caves as well as scramble over nets.
We used this playground to keep our toddler entertained while we did rider swap on the Jurassic Park River Adventure.
Me Ship, The Olive Play Area
This is another play area that is great for toddlers. It is conveniently located near to the Popeye Bilge Rats ride which toddlers can’t ride so a great place to wait while older members of your group hit this ride.
Character Meet and Greets
At both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure there are character meet and greets. My little ones favorite meet and greets were definitely the Dr Seuss characters such as the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two and the Lorax.
But there are lots more characters to meet in at Islands of Adventure such as Spider-Man, Captain America and Wolverine and Blue from Jurassic World which I will admit scared my little one a bit.
So there you have our favorite toddler rides at Island of Adventures. What are your little ones favourite things to do at Islands of Adventure.