Volcano Bay is Universal Orlando Resort’s epic water park. This relative newcomer joined Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure in 2017. If you’re planning on visiting Volcano Bay then you’ll want these Volcano Bay tips for first timers to help you plan your visit. The Orlando waterpark reopens on Feb. 27 after a winter shutdown.
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My family loves a good waterpark and we’ve been to a lot of them. Volcano Bay is my favorite. It’s beautifully landscaped (which the kids don’t care about but I do), and thrilling yet relaxing. Basically, all the things you want a water park to be.
Volcano Bay reopens on February 28, 2021, which is good news for spring breakers. Here are all the Volcano Bay tips you need to plan your best trip possible to what I’m calling the BEST water park ever.
Volcano Bay is a water park theme park like no other…you’ll know it as soon as you arrive. Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort
Volcano Bay closed for the season in November 2020. I’m excited to see it reopen. Here’s the the scoop on everything we know right now.
Volcano Bay will have limited capacity, which it always had in some form, even before COVID-19. At present, the park is not on a reservation system.
Face coverings will be mandatory to enter the park, in restaurants and retail shops. Face coverings may not be worn on water slides and in the pools. Expect temperature checks upon entry.
Currently, tickets to Volcano Bay are available as single-day tickets, but Universal Orlando Resorts report that a three park pass will be available soon. Your travel agent or vacation planner should be on top of this for you. Assuming you are planning to explore all three parks, this will likely be the best deal.
If you’ve previously purchased a three park pass and postponed your trip due to COVID-19, this page has some helpful info.
Excited to visit Volcano Bay? We are, too. Here are our best Volcano Bay tips to help you plan your best day.
1. Arrive Early
You can use Tapu Tapu, Volcano Bay’s in-park reservation system, to reserve your place in line for popular attractions, and then swim or float until it’s time for your ride. Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort
Volcano Bay opens at 10 a.m. Please note the hours might be different from pre-pandemic times. The park used to open at 8 a.m. but the current calendar shows hours of 10am-5pm for February and all of March 2021.
Volcano Bay is a relatively new and very popular attraction. Even before COVID, the park was known to reach capacity very quickly. Purchasing your ticket and planning your day isn’t going to do you much good if you can’t get into the park because it is already at capacity.
TravelingMom Tip: In the past, guests at Universal Orlando Resort Hotels were allowed early entry into Volcano Bay. At publication time, we are not able to confirm if that is currently the case. We recommend checking with the resort when you make your reservation and when you check in.
2. Set Up Cashless Payment
You’ll need to download the Universal Orlando App and connect your credit card. Once you’ve done that, you won’t have to worry about cash or credit cards. You can use your Tapu Tapu wearable wrist band (more about that in a minute) to pay for food and drinks, merchandise in the park, locker and towel rental and more.
This is super easy to set up. I loved not having to worry about keeping track of cash or credit cards. The last place you want to lose your credit card is in a moving body of water.
3. Reserve Seating in Advance
This is what premium seating looks like. It’s not fancy but it offers some shade. Photo by Jill Robbins
There is plenty of seating at Volcano Bay but most is in the full sun. If you’re interested in reserving premium seating or a cabana (big splurge but so fun!), contact the park as early as you can.
Premium seating is a lounge chair with a canopy and an attached safe. A cabana is much more luxurious and private and comes with a ton of amenities, including food and your own personal server.
You can inquire about seating availability at one of the concierge huts on the day of your visit. You might get lucky. But, if you want to guarantee yourself a shady take-a-break spot, reserve.
4. Get Seats and Lockers Early
Double decker private cabanas overlooking the beach, surrounded by lots of seats in the full sun. Photo by Jill Robbins
If you’re not planning to pay for premium/reserved seating, get your lockers and stake out your seats as soon as you arrive.
Do not pass go. Do not stop to look at all the things. All the things will be there after you get a locker and find someplace to sit. But maybe not vice-versa.
5. Research
You will have fun at Volcano Bay, no matter what. It’s that kind of place. But your visit will be so much more awesome if you take a little time to do some research beforehand.
Scope out the height requirements, menus and, most of all, read up on how Tapu Tapu works.
Tapu Tapu is Volcano Bay’s wearable wrist band that acts as your locker key, your cash and holds your place in line. Yes, really! To quickly get Tapu Tapu savvy, read this post.
6. One of the Most Important Volcano Bay Tips: Make a Plan for Riding and Sliding
Tapu Tapu is your ticket to the virtual lines at Volcano Bay. It’s also your locker key and your payment system, provided you follow our Volcano Bay tips and set up your cashless account before you go. Photo by Jill Robbins
Use the Universal Orlando Resort app to familiarize yourself with the lay of the land before you visit. Decide if your family is going to stay together as a group or if you’re going to split up. What are the check-in expectations going to be?
The Krakatau Aqua Coaster is the most popular ride at Volcano Bay. Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort
Pick your must-dos ahead of time and ride those first thing in the morning. The Krakatau Aqua Coaster is the most popular ride, so if that appeals to you, you’ll probably want to ride that first.
We rode our must-dos first and worked our way through all the ride our kids were tall enough to ride. After that, we re-rode our favorites. By lunchtime, the Krakatau Water Coaster had a three-hour wait. Yikes, right? We tapped in for that, had a leisurely lunch and a rest while we waited in the virtual line.
One of our other great Volcano Bay tips is to make sure you pack your essential items. Photo by Jill Robbins
Make sure you have plenty of sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a waterproof case for your phone. If you forget something, you can purchase it in the park…at theme park prices, of course.
Volcano Bay charges a towel fee, so bring your own if you can. If you’re staying at one of the Universal Orlando Resort hotels, you’re prohibited from taking your hotel room towels in to Volcano Bay.
This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me since the pools at the resort hotels offer free towel service. This is one thing I hope they change in the future. If you’re traveling by air, beach towels for everyone will take up a ton of room in your luggage.
8. Volcano Bay Tip: Don’t Let the Rain Drive You Away
If it starts raining, don’t immediately scurry for the exit. It rains almost daily in central Florida, especially in summer. Try to wait it out. If you leave, you’re not guaranteed to get back in.
Remember the capacity limits we talked about earlier. There’s no “save my place in line” for someone who leaves and comes back the same day. Your ticket will permit it, but park capacity may not.
9. Stay Late
Volcano Bay after dark is pretty neat. The volcano (Krakatau Mountain) lights up and changes colors. This is definitely work sticking around for if you have the energy.
Currently, the park closes at 5pm, so there’s not a chance to see these after dark sights right now. We are hopeful that as the season progresses and more things open up that Volcano Bay will extend their hours but that remains to be seen.
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