Volcano Bay

[Tom Morrow]

The story sounds aweful when you have it wrong... like the other poster I replied to as well. People aren't waiting 5hrs for any ride... just the main coaster. And you still have the slide tier while waiting for the coaster.

Okay, but multiple reports are saying 2 hours for any slide.

One is a theme park, the other is a water park. The comparison between Pandora and Volcano Bay is apples and oranges.

We're not literally comparing a theme park land to a water park, but they are both a major addition opening within two days of each other and have drummed up similar hype.

 

[spacemt354]

Okay, but multiple reports are saying 2 hours for any slide.

We're not literally comparing a theme park land to a water park, but they are both a major addition opening within two days of each other and have drummed up similar hype.

They hold different standards. The long wait times for a land, like Pandora or Harry Potter, is expected, albeit nuts in my opinion to wait 4 hours for.

Water park rides dont normally have such long lines, and for just slides, seems even more crazy to me than waiting for a theme park ride. The post i responded to was equating theme park ride wait times with water park wait times, saying you can't accept one and criticize the other. But they are two different types of attractions, they arent equal.

 

[Tony Perkis]

LOL. The people who headed to a brand new water park on a holiday get what they get. LOL.

Capacity closing is pretty much a worse case event for a brand new anything.

Yeah, and every park has done it.

 

[mergatroid]

Without tapu tapu, you'd be trapped on a line for the same 3 hours, without being able to go to the wave pool, or eating, or going to the slide. The concept of tapu tapu is to allow you to do other things while waiting in lines, not allow you to wait in multiple lines at once. If they did that, the wait times would be even longer.

Its apparent they need to reduce the number of express passes being sold... they are less than fair when they cause such large additional wait times after its your time to ride... so the price should go up accordingly (since we know it will not be discontinued)

Surely though you'd go on other rides that only had short waits first without Tapu, Tapu. As it stands once you have a reservatioon for a few hours ahead that stops you doing anything else for however long that wait is?

 

[mergatroid]

My understanding is some people waited 2 hours to get into Pandora and 4 hours to ride a single ride... totalling 6 hours for one ride. Not too much better than VB. And you were stuck physically waiting in those 6 hour lines, instead of having to ride the lazy river and go on the wave pool while waiting. Neither are good and fun... but thats opening on a holiday weekend for you. I too won't be going until late this year to either... not worth the wait times that will inevitably die down.

Not with FP+ and isn't Tapu, Tapu supposed to do the same thing as FP+ and eliminate queues?

 

[seascape]

Okay, but multiple reports are saying 2 hours for any slide.

We're not literally comparing a theme park land to a water park, but they are both a major addition opening within two days of each other and have drummed up similar hype.

You may not be comparing a theme park land to a water park but Universal claims VB is a theme park and their 3rd gate. Universal claimed virtual lines and easy use. I am sure Universal will make the system work but also believe VB was built for those staying in Universal's hotels and not those staying off site or living in Orlando. Universal like Disney want vacationers who spend lots of money. Just imagine what it will be like with 15,000 universal hotel rooms, more than double what they currently have.

 

[danpam1024]

Give me beer, get me an inner tube, and I'm game.

I'd rather sit in the Hard Rock pool- with poolside service. There's a slide

 

[danpam1024]

It amazes me all the shade thrown at VB! Opening weekend on a HOLIDAY WEEKEND. I'm sure the other parks were madness as well. For us SW Floridians it's like saying the beach is crowded and there's too many drunks on Memorial Day Weekend. DUH! As for the Tripadvisor reviews, I take them with a grain of salt- a LOT of them are just angry entitled people. And like a few others have said, I'd much rather be waiting in a pool or at a bar than in the blazing sun on a stairwell. Remove Tapu Tapu- you're waiting in line not doing anything else.

 

[captainkidd]

I'd rather have the option and be able to ride more than 3 or slides per day. Big deal, you can wait in a pool. Let the people in the park line up for any of the 18 attractions and enjoy them all. It's worked at water parks for decades.

 

[raven]

Friends reserved one of those 16-person cabanas for opening day ($600) which also got them into the park an hour before other guests. The Cabana they reserved wasn't available yet so Universal compensated them with a different Cabana that was on the 2nd floor connecting to another 2nd floor Cabana. They had their own personal TapuTapu reservation system in the Cabana that they could use over and over again. They were able to stack up ride reservations as much as they wanted. They also had free drinks and appetizers delivered to them throughout the day by a concierge team member and also received a $300 rebate on the Cabana that wasn't available. They said they certainly got their money's worth with these services.

 

[BubbaQuest]

At VB, if you arrived early and got in right at opening, the wait times weren't so bad, and there were some slides with no wait time for a period.

That's my understanding too. At rope drop, waits were 30-60 minutes, and then swelled after that. I'm still trying to figure out evening times though. Some were indicating times dropped back down to 30 minutes, but someone posted very long physical queues at closing -- wondering if everything just switches to "ride now" at some point.

I'm still trying to figure out how many people VB might be letting into the park. My understanding is WnW *averaged* about 3000 people a day. I understand there are huge variations between weekend summer and weekday winter. Not sure if 5000 would be a good sample size or not, but that's what I'm going with. I'm assuming each slide can handle about 200 people an hour. So it seems like if 5000 people queued at the same time, everything should be done in about 2 hours.

So I'm still confused about the 4+ hour times unless VB is letting in 10K+ people? I think WDW water parks average about 5500/day?

I have a feeling shutdowns may screw things up worse than standard queues. Normally when a ride goes down, I'd assume maybe half the queue leaves and they stop accepting new people in the queue. But with the virtual queue you're stuck in the queue so it never really catches up with the downtime?

P.S. Do we have a guesstimate on the water coaster throughput? If it's only 400/hour that would explain why not all 5000 people would be able to ride it in one day.

 

[MiddKid]

They had their own personal TapuTapu reservation system in the Cabana that they could use over and over again. They were able to stack up ride reservations as much as they wanted.

Is this true/normal? It was my understanding that you have a TapuTapu terminal in the cabana but it only lets you schedule reservations like normal (1 at a time). It just allows you to do it without walking to the slide.

 

[Horizons '83]

Love how the comparisons are already being made on two completely different experiences. The only thing Pandora and Volcano Bay have in common is the opening weekend. Lets face it, VB is a water park ( an awesome one at that) and Pandora is probably the most immersive land Disney has created. Apples to Oranges folks.

 

[JoeCamel]

That's my understanding too. At rope drop, waits were 30-60 minutes, and then swelled after that. I'm still trying to figure out evening times though. Some were indicating times dropped back down to 30 minutes, but someone posted very long physical queues at closing -- wondering if everything just switches to "ride now" at some point.

I'm still trying to figure out how many people VB might be letting into the park. My understanding is WnW *averaged* about 3000 people a day. I understand there are huge variations between weekend summer and weekday winter. Not sure if 5000 would be a good sample size or not, but that's what I'm going with. I'm assuming each slide can handle about 200 people an hour. So it seems like if 5000 people queued at the same time, everything should be done in about 2 hours.

So I'm still confused about the 4+ hour times unless VB is letting in 10K+ people? I think WDW water parks average about 5500/day?

I have a feeling shutdowns may screw things up worse than standard queues. Normally when a ride goes down, I'd assume maybe half the queue leaves and they stop accepting new people in the queue. But with the virtual queue you're stuck in the queue so it never really catches up with the downtime?

P.S. Do we have a guesstimate on the water coaster throughput? If it's only 400/hour that would explain why not all 5000 people would be able to ride it in one day.

Watercoaster is 720 ph max

 

[raven]

Is this true/normal? It was my understanding that you have a TapuTapu terminal in the cabana but it only lets you schedule reservations like normal (1 at a time). It just allows you to do it without walking to the slide.

I don't know if it's "normal" but yes, it happened. Maybe as an added perk because their large reserved Cabana wasn't ready yet? Had to compare though since it's only been open less than a week.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

That's my understanding too. At rope drop, waits were 30-60 minutes, and then swelled after that. I'm still trying to figure out evening times though. Some were indicating times dropped back down to 30 minutes, but someone posted very long physical queues at closing -- wondering if everything just switches to "ride now" at some point.

I'm still trying to figure out how many people VB might be letting into the park. My understanding is WnW *averaged* about 3000 people a day. I understand there are huge variations between weekend summer and weekday winter. Not sure if 5000 would be a good sample size or not, but that's what I'm going with. I'm assuming each slide can handle about 200 people an hour. So it seems like if 5000 people queued at the same time, everything should be done in about 2 hours.

So I'm still confused about the 4+ hour times unless VB is letting in 10K+ people? I think WDW water parks average about 5500/day?

I have a feeling shutdowns may screw things up worse than standard queues. Normally when a ride goes down, I'd assume maybe half the queue leaves and they stop accepting new people in the queue. But with the virtual queue you're stuck in the queue so it never really catches up with the downtime?

P.S. Do we have a guesstimate on the water coaster throughput? If it's only 400/hour that would explain why not all 5000 people would be able to ride it in one day.

Some rough guesstimates based on pics and video, all theoretical and based on 30 second dispatch intervals. Hopefully someone more in the know can clarify further.

• Ko'okiri Body Plunge drop slide: 120 guests/hour (1 person every 30 seconds)
• Kala and Tai Nui drop slides: 240/hour (2 slides with 1 person every 30 seconds)
• Punga Racers: 480/hour (4 slides with 1 person every 30 seconds)
• Taniwha Tubes: 480/hour (4 slides with 1 person every 30 seconds)
• Maku round raft ride (6 person rafts): 720/hour -- 480/hour with 4 per raft
• Puihi round raft ride (6 person rafts): 720/hour -- 480/hour with 4 per raft
• Ohyah: 120/hour (1 person every 30 seconds)
• Ohno: 120/hour (1 person every 30 seconds)
• Honu raft slide (5 person rafts): 600/hour -- 360/hour with 3 per raft
• Ika Moana raft slide (5 person rafts): 600/hour -- 360/hour with 3 per raft

• Krakatau Water Coaster (4 person rafts): 720/hour with 4 per raft launching every 20 seconds -- 540/hour with 3 per raft

Of course I may be way off on my 30 second intervals but it's all a guessing game anyway!

 

[Daveeeeed]

I'm one of those poor schmucks who waited 4 hours for FOP in 95 degree weather. I would've loved a wave pool. Actually, I would've settled for a kiddie pool & a hose.



Pretty sure it has more than "a measly slide." I'm sure someone would be willing to provide you with a full list of attractions.

Ahh man! Rope drop was so worth it. Hour line for FoP where you are almost constantly walking and looking at things instead of a normal queue. Plus it was in the high 60's.

 

[Daveeeeed]

One is a theme park, the other is a water park. The comparison between Pandora and Volcano Bay is apples and oranges.

Me personally, waiting for theme park rides, 1-1.5 hours tops. Water park rides, 20-30 mins tops. Everyone is different but most people in my experience would be willing to wait longer for a theme park attraction than a water park attraction for a variety of reasons.

It is a bit Apples to Oranges actually. But I was commenting on why I am glad we chose to visit Pandora and not Volcano Bay.

No way would I wait 2 hours to enter the land and another 4 hours in 96 degree weather, but I will gladly wake up at 5:50am to get to Pandora with only an hour wait for one of the best rides in Orlando. Not to mention... I've been waiting 6 years!!! It was like a lifetime achievement for me.

But a water park? Plus Pandora is kind of unique while VB doesn't really have that going for it quite like Pandora.

If you don't do them "smart" (waiting 6 hours for a ride or 2+ hours for a waterslide) they IMO are both not worth it.

I think I played it right.

Also got to eat Breakfast without even waiting in line at Satu'li Canteen. Surprisingly relaxing.

 

[JoeCamel]

It is a bit Apples to Oranges actually. But I was commenting on why I am glad we chose to visit Pandora and not Volcano Bay.

No way would I wait 2 hours to enter the land and another 4 hours in 96 degree weather, but I will gladly wake up at 5:50am to get to Pandora with only an hour wait for one of the best rides in Orlando. Not to mention... I've been waiting 6 years!!! It was like a lifetime achievement for me.

But a water park? Plus Pandora is kind of unique while VB doesn't really have that going for it quite like Pandora.

If you don't do them "smart" (waiting 6 hours for a ride or 2+ hours for a waterslide) they IMO are both not worth it.

I think I played it right.

Also got to eat Breakfast without even waiting in line at Satu'li Canteen. Surprisingly relaxing.

And you didn't have to wait an hour after eating to go in the water

 

[Daveeeeed]

And you didn't have to wait an hour after eating to go in the water

Nope. It's only a myth anyway . Had a Fastpass that I somehow was able to procure the night before for NA'VI River Journey, so spent the next 30 minutes after that just checking out the land.