When planning a trip to go to the various theme parks in Orlando, Florida many people want to know if spending a day at Universal Volcano Bay is actually worth it or not.
The answer really depends on how much time you have to spend there. If you plan on getting park hopper passes that allow you to go to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure as well you will need to plan to have at least one full day to experience Volcano Bay properly.
If you’re thinking about spending half a day at Volcano Bay you should probably think again. You won’t have time to ride very many slides and it simply won’t be worth the hassle. You would be better off just sticking with Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
The best way to experience Volcano Bay is to plan on spending one full day there. More than one day is probably too much, and your time would be better spent at the other theme parks.
What’s So Great About Volcano Bay?
The giant volcano for starters! Volcano Bay features a humongous volcano called Krakatau. It towers over everything at 200 feet tall with magnificent waterfalls, geysers, and over 20 water slides. It even has fiery eruptions at nighttime.
There is also a winding river, a wave pool, a large section for smaller children, and much more. Volcano Bay has an assortment of waterslides and drop capsule slides ranging from mild to intense.
The Ko0okiri Body Plunge is the tallest body slide in the United States at an incredible 125 feet tall!
What To Expect at Volcano Bay
You can expect long lines and lots of water. The cool thing about Volcano Bay is that you can do pretty much everything if you are smart and plan your day in advance.
When you arrive you will be given a wearable device called a TapuTapu. You wear it on your wrist like a watch. You can scan your TapuTapu at various kiosks to hold your place in line.
The catch is that you can only schedule one slide at a time. In the meantime, you can go exploring, check out the winding river, or visit the wave pool. There are lots of lockers to rent which come in very handy.
Volcano Bay is made up of four themed sections inspired by Polynesian cultures. Each area has its own unique design as well as unique food and rides.
– Rainforest Village
– River Village
– Wave Village
– The Volcano
The best thing to do is scope out each area, and then decide which slides you want to ride the most. Start with the best one and use your TapuTapu to hold your place in line. Then visit lesser slides with shorter wait times or hang out in the winding river until the time for your desired slide comes around.
If thrill rides aren’t your thing you can still have a good time at Volcano Bay. The park has a variety of relaxing experiences including Kopiko Wai Winding River, Waturi Beach, and several raft rides.
What Are the Best Slides at Volcano Bay?
- The Ko’okiri Body Plunge (the tallest capsule slide in North America at 125 feet)
- The Kala and the The Tai Serpentine Body Slides
- The Krakatau Aqua Coaster (not technically a slide but probably the best over-all attraction)
- Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides
- Punga Racers
- Moana of the Honu
- Honu of the Honu
- The Reef
- Runamukka Reef and Tot Tiki Reef
Should You Go to Volcano Bay?
The answer to that question depends on your specific circumstances. Below are some scenarios and answers that hopefully will be helpful for you to make your decision.
If you have less than one day to spend – NO.
If your choice is between Volcano Bay and either of Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure – NO.
If you are planning to hop from park to park – NO.
If you are thinking of going in the colder months – NO.
If you have an extra day and want a change of pace from the other theme parks – YES.
If you like water parks more than simulator rides and rollercoasters – YES.
If you are going in the hot Summer months – YES.
If you will be staying at Universal more than two days – YES.
Other Water Parks in Orlando
There are several other water parks in the Orlando area. None of them have an extremely cool 200 feet volcano, but many of them offer a lot of fun activities. The ones on my “highly recommended list” are Aquatica Orlando, Discovery Cove, Blizzard Beach, Legoland Water Park, and Island H20 Live.
Aquatica Orlando is SeaWorld’s water park. USA Today ranked it the #1 outdoor water park. Aquatica has lots of slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, and a large children’s play area. It is a unique water park with a South Pacific theme. Some of its tube capsule slides are pretty awesome.
I’m cheating a bit with Discovery Cove. It’s not actually a water park, but I included it because you get to get wet. It’s an all-inclusive day resort that allows you to swim with dolphins, rays, sharks, and other marine animals.
As you might of guessed by the name, Blizzard Beach is a Winter themed water park at Disney World. It has a really cool ski resort themed swimming pool, a bobsled ride, a chairlift that takes riders to the top of its mountain, and other neat things like that. Since I mentioned Disney World, Typhoon Lagoon is another water park at Disney World that has water coasters, a play area, a lazy river, and a surf pool.
Legoland Water Park is located at Legoland of course. It has a variety of water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, etc. But the coolest thing about Legoland Water Park is that you can build your own rafts to float around on.
Island H20 Live! is located near Margaritaville Resort Orlando. It has water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and a cool surf simulator. Island H20 Live uses RFID wristbands so you can track wait times, somewhat similar to the TapuTapus Volcano Bay provides.
How Does Volcano Bay Compare to the Other Water Parks?
Volcano Bay has more unique attractions than any of the water parks I mentioned above. It also looks cooler than the others and has a wow factor to it.
Add that to the convenience of using the TapuTapu bracelets to schedule your ride times, and you get a superior water park. So all things considered, I think Volcano Bay is better than all the other water parks in Orlando.
