If you’re planning on visiting Universal Orlando Resort during your next family vacation to the Sunshine state, you’ll want to spend at least a day or so at Universal marvelous south seas-inspired water theme park, Volcano Bay.
This tropical oasis features four themed areas inspired by the Pacific islands. Each has it’s own unique vibe while offering a nice mix of both thrilling and relaxing experiences that everyone in your party will appreciate.
If you’re looking for adventure, the 200-foot tall Krakatau volcano which looms over the heart of the theme park, is a great place to start. There you’ll find a number of water slides that twist and turn down the faux-mountainside. In fact, the Krakatua Aqua coaster is among one of our favorite attractions at this phenomenal park.
After spending a few hours enjoying some thrills and spills, unwind while drifting down the gentle waters of the Kopiko Wai Winding River. And that’s just just a small fraction of what this Volcanic watery wonderland has to offer.
There are so many things to do at this island paradise! If you need a little help figuring out where to start, keep watching to learn all about the very Best Rides at Volcano Bay (Universal Orlando).
Waturi Beach
What better way could there be to combat the mid-summer heat than by enjoying a nice relaxing swim. This sparkling lagoon can be found at the base of Krakatau volcano.
The waves are always perfect over at Waturi Beach, but even if you’re just looking for a place to lay out a towel and read a book while the rest of your family is splashing about, this is one of our favorite places to relax in the park.
Swim, splash, and enjoy the breathtaking views before gearing up to experience some of Volcano Bay’s more thrilling attractions. After you’ve sufficiently soaked up some rays, make your way on over to this awesome ride!
Krakatau Aqua Coaster
This is Volcano’s flagship ride, and we’ve just got to say, it’s a doozy!
The Krakatau Aqua Coaster is nothing short of a marvel of engineering. After you and your crew hop aboard a four-person raft, you’ll find your way zooming over slick hills, dashing around weaving twists and turns, and plunging down gut-sinking drops as you make your way through the misty Krakatau Volcanoside.
Patented magnet technology powers the ride making it feel like you’re on a roller coaster on land. You might even forget for a second that you’re on water! The aqua coaster finishes up with one last epic plunge. After you catch you’re breath, more than likely, you’ll already be ready for round two.
Since this ride is one of the most popular at the park, you’d be wise to try and experience it earlier in the day before the line gets too long.
Ohyah & Ohno Drop Slide
Over at the Rain Forest Village region of the park is this fantastic water ride. The Ohyah and Ohno Drop ride feature two serpentine slides that will are sure to be one of the highlights of your visit.
If you want to experience the Ohyay slide, you’ll first have to climb up a cliff before plunging down into the gurgling waters that will twist and wind you about before dropping you four feet below into a splash pool.
To access the arguably more exciting Ohno Slide, you’ll have to navigate a challenging rope bridge that leads you to six-foot drop in the same plunge pool.
Kopiko Wai Winding River
If you need to take a break from all of the slipping and sliding, take your relaxation to new heights with a float down this classic lazy river. There’s something so inviting about kicking back on a water tube for a while and just letting the current guide you down a gentle stream. If you were feeling any stress or anxiety before, the Kopiko Wai Winding River will likely wash all of that away.
Honu Ika Moana
On this ride, guests can choose from two slides, either Honu or Ika Moana.
Since Honu is faster and higher, it’s clearly the more exciting of the two. Even so, Ika Moana is still worth riding and shouldn’t be viewed as inferior.
Each slide features multi-person, animal-themed rafts. After plunging down the first descent, you’ll fly up one of two giant walls while moving faster and higher the further down you go – all the while surfing the undercurrents and zooming through long tubes.
Taniwha Tubes
This set of four raft slides can be ridden either solo or in pairs. They aren’t the most outrageous slides in the park, but when lines are long on everything else, they make for a pretty decent break from the heat of the Floridian sun.
Maku Pulhi Round Raft Ride
In the Waturi language, Maku translates as Wet and Pulhi as Wild. And ‘wet and wild’ is exactly what you can expect from this riveting ride.
After boarding a six-person raft, you’ll plunge through a lava tube that speeds through a dark and twisting path before dumping you out into a cavern where your raft will begin to spin around uncontrollably.
Water cannons and geysers will then soak you and your raftmates as you dive through a second lava tube before getting catapulted out into a long tunnel that rocks you back and forth through a series of slides before finally splashing you down in a pool at the bottom.
Ko’okiri Body Plunge
Think you have guts? Well, put them to the tests with this adrenaline-inducing thrill ride. Ko’okiri Body Plunge is undoubtedly the most daring ride at Volcano Bay. Trust us when we say it’s not for the faint of heart.
After loading yourself into a capsule, you’ll have to brace yourself for several seconds before a trapdoor opens underneath you, dropping you right through the center of the Volcano. You’ll plummet at a 70-degree angle down a 125-foot slide that feels like an almost vertical free-fall.
You’ll be screaming your head off before dropping into a clear splash pool surrounded by curious onlookers.
TapTu Play Experiences
When you first enter the park, you’ll be given a wearable watch-like device that does everything from allowing you to make contactless purchases to holding your place in line as you play in the wave pool with your friends and family.
As you explore Volcano Bay, be on the lookout for this symbol. When you come across one, you can activate it with your TapuTapu wearable, cuing some sort of fun and unexpected surprise. Most of the time, these surprises consist of a splash or jet of water but some of them will throw you for a loop.
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And don’t even think about going anywhere just yet. Stick around to learn all about the rest of what Universal’s Volcano Bay water park has to offer.
TeAwa the Fearless River
Looking for a white water adventure in the middle of Florida? If so, this ride should be right up your alley. Just be advised, you will need to put on a life vest before taking on the ferocious onslaught of intense waves and rapids in this fast-paced river ride. Basically, it’s the exact opposite of a lazy river, but strangely it’s pretty much just as relaxing.
Kola & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides
If you enjoyed Ko’okiri Body Plunge but wished it was just a bit longer, then hop in line to ride one of these two serpentine slides. It’s best to time it, if possible, so that you and a friend ride at the same time, because these two slides have a very interesting twist.
Two sliders are simultaneously dropped down slides via a set of trap doors. Throughout their descent, their paths crisscross several times as they plunge down through a maze of intertwining tubes. The green Tai Nui slide is a bit more intense than the blue Kala slide, but both are pretty exhilarating
Visit Vol The Volcano Spirit
While this one’s not really a ride, it is still pretty cool to see. Deep inside Krakatau, you’ll come across this trickster of a volcano spirit. But be warned, he just might splash you unexpectedly with a blast of water!
Punga Racers
While one of the less intense rides at the park, Punga Racers is still a thrilling experience. The ride is a body slide that pits four racers against each other in individual lanes. After emerging from an underwater sea cavern, the winner of the race receives a salute from the great Punga himself.
I don’t know about you, but when I think about vacationing at one of Orlando’s flagship amusement parks, I know that I’m in store for an experience unlike any other.
Universal Orlando Resort and Disneyworld may be the Orlando theme parks that get most of the attention, but this world-class water park is downright incredible. Not only is the Polynesian theming on point, but it’s rides are out of this world.
After spending the day sliding down tubes at breakneck speeds and splashing about in the wave pool, you’ll likely work up quite an appetite. Fortunately, Volcano Bay’s concession stands and dining establishments are every bit as well thought out as the rest of the park is – just be prepared to shell out a bit of cash if you’re planning on spending a couple of days here. It’s not cheap, but you get what you for – and every part of this park is top-notch!
What are you most excited to ride on your next visit to Volcano Bay? And if you’ve already had the pleasure of visiting the park before, what are some of your personal favorite rides and attractions? Let us know in the comments section down below.
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