Florida Guide > Universal Parks
Volcano Bay 2017
We have just come back from our first visit to Universal’s, all new, water theme park, Volcano Bay. It was my nieces 21st birthday and her request to celebrate it with all the family that were in Florida – quite a mixed bunch! As well as her and her boyfriend, there was her mum and dad, sister, me and her nana (aged 87 and an Alzheimer’s sufferer! ) We sent the majority of them off to arrive as soon as the park opened leaving me and my brother in law to saunter along later when mum had woken and when we got there they were having a great time! This was the birthday girls view of things:
“The innovative system employed with the TapuTapu bracelets makes it possible for Volcano Bay to be a cashless park and also cuts down on wait times leaving you free to enjoy other aspects of the park, including other rides which are in less demand. However, take care to have them on securely as they can be easily lost. For those wishing to enjoy the more relaxing side of the park there is a lazy river, and for those wishing to take it up a notch, there is a ferocious river. The thing that really sets this water park apart from the others is the volume of multi-rider attractions so it' s fun for the whole family. There is a diverse selection of rides catering for all tastes from adrenaline junkies to lazy river dwellers. The group consensus was that the aqua coaster was the favourite being a log flume-esque ride.
As with all theme parks the food is typically high priced e. g. $9 a beer but the food is well diversified and the portions are adequate. Another plus point to this park is the free public Wi-Fi which makes it easier for international guests to stay connected with each other during their visit. The information boards scattered around the park were very helpful with information regarding queue times available, and if these weren't adequate there were plenty of lovely staff around to point you in the right direction; safety of guests seemed a high priority at this park, with plenty of lifeguards around.
As with all new ventures, there are a few things we felt needed to be polished. In our experience, we felt the accessibility of the park was particularly lacking for those requiring the use of a wheelchair. We were expected to pay full price for a ticket for my nana who was unable to take part in any of the rides. We did, however, end up receiving 15% off which was greatly appreciated after a well-reasoned debate with customer services. We felt that entering the park was disjointed and could do with further thought as we were directed first to one entrance, then another. Also, although there was widespread seating available, there wasn' t many shaded areas as we wandered around the park, making it difficult to do much with my nana other than sit in one of the cafes. There were cabanas available for hire which would have been ideal but these are expensive (around $230) and can only be reserved at the park on the day and they were already all taken. “
Overall an absolutely fantastic day was had by all and my niece pronounced Volcano Bay her new favourite water park! No doubt we will be back!
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