Volcano Bay: General Discussion

[Brian G.]

Why would they opt for a slide with such a limitation (considering today's demographic of American's being overweight). It seems like all of this could have easily been avoided if they built normal drop slides without the trap door.

Well that is if that rumor is, indeed, true. Right now it's just speculation. I will be there Thursday to see.

If it is, I'd wager it is a temporary solution for something they are trying to rectify.

 

[MiddKid]

Why would they opt for a slide with such a limitation (considering today's demographic of American's being overweight). It seems like all of this could have easily been avoided if they built normal drop slides without the trap door.

I'm assuming this has nothing to do with the trap doors (which are in place at slides across the world) and more with the speed/intensity of the slide itself. Slide designs land up being custom designs and once you open them you sometimes find out a human body will take the trip at slightly different speeds/angles than the CAD models told you. Given how intense everyone is reporting that these slides are, I'm betting the slide itself is faster than originally designed. Short term solution is to lower the weight limit to slow it down. Unfortunately if this is the case, the eventual solution is the re-profiling of the slide which is not an easy fix.

This happens all the time on roller coasters. After a season of operation they re-profile hills or add brakes to control the speed. Unfortunately with a water slide you're dealing with bodily harm so changes are needed in the short term. Only change short of shutting it down...lower the weight.

Heck, this happened at Volcano Bay. After Honu was testing they had to take some pieces off and change the slide angles. Thankfully you have that option with the wide open walls of Honu. Not much you can do on a tube slide.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Well they should know to weigh you before you can get the Tapu reservation - but if they don't they deserve the backlash from guests who waited.

 

[Frank Drackman]

Well that is if that rumor is, indeed, true. Right now it's just speculation. I will be there Thursday to see.

If it is, I'd wager it is a temporary solution for something they are trying to rectify.

When I went to get in the queue for the two trap door slides (blue and green I believe) I saw a gentleman get turned away, he mentioned he had already done the one on the other side (the clear tube one)...so I assume there must be something going on...

 

[MiddKid]

When I went to get in the queue for the two trap door slides (blue and green I believe) I saw a gentleman get turned away, he mentioned he had already done the one on the other side (the clear tube one)...so I assume there must be something going on...

This is more "proof" to my theory in post 1282 above. It's not the trap door mechanism...it's the design/speed of the blue/green slide.

 

[wreck]

Either that's misreported, or a very temporary thing. The average male weighs between 195-200 so that's not giving a lot of wiggle (or JIGGLE, get it!??... I'm sorry) room.

Well that is if that rumor is, indeed, true. Right now it's just speculation. I will be there Thursday to see.

If it is, I'd wager it is a temporary solution for something they are trying to rectify.

Nope there is no speculation about it, I have first person experience with it but yes it could be temporary
I was there on the 31st of May and was denied access to both the Kala & Ta Nui serpentine body slides "blue and green" I was told my only option was the red slide "Kokoiri'

I weight 230 and was told that the weight limit on those two were 200# or less and he also told my daughter she could only ride those two and not allowed on the red slide because she was to light

 

[Frank Drackman]

I was pretty surprised by how many maintenance and OPs folks there are around the park. Saw things like folks timing how often a canoe went by. I assume things are getting better everyday...but there was also some pretty bad work done that should not have been signed off on.

I mean poor bar tenders that have to dodge rain under the canopy, needing to put a trash bag over a cash register, the worst part to me was that the drain in the floor is higher than the part of the floor where a lot of water is puddling (go figure).

We saw a lot of 'ride now' slides today. I did ask if you could ride now if you already had a place in line elsewhere and I was told that you could (though I did not try). You do tap in for a 'ride now', but I assume that is so they know when to start a wait time back up.

I'm not sure if they take photos, but that could be another reason, I know I saw a lot of wifi looking white boxes up in the slide area...pretty sure it was ohya where I saw like three or four right were you get in the slide.

Anyway, we had a great day today, everything was ride now for early entry. The rain came in around 1:30, but I do not think the tube slides ever left the ride now state.

I do not get why ohno and ohya take so much time...it just seems like their capacity should be way greater than what I saw.

This really is a beautiful park in my eyes, a great addition and lots of fun.

People suck though. I mean, on all these slides or I mean the stairs to the slides...the metal railings are painted to look like stained wood but it has all been scraped off to show the grey paint underneath, just hard to believe how new the place is and how bad some things are holding up.

 

[adjjb]

I weight 230 and was told that the weight limit on those two were 200# or less and he also told my daughter she could only ride those two and not allowed on the red slide because she was to light

So there's a too light limit too? What's the red slide light limit?

Have they added a patch or covered the signs that say 300 lbs limit?

 

[Mad Dog]

I'm assuming this has nothing to do with the trap doors (which are in place at slides across the world) and more with the speed/intensity of the slide itself. Slide designs land up being custom designs and once you open them you sometimes find out a human body will take the trip at slightly different speeds/angles than the CAD models told you. Given how intense everyone is reporting that these slides are, I'm betting the slide itself is faster than originally designed. Short term solution is to lower the weight limit to slow it down. Unfortunately if this is the case, the eventual solution is the re-profiling of the slide which is not an easy fix.

This happens all the time on roller coasters. After a season of operation they re-profile hills or add brakes to control the speed. Unfortunately with a water slide you're dealing with bodily harm so changes are needed in the short term. Only change short of shutting it down...lower the weight.

Heck, this happened at Volcano Bay. After Honu was testing they had to take some pieces off and change the slide angles. Thankfully you have that option with the wide open walls of Honu. Not much you can do on a tube slide.

Welcome to the IU (OU) Forums. :thumbsup:

 

[Frank Drackman]

So there's a too light limit too? What's the red slide light limit?

Have they added a patch or covered the signs that say 300 lbs limit?

my family is the type that doesn't read signs. We've been to VB twice, but never saw a wait time board. We only figured out where the totems were for blue and green when we saw them from the stairs for ohno.

my daughter is light and she was weighed before she was allowed to enter the line for the volcano slides.

 

[epcyclopedia]

my family is the type that doesn't read signs. We've been to VB twice, but never saw a wait time board. We only figured out where the totems were for blue and green when we saw them from the stairs for ohno.

my daughter is light and she was weighed before she was allowed to enter the line for the volcano slides.

Lol, you reminded me of one of my most memorable guest encounters when I worked in attractions. Standing in front of the ride sign - it visable just over my head at the entry portal.

"Is this a ride?"

"It's a thrilling attraction with sharp drops and sudden turns." *points at sign*

"It's a thrill ride?"

"It has sharp drops and sudden turns." *points at sign which says the same thing, again*

"But does it move?"

"Sharp drops and sudden turns." *pointing to those specific words on the sign*

"So it doesn't move?"

"It does whatever you want to believe it does. Right this way to enter."

 

[UNIrd]

Lol, you reminded me of one of my most memorable guest encounters when I worked in attractions. Standing in front of the ride sign - it visable just over my head at the entry portal.

"Is this a ride?"

"It's a thrilling attraction with sharp drops and sudden turns." *points at sign*

"It's a thrill ride?"

"It has sharp drops and sudden turns." *points at sign which says the same thing, again*

"But does it move?"

"Sharp drops and sudden turns." *pointing to those specific words on the sign*

"So it doesn't move?"

"It does whatever you want to believe it does. Right this way to enter."

What ride was it?

 

[epcyclopedia]

What ride was it?

4 hour waits

 

[Scott W.]

There is a weigh-in at the entrance of the slides.

What if you have a cabana?

 

[wreck]

Well that is if that rumor is, indeed, true. Right now it's just speculation. I will be there Thursday to see.

If it is, I'd wager it is a temporary solution for something they are trying to rectify.

What if you have a cabana?

Woops ya found a glitch in the system but not to worry too much I headI the all cabana tikis weren't working right anyways .
I had to walk to the top of the 200 foot stairs before I got weighed. Did they move the scale to the bottom now??? And is there one near both Tapu Tapu locations ?
I'd be a little Tikied off if I tapped in for the Ko okiri slide and got denied at the bottom of the stairs at Kala & Ta Nui because there is only one way up that I know of but the tapu tapu locations are on opposite sides on the volcano.

 

[Frank Drackman]

they had two entrances open to the top platform. One side is green and blue, the other side is the red trap door.

on my 2nd day, they had the coaster loading from two sides.

 

[rhino4evr]

I teeter between 195 and 205 on a fairly regular basis. The thought that I may be slightly too heavy to ride is something new to me. I don't consider myself obese, just slightly overweight, like a TON of Americans. If there really is a 200lb weight limit, that will really cut down the amount of people that can ride.

I'm actually surprised there isn't an outrage about this considering the endless outrage I hear about "test seat paranoia" in every new ride thread.

200 lb is NOT that heavy. That basically limits the ride to teenagers and slim or short adults. That's a BIG fail for their showcase "volcano rides" in my opinion . I really hope its temporary.

 

[UNIrd]

So I should stop lifting weights then..

 

[Frank Drackman]

What if you have a cabana?

does having a cabana fly you to the top of the volcano?

it's like the height sticks, you should be stopped at the entrance but if you get by, you will be stopped before boarding, but nothing stops you from getting a fast pass

 

[Scott W.]

does having a cabana fly you to the top of the volcano?

it's like the height sticks, you should be stopped at the entrance but if you get by, you will be stopped before boarding, but nothing stops you from getting a fast pass

True but when there is no height stick or weight scale in a cabana as you make your reservation and wait to ride, you could understand the frustration. Also, a fast pass doesn't stop you waiting in line for other rides.