VOLCANO BAY.....INFO AND QUESTION THREAD........

[bobbie68]

Hi! Just found this thread and decided to add a day at VB to my July WDW trip. We will not have onsite EE and are coming from the west coast so early mornings are a little tricky. Would love to arrive later in the day and stay until close. My concern is, however, at what point will the big rides (family raft rides, coaster) be full for the day? How late can we arrive on what Id imagine will be a high crowd day, and still have enough hours left to fit in all the rides we would like? We are not fans of the body slides.

Is express pass available for purchase?

Thank you for any and all help!

The express pass was not available after a certain date last summer. However, I have heard rumors on another reliable forum that I am on that they are considering express pass again for VB. However, I don't know what they would do for sales. I have a feeling it would be bought that day if they sell them. I am not sure if they would sell them ahead again with all the confusion.
https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/theme-parks/volcano-bay/index.html .... This is Universal's VB page. If you scroll down you will see a 888 number to call for reservations. That was the number being used last year to reserve EP. You could check with them to see if there is an answer. I would also keep checking back frequently to that number because things can change very quickly.
We are headed back this June and I will be calling to check also. If I hear anything from Uni I will post it.

 

[bocaj1431]

Hi. Just spoke to a representative from the dept for purchasing tickets. I was told that the express pass is available now but you must purchase it at the ticket window. In addition, they could be sold out by the time you get to the window. She also mentioned that the EP is still a work in progress and it is not guaranteed that it may be available during the month you visit. So I would call before wasting time in line and make sure they are still offering EP.

I have a question about arriving early enough for the opening of park. First, if they offer early access every day to hotel guests, will that mean by the time everyone else arrives for opening it will already be really busy and we should try end of day instead. Second, if we decide to go for the opening of park, how many minutes before opening should we arrive? We will be coming during spring break so I am a really worried about lines. I have not found any info on spring break yet for this park. We have gone to BB many times in the summer and never waited longer than 45 min for a ride. I would never wait longer than 60 min for a ride so not sure if we should attempt this park. Any thoughts?

 

[AllthingsDisMom]

Thank you Schumi !

Rumors passed around about park safety by third or fourth hand peeps, just does not have merit

While this is third or fourth hand coming from me to this forum, keep in mind this is my coworker saying this to me from their family member. I don't want to believe it and we will probably go anyway, hate to say it but I trust the peeps word on this forum more LOL!

I don't believe this person has even visited the park, so I do see your point about lack of merit. I'll let you know how it goes this April, I am planning to do a TR in the Universal forum so we shall see!

 

[macraven]

presently adding info to the sticky for cabanas

 

[bobbie68]

Hi. Just spoke to a representative from the dept for purchasing tickets. I was told that the express pass is available now but you must purchase it at the ticket window. In addition, they could be sold out by the time you get to the window. She also mentioned that the EP is still a work in progress and it is not guaranteed that it may be available during the month you visit. So I would call before wasting time in line and make sure they are still offering EP.

I have a question about arriving early enough for the opening of park. First, if they offer early access every day to hotel guests, will that mean by the time everyone else arrives for opening it will already be really busy and we should try end of day instead. Second, if we decide to go for the opening of park, how many minutes before opening should we arrive? We will be coming during spring break so I am a really worried about lines. I have not found any info on spring break yet for this park. We have gone to BB many times in the summer and never waited longer than 45 min for a ride. I would never wait longer than 60 min for a ride so not sure if we should attempt this park. Any thoughts?

Thank you for the information. I figured that would be the way they would sell them again if they did. This park with the tapu tapu system is so different that they will have to probably have a low daily attendance rate to sell them. I have a feeling it will be harder in the summer to get the EP. I will look into it when I go if not I will still have a great time without it.

Hi well it opened in May last year so no spring break trial. I was there in the heart of the summer within two months of opening, it was jammed. However, I will say that I was EE by staying at Cabana Bay. When the park opened up to the general public it was busy but really no lines except for the Coaster had a 45 minute wait. Really that was more because it was broken down first thing in the morning. I am not sure how it will be in the morning on Spring Break but my opinion is it won't be that bad. Don't forget it is cooler in the morning then it was in July. In July it is very easy to go to a water park at 9:00 am. Do you have an annual pass or park to park passes? Or are you buying a one day pass?

We also were there at the after 6:00 pm and really saw the crowds starting to thin out about 7:00 with a 9:00 close time. It was very easy for us staying on-site with park to park passes to leave if it got busy then go back later in the day.

If you are going to try morning and you are not on-site I would be at the city walk parking garage and ready to be on the bus at least 45 minutes before opening if not a little more. For example last summer with a general public open time of 9:00 am people were being turned away at 7:30. It was really crazy then. I think if your talking Spring break in March (colleges) it will be less crowded. Spring Break for schools in April will be busier but not sure if you can get under the 60 minute mark.

Personally my family loves water parks and we loved VB. It was a beautiful park with really awesome rides. The tapu tapu is not all that bad especially if you are not a commando family. VB is really meant to do a park at a different pace. They went for the relaxing day. Tapu Tapu makes you slow down and not do commando. It is really a neat idea for people who want that type of experience.

Good luck

 

[closetmickey]

Is there a convenient/close drop off points for those coming from taxi and/or Uber/Lyft?

 

[bobbie68]

Is there a convenient/close drop off points for those coming from taxi and/or Uber/Lyft?

Hi there is no guest drop off for any vehicles for off-site guests. You have to take it to City Walk Parking lot and get the VB bus from there.

 

[bocaj1431]

Thank you for the information. I figured that would be the way they would sell them again if they did. This park with the tapu tapu system is so different that they will have to probably have a low daily attendance rate to sell them. I have a feeling it will be harder in the summer to get the EP. I will look into it when I go if not I will still have a great time without it.

Hi well it opened in May last year so no spring break trial. I was there in the heart of the summer within two months of opening, it was jammed. However, I will say that I was EE by staying at Cabana Bay. When the park opened up to the general public it was busy but really no lines except for the Coaster had a 45 minute wait. Really that was more because it was broken down first thing in the morning. I am not sure how it will be in the morning on Spring Break but my opinion is it won't be that bad. Don't forget it is cooler in the morning then it was in July. In July it is very easy to go to a water park at 9:00 am. Do you have an annual pass or park to park passes? Or are you buying a one day pass?

We also were there at the after 6:00 pm and really saw the crowds starting to thin out about 7:00 with a 9:00 close time. It was very easy for us staying on-site with park to park passes to leave if it got busy then go back later in the day.

If you are going to try morning and you are not on-site I would be at the city walk parking garage and ready to be on the bus at least 45 minutes before opening if not a little more. For example last summer with a general public open time of 9:00 am people were being turned away at 7:30. It was really crazy then. I think if your talking Spring break in March (colleges) it will be less crowded. Spring Break for schools in April will be busier but not sure if you can get under the 60 minute mark.

Personally my family loves water parks and we loved VB. It was a beautiful park with really awesome rides. The tapu tapu is not all that bad especially if you are not a commando family. VB is really meant to do a park at a different pace. They went for the relaxing day. Tapu Tapu makes you slow down and not do commando. It is really a neat idea for people who want that type of experience.

Good luck

Now I understand why there are no spring break reports.

Thanks for all this information it will really help us plan better. We are staying at DW and decided to try VB for one day. We love water parks too. We will be visiting B.B. the next day and TL the day after.

Good thing you mentioned the city walk parking garage. Without that, I would have forgotten how congested that whole area was and how long it took us to get to the park when we last stayed at CB. Adding time for parking means we definitely need to be there at least 60 min before opening.

We are not really the commando type family so good to know you can enjoy the park without having to rush to get to the next ride.

 

[bobbie68]

Now I understand why there are no spring break reports.

Thanks for all this information it will really help us plan better. We are staying at DW and decided to try VB for one day. We love water parks too. We will be visiting B.B. the next day and TL the day after.

Good thing you mentioned the city walk parking garage. Without that, I would have forgotten how congested that whole area was and how long it took us to get to the park when we last stayed at CB. Adding time for parking means we definitely need to be there at least 60 min before opening.

We are not really the commando type family so good to know you can enjoy the park without having to rush to get to the next ride.

Your welcome and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 

[closetmickey]

Hi there is no guest drop off for any vehicles for off-site guests. You have to take it to City Walk Parking lot and get the VB bus from there.

Good to know! What is that procedure like? How long does it take to park and ride the bus to VB?

 

[schumigirl]

Good to know! What is that procedure like? How long does it take to park and ride the bus to VB?

It doesn’t take long at all to get to VB once you’ve parked up.........a very short ride of a few minutes. Buses are regular and convenient apparently.

 

[chs27]

If you arrive

Hi. Just spoke to a representative from the dept for purchasing tickets. I was told that the express pass is available now but you must purchase it at the ticket window. In addition, they could be sold out by the time you get to the window. She also mentioned that the EP is still a work in progress and it is not guaranteed that it may be available during the month you visit. So I would call before wasting time in line and make sure they are still offering EP.

I have a question about arriving early enough for the opening of park. First, if they offer early access every day to hotel guests, will that mean by the time everyone else arrives for opening it will already be really busy and we should try end of day instead. Second, if we decide to go for the opening of park, how many minutes before opening should we arrive? We will be coming during spring break so I am a really worried about lines. I have not found any info on spring break yet for this park. We have gone to BB many times in the summer and never waited longer than 45 min for a ride. I would never wait longer than 60 min for a ride so not sure if we should attempt this park. Any thoughts?

If you arrive thirty minutes before park opening, you'll do great, if staying onsite. That can be extremely early if they expect heavy crowds. That first hour you can ride everything with no wait at all. As soon as others can join you , the park will be packed. That is a great time to enjoy the rivers and wave pool. Try going back late in the evening also.

 

[bocaj1431]

If you arrive

If you arrive thirty minutes before park opening, you'll do great, if staying onsite. That can be extremely early if they expect heavy crowds. That first hour you can ride everything with no wait at all. As soon as others can join you , the park will be packed. That is a great time to enjoy the rivers and wave pool. Try going back late in the evening also.

Is this advice for those staying onsite? We are staying at DW so we are unable to do the early opening offered for hotel guests.

I just found out they have Early MH every day at VB for hotel guests. So now my ? is, if the park opens at 8 am for hotel guests and then 9 am for everyone else, when should I arrive for the line to get in at 9? It will be spring break so I am expecting high crowd levels. Do I get there at 8:15 and wait in line until they open for everyone else, or even earlier?

I recently watched videos of VB during high crowd level and the waits were 100 to 200 min for the most popular rides. Also, the lazy river entrances were fully packed with large groups of people waiting. And the wave pool was ridiculous. I have never at either of DW water parks in the summer seen crowds like that in the wave pool. So now I really want to make sure I am there in the front of the line for opening to public.

What time do you think makes sense?

 

[chs27]

Is this advice for those staying onsite? We are staying at DW so we are unable to do the early opening offered for hotel guests.

I just found out they have Early MH every day at VB for hotel guests. So now my ? is, if the park opens at 8 am for hotel guests and then 9 am for everyone else, when should I arrive for the line to get in at 9? It will be spring break so I am expecting high crowd levels. Do I get there at 8:15 and wait in line until they open for everyone else, or even earlier?

I recently watched videos of VB during high crowd level and the waits were 100 to 200 min for the most popular rides. Also, the lazy river entrances were fully packed with large groups of people waiting. And the wave pool was ridiculous. I have never at either of DW water parks in the summer seen crowds like that in the wave pool. So now I really want to make sure I am there in the front of the line for opening to public.

What time do you think makes sense?

If you're not staying onsite, it will definitely be busy. Maybe try the suggestion of late touring instead of early. When I visited in October, lines were long right after the public opening. People have reported good luck with that strategy.

 

[bocaj1431]

Coming later in the day might be the best option given that they have EMH every day.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

I'm not sure if this is as much of a question but more looking for some planning feedback...

We're staying on-site from 4/13-16/18 with 4 day, 3 park to park tickets. The Friday and Monday will most likely be half days so we'll probably stick to the other parks then, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to fully enjoy Volcano Bay on our two full days.

Does it make sense for one day to do a morning (Early Park Admission) into the afternoon at VB, then hit one of the other parks in the evening, then do the opposite on the other day? We definitely want to do Early Park Admission to HP on one of the mornings.

VB looks really amazing and we love water parks, so I want to make sure I'm allotting enough time to really enjoy it - I'm not sure if one or two afternoons would be enough!

Also, I thought I saw a map of VB and the cabanas on this thread, but I can't seem to find it? Can't seem to find one on the Universal website...

Any feedback appreciated - Thanks!

 

[bobbie68]

Hi we did VB two days last July and it was busy. We loved it and we love water parks. We did do both days on Early Entry and stayed through the day. I think you have a good plan. It is nice to do Early Entry and spend the morning till early afternoon then go to another park later in the day. From my observation the evening about two hours before the park closes it really gets less crowded. I don't know what VB has for hours when you are there. In the summer it was closing at 9:00. It is a beautiful park at night so I think going later on the other day and staying till close will work. I would say you need at least two half days to see and do what you want. Doing it that way will give you some less crowded time. You will run into some crowds probably early afternoon and late afternoon for a bit. I will tell you if there is storms later in the day. People leave and don't come back. One day this happened and the park was empty for hours.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/map-of-volcano-bay-cabanas.3607449/#post-57670546 This is a thread that was used before and I believe it will have what you are looking for.

Happy Planning!

 

[bobbie68]

I'm not sure if this is as much of a question but more looking for some planning feedback...

We're staying on-site from 4/13-16/18 with 4 day, 3 park to park tickets. The Friday and Monday will most likely be half days so we'll probably stick to the other parks then, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to fully enjoy Volcano Bay on our two full days.

Does it make sense for one day to do a morning (Early Park Admission) into the afternoon at VB, then hit one of the other parks in the evening, then do the opposite on the other day? We definitely want to do Early Park Admission to HP on one of the mornings.

VB looks really amazing and we love water parks, so I want to make sure I'm allotting enough time to really enjoy it - I'm not sure if one or two afternoons would be enough!

Also, I thought I saw a map of VB and the cabanas on this thread, but I can't seem to find it? Can't seem to find one on the Universal website...

Any feedback appreciated - Thanks!

Sorry I forgot to quote you above with my post.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Hi we did VB two days last July and it was busy. We loved it and we love water parks. We did do both days on Early Entry and stayed through the day. I think you have a good plan. It is nice to do Early Entry and spend the morning till early afternoon then go to another park later in the day. From my observation the evening about two hours before the park closes it really gets less crowded. I don't know what VB has for hours when you are there. In the summer it was closing at 9:00. It is a beautiful park at night so I think going later on the other day and staying till close will work. I would say you need at least two half days to see and do what you want. Doing it that way will give you some less crowded time. You will run into some crowds probably early afternoon and late afternoon for a bit. I will tell you if there is storms later in the day. People leave and don't come back. One day this happened and the park was empty for hours.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/map-of-volcano-bay-cabanas.3607449/#post-57670546 This is a thread that was used before and I believe it will have what you are looking for.

Happy Planning!

Thanks for the tips! And thanks for the link! I've been googling some maps but I will read through that thread. I just looked up the hours during our trip and it looks like 10am - 7 or 8pm on the Saturday. I think the nighttime would be a completely different experience with the lights and everything - as long as it's warm enough and I think it should be! In any case, I definitely want to devote to larger chunks of time to VB...

I'm thinking about doing that Premium Seating, so I may call Universal tomorrow to see what the pricing is in April. If anyone has any suggestions about good locations, I'd love to hear it! My kids are 13 and 11 if that makes a difference.

Thanks again!

 

[Ormonster]

I'm going to be visiting Universal in April for a solo trip. I'm going to be there 3 days and was wondering if Volcano Bay was worth it for a solo traveller. Any tips for vising alone? Thanks!