We begin .. at the beginning!  Welcome to the Port of Entry!  Here you'll find six shops, four restaurants and the Island Skipper Tours, which ferry passengers between the front of the park and Jurassic Park. If you plan to save shopping for the end of the day, go to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure Trading Company, which offers a variety of merchandise linked to attractions throughout the park, everything from Jurassic T-shirts to stuffed Cat in the Hat dolls.  Listen for the creaks as you pass under the bridge!

The Cat in the Hat
Any Seuss fan will recognize the giant candy-striped hat looming over the entrance to this ride. Comparable to It's A Small World at WDW, The Cat in the Hat will surely become one of the signature experiences of Islands of Adventure. Love it or hate it, you'll just have to do it. Six-passenger couches travel through 18 show scenes retelling the Cat and the Hat tale of a day without Mom gone awry and including such characters as Thing 1 and Thing 2. The highlight is a revolving 24-foot tunnel that alters your perceptions and leaves your head spinning.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Recommended Ages: all ages, but small children will probably love it best
A control allows you to move your funky fish up or down as you spin around. Watch out for the "squirt posts," which spray unsuspecting riders who don't follow along with a special rhyme--so pay attention. Actually, even the most careful driver is likely to get wet. You can begin your up/down movements as soon as the ride begins to turn, so go ahead and get the most out of this ride, an evolved version of the Dumbo ride at Disney's Magic Kingdom.

Caro-Seuss-El
Recommended Ages: all ages
Not your average carousel, the whimsical characters of Dr. Seuss, including the elephant birds from Horton Hatches an Egg, move not only up and down, but in and out. Pull the reins to make eyes blink or heads bob as you twirl through the riot of color surrounding the ride.

Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls
Underneath the staid red hat of the heroic Dudley is a splashy water ride, touted as the farthest, fastest drop in the history of flume rides. The boats take you around a 400,000-gallon lagoon and plunge you down a 75-foot drop at 50 miles per hour. At one point you are actually 15 feet below the water's surface. Note: You will get wet. Very wet. Expectant mothers or people with heart, neck, or back problems should not ride. Children must be at least 44 inches tall.

Popeye & Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges
The ramshackle huts of an old-time riverfront indicate you've come upon the barge ride. Twelve-person rafts bump and churn their way through a white-water ride encountering some scary creatures along the way, including a twirling octopus boat wash. Note: Here's another chance to get completely soaked. Expectant mothers or people with heart, neck, or back problems should not ride. Children must be at least 42 inches tall.

Me Ship, The Olive
This three-story boat is a family-friendly playland with dozens of activities from bow to stern. Kids can toot whistles, clang bells, or play the organ.

Comic Strip Lane
Beetle Baily, Hagar the Horrible, and Dagwood & Blondie are highlighted among some 80 characters in this lively jaunt through some of the best-loved comic strips of all times.

Dueling Dragons
This ride is not for the faint of heart. It is scary, as well as surreal, to see another coaster heading right toward you as you zip through the air at 60 mph. True coaster fans will love this intertwined set of souped-up racers that sometimes come within 12 inches of each other. For the best ride try to get one of the two outside seats in each row. Also, pay attention, because the lines of both coasters split near the loading dock so daredevils can claim the very first car. Note: Expectant mothers or those with heart, neck, or back problems should not ride this ride. Children must be at least 54 inches tall.

Poseidon's Fury: Escape from the Lost City
Similar to the Earthquake attraction in the other Universal park, this ride exposes you to torrents of water and blasts of heat and fire. The idea is that you are trapped in the midst of a battle between Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Zeus, the king of the gods, who hurls fire. It's more interesting than frightening, at least for adults, but still offers a thrill. Young children may find the flaming fireballs a little too intense.

The 8th Voyage of Sinbad
The mythical sailor is showcased in this stunt demonstration that takes place in a 1,700-seat theater decorated with blue stalagmites and eerie, gloomy wrecked ships. Relying heavily on pyrotechnics for special effects, this stunt extravaganza is a hot show, especially if you are in the first few rows. It might be too intense for young children.

Jurassic Park River Adventure
After a leisurely tour down the faux river, you guessed it, something goes horribly wrong. Actually, the dreaded raptors have escaped and could hop aboard your boat at any minute.

This is an improved version of Kongfrontation at Universal Studios that allows you to come face to face--literally--with the living, breathing inhabitants of Jurassic Park. Five-story dinosaurs come within inches of the ride; Tyrannosaurus Rex decides you look like a tasty morsel. To escape, you take a breathtaking 85-foot plunge. Did I mention you'll get wet? Note: Expectant mothers or those with heart, neck, or back problems should not ride this ride. Children must be at least 42 inches tall.

Triceratops Encounter
Recommended Ages: all ages
Meet a "living" dinosaur and learn from the trainers about the care and feeding of the 24-foot-long, 10-foot-high Triceratops. The creature's responses to touch include realistic blinks and muscle flinches and are explained by on-site "trainers" who help you understand everything there is to know about the spiny dino.

Discovery Center
With life-sized dino replicas, and a few interactive games, this is a good place to take an air conditioned break. You can scan a wall for fossils, create a human/dino hybrid, and try to guess what is to be born from dino eggs. You can even play a game show, Paleo Puzzlers. On the down side, each interactive element takes a few minutes and there aren't enough stations to accommodate large crowds.

Pteranodon Flyers
Recommended Ages: All ages
The 10-foot metal spans and simple seats look deceptively flimsy, but this quick spin around Jurassic Park allows a great bird's-eye view. Although the landing is rather bumpy, this is a gentle ride through the sky, but unlike the usual gondolas, your feet hang free and there is little but a restraining belt between you and the ground. (Let's hope something doesn't go horribly wrong.) If you want to take a little tour of Camp Jurassic, go to the right after you get off the ride. Follow the red "Exit" signs. Note: Expectant mothers or those with heart, neck, or back problems should not ride this ride. Children must be at least 36 inches tall.

Camp Jurassic
Recommended Ages: All ages
A play area with everything from lava pits with dinosaur bones to a rain forest. Watch out for the spitters that lurk in dark caves and mines. This multilevel play area has plenty of places for kids to crawl and explore. Young children will need close supervision because it is easy to get turned around within the caverns.

The Spider-Man Adventure
Recommended Ages: 8-adult
The original Web Master stars in this mobile ride with 3-D action and special effects. The story line is that guests are on a tour of the Daily Bugle when-yikes-something goes horribly wrong. Peter Parker suddenly encounters evil villains and becomes Spider-Man. This high-tech ride is similar to Back to the Future but is not stationary; cars twist and spin, plunge and soar through this comic book universe. Passengers wearing 3-D glasses squeal as real and computer generated objects alternately fly towards them. There is a simulated 400-foot drop that feels an awful lot like the real thing. Note: Expectant mothers or those with heart, neck, or back problems should not ride. Children must be at least 40 inches tall.

Incredible Hulk Coaster
Recommended Ages: 8-adult
Bruce Banner is working in his lab when--oh no--a disaster occurs. But this rocking rocket of a ride makes everything oh so right. From a dark tunnel you burst into the sunlight, while accelerating from zero to 40 miles per hour in 2 seconds. From there you spin upside down 100 feet from the ground, feel weightless, and careen through the center of the park over the heads of other visitors. Coaster-lovers will be pleased to know that this ride, which lasts 2 minutes and 15 seconds, includes seven rollovers and two deep drops. As a nice touch, the metal coaster glows green at night, but it is a blazing success day or night. Note: Expectant mothers or those with heart, neck, or back problems should not ride this ride. Children must be at least 54 inches tall.

Dr. Doom's Fearfall
The ominous-looking metal skeleton--not to mention the screams that can be heard at the entrance--adds to the anticipation of this straight plunge. The plot line is that you are touring a lab when-are you detecting a theme here-something goes horribly wrong. You'll get a serious rush as you drop, with feet dangling, down one of two 200-foot steel towers. The drop will remind you of the Tower of Terror at Disney-MGM Studios, but with the added thrill of feeling as if you are hanging free. Check the height restrictions carefully.

Note: Expectant mothers or those with heart, neck, or back problems should not ride this ride. Children must be at least 40 inches tall.