Volcano Bay Construction & Preview Discussion

[Teebin]

I wish I were there. I would just wander around VB watching them plant stuff.

 

[Scott W.]

I wish I were there. I would just wander around VB watching them plant stuff.

I thought you were going to say smell the moisture

 

[Chase3]

Yeah, to echo what some others have been saying - you're not seeing anything innovative here other than the theme (and even then, I can think of a few parks that do it better)

What has me most surprised is that for custom water slides - Universal has really picked the most basic of layouts that you could think of for their slides.

The green family slide repeats the same pattern 3 times.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas is building a wayyyy more advanced saucer ride than the one in Volcano Bay
The funnel slide is just plain short - just like the saucer slide
The blue wave wall slide is about half the size of the one at Adventure Island.

Seriously - go to Volcano Bay for the overall experience, don't expect state-of-the-art water slides because you're just not getting them.

Slides you should be most excited for are the two turbo drop twisters inside the volcano and the complex of 4 green and blue tube slides that sit next to the action river. THOSE are the 6 slides that'll steal the show in this park - guaranteed.

Yep. None of the big cloverleaf raft slides have compound elements, meaning that each slide has 1 cool thing about it. Other parks are combining tornado bowls with wave walls and stuff. Universal isn't. They went very basic.

The blue wave wall slide is actually massive. I drove past it last week and I was shocked at its size.

The watercoaster is state of the art. Who knows what happens inside the volcano.

Its going to have the best slides in Orlando, that's for sure.

 

[rcoasterdude]

Lmao stop complaining. Volcano Bay has the best collections of slides I have ever seen. They have some of the best in one park. I bet we can be seeing a toilet bowl slide like Disco H2O come in

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Who's complaining? Universal fanboi's tend to over hype what creative is actually designing/building. All I'm doing is giving you an honest idea of what to expect compared to other parks.

Looking at the water coaster, I can almost guarantee you that nothing special happens during the ride other than intertwining with the manta slides and some pieces of the volcano. There aren't any show scenes, just a double back and forth once you reach the volcano portion.

The blue wall slide isn't any bigger than any other that Proslide have built. I drive past it every day.

 

[NJBrandon]

Amazing how all of the naysayers just show up at one time. If I was born yesterday, I would say that's a coincidence.

 

[Nick]

Amazing how all of the naysayers just show up at one time. If I was born yesterday, I would say that's a coincidence.

Nobody's "naysaying". We're simply stating facts about the park.

I literally said it will have potentially the best collection of rides in the United States. If you want to believe that me or anyone else are some sort of haters just because we criticized a component of the park than go ahead.

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Yeah, exactly. When the folks get excited about water shooting rafts, water coaster thematics/animations, and other things that are simply FAKE NEWS about this project - all some of us are trying to do is bring you back to reality. I guarantee you that there will be UO "fans" on this board that'll complain about the length of the slides, the lack of show scenes, among other ridiculous complaints that are flat out completely unfair not only to Universal, but to the people that are designing and building this incredible environment.

All I'm saying is, go into the park with the mindset that Volcano Bay is a holistic experience, because that's where the design is really going to shine. If you start singling out things based on unrealistic expectations, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. We've been through this already with Escape from Gringotts and Kong. Let's not make the same mistake a third time.

There will be a lot of really neat surprises inside of Volcano Bay, but they're far from what most of you think they're going to be.

 

[Imagineer83]

I must disagree a little bit here on the 'off the shelf' slide comments. Yes, there is no 'new' OMG slide tech. We have seen similar slides before at other parks around the world. However, every slide is a custom design based on previous tech with unique elements/ideas. There is just enough variations on existing tech to make things unique and new.

1. I am not aware of any other slides with two 'walls' (The blue one). All the ones I have seen just have one wall. Looks like there is potentially some good air time dropping into the second wall.
2. The only other 'saucer' slides I have seen are water coasters with saucer turns. This is the first round multi-person saucer slide I have seen. Plus there are gysers in the middle of the saucers spraying water.
3. There are three slides from the 'tallest' slide platform, not just one straight speed slide you typically see. All three should be thrilling. The two twisting slides are both unique and not just mirror images of each other like you typically see.
4. The water coaster is 100% custom layout. Yes the tech has been used before but this is a unique layout and does not have a 'lift'
5. The mat racer slides are all 4 100% custom layouts all unique, usually racing mat slides are identical lanes. This is essentially 4 unique slides under one ride name.
6. The blue/green 4 slide tower is the most 'generic' slide complex in my opinion but even that will have statues that spray water on riders and again contains 4 completely unique slides, not just mirror images.
7. The drop slides are full length twisting slides. Usually slides that 'drop' into a pool are rather short and pretty straight forward. These appear to be decent slides with a surprise ending.

It seems to me that most people who are 'disappointed' with the park so far were expecting original Typhoon Lagoon slides integration into the landscape. While this would have been cool it was never really what the park was suppose to be. Even the first concept art didn't portray this. This is much more of a thrill park with one heck of a center piece. Enjoy it for what it is and not what it could have been in your mind.

I am excited about the park and look forward to visiting later this year. It is a good time to be a theme park enthusiast!

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

^You make some valid points, but nothing you mentioned is earth shattering news. The point was that even though these are all custom slides, they're about as generic as they get. Some people on here are expecting the Cedar Point of water parks - and if you're looking for that, I suggest Splash n Safari. Volcano Bay is much much more.

 

[Andy]

Couple of thoughts

Off the shelf not really the greatest choice of words. I mean I get it. Universal went to Proslide and said give me one of everything out of a catalog. That's a fact so no debating that.

But think about it this way. If a new thrill park in America opens and approaches B&M to build one of each from their catalog what's everyones reaction to that. Anyone can argue layout customization all they want but rollercoasters much like waterslides only have so many elements to choose from. Point being Universal definitely didn't skimp when it came to paying for the best slides money can buy.

VB though will set itself apart when your there. All the helicopter or drone pics were seeing are completely missing some of the amazing details that's already been installed. There is a ton of tech within the park, the theming is going to be on the level of Skull Island, and yes there are incredible stories to be told.

 

[Mad Dog]

Couple of thoughts

Off the shelf not really the greatest choice of words. I mean I get it. Universal went to Proslide and said give me one of everything out of a catalog. That's a fact so no debating that.

But think about it this way. If a new thrill park in America opens and approaches B&M to build one of each from their catalog what's everyones reaction to that. Anyone can argue layout customization all they want but rollercoasters much like waterslides only have so many elements to choose from. Point being Universal definitely didn't skimp when it came to paying for the best slides money can buy.

VB though will set itself apart when your there. All the helicopter or drone pics were seeing are completely missing some of the amazing details that's already been installed. There is a ton of tech within the park, the theming is going to be on the level of Skull Island, and yes there are incredible stories to be told.

Cool....Now tell us something about Fallon Race to NY, since you set us up with your tweet earlier.

 

[Andy]

Cool....Now tell us something about Fallon Race to NY, since you set us up with your tweet earlier.

It's gonna suck... your welcome

 

[Mad Dog]

It's gonna suck... your welcome

...

 

[WAJAS]

It's gonna suck... your welcome

It's like we're getting Fast & Furious before it even opens.

 

[Teebin]

:look:

 

[Andy]

:look:

Maybe they're changing Fast and Furious...

 

[Miketheboss]

Nothing new to see but check out 2:50 and on. The cabanas have lovely views.

 

[rcoasterdude]

The point about this park is that most water parks have 3 of the green and blue slide complexes with maybe 1 or two special rides. Volcano Bay has not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, but 7 unique rides all at one park . That's a feat to behold. And tbh, sometimes I spend most of my time at the kids area even though I'm 14 (lmao don't judge, it's fun spraying people). I'll for sure be spending my free time there. And the lazy river. And the wave pool. All while still waiting in line!

 

[Andysol]

And tbh, sometimes I spend most of my time at the kids area even though I'm 14 (lmao don't judge, it's fun spraying people). I'll for sure be spending my free time there.

Most kid areas at water parks have height restrictions (maximum height of 48 or 52" typically).

I'm 33 and my two favorite things are shooting people on Popeye and also on occasion Ill sit at the top of the sprayers in the Jurassic park area and wait for someone to walk around the corner and shoot them real quick in the back then duck down and peak through the netting and watch them wonder where it came from all while I'm laughing like a juvenile.