Listen

Description

00:00:00:01 - 00:00:03:01

Universal's Islands of Adventure has free

brilliant water

00:00:03:01 - 00:00:06:02

rides

to help you cool off in the Orlando sun.

00:00:06:09 - 00:00:08:12

And sometimes you might get

a little bit splashed

00:00:08:12 - 00:00:10:23

Sometimes you get dredged, basically.

00:00:10:23 - 00:00:11:23

So we're going to talk you

00:00:11:23 - 00:00:15:28

through the 3 rides you can do

at Universal's Islands of Adventure,

00:00:16:00 - 00:00:20:06

these exciting rides

on the Jurassic Park River Adventure.

00:00:20:08 - 00:00:22:29

Popeye and Pluto's bilge rat barges.

00:00:22:29 - 00:00:25:17

Try saying that when you're drunk

00:00:25:17 - 00:00:28:16

and Dudley Do-right ripsaw falls

00:00:28:21 - 00:00:32:05

Join me as we go through

all of these rides to work out the

00:00:32:05 - 00:00:35:26

splash factor, how wet you’re going to get

and what that actually involve.

00:00:35:28 - 00:00:40:18

Okay, let's get our feet a little bit wet

by going on the first of our attractions.

00:00:40:18 - 00:00:44:08

And they set you one of my favorite rides

at Universal's Islands of Adventure,

00:00:44:13 - 00:00:47:14

and that is the Jurassic Park River

Adventure.

00:00:47:15 - 00:00:49:10

It's one of the opening day attractions.

00:00:49:10 - 00:00:54:16

And even though it was opened in 1999,

it's still a brilliant ride.

00:00:54:16 - 00:00:55:08

And instead something

00:00:55:08 - 00:00:59:25

that I have to go on every single time

I went back in December

00:00:59:28 - 00:01:03:21

and the weather was fine,

it was kind of quite nice, but

00:01:03:23 - 00:01:06:09

no, wasn't quite boiling hot

00:01:06:09 - 00:01:09:10

The good thing about this ride

is that the splash factor

00:01:09:14 - 00:01:14:07

is probably a one or two out of five,

so you do not get drenched,

00:01:14:08 - 00:01:18:06

not going to come off,

usually sort of drenched.

00:01:18:08 - 00:01:21:02

They can adjust the water

kind of level with that.

00:01:21:02 - 00:01:23:13

So depending on the kind of the weather.

00:01:23:13 - 00:01:27:02

So when we when last time

00:01:27:04 - 00:01:28:26

it was probably about

00:01:28:26 - 00:01:31:05

about 20, 22 degrees just like that.

00:01:31:05 - 00:01:34:05

So it was warm,

but not to the boiling hot.

00:01:34:06 - 00:01:38:12

So we probably didn’t get as splashed as 

00:01:38:17 - 00:01:42:10

if we were going in July and August

when it is a lot hotter.

00:01:42:17 - 00:01:45:25

set the scene for you for this one.

00:01:45:28 - 00:01:47:03

You're going to get into a boat

00:01:47:03 - 00:01:50:06

and you're going to go and live your own

Jurassic Park adventure.

00:01:50:09 - 00:01:52:06

So this is based on the original trilogy.

00:01:52:06 - 00:01:54:08

Films

were actually based on the original film

00:01:54:08 - 00:01:57:28

because obviously after the first Jurassic

Park, it closed down.

00:01:58:02 - 00:02:03:00

So it actually happens before

the film is set.

00:02:03:02 - 00:02:08:08

So you get on your boat

00:02:08:11 - 00:02:09:20

the boat rides that you

00:02:09:20 - 00:02:14:05

get in Disney, for example,

there's no lap bars

00:02:14:07 - 00:02:17:00

so on Pirates of the Caribbean 

00:02:17:00 - 00:02:20:00

No lap bars

00:02:20:00 - 00:02:23:03

And speaking to some of the team members

at work, there's a couple of reasons

00:02:23:03 - 00:02:23:26

why you have a lap.

00:02:23:26 - 00:02:27:25

A one is a really steep drop.

00:02:27:27 - 00:02:30:27

You actually need it for it.

00:02:31:03 - 00:02:36:05

What it does do is that it

stops people from jumping out

00:02:36:07 - 00:02:39:04

because you might get a little bit scared

and you might decide to try

00:02:39:04 - 00:02:42:06

and jump out of the boat

as it's sort of you from doing that.

00:02:42:10 - 00:02:46:11

Plus, also, if you have a safety harness,

there is that psychological feeling of

00:02:46:17 - 00:02:51:04

this is going to be a pretty big thrill

ride because they've got a safety harness.

00:02:51:04 - 00:02:52:19

There is no safety bar.

00:02:52:19 - 00:02:55:19

It is literally just a ball

that goes across the entire row

00:02:55:26 - 00:02:57:11

because the lifting is very steep.

00:02:57:11 - 00:03:02:15

It will lean back onto the person

who's the biggest

00:03:02:17 - 00:03:06:01

and they'll will take the brunt

of the force of it.

00:03:06:08 - 00:03:10:22

And I was in a row my out and I had this

entire bar kind of leaning towards me,

00:03:10:25 - 00:03:12:19

push it up and hold it up.

00:03:12:19 - 00:03:16:05

So it starts off nice and gentle and slow.

00:03:16:09 - 00:03:20:09

Not to to spoilers for these attractions,

but we'll kind of walk you through

00:03:20:11 - 00:03:21:07

the basics of that.

00:03:21:07 - 00:03:24:27

So, so, so nice and slow,

so that you go through this

00:03:24:29 - 00:03:29:06

gentle river

gates, the Jurassic Park open,

00:03:29:08 - 00:03:29:20

and then

00:03:29:20 - 00:03:32:19

you see some of the most tamer dinosaurs.

00:03:32:22 - 00:03:36:04

So the herbivores, 

no danger to us

00:03:36:04 - 00:03:37:29

That is really nice.

00:03:37:29 - 00:03:40:28

It's really relaxing out

in the Florida sun.

00:03:41:06 - 00:03:45:26

And these are dinosaurs, big dinosaurs

and then you go round the corner

00:03:45:26 - 00:03:47:25

there's a few little splashes

that kind of come up.

00:03:47:25 - 00:03:51:20

So if you're sat on the left hand side,

there's a

00:03:51:23 - 00:03:54:05

sort of waterfall

00:03:54:05 - 00:03:58:01

And then they have like big splashes

that go up and then you might get

00:03:58:01 - 00:04:04:16

a little bit of a splash off of that,

but nothing too wet to start with.

00:04:04:19 - 00:04:06:24

Oh one thing to talk about is lockers

00:04:06:24 - 00:04:10:05

on these attractions

with the Jurassic Park adventure.

00:04:10:11 - 00:04:12:06

They do have lockers, but they're paid for

00:04:12:06 - 00:04:16:01

because a splash factor rating

is only 1 to 2 out of five.

00:04:16:04 - 00:04:19:01

You don't actually need

to put your belongings in there.

00:04:19:01 - 00:04:20:29

They do you have lockers that are paid

00:04:20:29 - 00:04:25:06

My little trick is to

I just walk down to Hagrid's

00:04:25:09 - 00:04:28:00

in next door

in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

00:04:28:00 - 00:04:31:08

Put my stuff in there

because it has a really long wait time.

00:04:31:08 - 00:04:34:00

So you're going to have, you know,

at least an hour, an hour and a half,

00:04:34:00 - 00:04:39:06

a couple of hours of free locker time

00:04:39:12 - 00:04:41:09

Of course,

you can leave stuff with a non rider.

00:04:41:09 - 00:04:43:11

It won’t get too wet

00:04:43:11 - 00:04:46:04

I went on with my bag

and it was absolutely fine.

00:04:46:04 - 00:04:49:05

You go in through Jurassic Park

00:04:49:07 - 00:04:51:23

and then like it does in the film.

00:04:51:23 - 00:04:55:03

Something happens

and we get knocked off course

00:04:55:09 - 00:04:59:29

and then take you into the Rapture

enclosure and like a good kind of suspense

00:04:59:29 - 00:05:03:09

film, don't

actually see the Raptors straight away,

00:05:03:10 - 00:05:07:03

but you'll see signs,

you'll see things moving around as well.

00:05:07:03 - 00:05:08:16

builds tension.

00:05:08:16 - 00:05:10:28

Stephen

Spielberg was the creative director

00:05:10:28 - 00:05:14:17

for Islands of Adventure,

so he knows how to build up suspense.

00:05:14:24 - 00:05:18:01

He did the Jaws Films

and obviously directed these films as well.

00:05:18:07 - 00:05:20:05

So he knows how to kind of build up

suspense.

00:05:20:05 - 00:05:23:19

Then we're going to go up the Lift Hill

00:05:23:20 - 00:05:27:00

As I said,

if you are the biggest person in that,

00:05:27:03 - 00:05:29:28

it’s going to lean back on you

00:05:29:28 - 00:05:31:03

and you go up and I’m not going to spoil the

00:05:31:03 - 00:05:36:09

surprises for you, But there are a

few surprises along the way.

00:05:36:11 - 00:05:38:00

And then you're going to go at the top

00:05:38:00 - 00:05:42:10

and then that is where you're going

to go down the big drop.

00:05:42:10 - 00:05:45:04

That's the one that you can see

when you go to Thunder Terrace Falls

00:05:45:04 - 00:05:50:19

you can see

the big splash 

00:05:50:22 - 00:05:52:17

That's basically

where you get to get wet.

00:05:52:17 - 00:05:55:24

As I say, it depends on the day

as to how wet you’ll get

00:05:56:01 - 00:05:59:18

They can sort of adjust that the sort

of the level of water, that kind of stuff.

00:05:59:18 - 00:06:05:07

So but even on the hottest days

is still one or two on the splash rating

00:06:05:07 - 00:06:07:26

And so you will get a bit wet.

00:06:07:26 - 00:06:11:15

And again, it depends

on where you sat in the raft as well.

00:06:11:15 - 00:06:14:20

So if you are sat of

in the middle of the middle row,

00:06:14:20 - 00:06:18:22

you're not going to get as well as someone

who sat the front row or the side

00:06:18:22 - 00:06:20:22

So that's one thing to think about.

00:06:20:22 - 00:06:24:13

Try and be strategic of where you sit

and maybe put the rest of your family

00:06:24:15 - 00:06:25:11

off to the sides.

00:06:25:11 - 00:06:28:01

So I personally think

this is a fantastic ride

00:06:28:01 - 00:06:29:28

to have Velocicoaster next door as well.

00:06:29:28 - 00:06:33:25

It really makes the whole area,

this massive Jurassic Park, Jurassic

00:06:33:25 - 00:06:37:16

World area, and it's brilliant.

00:06:37:19 - 00:06:39:11

Let's move on to the log flume.

00:06:39:11 - 00:06:41:12

This is based on Dudley Do-Right

00:06:41:12 - 00:06:43:10

Which is something

we don't really have in the UK.

00:06:43:10 - 00:06:45:16

It's a cartoon.

00:06:45:16 - 00:06:46:19

It's a Canadian mountie

00:06:46:19 - 00:06:49:22

It is a normal log flume ride

00:06:49:22 - 00:06:54:10

But it's a highly themed one

and also a very, very wet will.

00:06:54:10 - 00:06:57:10

This one, you are going to get wet.

00:06:57:11 - 00:07:01:02

So you start off,

you get to go from this kind of a story.

00:07:01:05 - 00:07:06:03

Basically, a girl gets kidnaped

and Dudley Do-Right has to go and save the girl.

00:07:06:06 - 00:07:09:12

And as she kind of jokes and that kind of

stuff from the outside, you can

00:07:09:14 - 00:07:11:15

you see the mountain.

You can certainly see the one drop.

00:07:11:15 - 00:07:15:03

But inside the mountain

there are a couple of drops as well 

00:07:15:03 - 00:07:19:08

and you will get

a little bit splashed in there.

00:07:19:08 - 00:07:21:07

And then you got to come up

to the big drop.

00:07:21:07 - 00:07:23:06

And this is the one that you could see

from the outside.

00:07:23:06 - 00:07:27:05

And it goes down, back up again

00:07:27:07 - 00:07:30:01

over water and then back down again.

00:07:30:01 - 00:07:30:20

It's good.

00:07:30:20 - 00:07:34:16

Not only do you get soaked,

you also get a massive thrill as well

00:07:34:16 - 00:07:35:26

because you get that big drop

00:07:35:26 - 00:07:39:02

back up again and then back down again

and then you splash out.

00:07:39:09 - 00:07:43:25

And even in December,

which can like a cooler time of the year,

00:07:43:27 - 00:07:46:27

check out all guides to the best

time of the year to go

00:07:47:00 - 00:07:48:06

weather-wise

00:07:48:06 - 00:07:51:18

You can check out the videos

and podcasts

00:07:51:18 - 00:07:52:23

on the website as well.

00:07:52:23 - 00:07:55:16

Even in December, which is a cooler time of the year,

00:07:55:16 - 00:08:00:12

people will coming off

 drenched,

00:08:00:14 - 00:08:01:21

soaking, soaking wet.

00:08:01:21 - 00:08:04:24

This is a 4 sometimes

00:08:04:24 - 00:08:08:21

five out of five on the splash ratinng

00:08:08:23 - 00:08:14:01

So just be careful now with the wet rides

they do had those dryers.

00:08:14:03 - 00:08:16:24

Is it basically these

00:08:16:24 - 00:08:21:13

big heaters

you can stand in side of you pay for them

00:08:21:16 - 00:08:24:13

and all the shops are next door

to these attractions.

00:08:24:13 - 00:08:27:02

You can buy towels and you buy clothes.

00:08:27:02 - 00:08:27:27



00:08:27:27 - 00:08:31:04

I’ll make some suggestions towards the end of the video

00:08:31:07 - 00:08:35:18

Next move on to Popeye and Pluto's bilge

rat barges.

00:08:35:20 - 00:08:39:02

This is a white water rafting attraction.

00:08:39:02 - 00:08:42:06

So it's kind of similar kind of one that

we're going to get in most parks.

00:08:42:06 - 00:08:46:11

It's just that this one is highly themed

and highly wet as well.

00:08:46:14 - 00:08:49:25

The ones in the UK at Alton Towers

00:08:49:25 - 00:08:51:25

you might off a little bit damp

00:08:51:25 - 00:08:53:24

You're going to get absolutely soaked,

especially depending

00:08:53:24 - 00:08:55:24

on where you sat

and obviously rotates in turn.

00:08:55:24 - 00:08:58:07

So there is no guarantee

as to where you sit.

00:08:58:07 - 00:09:03:15

If you'd done the Kali River

Rapids ride over in Animal Kingdom

00:09:03:18 - 00:09:06:20

that is nowhere near as wet as this one.

00:09:06:23 - 00:09:09:26

So start us off to the normal whitewater

rafting ride.

00:09:10:00 - 00:09:12:06

So you go down 

00:09:12:06 - 00:09:15:24

it’s a bit choppy

00:09:15:26 - 00:09:19:01

Then there are just things, see,

which is just designed to get you.

00:09:19:01 - 00:09:19:15

Absolutely soaked

00:09:19:15 - 00:09:23:21

So there are things

where you basically just go under

00:09:23:23 - 00:09:25:29

the fountains of water

00:09:25:29 - 00:09:29:27

waterfalls

where it doesn't really matter

00:09:29:27 - 00:09:33:21

where you are on the raft,

you are going to come off wet

00:09:33:23 - 00:09:38:01

And now again, they can kind of lower down

things at depending on the temperatures.

00:09:38:03 - 00:09:41:17

But it is a ride

that is designed to get you

00:09:41:17 - 00:09:44:27

wet and you will come off

absolutely soaked.

00:09:44:27 - 00:09:46:22

I mean, you

00:09:46:22 - 00:09:49:08

there's not much difference

between just jumping in the water.

00:09:49:08 - 00:09:54:00

So we'll go for some tips a bit later on

about how you can then dry off afterwards.

00:09:54:07 - 00:09:56:19

I really like this ride,

but there are only certain

00:09:56:19 - 00:09:59:20

times of the day that I do it

and also with the weather as well.

00:09:59:20 - 00:10:03:20

So last time when they were in December,

the weather wasn't hot enough

00:10:03:23 - 00:10:05:21

for me to go get absolutely drenched.

00:10:05:21 - 00:10:08:21

So this is a ride that I decided

not to go on.

00:10:08:21 - 00:10:12:27

So and judging by the amount of

empty rafts

00:10:13:01 - 00:10:16:02

a lot of other people decided not to go on.

00:10:16:02 - 00:10:19:10

This one is a really great attraction.

00:10:19:10 - 00:10:22:08

And if you're going to go

when it is warm and hot,

00:10:22:08 - 00:10:24:27

definitely go on to this attraction.

00:10:24:27 - 00:10:27:27

But you will get absolutely soaked.

00:10:28:03 - 00:10:29:23

So here are some tips for splashing.

00:10:29:23 - 00:10:32:15

Good time at Universal

Islands of Adventure.

00:10:32:15 - 00:10:35:12

Firstly, where appropriate, clothing.

00:10:35:12 - 00:10:39:07

So for example, if you have trainers

00:10:39:10 - 00:10:44:08

that kind of like quite fabric

and hold in water when they get wet.

00:10:44:12 - 00:10:47:10

So running trainers,

these are not necessarily

00:10:47:10 - 00:10:51:11

the greatest things to be

wearing for this attraction.

00:10:51:13 - 00:10:54:20

Last time I went I had similar boots.

00:10:54:24 - 00:10:56:00

They were waterproof.

00:10:56:00 - 00:10:59:01

These are great

to wear on these kind of attraction.

00:10:59:01 - 00:11:02:16

Some people wear flip flops,

00:11:02:16 - 00:11:05:15

Crocs

seem to be incredibly popular.

00:11:05:21 - 00:11:08:27

Not my personal fashions or choice,

but a lot of people do seem to be

00:11:08:27 - 00:11:13:02

like wearing crocs and if you're happy

to wear them, fantastic.

00:11:13:05 - 00:11:16:04

And wear those,

but wear appropriate clothing.

00:11:16:04 - 00:11:16:21

So whatever.

00:11:16:21 - 00:11:20:29

You don't want to get wet, don't wear it

on the ride, put it in the lockers.

00:11:21:01 - 00:11:23:17

So either put it for Jurassic Park

00:11:23:17 - 00:11:26:17

Use the lockers down in Hagrid's

00:11:26:21 - 00:11:28:21

or for the other two wet rides.

00:11:28:21 - 00:11:31:29

They actually had their own lockers, so

you can go and use those if you want to.

00:11:31:29 - 00:11:32:11

Or of course

00:11:32:11 - 00:11:36:15

Leave with a non rider as well as probably

there’s someone who doesn’t want to ride

00:11:36:17 - 00:11:39:29

Don't wear anything long

00:11:40:02 - 00:11:42:27

because it can take longer to dry,

00:11:42:27 - 00:11:47:26

you basically want to go in to

the attraction wearing as little as possible.

00:11:47:26 - 00:11:51:13

Now some people will wear swimwear

00:11:51:16 - 00:11:54:14

but you need to

still be wearing a T-shirt

00:11:54:14 - 00:11:56:16

and things as they might change their shorts

00:11:56:16 - 00:11:59:16

from the normal shorts to the swimming shorts.

00:11:59:22 - 00:12:02:11

And that's absolutely fine

to go and do that.

00:12:02:11 - 00:12:04:02

when you go into the toilets

00:12:04:02 - 00:12:06:16

afterwards, the toilets

are soaking wet on the floor

00:12:06:16 - 00:12:09:23

because people are changing in

and out of clothes

00:12:09:27 - 00:12:13:03

and then obviously leave your stuff

00:12:13:05 - 00:12:15:28

in the lockers

that you don't want to get wet.

00:12:15:28 - 00:12:19:12

Staying onsite, go and do the water rides

00:12:19:15 - 00:12:23:13

You come off absolutely drenched

and then head back to the hotel,

00:12:23:16 - 00:12:26:13

go get a change of clothes,

maybe a coffee,

00:12:26:13 - 00:12:30:03

warm up, that kind of stuff, and then come

and hit the parks a bit later on.

00:12:30:03 - 00:12:31:19

Or maybe go for a swim. 

00:12:31:19 - 00:12:33:01

Because you’re already soaking wet.

00:12:33:01 - 00:12:35:25

Make the most of it.

00:12:35:25 - 00:12:39:17

If you do have any kind of clothes,

a quick drying or waterproofs.

00:12:39:18 - 00:12:42:12

those are the things to wear.

00:12:42:12 - 00:12:44:20

Those people dryers are available

00:12:44:20 - 00:12:46:14

You do see a lot of people using them.

00:12:46:14 - 00:12:47:15



00:12:47:15 - 00:12:50:24

I saw it as a family of five inside.

00:12:50:24 - 00:12:55:01

One of them last time I was there

and they were pretty wet, to be fair.

00:12:55:04 - 00:12:56:17

So you stand inside one of them

00:12:56:17 - 00:13:00:08

It’s not going to get you bone dry,

00:13:00:14 - 00:13:05:18

It's more about if you were wearing long

sleeve stuff or sort of heavier stuff.

00:13:05:21 - 00:13:06:22

That's what you do.

00:13:06:22 - 00:13:08:01

Once you wearing on the attraction

00:13:08:01 - 00:13:11:17

you want to wear in lighter stuff because

that's going to dry out a lot quicker.

00:13:11:24 - 00:13:16:10

If you want a back to back

or the attractions, check the wait times

00:13:16:12 - 00:13:20:04

and do the one that's got the longest

wait time first.

00:13:20:06 - 00:13:24:13

Because what you don't want to do

is, for example, if Dudley Do-Right has

00:13:24:14 - 00:13:28:13

got an hour long queue, but the other ones

have got a 20 minute queue

00:13:28:15 - 00:13:32:03

You don't want to go onto the other ones

and then wait

00:13:32:05 - 00:13:34:19

for an hour to go on to that attraction.

00:13:34:19 - 00:13:37:15

You might be starting to dry off

00:13:37:15 - 00:13:39:26

A lot of the queue

is in the shade,

00:13:39:26 - 00:13:41:24

so you're not going to get the Orlando Sun

warming.

00:13:41:24 - 00:13:48:07

You always do the attraction

that has the shortest wait time last.

00:13:48:10 - 00:13:48:24

If you going

00:13:48:24 - 00:13:52:12

off season

then they are all going to walk ons

00:13:52:18 - 00:13:55:07

going in December, for example,

you're pretty much

00:13:55:07 - 00:13:57:25

just going to walk straight

onto all of these attractions again.

00:13:57:25 - 00:14:01:29

Check out our guide

to the best time of the year to go to.

00:14:02:02 - 00:14:05:20

If it's already raining, then why not?

00:14:05:23 - 00:14:08:23

If it is already torrential rain, like

sometimes you're going to get in Orlando,

00:14:08:27 - 00:14:10:15

then why not go on the water rides?

00:14:10:15 - 00:14:12:13

you’re going to get wet anyway

00:14:12:13 - 00:14:14:07

And if you're already wet,

you might as well

00:14:14:07 - 00:14:18:00

go onto these attractions,

embrace the wetness and have a blast.

00:14:18:06 - 00:14:21:19

These rides are designed to get you wet,

also designed to have

00:14:21:23 - 00:14:26:12

loads of fun as well,

so make sure you have tons of fun, get wet.

00:14:26:12 - 00:14:27:14

Enjoy yourself.

00:14:27:14 - 00:14:29:17

At Universal's Islands of Adventure.

00:14:29:17 - 00:14:33:16

If you found this useful,

please hit the subscribe button

00:14:33:19 - 00:14:35:03

if you can leave us a comment,

00:14:35:03 - 00:14:38:28

a rating review, a thumbs up or whatever

it be absolutely fantastic.

00:14:38:28 - 00:14:39:25

Thank you much.

00:14:39:25 - 00:14:43:17

If you want us to come and help you, book

your holiday to Orlando, please get in touch at

00:14:43:17 - 00:14:48:28

orlandoinsider.co.uk

00:14:49:00 - 00:14:53:29

orlandoinsider.co.uk and one of our Orlando

gurus will be more than happy

00:14:53:29 - 00:14:57:15

to help you put together your perfect,

awesome Orlando adventure.