Tips for visiting Volcano Bay in Florida.
Don’t make the same mistakes I did!
I recently got the opportunity to visit Volcano Bay out in Florida!
It’s an incredible water park with fun slides, beautiful theming, and a tap system that makes wait times incredibly enjoyable.
Tap Now
When you enter the park you get this little watch-like device (though it doesn’t have an actual clock on it) that allows you to access the world of Volcano Bay. It’s called a TapuTapu device and it links to your credit card so you don’t have to bring it around the park for purchasing things like food and merchandise. You just tap!
I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the TapuTapu device for this, especially at the lockers. It was so nice to just tap and open the locker rather than remembering a code.
You also use the TapuTapu and tap at rides you want to go on instead of waiting in line. The TapuTapu device will give you a virtual place in line, so instead of standing in line, you can go off and enjoy other slides that have a ride now sign or things like the lazy river while your TapuTapu keeps you informed. It will countdown your wait time and buzz and notify you when it’s time for you to ride the selected ride you tapped at before! You go back and wait in a small line of people to get onto the ride (that would have taken you hours to wait for in the first place.)
It’s Tempting to Ride Now… But Always Be Tapping While You Do So
My tip is to always be using the TapuTapu for rides. Oftentimes I got excited that the ride I wanted to go on was a ride now (which means you don’t have to tap and wait in line for it) so I would hop in line and have nothing that I was virtually waiting for. Always be virtually waiting. It pays off in the end. If a ride says ride now, it’s a good feeling to get on right away but it’s more beneficial to always tap into something else so you can be virtually waiting and riding at the same time.
Don’t Buy Your Tickets On The Mobile App
I made the mistake of trying to save time by buying the tickets on the mobile app when arriving at Volcano Bay. Unfortunately it takes time in their system to update and have your tickets processed so when I got to the park, they couldn’t recognize my transaction.
Because I wanted to get into the park right away I just ended up buying tickets in the physical line as well to make sure I could get in. This happened to some other people in front of me as well so it seems like a pretty common mistake people come across. I later called a number and explained what happened and they refunded the tickets from the first transaction.
If you buy your tickets on the mobile app I just recommend you buy them at least 2–3 days before you plan on using them.
Get There Early
I was in the parking structure by 7:50 (with park opening at 9:00) and there was already a huge line of people loading on the buses to get to the park.
Once Volcano Bay is filled to capacity they start turning away people, even those who already purchased tickets. Make sure to get up early! You will thank yourself in the end!
The Tacos Are A Lie
I saw a giant structured sign for tacos and rushed over to only find hot dogs being sold instead. When I asked an employee about the tacos he said they don’t sell tacos. I pointed confused at the HUGE tacos sign and the employee and I laughed as he said he had no idea that was even there.
It would have been nice to get some tacos. I really love them and didn’t want what was being sold at literally every other food area in the park: burgers, hot dogs, and pizza.
I ended up getting a Mahi Mahi Burger and it was pretty tasty — just not a taco.
Take a Deep Breath and Plug your Nose Before You Go on One of the Big Drop Slides
I made the mistake of screaming “woooo!” As I went down the biggest slide in the park: The Ko’okiri Body Plunge
The first half of the slide I spent choking on water and the second half trying to gasp for air. My experience would have been a lot more enjoyable had I simply plugged my nose and stayed quiet (which is what I did on the following slide)
These slides are really fun! Enjoy them! You don’t have to wooo until you get off of them!
There’s a Lazy River…and a Crazy River
There’s two different lazy rivers at Volcano Bay: Kopiko Wai Winding River and TeAwa The Fearless River (both excellent)
One is definitely more intense than the other. I spent time struggling to get into a floating tube and got sucked away into a current on the way down. I wasn’t in any danger, but I could have been had I not wrestled my tube safely on.
Make sure to know that some parts of one of the lazy river are more intense on TeAwa The Fearless River. It’s not your average lazy river. But it is definitely a lot of FUN!
What To Do With Towels
I thought the most important thing to do with a towel would be to save seats with it. So when I got there I stretched it out under a great seat in the back of the park under two huge umbrellas. The trouble is it never really got sunny that day and mostly just drizzled and rained. Thus, the water dripped off the umbrellas and onto the towel. When I came back I had a soaked towel.
My tip is if it’s even slightly rainy at all and you have a locker put your towel in there instead. You can use your shoes to save a seat instead.
Bring Snacks
I never know when going to a theme park if I’m going to have to dump the food I brought before coming in. But I was happy that they didn’t say anything about my bag of snacks that I took in. Now looking back I wish we had brought even more snacks! Because we ended up getting a locker and it was so easy to access throughout the day with just a tap of our wrist, I would say bring as many snacks as you want.
Ride Everything, Especially Krakatau
All the types of rides and slides Volcano Bay has available are very fun in their own way! My personal favorite was Krakatau Aqua Coaster!
It was as much fun to go up the slide as it was to go down. I don’t know how they do it (magnets? magic?) but I had to ride this one twice because the feeling was incredible!
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If you like water parks, Volcano Bay is a must! I really made some wonderful memories there and had a blast!
Make sure to try and ride everything…If you get there early enough and manage your TapuTapu well you will give yourself a better opportunity to do so!
