Islands of Adventure’s Hulk Coaster is Incredible
Islands of Adventure’s Incredible Hulk is one of the best looking coasters you’ll find anywhere. The twisted mess of bright green track is built partially over the park’s lake. Hulk’s enclosed lift hill and massive cobra roll and vertical loops dominate the skyline at Islands of Adventure. The layout is right on top of the park, but not to its detriment. Hulk is perfectly integrated into the walking paths and spectators are frozen in their tracks as they pass under the marvel.
The experience starts with the pre-ride theming of the queue made to look like a scientific facility straight from the comic book. The station is a futuristic gamma radiation chamber responsible for turning Bruce Banner into the Hulk. Riders climb aboard the suped up, comfortable, four across trains in anticipation of an unforgettable ride.
Hulk has one of the best opening sequences I’ve ever 
experienced. First, riders are launched 0 to 40 mph (via a tire propelled launch system) up the enclosed lift hill. 40 miles per hour is nothing extreme, but riding through the long tube, up into the light of day only to be spun upside down by a zero-g roll over 100′ in the air is unbelievable. This is easily one of my favorite all-time inversions. It just has to be experienced. After the roll, the train plummets back down towards the lake and then back up into a super-sized cobra roll (seen here) offering two more high altitude inversions. Next, the train enters a massive vertical loop. The trains dives into an underground mist filled tunnel, flies back up and does a sweeping helix around the enclosed lift hill.
From here on, Hulk loses its great pacing. Immediately after the helix the train enters a quick corkscrew, then a smaller tighter vertical loop that wraps around an upcoming brake run. After a few more turns riders are pulled into the brake run as they pass through the previous loop. Then they drop down and into the final inversion, another corkscrew, and after a few more turns you hit the station brakes. While I’m glad that the ride doesn’t just end after the incredible opening sequence, the second half seems crammed and a lot less interesting than the first half. The back half is also uncharacteristically rough for a Bolliger & Mabillard coaster. Even B&M’s loopers are usually very smooth and forgiving. These tighter inversions supply a little head bang. The banging’s not unforgivable, but definitely noticeable. Here’s a view of the crowded back half.
The Hulk is an amazing roller coaster and truly a one-of-a-kind ride. The theming, originality, and overall rideability are top-knotch and I want to give it a 10. But The Hulk falls just short. See my rating scale here. Final Rating – 9.5 (Excellent Approaching Superior)
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of Incredible Hulk? Leave a comment below.
Coaster Critic 
24 responses to “Incredible Hulk Coaster @ Islands of Adventure”
Yea.. from all the bad things I've heard about Incredible Hulk ( said to be the world's most overrated coaster ), I don't think it deserves a 9.5 out of 10! The opening is something really special. The cobra roll and loop elements seem good, but nothing too special.And for the rest, meh…The second half is said to be boring as hell and rough. 9.5? NO WAY.
I agree with what you've heard that the second half isn't as good as the amazing first half, but after you've experienced the Hulk's first half for yourself you'll understand. You might not give it a 9.5, but you'll understand. You just have to ride it.Thanks for reading.
I must tell you that the opening sequence was unbelievable. Thinking that you have another 10 seconds to go before reaching the top of the hill and then thrust up the hill at 40MPH was unexpected and exhilarating. What an unbelievable coaster. The second half is fun, and the first half certainly more than makes up for it.
this was my first real coaster. it was the best launch on a coaster i have ever had. i think that it was better than kingda ka's launch and also volcano's launch. im going to cedar point july 1-3 so ill know if it is better than top thrill dragster. i love how alot of the ride is over water, but i appreciate the second half more than most. it was pretty fun, exhilarating, and overall a great ride. i just think that with all the stuff around it, it could have interacted with it more. like, maybe wrap around the free fall, or have a heavier themed back part of the ride. also on-board audio wouldnt be such a bad idea. but i would give it a ten.
I agree with you guys. If that brake run was the end of the ride, i would give it a 10 hands down!
i agree that first half has to be the best first half that i have ridden since kumba. i mean the launch which is inclined, the perfect blend of huge inversions its just perfect.
Yeah i think the best part about this ride is the launch then that zero g roll its just a perfect combination. Its so dark in there then you get outside and your world is spinning upside down!
i have heard that hulk is overrated and i can agree but hulk was about years old and B&M have so many coasters over the years with same inversions so you can't really call it overrated when its becoming one of B&M's oldest lopping coasters
I live about three hours south of Orlando, and I have year passes for Universal and Islands. I can tell you one thing. THE HULK IS NOT OVERRATED. Let's see… the only B&M launch coaster around, Tallest Cobra roll when it opened, half of it over water, 80 minute wait about 20 minuets after park opens. This, as I would put it, is maybe UNDER RATED!
i stay 2 hours north of orlando so i know what you are talkng about james,now people would argue that the lauch isn't really fast since only pumps the launch at 40 mph. now hulk isn't the 70 mph maverick or sure is heck even the 120 mph top thrill dragtster but how many coasters are lauched in a 45 degree angle upward. im not crying about about people who dont like it or being overrated but im laying down facts for those bandwagon folks who haven't ridden it and wanna say its bad
That zero-g roll so far up from the water is INSANE!!!!!And that launch is more powerful than i thought it would be. This ride is not overated. Its so popular people come out with hair sticking up and somehow "worn out"
The launch actually looks and feels faster. It looks faster because of the Tunnel. And I don't know for sure, but I heard that there are wind effects.
Yeah when I first saw the ride, I didnt know anything about it. I didnt know the inversions, speed, i didnt even know there was a launch. When they went out of the tunnel i was wondering where the speed came from. Now dont call me stupid i was 8. I got on and i didnt see a lift hill. All of a sudden i got shot out of the tunnel which was really scary at that age. But yeah the tunnel is pretty cool. I really like the cool things you can look at when your waiting in line
the theming really makes the ride feel like its coming directly from the comic book matthew, i think it feels faster than it is to james. i just think that its the incline that makes it feel like that because the rock n roller coaster at Disney launches at 60 mph but doesn't feel like while it only lauches about 45 mph when it reaches the top of the tunnel
OK, I am on vacation in Orlando as we speak- just rode Hulk today for the first time- I LOVED it! Exhilarating, ingenious, thrilling, unique–and it has a damn good sense of humor to boot. I was stunned when it launched, then I laughed all the way back to the station. I think it is quite impressive considering it's 10 years old. Hulk brings a lot of elements together in one ride–though I agree that the beginning is the most impressive, I really enjoyed all of it.
CarolinaGirl, thanks for the review of Hulk from your vacation. I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much. You're right, it is holding up pretty well considering its age. Probably because it's a B&M. Just a few more days until the Carowinds announcement. Stay tuned!!
CarolinaGirl, if you are still reading, the rule on blogging is nothing over G rated stuff
Im going to universal studios in december and i cant wait to ride this ride! i loooooove rollercoasters. i was at ioa when i was 7 but i was too small to ride now 7 years later were finally going back both my parents say that after the ride they both got headaches. is it really that bad? also can you do a review[i know its not a coaster] on Dr. Dooms Fearfall? thanks
Sorry thats suppposed to be Youtube.com/mrrct3videos i make virtual rollercoaster models and after i go to universal i think ill make some of the rides there
The initial launch, zero-g roll, and cobraroll make up one of the greatest moments on any roller coaster anywhere. However, past that, the Hulk is just a below average B&M that can border on rough throughout the second half. I've been on coasters all over the country, and the Incredible Hulk is not worthy of even being in my top 20 with a ride that is only great for the first 15 seconds.
no line whatsoever as of right now! and forbidden journey is the best thing ever made!
its probably my favorite ride though ive only been to carowinds(awesome) and dollowood(not so great) ya it losses its greatness ofter the small helix but the 1st half is perfect nothing else better
Hulk is indeed a great coaster. Theming is great and the coaster is very eye- catching. It is the unique launched roller coaster from B&M, isn't it? Well, I think the second part is not that bad. And I think the launch is spetacular, it feels like more than 40 miles per hour!!!
Really didn’t like this at all.. Rode it in 2001 and 2005 last, and even 10 years ago i banged my head more than any other B&M looper I have ever been on (in 2001 i travelled the USA extensively with my best friend and spent 3 months doing just coasters, and more or less did every US B&M in existence at that point). Honestly even though I was excited to launch into a roll, even *that* didn’t work for me the way I thought it would (and the zero g roll is my fave inversion tied with the dive loop). I tried front back and middle seats and was uncomfortable in all. I am a tall (6ft 3) guy but slim, i don’t know if my height has anything to do with the pain but if it did surely the other B&M’s would cause the same issue?
anyway, what would make it a great coaster is to change the restraints/trains, and put a couple airtime hills instead of the brake run.. so it would become a 4 inversion coaster, sure, but much more comfortable without head banging, and add airtime! This coaster is dying for a rehab.
It’s kind of unique, and it looks stunning, I will give it that. Honestly i may ride it once on my trip next year, but I suspect i will be sitting on dragon challenge all day instead (which i love – hey is it true they don’t duel those anymore? The loop head on was amazing) – My honest rating of the hulk is 5/10.