Universal's Islands of Adventure · Jurassic Park
Pteranodon Flyers
A suspended glider over Jurassic Park restricted to riders between 36 and 56 inches, with the worst capacity and the worst wait-to-ride ratio in the park.
Ride facts
- Type
- Roller coaster
- Height
- 36in (91cm)Riders must be between 36 and 56 inches. Guests taller than 56 inches may ride only as the accompanying companion of a child in that range.
- Intensity
- Gentle
- Motion sickness
- Low motion risk
- Getting wet
- Stay dry
- Indoor / outdoor
- Outdoor
- Air conditioned
- No
- Rider Switch
- Not offered
Last verified July 2026
What it is
Pteranodon Flyers is a suspended gliding ride that carries two people at a time in a dangling seat along a track above the Jurassic Park island, at low speed, for roughly ninety seconds. It has been here since 1999 and it is one of the most misunderstood attractions in Orlando.
The restriction is the thing to understand. Riders must be between 36 and 56 inches tall. An adult cannot simply queue up and ride: a guest over 56 inches may board only as the accompanying companion of a child within the height band. This is not a suggestion enforced loosely - it is checked, and it means the ride cannot serve most of the people who want to try it.
The other thing to understand is capacity. Two riders per vehicle, spaced out along a slow-moving track, produces a throughput that is dismal even by kiddie-ride standards. A posted wait of 45 minutes for a 90-second ride is normal here, and it does not shorten much across the day. There is no Express Pass access and no single rider line to rescue you.
What riding it is actually like
The queue is largely outdoors with limited shade and moves in visible increments as each pair of riders departs. You will be able to see exactly how slowly it is going, which is either useful information or an ongoing frustration depending on your temperament.
The ride itself is pleasant. You are lifted into a hanging seat with your legs free, and the glider swings out over Camp Jurassic and the surrounding island at treetop height with a good view down into the play area and across to the lagoon. It is calm, it is scenic, and it is genuinely a nice thing for a small child.
And then it is over, after about ninety seconds, and you are back on the platform. The gap between what the queue costs and what the ride delivers is the single widest at Islands of Adventure.
Is Pteranodon Flyers scary?
A suspended glider that swings gently over the island at low speed. There are no drops and nothing sudden. The only element that unsettles anyone is the dangling, swinging motion with feet hanging free, which a small number of children dislike once they are already in the air.
Scores are editorial, on a 1–5 scale, judged against what frightens a typical four- to seven-year-old rather than an adult.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair
- Must transfer to the ride vehicle
- Audio description
- Not offered
- Handheld captioning
- Not offered
- Assistive listening
- Not offered
- Sign language
- Not offered
- Service animals
- Must use a kennel or wait with a companion
Full transfer into a suspended two-person seat with legs dangling. The load platform is reached by a ramp. The height band effectively means an adult cannot ride without a qualifying child, which limits assistance options at load.
Tips that actually help
- Only queue for this if the posted wait is under twenty minutes. At any higher number the arithmetic does not work and Camp Jurassic underneath it is free and better.
- Check the height band before you queue. Riders must be 36 to 56 inches, and an adult over 56 inches can only ride as the companion of a qualifying child.
- There is no Express Pass on this ride and no single rider line. There is no way to shorten the wait.
- Do it first thing in the morning if it matters to your child. It is one of the few attractions here where the early-morning wait is dramatically better than the rest of the day.
- Repeat-visitor note: the view down into Camp Jurassic is the best part, and you can get most of it for free by climbing the play structure's upper level.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- The first thirty minutes of the day, and effectively never otherwise.
- Typical wait
- Routinely 30-60 minutes for a 90-second ride, with no Express or single rider option to shorten it.
- Express Pass
- Standby only
Pteranodon Flyers: common questions
Can adults ride Pteranodon Flyers?
Only as the accompanying companion of a child between 36 and 56 inches tall. Guests over 56 inches cannot ride alone or with other adults. This is enforced at the queue entrance and it is the most common source of disappointment at this attraction.
Why is the line for Pteranodon Flyers so long?
Capacity. The ride carries two people per vehicle along a slow track, which produces one of the lowest throughputs of any attraction at Universal Orlando. A 45-minute wait for a 90-second ride is the normal state of affairs rather than a bad day.
Does Express Pass work on Pteranodon Flyers?
No. It is not included in Universal Express Pass and it has no single rider line, so the posted standby wait is the only way to ride it. Going in the first half hour of the day is the only workaround.
Is it worth the wait?
Almost never. It is a pleasant ninety-second glide with a good view, and it costs the same queue time as two headliners. If the posted wait is over twenty minutes, send the child into Camp Jurassic instead - it is directly underneath, it is free, and it will hold them for an hour.