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Also consider what this mother of two from California wrote to us: “Spider-Man is a wonderful ride and my husband’s favorite. The first time we rode it with our kids (ages 9 and 11), the younger one was terrified by the fact that the bad guys land on the hood of the car and it really feels like they’re reaching out for you. But once she got off the ride and walked around a while, she wanted to try it again.”

But once you’ve braved the experience once and know that a happy ending is guaranteed, Spider-Man is an attraction that holds up through return trips. Pay attention to detail. For example, when Hobgoblin throws his fiery pumpkins at you, Spider-Man snares the first one in his web, but the second one goes awry and crashes through the wall and into the next scene.

Money-Saving Tip

As you exit Spider-Man, you’ll notice how Universal Orlando cleverly encourages souvenir shopping. While you’re still excited about the ride, you exit through a shop full of Spider-Man merchandise. Remember this rule: No souvenir shopping until the afternoon, when you’ve tried out lots of rides and know what you really want.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster

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This isn’t your mother’s roller coaster, on which you slowly crank up a hill getting ready for your first plunge. The Incredible Hulk Coaster is big, green, and mean—just like David Banner after he played around once too often with those gamma rays.

The Scare Factor

The 54-inch height requirement eliminates many young kids, and Hulk is a pretty heart-thumping experience—probably too intense for any child under 10. Watch it make a few laps before you decide to ride.

There’s a separate line for those who want to sit in the front row, which has the best views, but the longest wait. The movement is slightly wilder in the back of the car. Note the word “slightly.” Hulk is plenty intense no matter where you ride.

Those lockers at the Hulk entrance are there for a reason, and they’re free to use. Store everything you can because seven big flips can send car keys and sunglasses sailing.

Time-Saving Tip

Long lines? Even without an Express Pass, you can still cut down on your wait by using the single-rider line. After you’ve gone through an attraction like Spider-Man or Hulk once as a family, older kids might want to ride again on their own. If so, the single-rider line moves much faster than the general-admission line.

The ride opens with a “cannon” shot from a 150-foot tube, zooming from 0 to 40 mph during the first two seconds of motion, then immediately flipping over to give riders the sensation of going weightless. You’ll make seven different inversions during the course of your ride, and twice disappear into a subterranean trench. Although the ride is wild, it’s smooth, with very few jerky movements, and many coaster warriors swear that despite its awesome appearance, Hulk is the most user-friendly coaster in the park.

Time-Saving Tip

On a tight touring schedule? Spider-Man and Hulk are must-sees, but you can skip Storm Force and Dr. Doom.

Dr. Doom’s Fearfall

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Dr. Victor von Doom is trying to defeat the Fantastic Four by sucking all the fear out of innocent citizens like you and using this collective fear to take over the world. (OK, so logic isn’t the strong point of these rides.) The point is that you’re strapped into outdoor seats and shot 180 feet into the air. There’s a bit of a yo-yo effect—you’re raised and lowered several times—but the first five seconds of the ride are by far the scariest. Most riders report that once you’re launched, you’re fine.

The Scare Factor

The height requirement is 52 inches for Dr. Doom’s Fearfall, and whether your child should ride boils down to one question: How does he feel about heights? Most riders, including kids, think this ride is over too quickly to get truly scary. As they say, “The waiting is the hardest part.”

Storm Force Accelatron

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