The Rides You May Want to Avoid at Universal Studios

Universal Studios has so many great rides, from family-friendly attractions to intense roller coasters. If you’re anything like me, there are a few rides you may want to consider avoiding during your visit.

Universal Studios

Universal Studios is broken up into two theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Next year there will be three theme parks with the addition of Epic Universe. In addition, Volcano Bay is Universal’s water park which is open year-round.

The hotel categories are: Value (Endless Summer Resort Dockside and Surfside), Prime Value (Aventura and Cabana Bay), Preferred (Loews Sapphire Falls), and Premier (Loews Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, and Portofino Bay).

We here at Kenny the Pirate recommend at least two days in the parks with a stay at one of Universal’s hotels. Our team is big fans of Premier Resorts as each guest receives Unlimited Express Pass for free!

Types of Rides

Universal is home to many different types of rides. From the youngest children to grown-ups who love thrills, Universal has you covered with shows, roller coasters, 3-D rides, and more.

You’ll find that most thrill coasters are located in Islands of Adventure with Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, VelociCoaster, and Incredible Hulk Coaster.

Universal Studios Florida has more shows, live entertainment, kiddie rides, and meet and greets. However, both parks have a type of ride you may want to avoid…

The Type of Ride You May Want to Avoid

If you are anything like me (Monica), you may be prone to motion sickness while traveling and visiting theme parks. I take preventative medicine for motion sickness because, if not, my day goes downhill very fast.

If you suffer from motion sickness, you may want to avoid 3-D rides.

At Universal Studios, I am very prone to motion sickness on the 3-D and motion simulation rides. They are much more intense than Disney attractions. Once I take medicine at Disney World, I can forget about motion sickness and enjoy rides like Avatar Flight of Passage and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

However, at Universal Studios I have had to completely avoid 3-D and motion simulation rides because even taking multiple doses of motion sickness medicine does not stop me from feeling completely ill. After my first several experiences on these types of rides I gave up completely.

List of 3-D/Motion Simulation Rides at Universal

Each 3-D/motion simulation ride will have its own level of intensity based off the movements of the ride vehicles and the screens. For example, I do okay on Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon. But after riding Transformers I had to completely avoid these rides.

Here is a list of the 3-D/motion simulation rides at Universal Studios:

• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
• Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon
• Transformers the Ride 3D
• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
• The Simpsons Ride (technically a virtual reality ride)
• Fast & Furious Supercharged

Here is a list of the 3-D/motion simulation rides at Islands of Adventure:

• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
• Skull Island: Reign of Kong
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

What This Means for You

Unfortunately, Universal relies heavily on this technology because it allows rides to be updated to new IPs without having to completely retheme a ride. That means there are several rides that utilize this technology.

In particular, there are more types of these rides inside Universal Studios Florida than Islands of Adventure. You may wish to consider skipping these rides altogether. There are plenty of other rides, shows, and characters to experience.

If you members of your travel party who really want to ride, you have a few options. You can use Child Swap, get some really strong medicine, or ask for the stationary seats that don’t move. To my knowledge, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is the only ride that offers stationary seating.

Otherwise, I suggest sitting in the middle of the ride vehicle/theater and closing your eyes. Many of these rides are pretty similar with just different theming, so you can also decide which to ride. Those include:

• Skull Island: Reign of Kong and Fast & Furious Supercharged
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Transformers 3D
• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Race Through New York with Jimmy Fallon

Final Thoughts

While riding a 3-D ride and being prone to motion sickness may not ruin your day (or maybe it will), it is best to be prepared as much as you can before heading to Universal Studios. That includes reading a post like this (thank you!) and maybe watching some POV videos of each ride.

You may also want to consider starting with a tamer ride (I suggest Despicable Me Minion Mayhem because of the stationary seating) and slowly pick up the pace until you cannot ride anymore.

In addition, if Harry Potter rides are really important to you I recommend doing those first as that may be all you can handle. In my opinion, Harry Potter theming and rides should not be missed, and I would gladly risk a few minutes of motion sickness to experience them!

It may also be worth trying some stronger anti-motion sickness alternatives. I plan on trying wristbands and those goofy-looking glasses for my next visit to Universal to see if it helps any better than medication.

If you need help deciding which rides to enjoy and which to avoid along with planning your Universal Studios vacation, see details below for getting a free quote!

Do you avoid 3-D/motion simulation rides at Universal Studios? Let us know in the comments below, and share this post with someone who may need this information.