Roller coasters aren’t the only thing you can do at Universal Orlando resort, but for many, they’re considered the main attraction. From high-octane trills to family coasters that all ages can enjoy, there are twelve roller coaster attractions (or attractions with roller coaster elements) that call Universal Orlando Resort home. Some of them have been around since the opening days of the park; some of them are closing before the end of the year – but all of them help make up the unique landscape of the park.
So how do you rank them, exactly? Everyone has their favorites, and while I could certainly tell you that Hiccup’s Wing Gliders is the best roller coaster on property, there’s more to it than that! Not everyone enjoys intense coaster experiences, but it can be hard to tell what a ride might be like until you’re already strapped in and questioning your life choices. So Theme Park Shark is going to make it easy for you!
Our ranking list is broken up into three tiers of coaster – lowest intensity to highest intensity – with all the stops in between. From Trollercoaster to Stardust Racers, the list is ranked by intensity. Starting with…
Level One: Family Coasters
Trollercoaster at Universal Studios
Intensity: 1/10
Originally the Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster, which closed along with the rest of Kidzone in January of 2023, the Trollercoaster is a low-impact coaster that is designed for young children and families. With enclosed cars and lap bars, the gentle rolling hills of this coaster are perfect for getting your feet wet or for introducing young kids to coasters. A surprisingly fast ride for something its size, Trollercoaster was given a face lift when DreamWorks Land opened, theming this kiddie coaster to the fun and colorful world of Trolls, which makes it a more inviting and less intimidating ride for its youngest rides.
Still fun for all ages, Trollercoaster has always been a mainstay at Universal Orlando Resort, and continues to be a blast for its riders, and a delightful palate cleanser for those still interested in more intense experiences.
The Flying Hippogriff at Islands of Adventure
Intensity: 2/10
Previously The Flying Unicorn before The Wizarding World of Harry Potter subsumed half of The Lost Continent Land in 2010, this is another kiddie coaster with a slightly more mature theme and an introduction to show elements on the ride, as guests will be able to see a fully animated Buckbeak animatronic at the start of the ride.
Equivalent in intensity to Trollercoaster, its muted colors and old-world theming to blend into the Wizarding World may make it slightly more intimidating for young riders, but is a fun time all the same. Also featuring an enclosed car with a lap bar, this ride’s thrill comes from its turns, which exert a little more force on the rider than Trollercoaster.
Another good ride to introduce young children to or to get that adrenaline shot of theme park nostalgia, Flight of the Hippogriff is a classic.
Mine Cart Madness at Epic Universe
Intensity: 5/10
Mine Cart Madness, while still a suitable family coaster for young children, is a dramatic increase in intensity because of how the ride is designed. Still enclosed with lap bars, there are no inversions or major tricks on this ride. Two significant drops are features which the car turns into at an angle, decreasing the intensity of the fall – but where this family coaster gets its warning is the dramatic jerking motion of the cart throughout the duration of the ride.
A bit rough for those not expecting it, Mine Cart Madness aims to emulate the classic Donkey Kong “track jump” which can jerk guests around whenever switching from one track to the next. This may be startling for some younger guests, and for anyone with significant physical health concerns. While not as violently jolting as some of the steel coasters in tier three, this ride is definitely one you need to brace for.
Level Two: Intermediate Coasters
Revenge of The Mummy at Universal Studios
Intensity: 5/10
The tamest of the intermediate coasters, Revenge of the Mummy is an indoor dark-ride coaster hybrid with show elements. While the actual coaster portion of this ride is over before you can blink, it is a significantly rougher ride than our level one coasters, and takes place entirely in the dark.
This ride may be scary for young guests. From the desiccated mummy in question to the towering posters of ghouls and creatures of the underworld that flash before you eyes while you rocket through the dark, this attraction may not be suitable for all ages. This ride features backward motion, bugs, fire, smoke effects, and flashing lights in addition to a powered launch and a false stop.
Also in an enclosed car with a lap bar, this ride is fast and fun. The best time to experience this ride is at night during Halloween Horror Nights.
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at Universal Studios
Intensity: 5/10
This attraction only features brief roller coaster elements, but the two instances in which this ride becomes a roller coaster take place in pitch blackness, making the coaster portions disorienting and intense.
Featuring a 50 degree drop at the beginning of the ride, the best place to experience the intensity of this angle is in the backmost car.
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders at Epic Universe
Intensity: 6/10
One of the newest coasters at Universal Orlando Resort, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders is still a family-friendly coaster for younger kids, but its speed makes it more intense than level one coasters. Guests sit in enclosed cars with lap bars, and while this ride does not feature any inversions or other classic coaster tricks, there are a few steep drops and several twists and turns that make you feel exactly what Hiccup must have felt during the Test Drive scene in the original How to Train Your Dragon film.
Universal has perfected the “organic” coaster, leaving guests feeling the thrill of riding on the back of a dragon, for better or for worse. And while this attraction is incredibly fast and features a lot of horizontal thrill, it’s a remarkably smooth ride, which makes it easier to handle.
This ride features mild backwards motion, a powered launch, and steep drops. It also features mild smoke effects, but as this ride takes place entirely outdoors, this tends to not be an issue.
Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure
Intensity: 7/10
Another high-speed coaster much like Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, the wait time for this ride is consistently high for a good reason. One of the best speed coasters at Universal Orlando Resort, guests have the option to choose one of two types of ride vehicle. Each car accommodates two people – one, who rides on the motor bike in an open-air seat, and one who sits in an enclosed sidecar with a lapbar. The intensity of your experience relies heavily on which seat you choose, which allows guests a more nuanced experience.
This ride also features backward motion, with a steeper vertical backward drop than that of Revenge of the Mummy or Hiccup’s Wing Gliders. Featuring several powered launches and speeds that reach up to 50 mph, this ride is a speed demon. Focusing mostly on speed with the occasional drop, this ride spends a lot of time horizontal, but makes the most of it with intense launches and increased speeds.
Curse of the Werewolf at Epic Universe
Intensity: 7/10
The most intense of the level two coasters, this one has won the top spot in this level because of its unique combination of features. Like the rest of Universal’s low-to-mid-intensity coasters, this ride also features an enclosed car with a lap bar, and does not feature any inversions.
However, the unique feature that this ride possesses is its status as a spinning coaster, sending guests careening out of control on freely-spinning coasters that ensure that guests will never have the same experience twice. In addition to the spinning element, this coaster goes faster than many guests riding this experience might expect – though the ride caps out at almost 40 mph, the spinning makes this speed feel far more intense than other lower-speed coasters.
This ride also features a ‘boomerang’ trick, in which guests are repeatedly slung back and forth on a specific length of track before picking up enough speed to clear the hill. This effect, combined with the frightening setting and story line make this an intense coaster, though the spinning motion during the most intense parts of the ride can make it hard to truly appreciate the set dressing in the ride’s pivotal scene.
Level Three: Pure Thrill Rides
Hollywood Rip-Ride Rockit at Universal Studios
Intensity: 8/10
This ride will be closing permanently in August, but since its inception has earned itself a spot on the level three list from the first moment you exit the docking bay. Featuring a 90 degree vertical incline, you essentially lay on your back and stare up into the sky like the world’s least prepared astronaut. This is a ride where you question all of your life choices that have brought you there. Your only solace is the sick tunes your seat plays while you’re forced to contemplate your incoming fate.
The ride itself does not feature any inversions, though the on-board experience does a very good job of hiding this fact. It is fast and intense. At one point in its history, the music choices were abundant and all cut to reflect the dips and turns featured on the coaster; since its update in recent years, however, the vast majority of its music library had been stripped back and the special cuts were removed, meaning guests listen to the song from start to finish until the coaster comes to a stop.
This coaster can be considered a “rattler,” and is not for the faint of heart of those with physical conditions that might be aggravated. A bit of a rough ride, this attraction is an intense experience that thrill-seekers will love. Approach with caution, while you still can!
The Incredible Hulk at Islands of Adventure
Intensity: 8/10
Another “rattler,” this coaster opened with Islands of Adventure in 1999 and has been a part of the Universal skyline ever since. It’s a beloved classic coaster, but even with its re-track in 2015, the ride is still remarkably rough. This ride featured free-hanging seats with shoulder bars, which means sneakers or sandals with backs are your best bet. Guests will also need to pass through metal detectors before boarding this attraction.
This ride features inversions, steep drops, a powered launch, and a below-water-level drop that blasts guests through mist. An intense experience, you truly feel the transformation of The Incredible Hulk in every twist and turn.
Jurassic World Velocicoaster at Islands of Adventure
Intensity: 9/10
Another coaster that has mastered the “organic” element, you truly feel like you are running with a pack of raptors through the world of Jurassic Park. This ride is fast, intense, and will have guests bracing muscles they didn’t know they have. One of the best adrenaline experiences in Universal Orlando Resort, this ride is one of the most intense rides on property.
Featuring a semi-enclosed car with only a lapbar, this ride has two upside-down inversion – one over water – that leave guests’ heads spinning. The combination of inversion and no shoulder guards make the experience more intense than that of The Incredible Hulk or similar coasters of the past that have featured inversions with shoulder guards.
Not a ride for the faint of heart, but a thrill junkie’s paradise.
Stardust Racers at Epic Universe
Intensity: 10/10
One of the newest coasters at Universal Orlando Resort, Stardust Racers shares a similar car design to Velocicoaster – a semi-enclosed car with a lapbar. This ride is a dueling coaster, which means that there are two tracks running at the same time, and that the cars frequently “interact” with one another in near-misses and other close-proximity tricks. This ride features high-powered launches and inversions, as well as below-water-level dips, tight turns, and steep drops.
A slightly more intense experience than Velocicoaster, Stardust Racers has taken the top spot for thrill rides at Universal Orlando Resort. Being the newest innovation at the park, this is hardly a surprise – though guests may remember that this is not, in fact, the first dueling coaster that was featured at Universal Orlando Resort.
Taking after its older sibling, Dueling Dragons (later renamed Dragon Challenge after it was re-themed to Harry Potter), this attraction offers intense thrills with two vastly different track experiences – but no matter which track you choose, the ride is fast, intense, and you definitely get bragging rights for riding it.
Check Back for More from Theme Park Shark
Check back soon, as Theme Park Shark will continue to bring you info on all your favorite attractions at Universal Orlando Resort! What are your favorite coasters? Which would you say is the most intense experience in the park? Tell us down below! In the meantime, check out Theme Park Shark on your favorite social media platform, like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for theme park news from Disney, Universal, and theme parks from all across the world!
