Water Rides At Universal Studios Orlando – Everything You Need To Know

What better way to cool off from the hot Florida sunshine than on one of Universal Studios Orlando resorts water rides.

However, before you jump in the queue, let’s cover some basic things you should know about water rides at the parks.

The Universal Studios park has no water rides except for a splash pad in Woody Woodpecker’s kid’s zone. Meanwhile, Universals Islands of Adventure has three water rides on which you will get wet.

As such, if you’re a teen or adult looking to experience water rides, then you will benefit from a trip to Universal’s Islands of Adventure over Universal Studios.

However, that’s not the only thing you should know which is why we’ve gone ahead and listed our key hints and tips when it comes to going on water rides at the resort.

1. You Need To Be At Least 42″ Tall To Go On Any Water Ride At Universal Studios

The majority of rides at Universal Studios have different height requirements and the water-based rides inside Universal’s Islands of Adventure are no different.

The minimum height requirement for any of the rides is 42″ which will allow you to go on Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges in Toon Lagoon.

However, if you want to go on Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls then you’ll need to be a minimum of 44″ and for Jurassic Park River Adventure 48″.

	Location	Height Requirement	Average Standby Wait Time	Lockers	People Dryers
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls	Toon Lagoon	44″	70 minutes	Yes	Yes
Jurassic Park River Adventure	Jurassic Park	48″	40 minutes	Yes	Yes
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges	Toon Lagoon	42″	20 minutes	Yes	Yes

Those who look as though they may not meet the height requirement will be checked. As such it’s always better to check the height of anyone wanting to ride the water rides in advance to save both disappointment and waiting time queuing.

Remember height requirements are put in place for your health and safety which is Universal’s number one priority.

2. The Most Popular Water Ride At Universal Is Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls

Of the three water rides at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, you’ll find that Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls consistently has the longest standby wait time which often averages 70 minutes.

Luckily all three of the water rides at Universal’s Islands of Adventure allow you to save a significant amount of time (on average 80%) queueing with an Express Pass.

If you don’t have the budget for an Express Pass consider instead heading to Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls as the park opens since most wait for the afternoon sun or choose to go on the water rides last before leaving the park.

3. All Water Rides Have Free Lockers

All of the water rides at Universal’s Island’s of Adventure also have free lockers where you can store your belongings for up to two hours preventing them from getting wet.

If you’re longer than two hours then you will be asked to pay for the difference in time as it’s assumed you’ve then used the locker for longer-term storage throughout the day.

While you can take personal belongings including phones, cameras and backpacks on any of the water rides in the park it’s done so at your own risk.

I once left my phone in my pocket, and while it wasn’t damaged it did get significantly wet and I had to get a family member to pull it out for me while I stood there dripping wet.

4. You Will Get Wet

I’ve sat in different places on every water ride at Universal’s Island’s of Adventure and if there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s that you’ll get wet, no matter what!

The majority of the seats you sit on for the rides are already wet from the hundreds of times the ride has already gone around and a lot of that water remains in the base of the rides vessel.

Of course, getting just that wet is the minimum. In actual fact, you’re likely to get much, much wetter than that.

My brother found that out the hard way on Jurassic Park River Adventure, I’ll never forget the look on his face, he was soaked!

5. The Ride You’ll Get Most Wet On Is Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges

While you’ll get wet on all the rides at Universal’s Islands of Adventure I’ve found that the one I get consistently soaked on no matter where I sit is Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges.

When it comes to Jurassic Park River Adventure and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls how wet you get really depends more on where you sit since both of these rides are based around a large and sudden drop.

To avoid getting wet on either of these rides consider sitting in the middle rather than at the edge since the water goes up and then back down over the edges on impact.

6. There Are “People Dryers”

At the exit of each of the water rides, there is a people dryer. These dryers cost $5 and allow you to stand inside what I can only describe as a giant hairdryer.

Each people dryer fits around 3 people comfortably and allows you to have warm air blown onto you to dry you off.

The dryer lasts around 3 – 5 minutes, and you can exit out of either of the sides at any time if you get bored, find it uncomfortable or have dried off completely.

As there are giant exits on either side this process doesn’t feel claustrophobic and is actually a great way to dry off quickly and continue enjoying your day at the park.

7. You Can Bring A Change Of Clothes

If you’re not a huge fan of drying off in one of the people dryers consider bringing a change of clothes to the park instead.

While this is slightly heavier to carry throughout the day, it can be a great option not just for the water parks but also for any unexpected rain or storms you might encounter.

Toilets are available throughout the park which is the perfect place to change into something new.

And of course, if you didn’t bring a change of clothes with you, but would still like to get changed you could purchase a new t-shirt and a pair of shorts from one of the gift stores.

This is an expensive way of getting dry but does leave you with an awesome new souvenir.

8. You Can Bring Or Buy A Poncho & Wear It On The Rides

If you want to minimise how wet you get on the water rides at Universal then consider wearing a poncho.

You can bring your own poncho or purchase one from the many stores around the park at $10 plus tax.

These ponchos can then be worn on any or all of the water-based rides at Universal and can be used as great protection in any wet weather you experience during your day at the parks.

While a poncho won’t keep you entirely dry it does significantly reduce how wet you get on the water rides and can be attached to your backpack to dry off as you continue to walk around the park.

9. Universal Studios Has A Splash Pad For Young Children

While there are no water rides at the Universal Studios park, there is a large splash pad inside Woody Woodpecker’s kid’s zone.

This area is perfect for hanging out if you’re travelling to the park with small children as it allows them to cool off and burn some of that energy.

Sadly unlike some of the water rides at Islands of Adventure, there aren’t any people dryers here.

Instead, it’s recommended you bring a change of clothes and head to one of the nearby toilet facilities to change after you’re done splashing around.

10. Universal Studios Orlando Also Has A Water Park

If you’re looking to experience more water fun at Universal Studios consider heading over to the resort’s premier water park Volcano Bay.

Volcano Bay opened in 2017 and is in my opinion one of, if not the best water park in all of Orlando.

The tapu-tapu ride waiting system is incredible and the layout of the park is really well thought through.

If you’re interested in upgrading your park ticket or annual pass to include Volcano Bay be sure to head to guest services inside the park who will be able to assist you.