Universal Studios Florida rides have developed dramatically over the past ten years. Some of the best rides at Universal Studios Florida have even come to rival the top attractions down the street at Walt Disney World.
In this guide to all the Universal Studios Florida rides I'll dive into my top can't-miss Universal Studios Orlando best rides rides, height requirements/intensity, and descriptions so you know what to expect.
In addition to the Universal Florida rides reviewed below I'll also share info some of my favorite must do experiences beyond the rides at Universal Studios Florida like the Bourne Stunt Spectacular.
Best Rides at Universal Studios Florida 2024
Before we dive into the complete guide to the rides at the park, I wanted to share the best rides at Universal Studios Florida that you shouldn't miss during your visit. This is a quick list that captures the best unique attractions at the park that need to be part of your trip.
- The Bourne Stuntacular
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Revenge of the Mummy
- E.T. Adventure
- Experiencing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter's Diagon Alley
- Hogwarts Express
- Men In Black: Alien Attack
Planning Your Universal Orlando Vacation
While you're planning your Universal Studios Florida trip, you should refer to our various planning guides in addition to this Universal Studios Florida best rides guide. I have shared our complete guide to Universal Orlando with tips for taking advantage of everything offered at the entire resort and the best information on saving money with discount Universal Orlando tickets.
You'll also want to dive into our specific guides on the hotels at Universal Orlando, celebrating Christmas at Universal Orlando, tips for Universal Orlando park touring, and more.
Best Universal Studios Florida Rides 2024 Review and Description
Below I've included a Universal ride list, ride descriptions, Universal ride height requirements for each attraction, reviews, thoughts on who should skip the attraction, and links to ride throughs for parents interested in previewing before taking their kids on the attraction.
For each attraction I'll also note if the attraction offers Single Rider, ExpressPass, or Virtual Queue. Here are those terms defined quickly:
- Single Rider attractions at Universal Studios Florida are attractions with a special line for people who are willing to ride separately to potentially experience the attraction more quickly. Be warned that no wait time is given for this line and the length is unpredictable because people are only pulled from this line to fill in open single seats. There are many cases where this is the fastest way on to the attraction though.
- ExpressPass at Universal Studios Florida is equivalent to the Disney Genie Plus line at Walt Disney World but no return time is required for attractions. Guests purchase an ExpressPass or receive one when staying at certain Universal Orlando hotels and have access to this shorter line.
- The Universal Orlando Virtual Queue was established during COVID for attractions with limited queue space to accommodate virtual distancing. As of this writing in mid 2022, the queue is only used rarely for the Jimmy Fallon experience.
You can view the attractions described below on the official Universal Studios Florida park map here.
Revenge of the Mummy
Universal Ride Review: The Mummy Ride Universal Orlando is a classic attraction beloved by many guests. This attraction is based on the popular “The Mummy” film franchise and the queue begins with a museum style introduction to the attraction as guests are invited to tour artifacts dedicated to the storyline of the film. As you wind through the queue you will watch clips from the characters of the film being interview about the events that take place, essentially your guests touring a museum that the characters created to tell the story of the Mummy. After the queue, you'll hop on to a thrilling indoor rollercoaster in the dark featuring sudden stops, drops, audio-animatronics, and special effects. The attraction does not go upside down and is a fun, thrilling, rollercoaster at Universal. It's worth nothing that the Mummy Ride at Universal Studios Orlando is superior to the Mummy Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood with a more impressive animatronic scene, use of real fire plus lightning and fog effects. One of the top rides at Universal Orlando.
Skip? Those intimidated by a roller coaster in the dark.
Access: Express Pass, Single Rider
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 48″ (102cm).
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
Universal Ride Review: Previously a 3D attraction, this “tour” of Gru's laboratory from the Despicable Me films is a fun motion simulator attraction that does not require 3D glasses. The ride begins with a lengthy pre-show (~15 mins) before guests board moving vehicles inside a large theater. There is also an option for a stationary attraction for younger guests and those concerned about motion sickness. Overall this is a fun attraction for the whole family. Due to the fact that the attraction is near the front of the park, the line is often longer than I would care to wait to experience the attraction.
Skip? Minion Ride Universal Orlando is a popular attraction since the movies are so well loved and it is right at the front of the park but if you don’t have younger kids this ride can be skipped as it’s essentially a 3D show aimed for a younger audience. Older kids and adults might be a bit underwhelmed and find it not worth the long lines it can attract.
Access: Express Pass, SingleRider
Height Requirements Despicable Me: Guests must be over 40″ (102cm) to experience the attraction. Guests between the heights of 40″—48″ (102cm-122cm) must ride with an accompanying companion. Those under 40″ (102cm) may opt to experience the attraction from a stationary seat in the theater.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
Universal Ride Review: This high-speed outdoor rollercoaster is a thrilling addition to your Universal Studios day. The ride is a little bit jerky and comes off feeling much more like Walt Disney World's Space Mountain than like the thrilling new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot. The ride is outdoors and is prone to closure when Orlando experiences rainy weather. The highlight (and what sets it apart from a coaster at a regional theme park) of the attraction is the onboard rock music which always make an attraction like this for me. Fun addition to your day for thrill seekers.
Skip? Those who are not interested in a thrilling coaster may consider skipping.
Access: Express Pass, SingleRider
Height Requirements Rip Ride Rockit: Riders must be between 51” (130cm) and 79” (200cm) to experience this Universal coaster
On-Ride Video: via Youtube (this ride features music from the Muppets)
TRANSFORMERS THE RIDE: The Ride-3D
Universal Ride Review: This Transformers attraction relies on the same simulator meets 3D meets dark ride system that was pioneered for the Spider-Man attraction over in Islands of Adventure. The ride system puts you right in the middle of the action. The ride is an overwhelming experience that takes guests through a battle for the Earth. The entire theming of the queue leading into the attraction is very well done and for fans of the films the attraction is a must-do. I enjoy the Transformers ride but at times find myself taking off the 3D glasses just to escape from part of this Universal ride. There is so much going on at all times throughout the attraction that it is nearly impossible to follow the storyline. If you have heard about those “screen” attractions at Universal that give motion sickness, this ride fits the bill exactly. Stay away if you have motion sickness and buckle up for an intense immersive thrill if you do not. I do not get motion sickness but personally would cap my rides on this attraction at once per day.
Skip? Those even slightly prone to motion sickness.
Access: Express Pass, SingleRider
Height Requirements: Must be at least 40” (102cm) to experience this Universal ride. Guests between 40”-48” (102cm- 122cm) must be accompanied.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts
Universal Ride Review: Like the original Harry Potter attraction in the Islands of Adventure park, half of the fun of the Escape from Gringotts ride is the detail within the queue. The first wow moment is upon entering the lobby of Gringotts. The cavernous room is filled with Audio-Animatronic goblins just like you saw from the films. After this first room you'll enter a number of pre-show attractions explaining that you're headed on a tour of the wizard bank. The story is a little bit convoluted, but you end up on a roller-coaster type experience trying to help Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley escape as you swerve through the bank onboard a story-coaster. You'll want to ride this one multiple times to catch all the Potter details. The ride is in 3-D which always adds the potential for motion sickness, but the ride is nowhere near as intense as Transformers in this regard. One of Universal Orlando best rides especially if you enjoy Harry Potter.
Skip? This is an awesome attraction that is one of the best marque experiences at the park. Only skip if thrills are not your thing. Worth risking motion sickness for, but not something that I personally experienced.
Access: Express Pass, Single Rider
Height Requirements: Wizards must be at least 42″ (107cm) to ride. Those between 42″—48″ (107cm-122cm) may ride accompanied.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Hogwarts Express (from King's Cross Station)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is split between Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. The London section of the world including Diagon Alley is tucked away in the back corner of the Universal Studios Florida section of the park. You can read more about the entire Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando here.
Universal Ride Review: The Hogwarts Express is a working train system that ferries guests between London and Hogsmeade – the same trip that Harry Potter and his friends make at the beginning of every term at Hogwarts. This attraction requires a Universal Orlando ticket that provides access to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure as the Hogwarts Express will let you out in the other park. From your first entrance into the station to the magical “portal” to Platform 9 and 3/4s to the arrival of the Hogwarts Express to the final ride on the train, this entire experience heightens the Wizarding World of Harry Potter visit. The actual train ride takes place inside an 8 person compartment where the windows into the train hallway and out of the train are screens with details from the land passing by. This is THE way to park hop. Be aware that this attraction can have a long wait in the mid-afternoon when much of the resort is thinking about moving between parks.
Skip? If you don't have a park-to-park ticket. This is an awesome whimsical experience no one should miss as one of the best rides at Universal Orlando.
Access: Express Pass
Height Requirements: No height requirement.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Fast & Furious – Supercharged
Universal Ride Review: Knowing the background of this Universal attraction may be enough for you to review it yourself. Fast & Furious Supercharged is an adapted version of one of numerous experiences that is part of the tram tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. During the tram tour, the shuttles pull into different tunnels and various experiences go on around the tram. In that setting the Fast & Furious tunnel is a fun brief experience. At Universal Studios Florida, the tram tunnel was adapted into a standalone screen attraction with lengthy pre-show. Unless you are a super Fast & Furious fan, there is a pretty wide general consensus that you can skip this attraction.
Skip? Pretty much everyone should skip this attraction unless you are a Fast & Furious super fan.
Access: Express Pass, SingleRider
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40″ (102cm) to ride. Guests between 40″–48″ (102cm-122cm) need to be accompanied.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
Universal Ride Review: The screen based attraction is a race through New York that pits you against your fellow riders. You'll hear Jimmy Fallon's narration throughout. In the lobby of the building modeled on the 30 Rock NBCUniversal headquarters in New York City, you'll find props from Fallon's version of the Tonight show and the versions from previous hosts. The attraction is a motion simulator similar to the Star Tours experience.
Skip?
Access: Express Pass, Virtual Queue
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40″ (102cm). Guests between 40″—48″ (102cm-122cm) must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Men in Black: Alien Attack
Universal Ride Review: This shooting attraction is decisively non-3D. When I first rode the Men in Black attraction I was shocked by the sheer scale of the attraction. After a fun queue you'll board your vehicles to help track down aliens throughout New York City. This is a shooting attraction that you would expect Disney to have created if you had never seen Buzz Lightyear Astro-Blasters or the screen based Toy Story Midway Mania. Unlike those other two attractions you won't get drawn to focus on your high score as much as you'll enjoy the more abundant story elements of the attraction. More than anything the attraction is an unexpected, zany, addition to your day. No motion sickness here, just a couple of whipping turns that you would also find on Toy Story Midway Mania.
Skip? Those uninterested in shooter games.
Access: Single Rider
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 42″ (107cm) to experience and children between 42″—48″ (107cm-122cm) may ride if accompanied.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
The Simpsons Ride
Universal Ride Review: The Simpsons Ride is a motion simulator attraction that takes place at the in-world Simpsons theme park, Krustyland. The attraction pokes fun at some fan-favorite theme park attractions throughout. For fans of the Simpsons style humor, this is a ton of fun. The attraction delivers on the promise of being the ride companion to the television show. The attraction is built on top of the simulator base of another that was previously themed to Back to the Future (when I first heard that I couldn't have been more disappointed because I love the Marty McFly movies so would have loved to have seen that Universal ride) and shows its age. The attraction is onboard motion simulators in front of a larger screen. The Despicable Me ride at the park offers a similar next generation version of this experience.
Skip? Anyone prone to motion sickness. If you are a limited on time, don't spend it here.
Access: Express Pass
Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 40″ (102cm) to ride. Guests between 40″—48″ (102cm-122cm) must be accompanied by a supervising companion.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
E.T. Adventure – HIDDEN GEM
Universal Ride Review: This is a true hidden gem that you could easily miss if you weren't reading a handy guide to best rides at Universal Studios Florida like this one. ET is why you're reading this! While the outside show building and initial dated pre-show video from Steven Spielberg will make you question this recommendation, from the moment you step into the queue in the show building you'll be impressed by the detail and whimsy of the entire ride experience. The ride vehicles soar through the show scenes just like the Peter Pan's Flight boats, but these vehicles are much bigger. In fact, the entire show building is bigger. Like some of the other attractions I've mentioned, the story itself is difficult to follow, but it is tons of fun to soar through the various show scenes where you encounter other friendly aliens in ET's style. Again, I was completely blown away by the quality of the attraction vs the warehouse looking exterior. This classic ride makes it one of the best rides at Universal Orlando.
Skip? If you only want the thrills you can skip E.T. Adventure, but we really enjoy this one!
Access: Express Pass
Height Requirements: Must be at least 34″ (87cm) to ride. Children between 34″—48″ (87cm-122cm) must be accompanied.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
The Bourne Stuntacular – MUST DO!
Universal Ride Review: The Bourne Stuntacular is one of my absolute favorite experiences at Universal Studios Florida. This roughly 20 minute show blends real life actors and set pieces with massive brilliant screens to tell a new story featuring Jason Bourne. As a huge fan of the Bourne franchise, I had high hopes for this show and I was blown away by the result. You'll join the CIA in their hunt for rogue agent, Jason Bourne, in this thrilling theater show. The technology is closest to the now closed Frozen Spectacular in Disney California Adventure while the stunts are reminiscent of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular in Hollywood Studios.
Skip? There are gunfire and flash effects used throughout. This may be too intense for young guests.
Access: Express Pass, but you must arrive to the Express Pass line at least 15 minutes before the show time to utilize this queue
Height Requirements: N/A
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Universal Orlando's Cinematic Celebration
Universal Ride Review: The Cinematic Celebration is a nightly fountain and projection show that caps off the night at Universal Studios Florida with a tribute to some of the resort's most exciting properties. You'll see scenes from Transformers, Harry Potter, DreamWorks Animated Films, Jurassic World, and more iconic Universal films. Think of a slightly paired down version of the World of Color show in Disney California Adventure with the same use of the surrounding buildings as projection surfaces, mist screens, and sky-high fountains. This show is a bit emotionally lacking with some of the high and low moments of World of Color – I can't believe I am asking for the heartache of hearing Simba call out “dad” after the stampede in the gorge.
Access: The show sometimes offers dining packages with reserved seating, but none are currently available.
Height Requirements: None
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Access: Express Pass, SingleRider
Kang & Kodos' Twirl ‘n' Hurl
Universal Ride Review: This is a lightly themed spinner attraction a la Dumbo for children. For children of the right age, this is a fun attraction outdoors. For everyone else, this attraction lacks the whimsical view out over Fantasyland provided by Dumbo.
Skip? Everyone but young kids.
Access: Express Pass
Height Requirements: No height requirement.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster
Universal Ride Review: This children's coaster is easily skippable for anyone besides families with kids just getting their rollercoaster legs. Think a less interesting version of Goofy's Barnstormer at Magic Kingdom. The coaster is not intense and the defining attribute you'll likely walk away with is how short the coaster is.
Skip? Everyone but young kids.
Access: Express Pass
Height Requirements: Riders must be at least 36″ (92cm) to ride. Those between 36″—48″ (92cm-122cm) may ride with a supervisor.
On-Ride Video: via Youtube
Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida
In addition to the attractions shared above, Universal Studios Florida is where you can find one of the two Harry Potter themed lands at Universal Orlando – Diagon Alley. If you're a Harry Potter fan, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not to be missed in either park! These immersive experiences are heaven for any Potterhead and breathtaking even for those that aren't big fans. Don't miss it.
We have a full guide to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter across both parks at Universal Orlando that you should check out the for the specific shops, restaurants, and experiences available for guests from this magical world.
Single Rider Lines Universal Orlando
Using single rider lines at Universal Studios Florida is a great way to save time. Here is the complete list of attractions that offer single ride at Universal Orlando:
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
- Fast & Furious: Supercharged
- Men in Black Alien Attack
- Revenge of the Mummy
- Transformers: The Ride 3-D
Plan Your Universal Orlando Vacation
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