Where to find (or avoid!) Universal’s water attractions, and how to get dry afterward!
Nothing quite beats a refreshing splash when you are spending the day in the Orlando heat. Walking around a theme park for hours on end can be exhausting, but adding the beating sun can add a whole new layer to that exhaustion.
Luckily, most of the theme parks in the Orlando area are equipped with fun water rides or water parks that will provide you with some much-needed relief.
If you plan to ride water rides, you’ll want to make sure you are prepared with what to expect and any supplies that may be helpful so you can be sure that you have a fun day at the parks!
Today, we will be talking about Universal Orlando Resort, and we will be sharing with you what you can expect to find when it comes to water rides and attractions at the property.
Planning ahead for water rides at Universal is essential because you will get pretty wet! Comparatively, there are water rides at Walt Disney World parks in Florida, but very few that will get you significantly wet like the Universal water rides!
This post is part of our Discover Orlando series
Does Universal Orlando Have Water Rides?
Yes! Between the two theme parks at Universal Orlando plus Volcano Bay, Universal’s water park, there are several fun water rides to enjoy.
If you’re looking for a day of swimming and exclusively water rides, water slides, and water-based thrills, grab your swimsuits and spend the whole day at Universal’s Volcano Bay!
Today, though, we will be focusing on the theme parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) and how to make sure you are prepared to spend a day enjoying both regular rides and attractions, as well as water rides at Universal Orlando.
Every Water Ride at Universal Orlando
The Universal Studios Florida side of the park presently has no water rides or attractions (and even the splash play areas in Curious George and Fievel’s Playland are now out of action; watch this space what will be the replacement attraction here in DreamWorks land).
However, if you hop over to Islands of Adventure, you will find some splashin’ fun! Here are the water rides at Universal’s Islands of Adventure with their minimum height requirements and where you can use your Universal Express Pass:
Jurassic Park River Adventure
On this riverboat experience, you will travel through Jurassic Park, where you will come face to face with a huge T-Rex! The only way to escape is to take the 85-foot drop to safety.
- Park Location: Jurassic Park in Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Height Requirements: 42” Minimum height; any rider under 48” must have a supervising companion
- Express Pass: Yes
- Thrill Level: High; between the drop and the intensity of the T-rex, we would consider this a high thrill level ride
- How Wet You’ll Get: Depending on your seat location, some may get wetter than others, but no matter where you are seated, you will likely get significantly wet on this ride (some riders wear ponchos, but we’ve found them fairly useless depending which direction the water is coming in) Try for the front row to get maximum splash!
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
This ride combines a roller coaster and a log flume-style ride, so you get the best of both worlds! You’ll take a ride through some twists and turns, being escorted by Dudley Do-Right himself until you reach the 75-foot drop to finish the ride. We’d argue this is one of the best water rides at Universal.
- Park Location: Toon Lagoon in Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Height Requirements: 44” Minimum height; any rider under 48” must have a supervising companion
- Express Pass: Yes
- Thrill Level: Medium-High; the theme of this ride is upbeat and fun, but the 75-foot drop can add a decent level of thrill for riders!
- How Wet You’ll Get: As with any other log flume-style ride, you can expect to get pretty wet on this ride.
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
In this ride, you will climb into a round flotation boat, you will make your way through a river of rapids, and face many twists, turns, and bumps along the way in order to save Popeye’s one true love, Olive Oyl.
Watch out for the splash attack as other guests within the park fire water cannons at you as you float by!
- Park Location: Toon Lagoon in Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Height Requirements: 42” Minimum height. Any rider under 48” must have a supervising companion
- Express Pass: Yes
- Thrill Level: Low to Medium; there are no significant drops, just some twists and turns, so we would consider this a fairly low thrill level.
- How Wet You’ll Get: How wet you get on this ride is all up to chance; it highly depends on how your boat twists and turns throughout the ride, but one thing is sure… your feet will certainly get soaked!
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Ok, not nearly the same scale of ‘wet’ as the previous few, but if you have little ones who DON’T like to be drenched, it’s important to recognize that you CAN get wet on this popular kids’ ride in Suess Landing.
- Park Location: Suess Landing in Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Height Requirements: No minimum, but under 48” must have a supervising companion
- Express Pass: Yes
- Thrill Level: Low: You can maneuver your ‘fish’ up and down or gently glide to the music, but be prepared; you could fly straight into a fountain.
- How Wet You’ll Get: Minimal, but it’s also a little bit of luck. Seats may also be wet when you climb in.
Water Attractions at Universal Studios
Although there are fewer thrill rides at Universal Studios, your younger ones can still have a splash!
Shrek’s Swamp For Little Ogres
This new addition is the perfect spot for families to cool off with ogre-sized play features, including climbing, slides, and a wet play splash area – the Pond of Perpetual Wetness!
- Park Location: Dreamworks Land
- Height Requirements: No minimum
- Express Pass: N/A
- Thrill Level: Low
- How Wet You’ll Get: Minimal, but you never know, your tots could prefer to be completely drenched on a hot day so definitely pack towels or a change for this!
How to Plan Your Day at Universal with Water Rides
If you want to enjoy the water rides at Universal Studios, it is a great idea to devise a plan ahead of time to ensure you have the most enjoyable experience.
Regardless of what kind of rides you plan to do, we recommend making a general timeline/schedule for what you want to ride and when you want to ride it. Having a game plan makes for a more well-thought-out and efficient day.
Walking around a theme park in soaking wet clothes isn’t the most comfortable feeling, so when it comes to making a plan for water rides, we recommend a few tips for a successful day!
- Once you’re wet, take advantage: If you plan to do one water ride, you might as well do them all! Once you’re wet, it makes the most sense to just go ahead and ride any water rides that are on your list to get it all over with at once.
- Pick a suitable time: Choosing the right time for water rides for your schedule is essential! We always recommend either starting your day with water rides and utilizing the heat of the daylight to dry yourself or saving your water rides for the end of the day so you can go straight home afterwards. Just keep in mind if you choose to do water rides after the sun goes down, it can get pretty chilly once you’re wet!
- Make smart clothing choices: If you know that you will be riding water rides, we recommend choosing clothing that will dry quickly. Breathable materials like mesh or Nike Dri-Fit style clothing will be lightweight, moisture-wicking, and will have a quick dry time.
What to Pack for a Day with Water Rides at Universal
While you won’t be able to avoid getting wet entirely, there are some items you can pack to help you out when riding water rides at Universal. Some of our essentials include:
- Rain Ponchos – A poncho won’t protect you completely on water rides, but you can throw it on over your clothes, and it will help to divert some of the water away from your clothes and hopefully keep you a bit drier.
- Extra Socks – You probably won’t have the space to bring a whole change of clothes, but at the very least, you can pack an extra pack of socks! In our family, we hate walking around with wet feet, so a quick switch of socks can make a world of difference, and they are so easy to throw an extra pair into your park bag.
- Dry bags – When you ride a water ride you can place your items into a locker, but if you choose to bring them along, you may want to consider purchasing dry bags to ensure that your phones/electronics are protected from the water!
- Packable Towels – When walking around a theme park, you’re likely not carrying a large bag around with you, so you probably won’t be able to bring a full-size towel with you, but we recommend packing some small microfiber towels that can be folded up into your bag. You won’t be able to fully dry yourself with these, but they are great for drying any water off your hands, arms, and face.
- Brush/Comb – Once you’re wet from head to toe, you may want to brush through your hair/re-style, so bringing along a compact brush or comb is a great tool to have on hand.
Water Rides Frequently Asked Questions
A: Yes! Water rides at Universal Orlando are open during regular park hours and are open for guests during any operating hours.
A: Yes, there are no rules that will prevent you from wearing rain ponchos, rain hats, or rain boots on water rides at Universal Studios.
A: Wearing a bathing suit underneath clothes is perfectly fine; however, it is against park guidelines for boys/men to wear swim trunks without a shirt or for girls/women to wear just a bathing suit while in the Universal Studios Florida/Islands of Adventure parks.
Our young kids were fine with wearing t-shirts on top of bathers; then, we stripped them down afterward until they were dry enough to redress in clean clothing. 
A: At each of the water ride exits, you will find what are called “people dryers”. These are large machines that put out warm air to help you get dry quicker. There is a small fee for using the dryer, but you can put multiple people into one dryer at once.
Water rides are so much fun, but if you don’t plan for them properly, they can really put a damper on your day! We hope that this guide has helped you to have a fun and successful day enjoying water rides at Universal Studios Orlando.
More Tips For Planning A Universal Orlando Trip
If you are deep into the planning stages of your Orlando family vacation, you may like to dig further into all our handy planning guides to make the most of your time in Central Florida:
- How to get from Orlando Airport MCO to Universal
- If you’ll be bringing a car or RV, here’s everything you need to know to about parking at Universal
- What should you pack in your Universal day bag? Plus, our top tips on the best theme park footwear for all-day comfort
- Not planning to be at Universal every day? Why not try staying at one of these nearby hotels that offer shuttle services to Universal
- How do you plan for rain at Universal? Pssst, rainy days can make the best time to do water rides when you’re soaked through anyway!!
- Traveling with little ones? Here’s how we suggest you tackle Orlando with toddlers
- And for slightly older kids, this is our battle plan for family entertainment in Orlando with tweens and teens
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