Volcano Bay

[DLgal]

Does anyone else think the food is a bit TOO exotic? I haven't seen any plain foods on the menus that my kids would eat. Do they have just plain hamburgers, chicken tenders, etc? I mean, I appreciate the variety, but it's not really the kind of stuff even I would want to eat in a bathing suit at a water park...

 

[Delano Fiedler]

Does anyone else think the food is a bit TOO exotic? I haven't seen any plain foods on the menus that my kids would eat. Do they have just plain hamburgers, chicken tenders, etc? I mean, I appreciate the variety, but it's not really the kind of stuff even I would want to eat in a bathing suit at a water park...

I think this would fit your needs, its the menu from "Bambu", imo the best looking food so far for Volcano Bay.

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/dining/bambu/menu.html

 

[Liljo22]

I was interested to see how the virtual line system would go but so far not so good. Reports are that guests are complaining that they have to tap and find something to do across the park to wait for their time since all the slides use this system and you can only have one at a time(plus the water coaster). They go back and then have to wait in a 30 minute line to ride.

Listen. No lines sounds like a great idea but I am not sure if its functional. You need lines sometimes to keep people busy. How many times can you go back to the wave pool waiting on your magicband to ring so you can run back to the ride.

 

[Liljo22]

Sorry. Tapu Tapu band.

 

[FredFamm]

I'm wondering how the Express Passes are working out today also. On the fence about getting them for our trip. Was waiting to see how well TapuTapu worked out, but so far doesn't seem good :/

 

[amdrummer90]

So, here's my concerns with Volcano Bay. Universal is billing this as a third theme park. I think it falls short on that front. It's a well themed water park, but it does not live up to any of Disney's or Universal's true theme parks because at the end of the day - these are all slides with exposed tubes, no particular theming within the "rides". These are also slides that don't seem particularly unique; I've seen various types of these slides at waterparks across the country. So, let's call a spade a spade. Water park - not Universal's "third gate". Wet & Wild 2.0 at best.

This concerns me because there are some great components that make Volcano Bay unique, and had Universal implemented them in a true third gate, I think Disney would've needed another response. At any point in this great Universal vs. Disney battle, if Comcast stops throwing money at this, Disney gets to put things back in cruise control. And these past few years, of Universal forcing Disney's hand to actually add and update their parks has been great. I don't want to see it stop. But Universal has another potential flop on their hands right on the heels of Jimmy Fallon being Universal-ly hated.

 

[Liljo22]

I'm wondering how the Express Passes are working out today also. On the fence about getting them for our trip. Was waiting to see how well TapuTapu worked out, but so far doesn't seem good :/

I will say that its the first day with no soft opening to test it out so I could still work out. Plus reports are the water coaster was down most of the morning and several other slides have been down so that may put more pressure on the system.

I would also like to know how the system works. If you scan in one of the popular rides that might have an hour wait, can you not ride something that is less of a wait. They say that you can only hold one wait time at a time plus the water coaster.

 

[wareagle57]

I will say that its the first day with no soft opening to test it out so I could still work out. Plus reports are the water coaster was down most of the morning and several other slides have been down so that may put more pressure on the system.

I would also like to know how the system works. If you scan in one of the popular rides that might have an hour wait, can you not ride something that is less of a wait. They say that you can only hold one wait time at a time plus the water coaster.

I'm assuming you can't not wait in a line for anything you don't have a Tapu reservation for, which to me is the flaw of the system. They need standby for all/most of the rides. I went to White Water last year and for the first time in my life I sprang the extra money for a pay for FP service. Basically just a virtual line holder like this, but we could go ride the lesser slides or wait in one of the other longer lines so we were waiting for 2 "e tickets" at once. Having to tap and go back to the wave pool or the lazy river is no good. You need to be able to do something else.

 

[FredFamm]

Having to tap and go back to the wave pool or the lazy river is no good. You need to be able to do something else.

If you have a cabana, supposedly you can modify and book your place in line for the TapuTapu system from the iPad (or something like one) in the cabana, rather than going to the actual slide itself...

I'm guessing once people leave the park tonight, there will be alot more reviews coming in.

 

[umichigan10]

I'm not surprised there's some kinks going on that's what happen with new parks. Be curious to see how everything (especially the virtual line system) plays out in the coming weeks

 

[soniam]

I think Tapu Tapu is having problems due to attraction malfunctions and delays. At least that's what I have been reading. Also, there is going to some learning on how often universal can allow booking. This may take a while due to crowds and malfunctions.

I'll try to report back tomorrow if no one does first. We have express pass, but I don't want to get it every trip.

 

[FredFamm]

I'll try to report back tomorrow if no one does first. We have express pass, but I don't want to get it every trip.

So how well did the Express Passes work? Any issues there?

 

[publix subs]

spent the day at VB today. the fact that you can only book 1 ride at a time and all rides don't allow standby lines is really really stupid. i got there at 10:30 and rode 2 rides in 6 hours. the tiles on the walls in the pools and lazy river are falling off and i kept stepping on them also.

 

[DLgal]

So how well did the Express Passes work? Any issues there?

I have heard the EP means long waits as well. Average 45 min per slide.

Shame on Universal for rushing this opening. This place probably needed another month of construction work and ride testing.

 

[publix subs]

many many many people requesting refunds upon exiting

 

[rteetz]

many many many people requesting refunds upon exiting

Yeah I've heard the virtual queue thing is not working so well.

 

[publix subs]

Yeah I've heard the virtual queue thing is not working so well.

not at all. my return times hovered at 200+ minutes for 2 hours. at that point we decided to leave. i really don't understand the logic of not allowing standby lines. you're basically stuck trying to pass, at times, 5+ hours to ride a slide without being able to ride anything else, sans wave pool and lazy river.

 

[umichigan10]

My prediction is they'll nix the no line thing for all but the top rides. Only thing that makes sense

 

[James14]

They should stick to the tried and tested method of queuing up for all attractions.

A very similar virtual queuing system was trialed at Thorpe Park here in the UK. The only time it worked was on quiet days when it wasn't really necessary anyway. The system was eventually ditched entirely.

 

[maverik85]

i think having a standby line in addition to the Tapu Tapu line would kind of negate the whole point. It would drive up the wait time a ton as you'd be splitting it between two lines now. I don't think it's unfair or stupid to not be able to jump in another line and it's not taking away from what you can do any as compared to jsut having a standby line. Might not be as much to do but you can at least relax, grab food, go in lazy river or wave pool while waiting the 2 hours versus jsut stainding in a line for 2 hours. It'd be the same wait either way so not cutting into what you can do at all by not having a standby line. If anything having those woudl make the reserved lines all even longer as still get as many people queueing but now having to wait for them to load some standby folks. And the standby lines would probably all be extremely long if they jsut focused on teh reserved lines, even if the number of people in that line was low.