For the first time since the start of the pandemic (you know the one), my little family finally ventured past the city limits to spend spring break in the Sunshine State. When in Orlando, Florida, there are a plethora of theme parks to choose from. As the title of this blog post suggests, I’ll highlight some travel tips for Volcano Bay!
We spent Monday at the water park. A good time was had by all, young and old! It was our first time there so mistakes were made, obviously. But that’s okay! Mistakes help us grow and season passes allow us to try again. With this blog post, I hope to help you navigate the absolute dos and definite don’ts for the best day ever at Volcano Bay!
#1 – DO get there early.
While Volcano Bay opens at 10:00 am, it is important to note there is no guest parking on location. Guests visiting any of the Universal Studios parks (Univeral Studios, Islands of Adventure, or Volcano Bay) will have to park at the centrally located parking garage.
Follow directional signs toward the dedicated Volcano Bay parking section on the first level of the Universal Orlando parking garage. We ended up in the Spiderman section of the deck at a rate of $27 per day. (Vehicles can leave the garage and return the same day by stopping at the toll plaza. Just show your parking receipt for re-entry!) From there, we then had to hop on board the complimentary Volcano Bay shuttle to the water park’s entrance.
The shuttle buses do seem to run continuously. As one fills and pulls away, a second takes its place for more passengers. It was a relatively painless process getting there and even easier getting back to the garage around 6:00 pm that evening.
#2 – DO have your tickets ahead of time.
Long story short: thanks to my father’s Department of Defense connection, we were eligible for the 2022 Military Freedom Pass. Yay! It’s basically a deeply discounted season pass without some of the added annual perks (like parking and merchandise savings). We received inactive passes at the time of purchase, ready for activation at any ticket window.
When we got to the parking deck, lines and signage were a hot mess (both literally and figuratively). We got different answers on where to stand, where to go, and where to redeem our passes from just about everyone we asked. This consequentially resulted in longer wait times and loads of confusion. We did everything backward and ultimately had to backtrack a lot of roped-off areas to get to the right spots at the right time. Learn from our mistakes; have your activated tickets prior to entering the garage!
If you’re going to buy tickets at the parking deck, I highly recommend dropping someone off right in front of the ticket booth located on the first floor before parking in the designated Volcano Bay sections. That way, someone can start the ticket queue for your party. Once tickets are purchased, you’ll have to enter a second line for security and shuttle buses. It’s easiest to meet the rest of your party there. Of course, you could also purchase tickets at the Volcano Bay Water Park window, but that’s not the route we went so I am not sure how easy that process is.
#3 – DO travel light.
Less is best! Bring the least amount of things possible. For one, security will be easier to get through since you won’t have to wait for your bag to go through the screening devices. Second, you’ll save yourself a locker rental once at Volcano Bay. (At the time of this post, the family-sized locker cost us $20 for the day.)
I know that’s easier said than done when you’re traveling with kids. We were able to make the most of the day with one regular-sized backpack and two large water jugs. The backpack got lighter as the day carried on, seeing as most of its contents were snacks. You’ll spend most of your day in the water at Volcano Bay. We didn’t even pack towels (but they are available to rent on-site if you desire). At a minimum, wear your bathing suit with water shoes and bring some sunblock.
#4 – DON’T forget your digital devices!
When you first arrive at Volcano Bay, everyone in your party gets a TapuTapu to wear on their wrist. What’s TapuTapu? It’s your key to anything and everything! Use it to ride most of the attractions, activate interactive surprises, open rental lockers, make cash-free payments, and so much more!
You’ll also want your mobile device and the Universal Studios app, available for iOS and Android. In the digital app, you can add your park ticket, store a credit card, see attraction wait times, and place mobile orders for food.
Being our first time here, we didn’t realize just how important TapuTapu is! All the rides at Volcano Bay feature a Virtual Line. TapuTapu is a real gamechanger in how you wait for attractions. It’s basically one of those buzzers restaurants give you while you wait for a table to become available. Here’s how it works:
- Tap into a ride with your TapuTapu wearable. Youโre now in the Virtual Line queue!
- Explore the park while your TapuTapu counts down the minutes to your return time.
- When your TapuTapu vibrates, itโs time to return to your attraction with just a short wait before you actually ride.
If you find a better ride while waiting for your TapuTapu to vibrate, you can always trade out your old reservation for a new one. Even better is when an attraction has no wait time and says “RIDE NOW.” That means you can tap into that ride without losing your spot in line for a previous attraction!
#5 – DON’T stay all day.
Rome wasn’t built (or seen) in a day. The same holds true for Volcano Bay. We walked around 25,000 steps by the time the day was done. Pick and choose what you want to do with your group. Sure, there are plenty of lounge areas for a little rest and relaxation, but few of them get you out of the sun. That heat will have you beat! We ended up leaving Volcano Bay around 6:00 pm, taking the shuttle back to the garage, and going to Islands of Adventure for a few hours. I’m literally yawning just thinking about it all! The water park closes at 8:00pm, though, if late swims are your thing.
Go back to the hotel and change out of swimsuits, eat lunch, or take a midday nap if possible. We opted for 2 out of 3 ourselves. We brought Ziploc baggies with fresh clothing inside to change into before hopping on the shuttle back to the garage. (Volcano Bay does have showers and changing areas attached to all of their locker locations.) Wet swimsuits were placed into the now empty Ziplocs for dry storage in the backpack. If you have park to park tickets, you can return to the parking garage and cross over to City Walk, Islands of Adventure, or Universal Studios. All of those areas close much later than Volcano Bay.
ACTIONABLE STEPS: Get ready for a fun-filled day at Volcano Bay with these travel tips! Have a great day at Universal Studios’ water park! What travel dos and don’ts would you add to the list? Share your Volcano Bay travel tips in the comments below.
