Guide to Islands of Adventure Height Requirements and Ride Scare Factor

Guide to Universal’s Islands of Adventure height requirements and scare factors to help plan your family visit to the Orlando theme park.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure is part of the Universal Orlando Resort. There is also Universal Studios Florida and Volcano Bay. Epic Universe, a brand new theme park, will open in summer 2025.

Islands of Adventure t is divided into lands and each area offers something different for kids of all ages. From thrill rides to rides better suited for young children there is a lot to do at this Universal park.

Some attractions require a supervising companion and have minimum height requirements. These exist for safety reasons and are to be taken seriously.

For more thrilling rides like the roller coasters it is a good idea to try the test seats at the ride entrance. Ask a team member for assistance if you need it.

It is important to know that some children may reach the ride height at Islands of Adventure but it may be too intense and scary, but there is something for everyone to enjoy at the park.

In this post I share the ride height and scare factor for visiting Islands of Adventure. Be sure to also read this post for general tips for Islands of Adventure.

Islands of Adventure Height Requirements at a Glance

No Height Requirement. Under 48″ Must Ride with an Adult.

• Caro-Seuss-el – No Height Requirement, Under 48″ must ride with an adult.
• Storm Force Accelatron – No Height Requirement, Under 48″ must ride with an adult.
• Hogwarts Express – No Height Requirement, Under 48″ must ride with an adult.
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish– No Height Requirement, Under 48″ must ride with an adult.
• Poseidon’s Fury– No Height Requirement, Under 48″ must be accompanied by an adult.

Must Be 36″. Under 48″ Must Ride with an Adult.

• The Cat in the Hat – Must be 36″, Under 48″ must be accompanied by an adult.
• Flight of the Hippogriff– Must be 36″ or taller. Under 48″ must ride with an adult.
• The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!– Must be 36″, Under 48″ must be accompanied by an adult.
• Pteranodon Flyers– Must be 36″, Under 48″ must be accompanied by an adult. Guests 56″ or taller must ride with a guest 36″. Adults can’t ride this as a single rider or with another adult.
• Skull Island: Reign of Kong– Must be 36″, Under 48″ must be accompanied by an adult.

Must Be 40″. Under 48″ Must Ride with an Adult.

• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man– Must be 40″ or taller. Under 48″ must ride with an adult.

Must Be 42″. Under 48″ Must Ride with an Adult.

• Jurassic Park River Adventure – Must be 42″ or taller. Under 48″ must ride with an adult.
• Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges– Must be 42″ or taller. Under 48″ must ride with an adult.

Must Be 44″.

• Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls– Must be 44″ or taller, test seat available

Must Be 48″.

• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure– Must be 48″ or taller, test seat available
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey– Must be 48″ or taller, test seat available

Must be 51″.

• Jurassic World VelociCoaster-Must be 51″ or taller, test seat available

Must Be 52″.

• Doctor Doom’s Fearfall– Must be 52″ or taller, test seat available

Must Be 54″.

• The Incredible Hulk Coaster– Must be 54″ or taller to ride, test seat available

Related Post: Best Rides at Islands of Adventure that You Can’t Miss

Islands of Adventure Attraction Scare Factor

Islands of Adventure is an amazing park but its rides and attractions are geared toward tweens and older kids.

This doesn’t mean you can’t bring a family to Islands of Adventure. We started bringing our kids when my youngest was 5 and we had an amazing time.

I want to start by saying every kid is different and every family is different, this is my personal opinion from visiting the parks numerous times with kids ranging in age from 5 years old through 10 years old.

If you have a daring kid that loves scary movies and Halloween like scares, they will be fine on all attractions at the park.

My kids have gone on all the rides and attractions at Island of Adventure that they have met the height requirement for but when they were small there were some we skipped because they were too scary and intense for them.

I created my own scale to explain what to expect when visiting, 1 being not scary at all and 5 being scary for most kids.

Not Scary At All

• Caro-Seuss-el – Carousel, Not Scary at All (1)
• Hogwarts Express – Train Ride, Not Scary at All (2)
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish– Dumbo Like Ride, Not Scary (1)
• Storm Force Accelatron – Tea Cups like ride, Not scary at all. (2)
• The Cat in the Hat– Dark Ride that Tells the Story of The Cat in the Hat, Not Scary at All. (1)
• The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! – Train Ride above Seuss Landing, Not Scary. (1)

Thrilling Scares

• Doctor Doom’s Fearfall – Free Fall Attraction, Thrilling (5)
• Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls– Log Flume type ride, not scary, thrilling. (4)
• Flight of the Hippogriff– Small Roller Coaster, Not Scary, A Bit Thrilling for Younger Kids (2)
• Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges – Water Ride, You will Get Soaked, Not Scary (2)
• Pteranodon Flyers– Ride on a Flying Dinosaur. Scary if You Don’t Like Heights. (2)
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man– 3D ride, Comic Book Violence, Not Scary (2)
• The Incredible Hulk Coaster– Intense Roller Coaster (5)
• Velocicoaster-Very thrilling roller coaster (5)
• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure– Thrilling Roller Coaster. A few scary, surprising elements but overall not scary. (4)
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey– Scary Moments, Can be Intense (5)
• Jurassic Park River Adventure – Animatronic Dinosaur Boat Ride, Thrilling/A Little Scary (4)
• Skull Island: Reign of Kong– Scary and a Bit Violent, There were Scare Actors in the Line that jump out at you. My kids don’t mind the ride as much as the actual line. Talk to the person at the ride entrance and ask if you think your child would be sensitive to this. Update: I think the scare actors have been removed but this ride is intense for small children despite the smaller height requirement. (4)

Best Age to Visit Island of Adventure

I always strive to give you the best advice when visiting theme parks with your family. This is a difficult question to answer based on many factors. My typical advice is the best age to visit Islands of Adventure is when your child is 40″ or taller.

At this height they usually can handle the attractions scare levels and meet the height requirements for a handful of attractions. Universal does offer child swap and we have used it on our visits.

The child sway was great to use in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. You can stay with your group to queue through the castle and then in an area showing Harry Potter movies as your group rides.

As you can see by the Islands of Adventure ride list there is a lot for all ages. When deciding if it is a good fit for your next family vacation factor in the Islands of Adventure height requirements, scare factor, and the needs of your family.

There is honestly so much to do along with the attractions. The shows, meeting characters, and taking fun photos while exploring the lands offer something for everyone when visiting Islands of Adventure.

Read Next: Universal Orlando with Kids: 71 Must Do Attractions

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