What are the Scariest Universal Orlando Rides?

#10 – Skull Island: Reign of Kong 

What to Expect: A 4-D motion simulation ride with a Universal height requirement of 36″. Take a journey into the unknown on a jungle expedition on a mysterious island. Ride around on a trackless expedition truck through temples, jungles, and caves as you have to fight off prehistoric predators throughout. This is one of the scariest rides at Universal Studios for those who don’t wish to be the lunch of a ferocious carnivorous dinosaur or a swarm of giant bugs.

Location: Islands of Adventure Park, in between Toon Lagoon and Jurassic Park.

Thrill Scale: 4 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: This ride can be very overstimulating and can cause motion sickness for those who are prone to it. This Universal Orlando thrill ride is not meant for children, but there is a pretty awesome opportunity to meet King Kong up close with one of the coolest animatronics in the park. As one of the best Universal Studios thrill rides, the wait time for this ride can get rather high, but if you don’t have Express Pass, you might want to skip it.

Height Requirement: Must be at least 36″ (92cm)

Related post: What are the the Top 10 Universal’s Islands of Adventure Rides?

#9 – Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey 

What to Expect: A 4D motion simulator ride on a track with a minimum height requirement of 48″. Walk through the halls of Hogwarts Castle and enter the Forbidden Journey with Harry Potter and his friends throughout the school grounds. Guests board an enchanted bench, an omnimover-style, to lift off the ground with Hermione’s Floo Powder spell. This is one of our favorite Harry Potter rides for fans as you’re right in the center of all of the iconic locations on Hogwarts’ grounds.

Location: Islands of Adventure – Hogsmeade Village

Thrill Scale: 4.5 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: Many guests have said this is one of the most intense rides at Universal Orlando, not only for the dementors and the Forbidden Forest but for the extreme motion sickness that can come with it. There are moments in this ride where guests are almost suspended upside-down, and it can get pretty rough out there! There is no better theming of Hogwarts Castle than inside the queue, so we suggest taking a stroll to see Dumbledore’s Office, The Gryffindor Common Room, and more!

Height Requirement: Must be at least 48″ (122cm)

Related post: Ranking all of the Harry Potter World Rides; Worst to Best

#8 – Jurassic Park River Adventure 

What to Expect: A boat-type thrilling Universal water ride that has a minimum height of 42″. You start this relaxing tour of Jurassic Park traveling through a lagoon and seeing dinosaurs like an Ultrasaur, Hadrosaur, and even a Stegosaurus. As one of Universal Orlando’s best rides, of course, something disastrous happens, and you head up into the raptor containment area, where there seems to be a breach. Survive your way to the top and end with a huge carnivorous surprise and an 85-foot drop.

Location: Islands of Adventure – Jurassic Park

Thrill Scale: 4.0 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: This is one of the scariest Universal Orlando rides where you can expect to leave wet. Whether it be the giant drop into the water at the end or even playful dinosaurs squirting water right onto guests, you will end up wet. There are lockers for your electronic devices or even full-body dryers, which you can pay for at the gift shop if you end up getting soaked. Most of the thrill is right at the very end, but it is intense, so prepare yourself to end up as a prehistoric appetizer potentially.

Height Requirement: Must be at least 42″ (107cm). Children between 42″–48″ (107cm-122cm) must be accompanied by a supervising companion

Related post: Complete Guide to Jurassic Park Universal Orlando

#7 – Doctor Doom’s Fearfall 

What to Expect: A drop tower-type ride with a minimum height of 52″. Hop aboard Doctor Doom’s invention as he uses fear to power his ultimate weapon of destruction. Using screams and fear to power this attraction is fitting, as some guests find it to be one of the scariest rides at Universal Orlando. However, it is a fan favorite because it’s one of the few marvel rides found in Universal Orlando. For about 90 seconds, guests are lifted and dropped from various heights until the ultimate fear has been achieved.

Location: Marvel Super Hero Island

Thrill Scale: 6.5 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: If you are afraid of heights, then this is one of the Universal scary rides that you might want to skip. If you happen not to be afraid of heights, then this ride is manageable and acceptable for older children. You might even get a glimpse of a Marvel supervillain to snap a photo with as you’re walking up to the queue.

Height Requirement: Must be at least 52″ (133cm)

Related post: Guide to Spending One Day at Universal Islands of Adventure

#6 – Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts 

What to Expect: A coaster-4D motion simulator-type ride with a minimum height requirement of 42″. Dive deep into the underground vaults at Gringott Bank and escape the dangers of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix as they attempt to stop you. In this Orlando Universal Studios ride, you’ll experience drops, turns, screens, and special effects to truly feel like you’re in the Harry Potter universe. You might even get to hitch a ride with a fire-breathing dragon at the end.

Location: Universal Studios Florida – Diagon Alley

Thrill Scale: 6.5 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: Guests are not allowed to bring bags onto this ride, and the Universal Orlando locker area can be kind of crowded and tight. Keep that in mind if you don’t do well in tight crowds. The queue experience for this Universal Studios thrill ride is breathtaking with the amount of detail and cannot be skipped for any Harry Potter fan. You even have the chance to meet a Gringott goblin hard at work.

Height Requirement: Must be at least 42″ (107cm). Children between 42″–48″ (107cm-122cm) must be accompanied by a supervising companion

Related post: Complete Guide to Harry Potter Hogwarts Robes

#5 – Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit 

What to Expect: An intense musical rollercoaster with a minimum height requirement of 51″. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is the tallest coaster at Universal Orlando Resort and deserves a spot as one of the best roller coasters at Universal Florida. With the highest drop at 167 feet, guests are plunged a 90-degree angle drop, reaching top speeds of 65 mph. Even as Universal Studios’ biggest ride, you may feel like you want to dance instead of scream with your favorite songs blasting over the noise.

Location: Universal Studios Florida – Production Central

Thrill Scale: 7.5 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: One of the things that many guests don’t realize before riding this scary ride at Universal Orlando is that you have 30 seconds to board the vehicle, secure yourself, and choose the song you want for your ride. There is a screen on the back of the seat in front of you where you get to choose the song for your ride. You will also be required to use lockers, seeing as that you will turned upside-down and all around on this Universal roller coaster.

Height Requirement: Must be at least 51″ (130cm) and no more than 79″ (201cm).

Related post: Complete Guide to Universal Studios Orlando Shows

#4 – Revenge of the Mummy 

What to Expect: An immersive coaster/dark ride with a minimum height requirement of 48″. Minecarts appear to take guests into Imhotep’s tomb, where you are immediately warned about what is about to happen. As one of the most intense rides at Universal Studios Orlando, the theming is beyond amazing as you are being chased by the evil Mummy Imhotep. On this coaster-type ride, you can expect fast launches, quick turns, and a lot of surprises as you explore the ancient tomb.

Location: Universal Studios Florida – New York

Thrill Scale: 7 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: We truly believe that while it isn’t the scariest ride at Universal Orlando, it is one of the best Universal Studios thrill rides, just on theme alone. The first half of the ride is all about special effects and the incredible engineering of the Universal Orlando Resort team, which is truly magical! Then, you are blasted off onto the coaster track, where you get a second wind of adrenaline.

Height Requirement: Must be at least 48″ (122cm)

Related post: Complete Guide to Knockturn Alley at Universal Orlando

#3 – The Incredible Hulk Coaster 

What to Expect: An Incredible Hulk-themed rollercoaster with a minimum height of 54″. You’re now a volunteer in a science experiment to undergo a blast of gamma radiation like Dr. Bruce Banner. In this Universal Studios thrill ride, you will be launched at 67 mph right into a zero-gravity roll, keeping your heart racing throughout this high-speed rampage.

Location: Islands of Adventure – Marvel Super Hero Island

Thrill Scale: 8.5 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: As for being one of the scariest Universal Studios rides, the Incredible Hulk is still thrilling and is a fun coaster with exciting theming, but it can sometimes give riders a headache with how rough it can be.

Height Requirement: Must be at least 54″ (138cm)

Related post: Complete Guide to Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal Orlando

#2 – Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure 

What to Expect: An incredibly immersive coaster with a minimum height requirement of 48″. We can, hands down, say that Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is one of the best thrill rides at Universal Studios overall for so many reasons. This magical coaster brings you on an adventure through Hogwarts’ grounds and the Forbidden Forest, with many surprises along the way.

Location: Islands of Adventure – Hogsmeade Village

Thrill Scale: 8.5 out of 10

Tips and Tricks: Since Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is one of the best roller coasters in Universal Studios Orlando, the wait time can be very high. We highly suggest buying multi-day tickets with Early Park Admission from The Park Prodigy to be able to ride this ride an entire hour before the park opens. Otherwise, within the first couple of minutes of the park open, it can get up to a two-hour wait!

Height Requirement: Must be at least 48” (122cm).

Related post: The Best Tips for Visiting Harry Potter World