Volcano Bay advice

[devjam]

Advice needed for making the best of VB... We are going in mid July. Two kids 12 and 14. We've been to Universal a couple times but not VB. DH may go on a few slides but doesn't want to ride all day. May sit or go in lazy river while kids ride. Many questions...

What's a cabana like? Is it worth it? Or should we just do the preferred seating for the 4 of us at the cheaper price? If cabana, any recommendations on location? Do you have to reserve these ahead or can we risk waiting until that day (since we're not sure which day we're going)? Do they sell out in July? Or do we go with EE and finding chairs (we never manage to get there early enough for that no matter how hard we try).

Is EP worth it? Sounds expensive for only once per ride. We have EPs for US/IOA and wouldn't do it any other way, but VB's EP and virtual lines makes it seem like a whole different animal. How do you make the most of the virtual lines if you don't have EP at this busy time? Any way to see wait times without tapping your band? Are there any tips/tricks for the virtual lines?

How long to get to VB from Portofino? Is it better to take advantage of EE and stay all day, or to go later in the afternoon for the (I'm guessing...) lower crowds? We're there multiple days, so does it make sense to go one full day (maybe w/ cabana) or to go a few late afternoons after morning in US/IOA? Going to US/IOA from Portofino is so easy. We haven't done VB yet. Is it more complicated of a commute and not as easy the other parks?

Thanks for any VB advice you can give.

 

[pattyw]

What's a cabana like? Is it worth it?

The two times we've been to VB we've rented a cabana. I've reserved them in advance over the phone. You need to pay when reserved. I wouldn't wait until arriving there- they do get booked up. The location we prefer is Wave village- it's near the pool area. We've had one floor away from the edge near I-4. I liked that area. Yes- they are pricey- but you get a nice shaded private area with a server who will bring food and drink orders. You also get your own kiosk to reserve your rides. Otherwise, you have to walk over to each ride to reserve a time.

Also, if you get afternoon storms, you are under cover and can relax and wait it out. We had lunch and a little nap during the rain. Others were running for cover and leaving!

You're at PB so you walk out to the bus area and catch a bus to VB. We've stayed at HRH and we waited about 10 minutes for a bus then it's a short ride to VB.

It's a fabulous park!

 

[soniam]

The buses to VB are super easy and very frequent. I have not done the new EP yet or know what crowds have been like this summer. Look at the last few pages of the following thread. Some people have posted with recent info.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/volcano-bay-info-and-question-thread.3608057/page-40

 

[DrummerBoy523]

Advice needed for making the best of VB... We are going in mid July. Two kids 12 and 14. We've been to Universal a couple times but not VB. DH may go on a few slides but doesn't want to ride all day. May sit or go in lazy river while kids ride. Many questions...

What's a cabana like? Is it worth it? Or should we just do the preferred seating for the 4 of us at the cheaper price? If cabana, any recommendations on location? Do you have to reserve these ahead or can we risk waiting until that day (since we're not sure which day we're going)? Do they sell out in July? Or do we go with EE and finding chairs (we never manage to get there early enough for that no matter how hard we try).

We just got back. We stayed on site and got early admission at 7:30. Didn't need preferred seating or a cabana. We went back to the back left of the volcano and found covered seating just past the drop slides. FYI, all preferred seating was sold out through mid July they told me.

Is EP worth it? Sounds expensive for only once per ride. We have EPs for US/IOA and wouldn't do it any other way, but VB's EP and virtual lines makes it seem like a whole different animal. How do you make the most of the virtual lines if you don't have EP at this busy time? Any way to see wait times without tapping your band? Are there any tips/tricks for the virtual lines?

You can't wait in line at VB. There are boards to tell you wait times. You have to just find stuff to do while you are waiting. A terrible system IYAM. We spent a lot of time on the "fearless" river (the crazier lazy river). Get there early -once 9am hit, the wait times got to over 60 mins very quickly.

How long to get to VB from Portofino? Is it better to take advantage of EE and stay all day, or to go later in the afternoon for the (I'm guessing...) lower crowds? We're there multiple days, so does it make sense to go one full day (maybe w/ cabana) or to go a few late afternoons after morning in US/IOA? Going to US/IOA from Portofino is so easy. We haven't done VB yet. Is it more complicated of a commute and not as easy the other parks?

Thanks for any VB advice you can give.

Get there early - do everything you can before 9:30 and then pick a ride or two to queue up. You don't need a cabana. The busses are easy peasy getting from your resort over to VB. Have fun.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

You can do an early morning and another late afternoon / evening. Crowds thin out after midday (not sure if this works if park is at capacity - do they start letting people in again once crowds die down?).

I don't get why people can't figure out the virtual line concept. Understand you are effectively "standing" in line either way... but would you rather be standing on stairs in the sun for that 60 min wait, or be eating a snack, in the lazy river, at the beach, etc. during that 60min wait? Imagine going to IOA and getting a virtual line pass to come back to Hulk in 60min (rather than wasting time in line) - you could go hang out in the rest of the park, enjoy a snack and the scenery, wander through stores, and come back in 60min. So it makes no sense to say "why can't I get in line anyway?" - don't you think the other 100 people in (virtual) line ahead of you would just start climbing the stairs also if they could? The idea is that YOU ARE IN LINE, but the wait is so much more pleasant.

 

[DrummerBoy523]

You can do an early morning and another late afternoon / evening. Crowds thin out after midday (not sure if this works if park is at capacity - do they start letting people in again once crowds die down?).

I don't get why people can't figure out the virtual line concept. Understand you are effectively "standing" in line either way... but would you rather be standing on stairs in the sun for that 60 min wait, or be eating a snack, in the lazy river, at the beach, etc. during that 60min wait? Imagine going to IOA and getting a virtual line pass to come back to Hulk in 60min (rather than wasting time in line) - you could go hang out in the rest of the park, enjoy a snack and the scenery, wander through stores, and come back in 60min. So it makes no sense to say "why can't I get in line anyway?" - don't you think the other 100 people in (virtual) line ahead of you would just start climbing the stairs also if they could? The idea is that YOU ARE IN LINE, but the wait is so much more pleasant.

I understnad the concept. I just don't like it. I'd prefer to be waiting in line for another ride at the same time so that I can do two in 2 hours instead of sitting around "eating a snack, in the lazy river, etc".

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Unless they changed it, you can be in line for any "ride now" slides while virtually waiting on another. But being in another line with a wait would effectively be cutting in front of those virtually waiting for their return times.

I'm sure they wouldn't object to you twiddling your thumbs near the entrance to fully experience the waiting in line sensation. That's your prerogative.

 

[123SA]

I understand the concept as well...it's just that the wait times in my one experience at the park were outrageous. After 9:30 am, there were no ride now options. The shortest wait was close to 3 hours. The wave pool and rivers were clogged. It was simply overcrowded. The fact that the kids didn't have to stand on the steps didn't make the prospect of 3 hours of boredom in hot & crowded conditions any better. The wait times were so long with so little to do in between we ended up leaving before 11am. The virtual line really doesn't meet my expectations. When your virtual wait is up, you get in an actual line that is by no means short.

Now, my one experience was last August. I understand that things are more smoothly run now. We did buy the express pass for 7/31 and we will do the early entry as well. I'm having buyers remorse about the express pass now though. I suspect that even with the express pass, there will be hours of standing in line. I kind of wish I just stuck with my original plan of early entry, one Tapu ride, a spin in the fearless river and then leave.