8 Universal Studios Roller Coasters (Ranked From Best to Worst)

Universal Studios Florida is one of the oldest theme parks for film enthusiasts and is home to three rollercoasters. Right next to this theme park is Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which houses six rollercoasters. That’s 9 Universal Studios rollercoasters within walking distance from each other.

Most visitors get a 1-day park-to-park ticket so they can experience the rides at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Despite being 5 minutes’ walk away from each other, these are two distinct theme parks. That’s why the park’s name is mentioned under each ride in this ranking.

Anyway, here are the best Universal Studios roller coasters:

The rollercoasters at Universal destinations are movie-based theme park attractions, so they must be judged on their impressiveness, believability, and overall experience instead of just their drop height or speed. There are some great drops at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, but the drop is never a Universal rollercoaster’s whole point.

That’s why the rankings in this resource are based on experience first and specs second. But for baseline’s sake, let’s go over the range of Universal rollercoasters’ technical metrics before getting into how these rides rank by experience:

• Height – The tallest Universal Studios rollercoaster is 167 feet. The shortest rollercoaster at the park is roughly 30 feet tall.
• Length – The longest rollercoaster at Universal Studios has a 5,053-foot track. The shortest rollercoaster track at the park measures 800 feet.
• Seating Capacity – Most rollercoasters at Universal Studios have a seating capacity of 24 riders per train.
• Drop – The biggest rollercoaster drop at Universal Studios is 140 feet tall. The park’s shortest drop is 17 feet high.
• Top Speed – The fastest rollercoaster at Universal Studios moves at 70 mph. The park’s slowest rollercoaster has a maximum speed of 25 mph.
• Ride Duration – The longest rollercoaster ride at Universal Studios lasts five minutes. The shortest one lasts one minute and six seconds only.

If you’re not a fan of judging rollercoasters by their technical specifications, then check out the table below. It covers experience metrics like thrill, immersiveness, and memorability of the experience each Universal rollercoaster offers. Metrics like drop height and speed are covered later (under each ride).

Rollercoaster	Thrill	Immersiveness	Memorability
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure	10/10	10/10	10/10
Jurassic World VelociCoaster	7/10	7/10	9/10
Incredible Hulk Coaster	8/10	5/10	8/10
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit	7/10	5/10	7/10
Revenge of the Mummy	8/10	8/10	7/10
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts	6/10	9/10	7/10
Flight of the Hippogriff	6/10	6/10	6/10
Pteranodon Flyers	6/10	7/10	6/10

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

• Park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure 
• Date Opened: June 13, 2019
• Height: 65 ft
• Length: 5,053 ft
• Seating Capacity: 14 riders per train. 
• Drop: 17 ft
• Top Speed: 50 mph
• Ride duration: 3:30

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a Harry Potter-themed rollercoaster that takes riders through a multi-launch adventure. It has a top speed of 50 mph, though it feels like 70 mph at times. The rollercoaster is 65 feet high with more inclines than drops. The closest thing resembling a drop is the ride’s 17-foot dip.

But neither the ride’s drop nor its speed are its main draws. People queue up for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure because of its setting. The rollercoaster layout is set in the Forbidden Forest from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

Expect to dodge and duck as you zip through a fantastical terrain. And watch out for a glimpse of magical creatures that no muggle must see. This rollercoaster doesn’t have inversions, though it has some angular tilts.

But despite zero inversions, it is a park favorite. One of the reasons for that is its seven launches that take place within a three-minute duration. The entire ride lasts roughly 3.5 minutes, with no launch in the final few seconds. 

Each successive launch is quicker and builds towards the final one, in which the train accelerates from 0 to 50 miles per hour in just 4 seconds.

• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure. 
• The ride features seven launches with increasing acceleration.
• As one of the most popular rides at the park, Hagrid’s Motorbike has an average queue time of 80 minutes.

Jurassic World VelociCoaster

• Park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure
• Date Opened: June 10, 2021
• Height: 155 ft
• Length: 4,700 ft
• Seating Capacity: 24 riders per train
• Drop: 140 ft
• Top Speed: 70 mph
• Ride duration: 02:00

Based on the Jurrasic World film franchise, the VelociCoaster is a dino-themed rollercoaster with an LSM launch mechanism. It reaches a top speed of 70 mph at one point. Initially, it gains enough momentum to stabilize at 40 mph, then accelerates to 70 mph in just 2.4 seconds. The ride is 155 feet tall, making room for an intense 140-foot drop.

But unlike standard rollercoasters that rely solely on drops and airtime hills, this one packs a few thrills in its surroundings. It is similar to terrain-exploring coasters in that regard. The entire ride lasts roughly 2 minutes and features 4 inversions, which is uncommon for movie-themed rollercoasters.

The Velocicoaster is not the most thrilling ride by coasterhead standards. But compared to other rollercoasters at Universal Studios theme park, it is definitely at the top of the thrill hierarchy. Add to that what makes the VelociCoaster truly unique: its Jurassic World setting, and you can see why this ride has a 50 to 60-minute waiting time.

And from visitor experience reports and reviews, it seems like the wait time is well worth the 2-minute ride.

• VelociCoaster is located at the Jurrasic Park section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure. 
• Though its average waiting time is 60 minutes, you can expect to wait up to 90 minutes on a busy day.

Incredible Hulk Coaster

• Park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure 
• Date Opened: May 28, 1999
• Height: 110 ft
• Length: 3,700 ft
• Seating Capacity: 32 riders per train 
• Drop: 104.9 ft
• Top Speed: 67 mph
• Ride duration: 2:15

This green rollercoaster is based on the Incredible Hulk comics, but you don’t need to be a Hulk fan to enjoy it. The ride is designed to induce weightlessness at three separate points during the experience.

The highest point of this ride is roughly 110 feet above the ground, and its steepest drop is just under 105 feet high. These specs are pretty average on paper. But make no mistake: The Incredible Hulk Coaster is packed full of thrills thanks to its unique layout and bespoke tire-propelled launch mechanism.

The track layout features seven inversions, three of which induce virtual weightlessness. When the train plunges off the second ear of its 110-foot cobra roll, it nosedives towards the body of water underneath before looping upwards.

The loops and the drops of this rollercoaster feel much more intense than they actually are. Even its launch acceleration feels more intense than it actually is (0 to 40 mph). So, don’t judge the Hulk rollercoaster by its theme or specs on paper. Judge it by two factors. First is its layout, which will draw you in the moment you look at it. 

It is hard to resist that cobra roll. And the second factor is this ride’s queue. This rollercoaster is one of the busiest ones at the Universal Studios theme park. Despite accommodating over a thousand riders per hour, The Incredible Hulk Coaster has a 55-minute-long queue.

And not all of the riders are Hulk fans. Many are rollercoaster enthusiasts looking to get on an undisputed star attraction. The experience lasts two minutes and fifteen seconds, during which you experience the aforementioned cobra roll, two corkscrews, and two vertical loops.

The inner seats offer a smoother experience than the outer ones, but the ride is overall pretty smooth.

• The Incredible Hulk Coaster is located in the Marvel Superhero section of the Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park.
• It has seven inversions, the maximum among Universal Studio’s rollercoasters.
• The ride’s waiting time is 40 to 55 minutes on average.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

• Park: Universal Studios Florida 
• Date Opened: August 19, 2009
• Height: 167 ft
• Length: 3,800 ft
• Seating Capacity: 12 riders per train 
• Drop: 167 feet
• Top Speed: 65 mph
• Ride duration: 1:39

This rollercoaster stands out not just because of its X-car design but also because it lets riders pick their own background track for the experience. The X-car design was perfected by German manufacturer Maurer Söhne. 

It features a lap bar that lets riders invert and experience steep drops without over-the-shoulder restraints. Rollercoasters with this design are called X-coasters, and the Rip Ride Rockit is the largest X-coaster in the world.

The ride starts off with a 167-foot vertical climb. Riders have already chosen their music before the experience begins, and their chosen track plays throughout the ride. The climb is relatively slow but is over in a matter of seconds. Then, the car plunges downward at a near-90-degree angle.

From afar, the ride’s steep climb and tall drop might seem like its most interesting aspects. But there’s a lot more to its layout. After the drop comes a non-inverting loop and multiple mid-course brakes. 

Then, there is a corkscrew and a dip alongside two additional drops. The airtime hills and other track parts have music and Hollywood-themed names like “The Treble Cleft” and “The Jumpcut.”

The named maneuvers are pretty intense, but none induce an inversion, which is ironic for an X-coaster. Even the corkscrew is non-inverting. So, if you’re a fan of steep drops and music-themed rides, then you’ll love this rollercoaster. But if you’re expecting slow-sink inversions usually associated with X-car rollercoasters, you will be disappointed.

That said, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a fan favorite. It might not be as thrilling as the Hagrid-themed and Hulk-themed rollercoasters, but it is still among the busiest rides at the park. But since its wait time is roughly 55 minutes, it is better to know beforehand what you’ll experience should you choose to get in line. 

If you’re visiting the park for memories, go for this ride. It has an in-ride cam, so you’ll get some good content. But if you’re looking for a high-speed launch or multiple inversions, then it is best to skip this one.

It is a fun experience that lasts one minute and forty seconds, but it is not worth the wait for a diehard coasterhead. The ride is pretty smooth, with very few complaints of bumpiness. In fact, only seasoned coasterheads complain about how the ride could have been better with a few loops and inversions. 

However, if all rollercoasters feature similar inversions and rolls, then the experience across multiple rides would be monotonous. And that’s one thing this ride is not. It is pretty unique and memorable.

• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is located in the New York section of the Universal Studios Florida theme park.  
• The ride’s waiting time is 55 to 60 minutes on average. It can extend up to 70 minutes on busy days.

Revenge of the Mummy

• Park: Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood 
• Date Opened: May 21, 2004
• Height: 44.4 ft
• Length: 2,200 ft
• Seating Capacity: 16 riders per train 
• Drop: 39 ft
• Top Speed: 40 mph
• Ride duration: 2:57

Revenge of the Mummy is a median ride in this ranking. It is not too thrilling but is also not boring. For the average coasterhead, this might be a skip, but for fans of the Mummy franchise and general adventure seekers, it can be worth the wait. But before you get in the queue, you must know that it is only 44.4 feet high and has a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour.

The layout of this track is in an enclosed space, with most of the motion being forward-facing. There are no noticeable drops or inversions, and the ride is loop-free. So, why would anyone line up for it? What this rollercoaster offers is a surrounding-driven adventure.

With no intense drops and nominal air time, most of the ride’s focus is on its setting. And the Mummy franchise does offer a rich setting to exploit for a mine-cart rollercoaster. The carts move inside the tomb of Imhotep, and one of the first sights is a partly mummified character from the movie. 

His voice warns the riders about how the curse is real. But before he can finish his warning, Imhotep wakes up. The carts move to the next room, and from there, the ride is part-discovery and part-escape adventure. 

There are treasure-hunt classics as well as some horror-coaster elements (like insects pouring out of a wall). The experience lasts roughly three minutes and is deeply immersive and story-driven, which is why this coaster has a center rank despite having no drops or inversions.

The story and the setting are what make it unique. It is a great ride but an average rollercoaster. If you’re visiting the Universal Studios Themepark as a movie buff or even a theme park fan, you’ll love Revenge of the Mummy. But if you’re going for a classic rollercoaster experience, then this will feel more like a train ride through a horror house.

• Revenge of the Mummy is located in the New York section of Universal Studios Florida.  
• You can expect to wait in line for roughly 40 minutes on an average day and up to an hour on busy days.
• Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida also have Revenge of the Mummy rides.

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

• Park: Universal Studios Florida 
• Date Opened: July 8, 2014
• Height: 30ft ±
• Length: 2,000 ft
• Seating Capacity: 24 riders per train 
• Top Speed: 25 mph
• Ride duration: 05:00

This ride is set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, just like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. But unlike Hagrid’s Motorbike, this one is an indoor rollercoaster with an average speed of 25 miles per hour. 

Just like the Mummy rollercoaster, this one is also attractive because of its setting and story. So, if you’re in it for the drop or for inversions, you will be disappointed. Harry Potter is a very popular franchise, and for the fans of the films (or the books), this could be the #2 rollercoaster at the park (after Hagrid’s motorbike), but for the average visitor, it is a skip. 

But before preemptively crossing it off your list, take a look at what to expect if you choose to line up for Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

The ride starts off with an in-story security breach at the Gringotta Bank. For Potterworld fans, the plot is familiar as it mirrors what Harry Potter and his friends had to go through in order to destroy a Horcrux at the Gringotts’ bank. 

As the name implies, the ride is an escape adventure. And as is the case with any escape, speed is safety, and slowing down is dangerous. As the ride moves at 25 mph, the possibility of getting caught feels real. The special effects, 3D projections, and detailed sets play their part in selling this fictional danger.

• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of Universal Studios Florida. 
• It has a waiting time of around one hour on average, but the wait can extend up to 2 hours on extremely busy days.

Flight of the Hippogriff

• Park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood 
• Date Opened: June 29, 2000
• Height: 42.7 ft
• Length: 1,099.1 ft
• Seating Capacity: 16 riders per train 
• Drop: 29.5
• Top Speed: 28.5 mph
• Ride duration: 1:06

Flight of the Hippogriff is yet another Harry Potter-themed rollercoaster at the Universal Studios theme park. But unlike its more popular counterparts, it is a junior coaster. In almost any ranking of rollercoasters, kiddy coasters are ranked at the bottom because they don’t have the same speed and drop height as the bigger draws.

That, however, doesn’t make these coasters objectively worse. They are just not for the average rollercoaster enthusiast. And The Flight of the Hippogriff is no exception. It is roughly 43 feet high and has a maximum speed of 28.5 miles per hour. For thrill-chasers, this one is an easy skip. But for Harry Potter fans, the setting and the lore of this ride make up for its lack of intense specs.

Riders get to experience a test flight of the Hippogriff, which gives them a full aerial view of the Wizarding World section of the park. There are a few “drops” around the Hogwarts Grounds, but none intense enough by average rollercoaster metrics. 

The ride’s greatest drop is roughly 30 feet. That said, judging The Flight of the Hippogriff by its drop height would be unfair. It is a terrain-exploring coaster that was not intended to compete with the likes of the Jurrasic World VelociCoaster.

• Flight of the Hippogriff is located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure. 
• The ride was previously a flying unicorn coaster and was rebranded after the development of The Wizarding World.
• On weekdays, the ride has a waiting time of 25 minutes only. On busy days, the queue time extends to 40 minutes.

Pteranodon Flyers

• Park: Universal’s Islands of Adventure 
• Date Opened: May 28, 1999
• Height: 65 ft
• Length: 800 ft
• Seating Capacity: 2 riders per car
• Drop: 65 ft
• Top Speed: 20 mph
• Ride duration: 01:15

Named after flying dinosaurs, Pteranodon Flyers is a suspended family rollercoaster that lets riders experience the Jurassic World section of the park from a height of roughly 65 feet. Riders are suspended on comfy seats that dangle from an overhead track. There are no intense track acrobatics or drops, so it is an obvious skip for thrill-seekers.

But fans of the Jurassic World films, as well as kids in general, love it. Families line up for 45 to 50 minutes to experience this 1-minute-and-15-second ride. So, it is not unpopular. But in any ranking of rollercoasters based on standard rollercoaster metrics, it is closer to the bottom than it is to the top.

• Pteranodon Flyers is located at the Camp Jurassic subsection of Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
• The ride is designed for children and has a minimum height restriction of 36 inches only.
• It has a queue time of up to 50 minutes.