My family loves a good waterpark and the tropical-themed Volcano Bay, Universal Orlando Resort’s epic water park, is my favorite. It’s beautifully landscaped with plenty of shade from the harsh Florida sun. And it’s equal parts thrilling and relaxing — all the things you want a water park to be.
Here are all the Volcano Bay tips you need to know before you go.
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Volcano Bay Tips: Before You Go
Volcano Bay opening hours vary by month. Check before you go. Volcano Bay is a very popular attraction. Purchasing your ticket and planning your day isn’t going to do you much good if you can’t get into the park because it is already at capacity.
Even if you have tickets in hand, be forewarned: Volcano Bay is a popular spot and often reaches capacity by mid-morning. You can call Universal Orlando Resort’s capacity hotline at 407-817-8317 for the latest updates. The resort also posts updates on social media.
1. Arrive Early
Staying at a Universal Resort hotel is the easy way to ensure you’ll get into the water park even on the busiest days. You’ll get early access and can enter the park an hour before it opens to the public. You can get into the park, choose your lounge chairs and ride some of the popular water slides before the park officially opens.
Even better, if you stay at the Loews Sapphire Falls, Cabana Bay, or Aventura hotels, it’s a quick walk to the water park, which means you don’t have to waste precious water time on transportation or parking. Plus, you get a dedicated security line, where there is rarely a wait — unlike the main entrance.
If you aren’t staying in a Universal hotel, plan to arrive as early as you can.
2. Set Up Cashless Payment
You’ll need to download the Universal Orlando App and connect your credit card. Once you’ve done that, you won’t have to worry about cash or credit cards. You can use your TapuTapu wearable wristband (more about that in a minute) to pay for food and drinks, merchandise in the park, locker and towel rental and more.
This is super easy to set up. I loved not having to worry about keeping track of cash or credit cards as I was riding the water slides and jumping in the wave pool. The last place you want to lose your credit card is in a moving body of water. And if it’s safely locked away in a locker, it doesn’t do you any good when you want to buy something!
3. Reserve Seating in Advance
There is plenty of seating at Volcano Bay but a lot of it is in the full sun. If you’re interested in reserving premium seating or a cabana (a big splurge but so comfy!), contact the park as early as you can.
Premium seating is a lounge chair with a canopy and an attached safe so you can keep your valuables close. A cabana is much more luxurious and private and comes with a ton of amenities, including some snacks and your own personal server.
You can inquire about seating availability at one of the concierge huts on the day of your visit. You might get lucky. But, if you want a guaranteed shady spot, reserve before you go.
4. Get Seats and Lockers Early
If you’re not planning to pay for premium/reserved seating, get your lockers and stake out your seats as soon as you arrive.
Do not pass go. Do not stop to look at all the things. Everything will be there after you get a locker and find a place to sit. But maybe not vice-versa.
5. Research
You will have fun at Volcano Bay, no matter what. It’s that kind of place. But your visit will be so much more awesome if you take a little time to do some research beforehand.
Scope out the height requirements, menus and, most of all, read up on how TapuTapu works.
Tapu Tapu is Volcano Bay’s wearable wristband that acts as your locker key, your cash and holds your place in line. Yes, really!
6. One of the Most Important Volcano Bay Tips: Make a Plan for Riding and Sliding
Use the Universal Orlando Resort app to familiarize yourself with the lay of the land before you visit. Decide if your family is going to stay together as a group or if you’re going to split up. If you split up, be sure to set expectations for regular check-ins. Volcano Bay is a big place and there are no sightlines that will allow you to keep an eye on everyone from the comfort of your sun lounger.
Pick your must-dos rides before you even enter the park and ride those first thing in the morning before the crowds get too big. The Krakatau Aqua Coaster is the most popular ride, so if that appeals to you, you’ll want to ride that first.
7. Make the Most of the Virtual Queue
The virtual lines might be my favorite thing about Volcano Bay. You can reserve your place in a virtual line – just tap in with your TapuTapu and your wearable wristband will display the estimated wait time. Relax in your lounger, get in line for attractions that don’t have a wait time, float down the winding river or cool off in one of the pools while you wait to be notified that’s it your turn to ride. Y
We rode our must-dos first and worked our way through all the rides our kids were tall enough to ride. After that, we re-rode our favorites. By lunchtime, the Krakatau Water Coaster had a three-hour wait. Yikes, right? We tapped in for that, had a leisurely lunch and a rest while we waited in the virtual line.
Read More: Why you should (almost) never buy a Universal Studios Express Pass online
8. Don’t Forget to Pack Essentials
Make sure you have plenty of sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, water shoes and a waterproof case for your phone. If you forget something, you can purchase it in the park … at theme park prices, of course.
Volcano Bay charges a towel fee, so bring your own if you can. If you’re staying at one of the Universal Orlando Resort hotels, you’re not supposed to take your hotel pool towels to Volcano Bay (although a pool attendant at Sapphire Falls was surprised to learn that and said guests often take hotel towels to the water park).
9. Volcano Bay Tip: Don’t Let the Rain Drive You Away
If it starts raining, don’t immediately scurry for the exit. It rains almost daily in central Florida, especially in summer. Try to wait it out. If you leave, you’re not guaranteed to get back in.
Remember the capacity limits we talked about earlier. There’s no “save my place in line” for someone who leaves and comes back the same day. Your ticket will permit it, but park capacity may not.
10. Stay Late
Volcano Bay after dark is pretty neat. The volcano, Krakatau Mountain lights up and changes colors. This is definitely worth sticking around for if you have the energy.
Taking Younger Kids to Volcano Bay?
If your kids are at least 48 inches, they can enjoy all the attractions at Volcano Bay. Kids who are at least 42 inches can enjoy most of the attractions. Other than the designated areas that cater to little kids and the Kopiko Wai Winding River (lazy river) you have to be at least 42 inches to participate.
If you’ve got little kids in your group, Volcano Bay hasn’t forgotten about you. Runamukka Reef is for guests under 54 inches only and Tot Tikki Reef (don’t you just love these names?) is for guests under 48 inches only. These two areas allow your smaller kids to play and have an awesome water park experience without getting too close to older, bigger kids whose splashing might be too rough or intense. They even have slides that are just the right size for littles.
Also, guests under 48 inches must wear a life jacket (available for free at various locations in the park) and/or be accompanied by an adult on various attractions. You can see the breakdown here. Even if you are confident in your child’s ability to swim, the life jacket rules are based on weight and are strictly enforced by the lifeguards.
If you have a mix of big kids and little kids, Volcano Bay has something for everyone. However, if your kids are all younger or all under 42 inches, you might consider saving this water park until they are older. If you move forward with plans to go, think about what ride swapping strategies you might employ. The Tapu apu system helps keep your wait in a physical line to a minimum.
You’ll have fun no matter what but this isn’t an inexpensive water park and to pay the admission fee and not be able to take full advantage of all of the slides and thrills may not make sense for you.
You also may want to consider wearing your little one’s TapuTapu wristband. If you let your child wear their own, make sure you check frequently to make sure they still have it. If you do lose a wristband, head to Guest Services for a replacement. And don’t worry, if someone picks up the lost wristband, they won’t be able to make purchases with the linked card unless they also know your PIN.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the best time to visit Volcano Bay?
A: It’s best to visit on a weekday, as weekends tend to be busier. Also, try to arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds.
Q: Is there a height requirement for the rides?
A: Yes, there are height requirements for some of the rides. You can check the requirements on the Volcano Bay website before your visit.
Q: Can I bring my own food and drinks into the park?
A: You can bring a refillable water bottle and small snacks that fit in your backpacks. But coolers are not allowed, nor is food in glass containers.
Q: Are there lockers available for rent?
A: Yes, there are lockers available for rent at various locations throughout the park. Prices range from $10-$15 depending on the size of the locker.
Q: What should I bring with me to the park?
A: Be sure to bring sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun. You may also want to bring a change of clothes and a towel.
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