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

[DVCkidsMOM]

I would like to hear from anyone who goes to Volcano Bay this weekend or other "cold" days. How heated is the water? Any great ideas on staying warm between slides if it's cold out?
We have a winter trip planned but would love to enjoy VB. If it's warm, no problem. If my family goes when it's colder out, I could see us only riding one or two slides than leaving due to the chill factor associated with being wet when it's 70 and below. I'm really hoping that the water is so lovely warm that it's worth it especially with Tapu-tapu that allows us to huddle under a towel until time to ride. I sure would love some been-there/done-that input. TIA

 

[agame2323]

I would like to hear from anyone who goes to Volcano Bay this weekend or other "cold" days. How heated is the water? Any great ideas on staying warm between slides if it's cold out?
We have a winter trip planned but would love to enjoy VB. If it's warm, no problem. If my family goes when it's colder out, I could see us only riding one or two slides than leaving due to the chill factor associated with being wet when it's 70 and below. I'm really hoping that the water is so lovely warm that it's worth it especially with Tapu-tapu that allows us to huddle under a towel until time to ride. I sure would love some been-there/done-that input. TIA

I too would like to know the answer to this question. I'll be there next week.

We were there in October and it wasn't too bad. There were moments when the chill became too much but we just found some sun and baked a little. Water temp was perfect.

 

[katie111]

We were there yesterday morning. Temp was about 65 and cloudy when we got there. The water was nice and warm. We were a little chilly walking around but it really wan't bad. The best thing was that there was no one there. We had early entry with CB and even when the park opened at 10 it was still empty. We left around 11:30 when the sun was coming out and there were still very few people coming in. We hit just about all the slides and the lazy river in that time.

My brother works in corporate at Universal. He said they just made a policy that if the high temp is not predicted to go over either 60 or 65 (I forget which one) they are not going to open VB for the day.

I just checked and it looks like it is closed today & tomorrow.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

We were there yesterday morning. Temp was about 65 and cloudy when we got there. The water was nice and warm. We were a little chilly walking around but it really wan't bad. The best thing was that there was no one there. We had early entry with CB and even when the park opened at 10 it was still empty. We left around 11:30 when the sun was coming out and there were still very few people coming in. We hit just about all the slides and the lazy river in that time.

My brother works in corporate at Universal. He said they just made a policy that if the high temp is not predicted to go over either 60 or 65 (I forget which one) they are not going to open VB for the day.

I just checked and it looks like it is closed today & tomorrow.

This is exactly the type of information I was looking for - thanks

 

[doyouwanttogofaster]

This is exactly the type of information I was looking for - thanks

Me too. We're arriving from UK on Saturday, I had 20 degrees F yesterday so looking forward to VB with +20 degrees centigrade.

 

[RalphinSC]

Just booked another trip January 11th-15th. Been catching up on all the colder weather news and looking forward to squeezing in another day of Volcano Bay and seeing all the changes from when I was last there in June.

 

[bobbie68]

Hi everyone! I am on another forum site and someone said they went to VB this week and they are selling EP again. Has anyone heard about this? Thanks

 

[JCfan]

Here's a few additional thoughts... See the italics.

So I'm going to just go ahead and admit this, but I don't know a thing about how to experience a water park.
I have SO many questions! HAHAHA! YAY for you!!!! You will love it. Just remember VB is not the typical WP; you will be spoiled... Love, love, love VB


1. Do most people claim a chair or two as "home base"? Yes, most people do make a home base. Agreed but remember VB is large so you may not use your home base as much here as at other water parks.

1A. Is that respected? I had no problems with claim jumpers. No problem leaving a few minor items but (of course) don't leave anything particularly expensive out that you care if it is gone - no phones or electronics for example.

1B. What do i leave to indicate that it is "taken"? We left our towels shirts and shoes. We leave shoes and towels too.

1C. Do we even need a "home base"? Personally, we were constantly on the go but we liked that we had a place to go and sit for 5 minutes. but up to you. Remember on the rides, you will not be allowed to take much. Maybe your shoes (you hold them) on a few of the rides if you are wearing the wrong kind of shoes for a ride. Yet, for the most part, you can't take much onto the rides. We had a "home base" but didn't really need it.

2. I see people talking about lockers - what are you putting in lockers? I don't plan to bring anything with me. Cell phones, i bring my wallet EVERYWHERE, so that went in the locker. We put our cells, our medical devices and our wallets into the lockers.

3. I thought I could link my credit card with the wristband and make charges that way? Or am I confused about the purpose of the wristband (in additional to the virtual line aspect)? You can link your cc to the ticket and therefor the tapu tapu. Yes, tapu tapu should work for paying but it (occasionally) has been glitchy. So, it's nice to be close to your cell/wallet in case you need it to pay for things.

4. So I have to rent a towel? Do you really dry off between slides/rides? Or is that more for the end of the day? The towels are truly for downtimes (lunch/rest) and at the end of the day, trip back to hotel. you can bring your own but either way I would bring/rent a towel. Totally agree, rent towels. Easier and better than dragging wet towels onto the bus. But, yes, mostly for the end of the day. You are pretty much wet the rest of the time...

5. Staying on property at Hard Rock, are buses continual all day? Not sure, we live relatively close by. Yes! All the on-site hotels have excellent (themed and frequent) buses!

6. Basically, DH and DS10 and I hope to be running from ride to ride all day. I don't think a cabana would be good for us at all. But how hard is it to find a chair to sit down, just in case we need to get off our feet for a while? If you do not see a need for alot of down time then I would say NO to a cabana. Chairs do fill up quickly especially at the wave pool. You can find chairs near the other areas of the park unless very busy. Agreed. Chairs should be available except near the wave pool. Not 100% guaranteed if it's busy though... If you were to make a "base camp" that would be where I'd suggest since if you want a break, it's quite lovely in that area. I agree about the cabana. My opinion is absolutely a "no" on the Cabana especially on day 1. However, since you are staying on-site you may want to go back a couple of times and on a second or third visit, it might be a treat (although not necessary at all!!). I suspect your son will love the park and not need to be sitting much of the time.

FWIW, we plan to be there the Tuesday or Wednesday after Memorial Day. I would expect it to be busy especially if it is good weather with people from the area. Since it's very possible that the park will be busy, I highly highly recommend going back in the threads and looking at the suggested ways to have a good touring plan. there's a lot of advice on the Disboards from last summer. At this park, you must follow this advice to have a good day. IMHO most, if not all, of the bad reviews you'll see are from folks who didn't plan. Most importantly, since you will be on-site, go really early even before EMH open and get in line. Then, get the popular rides out of the way right away. If the park isn't busy, the planning isn't as critical but I'd assume that the park will be busy and hope that it's not so bad. Regardless, I recommend you do your research. Also, as I mentioned, you might want to consider breaking up your visit into multiple shorter visits and remember if you are staying on site for multiple days you can visit the park a couple of times. Finally, we absolutely love VB and even though we are out of towners added VB to our Univeral APs. We've been to water parks all over and think VB is a hoot. Have a great great trip!!!

thanks for any help you provide!

 

[AllthingsDisMom]

We can't wait! I am taking my daughters and their friend for a weekend in April for my oldest's birthday! Of course we'll be staying at CBBR, we love it there!

Her only request was to leave her little brother at home with Dad LOL! No boys allowed, girls only weekend!

 

[Iluvshoes531]

We are going to be visiting in June. It is just my husband and I and my 7 year old. Would it make more sense for us to do 2 preferred seating loungers over a cabana? I like the idea of having a locker and a waitress handy to put in food orders with. Would love input from anyone that has done either. The two loungers would be approx 60 dollars , the cabana would be 160

 

[AllthingsDisMom]

We are going to be visiting in June. It is just my husband and I and my 7 year old. Would it make more sense for us to do 2 preferred seating loungers over a cabana? I like the idea of having a locker and a waitress handy to put in food orders with. Would love input from anyone that has done either. The two loungers would be approx 60 dollars , the cabana would be 160

I love the idea of the preferred seating!

 

[bobbie68]

We are going to be visiting in June. It is just my husband and I and my 7 year old. Would it make more sense for us to do 2 preferred seating loungers over a cabana? I like the idea of having a locker and a waitress handy to put in food orders with. Would love input from anyone that has done either. The two loungers would be approx 60 dollars , the cabana would be 160

Hi we did VB in July and had a great time. We did a cabana one day and regular seating another one. We paid a lot at that time for the cabana but we really enjoyed it. We had planned to be there from open to close so we could justify it. There are a couple of extra perks over the chairs. You do have a tapu tapu machine in the cabana for reservations. There is a fridge with water in it. You get a little fruit tray in the morning. It depends if you are going to take breaks during the day and go in for awhile it is a little nicer than the chairs in my opinion. If you are really looking for just a locker and food attendant then I would go with the chairs.

Enjoy!

 

[hhoope01]

We rented cabanas for a couple of days this past September. The cabana does cost more, but it does come with a few extras though some of the "benefits" aren't quite as good as you might think. First, we didn't find the food ordering/delivering to be all that beneficial. On our first cabana day, we couldn't get a cabana person's attention to order food. It seems they only come around periodically and if you need something in between those times, you are on your own. The second day, the girls wanted to get some tacos from the taco restaurant (they are very good.) But we learned after the 1st day, you can pre order your food. So we attempted to do that. Unfortunately, we were told they can't bring you food from that restaurant (not sure why but they wouldn't do it.) So I walked down and ordered the food myself and brought it back. We did like having the tapu tapu kiosk right there in the cabana. While I'm not sure we ever actually made a "reservation" through that kiosk, we did use it to see the general wait times for each of the rides. And then we would walk around and swipe our wrist bands at the kiosks near the entrance of each ride. That was mostly because once you swipe, that is your one "pass". By walking around we might decide on something else along the way and just go with it.

As mentioned earlier, the refrig is nice to have if you want to keep anything colder and they will pack it with waters for you. It is also nice to not have to bring your own towels. The cabana started off with 5 or 6 towels and we were able to get more as well (that way we had some extras.) So a nice little perk. The cabana will come with a lot more room to spread out in that the chairs will. There are a couple of recliner chairs plus some regular chairs and then the bench seating as well. All of it nicely cushioned for comfort. Another benefit which is especially nice if you will be staying all day, is the cabanas have curtains on each of the sides you can open up or close to help keep the sun off (or on) you. We were always able to have some shaded areas within the cabana, no matter the time of day or position of the sun.

And I will let you in on a little secret I found (but haven't seen anyone mention here yet though someone in some thread probably has already mentioned most of this) and that is you can ask for specific cabanas (and I would guess premium chairs as well.) If you are staying onsite and can get there for the early extra hour, you will most likely be able to ask for just about any chair or cabana.) Note I was even able to pre-request a specific cabana for our 2nd day there during our first day. So they might even let you do that as well. For us, we didn't like the cabanas by the highway (along the edge of the wave pool on the left when entering the park.) You can hear the cars go by and you have to get into the sand to get to the cabana. There are some cabanas in the center of the park where you don't have to get into the sand to get to them and you don't have to worry about hearing all the traffic behind you. And one last suggestion, we did a ground level cabana one of the days and upper the 2nd day. I personally loved the upper cabanas in the middle area of the parks. Great views of virtually the whole park and you have a nice breeze to keep help keep that comfort level high though it does come at higher price.

 

[Iluvshoes531]

Thank you all for such great information. I may just do the preferred seating since it is only 3 of us.....however if Mr. Tax man is good to us then I may just splurge on the cabana I so appreciate you taking the time to give me great information!!!

 

[closetmickey]

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!

 

[closetmickey]

Another question....Would a touring plan work for a crowded day to tap into 3-4 other tube rides that may have shorter wait then Krakatoa and then save that until last? At what time does Krakatoa fill up for the day? Thank you!

 

[AllthingsDisMom]

A coworker of mine has a family member who works for Universal and warned me about the safety of the water-park due to electricity not being properly grounded. Has anyone heard anything similar?

My DD is really excited about this trip. I'm a little confused because I haven't heard any reports like this (on this forum or elsewhere!). She says it's because they've had to pay out to families settling lawsuits out of court. Thoughts?

 

[schumigirl]

A coworker of mine has a family member who works for Universal and warned me about the safety of the water-park due to electricity not being properly grounded. Has anyone heard anything similar?

My DD is really excited about this trip. I'm a little confused because I haven't heard any reports like this (on this forum or elsewhere!). She says it's because they've had to pay out to families settling lawsuits out of court. Thoughts?

Lol........

Sounds like one of those famous “Disney bus driver’s cousins dog told me” stories.......

I wouldn’t believe for a second its true......and probably a figment of someone’s imagination.........

 

[macraven]

Thank you Schumi !

Rumors about ticket increases are most feared and we all listen, wait and watch...

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

 

[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!

Hi we did VB this July and August. We were there from open to close two days of the week. While I will say the first few hours in the morning is still the best way to tackle VB with less wait if maximizing amount of times you ride. However, when we were there in the evening it started getting quieter about an hour to two before closing. The last hour was the slowest for night time. I would say the coaster and the family raft rides are good to hit then. The rides were open till closing time and if people were in line they got on. If you have no interest in body slides, I think you can get there in the mid to late afternoon and stay till close and hit everything. You may be only able to get on once or twice. The only concern is the coaster was going down a lot last summer so there was a chance for not riding it if you wait till later. The family raft rides wait time during the day was 90 minutes easy.

I think if you want this to be more of a laid back park day and you get on what you get it will work great. The tapu tapu really is a good idea if you like that kind of touring. Commando type touring won't work here unless it is in the morning. The other thing to consider is when we were there and there was one day it was rainy on and off from mid afternoon till evening and the park was near empty. Once people leave there for storms in the afternoon most don't come back with the exception of Cabana Bay guests cause they are right there. Overcast and a shower day may be a good idea to go then.

Any other questions please ask