Reviewing Islands of Adventures Theme Park in Orlando, Florida

I've lived near Orlando, FL all my life and I've been to every theme park in the city but the best one, hands down is Islands of Adventure. It is the perfect place to go if you want to take a day trip somewhere and especially if you're traveling a much longer distance. Make your trip worthwhile by making sure you go to this park.

Unlike Busch Gardens which is nothing but a big parking with giant coasters on it, and unlike Magic Kingdom which is geared almost exclusively toward young kids, Islands of Adventure has something for everyone. And the "islands" in the title are so elaborately decorated, that just walking around Jurassic Park and Seuss landing is worth price of admission. It is also far better than it's next door neighbor, Universal Studios, which is outdated, and truth be told, kind of boring.

If you've never been, the park is set up into six "islands" that have different themes. This number is soon to increase by one when Harry Potter's World of Witchcraft and Wizardry opens in 2009. If you're walking clockwise, you will first go to Marvel Superhero Land which looks like it's right out of a comic book. Some of the best rides in the park are in this section, including the Hulk roller coaster and the Spiderman ride, which is 3-D thrill ride that takes you through the adventures of the well-known web-spinning hero. It is not uncommon to see characters like Flash running around this area to add to the immersing atmosphere.

After you've experienced what it's like to live in a comic book, you make your way to Toon Lagoon. This is like a water park within the park and it's the reason you'll probably like to start clockwise. That way after you get soaked, you'll have a lot of walking and more opportunity to dry off. In this island, kids can explore Popeye's ship is like an elaborate fun house. Across from his boat is Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, which is a fun splashing raft ride. If you go on this ride, you will get soaked. There's no way around it. You can also ride Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls which is more thrilling and just as wet.

Then comes Jurassic Park which looks and feels just like the movie, down to the music and dinosaurs sticking out of bushes that you can take pictures with. The best ride there is the Jurassic Park River Adventure, which starts off as a tour of Jurassic Park, before it of course, goes wrong. Dinosaurs are on the loose all around you and well...I don't want to ruin it for you. But let's just say you might get wet on that one too. You can also Pteranadon Flyers which give a bird's eye view of the area. If you're in the mood for something more relaxing, Jurassic Park also has an interactive Discovery Center and a playground.

Next you make your way to the Lost Continent which is themed after Atlantis and mythical creatures. There you can find a very mild coaster, The Flying Unicorn as well as the other two great coasters of the park, the Dueling Dragons. You can ride one or both, fire and ice, and experience a great thrill as you have multiple near misses with the opposing Dragon. This area also has two shows to enjoy, Sinbad and Poseidon's Fury, the latter of which is more worth seeing.

Finally, you enter Seuss Landing which is the live incarnation of the whimsical land of Dr. Seuss. A lot of these rides are for kids, but I enjoy them now and I always will, especially after walking around so much, you want to do something fun and relaxing. You can ride the Cat in the Hat which takes you through the pages of the books or the HIgh in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride which also makes the stories come to life around you.

I can't wait until they expand it and add the Harry Potter island because I know they will bring it to life flawlessly like they did the others. The only downside, which can be said of most theme parks, is that it's always packed. If it's possible, try to make the trip in the middle of the week instead of the weekend, when it gets worse. Other than that, the park is perfect for people of all ages, for thrill seekers or otherwise, you will definitely find yourself feeling a little adventurous.