Happy birthday today to two Universal theme parks.
Universal Islands of Adventure opened on this day in 1999, becoming the second gate at what is now the Universal Orlando Resort. Universal learned its lessons from the disastrous opening of Universal Studios Florida less than a decade before, and the opening of IoA went relatively smoothly.
The park also opened to wide acclaim, especially for its Incredible Hulk Coaster and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. It might be hard for younger readers to believe, but Marvel was an after-thought, if not never-thought, among entertainment franchises at the time. The success of Universal's Marvel Super-Hero Island helped revive the popularity of the Marvel brand, which eventually became so successful that archrival Disney bought it, sparking never-ending fan speculation about Disney buying back Universal's perpetual Orlando theme park rights for the IP.
That said, Spider-Man, as great as it is, is now just the third-best attraction in Islands of Adventure, according to our most recent reader survey. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Jurassic World VelociCoaster have topped the innovative motion base ride, giving IoA one of the most top-heavy attraction line-ups in the world.
Today also is the anniversary of the opening of Universal Studios Singapore, which celebrated its official debut on May 28, 2011. The Singapore park is Universal's smallest studio park, but offers my favorite version of the Revenge of the Mummy indoor roller coaster as well as the original installation of Universal's Transformers ride. You also can find a Sesame Street dark ride at the park, as Universal holds the theme park rights to that franchise in Asia.
For more on these parks, including our reader rankings, advice for visiting and links to discounted tickets, please visit our Visitors Guide to Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure and Visitors Guide to Universal Studios Singapore.
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