What is it?

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure is a 3D motion simulator ride that puts you right in the middle of New York City and, unfortunately, the middle of a plot to take over the world from Dr. Octopus!

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a classic and beloved Universal ride that tops many peoples’ list as one of the best rides in the whole park. The 3D is smooth, the plot is fun and the technology is still top-notch. Simply put, if you like motion simulator rides, you’re going to like Spider-Man.

What Can I Expect?

Like all motion simulator/3D rides you can expect your ride vehicle to toss and turn (a lot!) and some spinning, but you can also expect good 3D and some instances of practical effects in your 3D ride. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man fits in perfectly with the rest of the rides at Marvel Super Hero Island with a highly themed queue and ride that looks straight out of the ’90s.

The Queue

Save for the extended queue on REALLY busy days, Spider-Man’s queue is entirely indoors and features a few different rooms each with their own version of entertainment.

The first room you wait in is a general switchback queue located within the Daily Bugle (Spidey/Peter Parker’s newspaper). While you’re waiting, you’re entertained by a video that bounces between Doc Ock and his Sinister Six minions bragging about stealing The Statue of Liberty and J. Jonah Jameson freaking out about said heist. He also plants the idea for the plot of the ride: Turning all us tourists into improv field reporters.

The video is highly entertaining and features some great one-liners from JJJ and Spider-Man himself. The video isn’t terribly long, so there’s a good chance you’ll watch it a good four or five times while you’re waiting in this room.

You’ll eventually exit the main lobby of The Daily Bugle and head into the newsroom where a different video plays on the overhead TVs. This video follows two news reporters as they are bringing Lady Liberty’s heist to you live from the field. This video explains who each bad guy is a bit more and is just as entertaining as the first video.

The video isn’t the only thing to look at in the newsroom as you can see each reporter’s desk as well. The desks aren’t really that much to look at since there isn’t much on them, but it’s a good change of atmosphere.

(Make sure to read the posters on the wall and the various Post-It notes around the newsroom for some extra comedy.)

You’ll exit the newsroom through the trophy room and into a very boring, nothing-to-see-here hallway. If you have time, make sure you read the certificates located in the display cases. The awards themselves are pretty funny and the names on the certificates are real-life people who helped make the ride.

The hallway leads to the loading area for the ride and has another video for you to watch and is the most entertaining one of the bunch. This video is the safety video for the vehicle you’re taking into the field as new reporters. Other than presenting the general ride safety information, this video also features a bunch of visual gags and funny animations.

If there’s one thing The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man has over much of the theme park competition is a fantastic queue.

The Ride

There is a reason this ride tops many theme park goers’ lists as one of the best rides in Orlando. If there is an element that appears in a motion simulator ride, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man nails it perfectly. Despite its age, the 3D still holds up extremely well. It’s so good that there is a scene in which Tyler still has to close his eyes because he’ll react to one of the  3D elements.

Aside from the 3D, there is one thing The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man has over almost all modern 3D/simulator rides: Practical effects.

Right at the beginning of the ride, Spidey jumps off a ladder and onto your vehicle. The ladder is a real ladder and it moves when the (virtual) Spider-Man jumps into it and on your car (which also bumps down).

These effects really make this ride stand out. There are no such effects in newer rides like Transformers, Escape From Gringotts or Jimmy Fallon.

The ride starts off with you driving your S.C.O.O.P. vehicle through the alleys of New York. After a bit of a talking to from Spider-Man (this is where the ladder effect is), you’ll almost hit a garbage truck (driven by Stan Lee!) and stumble into the secret layer of the Sinister Six.

Jonah Jameson pops in and gives you away, which sends you running into a separate room and away from the bad guys. Spidey eventually comes in as a distraction and allows you to escape. It’s in these first few rooms where the practical effects are really felt.

Hydro-Man spritzing water on you, Hobgoblin throwing a pumpkin grenade your way and Doc Ock blasting you with heat are just some real-life aspects in this 3D simulator ride.

Your car will eventually be hit with an anti-gravity gun and lead to the obligatory falling moment of the simulator ride.

Spidey eventually saves the day and you return safely to The Daily Bugle.

(Although the same can’t be said for JJJ…)

What’s the Verdict?

Simply put, this is one of the best rides in Islands of Adventure and the whole of the Orlando theme park scene. The ride is fun, funny and doesn’t seem dated at all.

All that being said, it’s still a 3D motion simulator ride. If you’re one to get motion sick or dizzy on these types of rides, Spider-Man will be no different. In fact, Spider-Man is probably one of the more intense motion simulators.

The moments where the ride car is standing still are few and far between. This can either be a lot of fun for you or make you sick to your stomach. The car is constantly bobbing, weaving and bouncing, including one section where it spins.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man may be one of the oldest rides in Islands of Adventure and one of the original motion simulators in the park, but it’s still just as good today as it was when it opened and continues to be the perfect example of how a 3D motion simulator should work.