We had the privilege of attending the opening of Universal’s newest theme park, Volcano Bay, last week. Touted as a “water theme park” instead of just a water park, they sought to make a water park as thrilling as their theme parks. And they absolutely have!
Here’s the story of Universal’s newest park: Volcano Bay is a tropical paradise formed by myth and discovered by legend. It was discovered by the Waturi islanders with the help of a mystical fish who was destined to guide them to a new home.
We can honestly say that this park is one of the best water parks in the U.S., and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the unique rides and fun thrills it has to offer.
One of the park’s most alluring features is that you don’t have to actually wait in line for the rides. Using a device you wear on your wrist called the TapuTapu, you can save your place and do other things until it’s time for you to ride. It’s similar to Disneyland’s Fast Pass system, but better, since this is the only way to ride all of the rides.
Volcano Bay is the first theme park to run entirely off a virtual line system for all of their attractions. You’re free to roam around the park after you get in the virtual queue, and your TapuTapu notifies you when it’s time to ride.
The only experience I was able to get using the TapuTapus was with the lockers since media day wasn’t really packed with guests. From what I did experience, I loved how easy it was! You simply tap your wearable to rent a locker and you’re given the same locker all day.
So what did we think of the park itself? Check out our review below!
Universal’s Volcano Bay Review
When you walk in to Volcano Bay for the first time it’s really quite something, and just like walking into any other Universal theme park, it’s picturesque from the first step.
After you walk past the entrance and down a winding road, the Volcano and Waturi Beach lay straight ahead, with chairs on fine white sand waiting for you to set your stuff down and explore!
My friends and I were able to experience all the biggest attractions except for the Lazy River and a couple of the smaller rides. These attractions were still under construction, but everything we did ride was so fun.
One of the best rides was the Puhi Raft slide, above. It’s one of several raft slides that the park has, and honestly way more frightening than the first raft slide we rode, Honu Ika Moana, which was touted as the more intense raft slide.
And raft slides are only part of what Volcano Bay has to offer! This water theme park offers 18 attractions, and while you wait in the virtual lines to ride them, there are interactive water guns and other fun parts of the island to play with.
These attractions vary greatly from pretty standard tube rafts to their most intense drop slide, the Ko’okiri body plunge, which is a straight 70 degree fall straight down into the pools below the top of the Volcano, the park’s center attraction.
If you get all the way to the top of the volcano but realize you don’t want to take the 70 degree plunge down you have two more options to keep the adventure seeker in you satisfied.
On the same loading area as the Ko’okiri are two other drop slides, the Kala and Tai Nui. The Kala is a green drop slide that takes you through intense twists, turns and drops through the mountain and drops you off right at the bottom.
Arguably more scary than the 70 degree plunge, if the green Kala slide isn’t your thing then you have to try the blue Tai Nui, which is the gentlest of the Volano’s drop slides.
After you plunge down the middle of the Volcano, there’s nothing like going to Waturi Beach for their wave pool experience, which is one of the most fun theme wave pools I’ve ever been in.
The wave pool is a perfect place for you to get a photoshoot of your friends. No matter what angle you get you’ll get an amazing beach on one side or the immense volcano and water falls on the other.
And it’s actually really challenging trying to get under those water falls. Well, it was for this 5’1″ novice swimmer — you taller people will probably have more luck!
Everything about Volcano Bay is authentic, and it’s very clear that Universal spent a lot of time ensuring that authenticity is felt everywhere.
Universal went to the South Pacific for inspiration and they didn’t just end relations after seeing what they needed to see. For opening day they brought in performers from New Zealand so guests could see what kind of cultures they were going to be surrounded by that day.
The deep level of theming across Volcano Bay makes the park a world of its own, and I believe it’s one of the best (if not the best) water park in the U.S.
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