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Universal Orlando - Volcano Bay Waterpark, 2017

Rob

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Up until now this has been discussed in the existing Universal Studios/IOA Orlando thread however with so much going on at Universal these days I thought it would be clearer to create a seperate thread for the new waterpark they are building ready to open in 2017 - Volcano Bay.

Here is a look at a booth they have set up including the original piece of artwork:

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And a new concept image/plan:

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Source: CoasterForce

The volcano is clearly going to be very impressive but the rest of the waterpark does look a little uninspired if that concept is anything to go by.

Meanwhile a fire broke out last week where slide parts where being stored causing between $2-3 million worth of damage.

:)
 
I'm trying to work out if that's three separate lazy rivers, or one massive one that goes through the volcano a few times?
 
Lots of new details have been released today including the different slides etc- also from the new concept images released looks fantastic-

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Spanning 28 acres, Volcano Bay will transport you to a lush, tropical oasis inspired by the Pacific isles. Every step while you’re here can be filled with thrills, indulgence or rejuvenation.

Thrill seekers can enjoy unique experiences like surprising drop slides and our white-water action river. Or if you’re looking for a more relaxing experience, you’ll be able to enjoy our soothing winding river, serene beaches and two-story private cabanas.

Volcano Bay is made up of four incredibly themed areas with Polynesian influences ranging from Easter Island, Hawaii, New Zealand and more. Here’s what you’ll find in each area

Krakatau:
At the heart of the park, you’ll see the 200-foot-tall volcano called Krakatau. By day, you’ll see its majestic waterfalls. And by night, the volcano will illuminate with blazing lava.
Three distinctive body slides are found at the rear of the volcano, and each starts off with surprise doors that drop out from beneath you:
Ko’okiri Body Plunge: A racing, 70-degree drop that will plummet 125-feet through the center of Krakatau. It will be the world’s first slide to travel through a pool filled with guests.
Kala and Ta Nui Serpentine Body Slides: Two intertwining slides where you’ll fall freely along 124 twisting feet.
Punga Racers: A high-speed race through four different enclosed slides featuring manta-shaped mats.
Secret Attraction: I can’t talk about this one yet, but it’ll be like nothing else in the park.

Wave Village:
Located at the base of Krakatau, Wave Village is a perfect place to soak in the sun and relax on the sandy shores. It includes:
Waturi Beach: A sparkling, multi-directional wave pool where you can swim, relax on the sand or indulge in private, one- or two-story cabanas.
The Reef: An adjacent leisure pool with calmer waters and exciting views of riders speeding through the Ko’okiri Body Plunge.

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River Village:
River Village offers several family-friendly attractions and experiences and features:
Kopiko Wai Winding River: A gentle, winding river that passes through the volcano’s hidden caves, featuring spontaneous water effects and a journey through the cave of starlight.
Tot Tiki Reef: A whimsical toddler play area with spraying Maori fountains, slides and a kid-size volcano.
Runamukka Reef: A three-story water playground inspired by the coral reef overflowing with twisting slides, sprinklers and more.
Honu: An adventurous, multi-passenger raft ride that will soar across a dual wall.
Ika Moana: A twisting, multi-passenger raft ride that will glide across bubbling geysers.

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Rainforest Village:
Rainforest Village features an incredible assortment of attractions for thrill-seekers, including:
Maku: North America’s first “saucer ride”, sending multi-passenger rafts speeding around three saucer-shaped curves.
Puihi: A breath-taking multi-passenger raft ride that will plunge you into darkness before bursting into a funnel and launching into a zero-gravity drop.
Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides: Two twisting, adrenaline-pumping slides that launch you four- or six-feet above the water at the end.
TeAwa The Fearless River: An action-packed, racing torrent river where you’ll have to hang tight in your inner tube amidst roaring, whitewater rapids.
Taniwha Tubes: Four unique Easter Island-inspired slides with rafts for single or double riders.
Puka Uli Lagoon: A tranquil pool where you can swim and relax.

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Okay, I take back what I said, those concepts look pretty awesome! :D

EDIT:

A look at how things are taking shape:

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:)
 
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Well I'm impressed. The scale of this new park is really something to behold! I look forward to watching construction and then at some time visiting to site on those sandy shores.

I will never. Ever. Set foot near those drop floor slides :-|!!
 
Volcano Bay update from Bioreconstruct on Twitter:

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The slides are coming along nicely now. Shouldn't be all too long until we start seeing more theming work taking place.

:)
 
Blimey, they don't mess about, do they? Seems like only a few weeks ago they released the concept art, now it's half built. Meanwhile, in the UK, Paramount Park is still in limbo...
 
I never realised quite how many slides this park will have. Probably because the early concept art barely showed any of them.
 
Wow!!

That's a lot of slides! As much as I don't actually like water parks, this looks great. Definitely a contender to the Disney parks when it's open, unlike Wet n Wild at the moment.
 
Why on earth do we get the multicoloured slides? I love blizzard beach and typhoon lagoon - all of the slides are inkeeping with the theme of the park. Even if they were all bright orange/red to simulate lava. But no, a mix match of random colours. Aquatica & wet and wild are the same. As above, wet & wild is pants, Aquatica is decent though. I love a day at one of them - great way to split up a few days at parks. I once found myself on the lazy river at blizzard beach for 4 hours! Needless to say, I was burned to a crisp. Anyway, I look forward to volcano bay, it looks great.
 
Some more brilliant new aerial photos of Volcano Bay construction from MickeyXtreme:

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It is looking better and better with every update. Something worth considering though is just how close the edge of the waterpark is to both the I4 and Turkey Lake Road. Disney's waterparks benefit from being set back away from roads helping to create a relaxed environment. Universal are going to have to be very clever to give the same feel for Volcano Bay.

:)
 
There has been lots of progress at Volcano Bay since I last posted an update. Scaffolding on the volcano (Krakatau) is starting to come down:

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And theming is beginning to appear on slide structures:

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The entrance to the park:

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All images credit to bioreconstruct on Twitter.

:)
 
I never expected this when it was first rumoured about Universal getting a waterpark. I just presumed it'd be your standard 'oh look, we've got big slides' job but this is on another level...
 
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Also for anyone interested it looks like the TapuTapu wristbands that work the virtual queue at Volcano Bay are based on the Prism system from Accesso http://accesso.com/solutions/loqueue/prism which looks very impressive. I assume you will need to leave a deposit for the wristband though!


Merlin are just implementing ticketing on all sites this year from Accesso and they also make the Q-Bot system.
 
So Volcano Bay opnes in just over 3 weeks and it has been quite a while since we had an update in this thread. So here are some photos from bioreconstruct on Twitter to recify that:

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I've got to be honest here and say that I do have a few concerns. Firstly it looks like there is still a hell of a lot to do before opening day. I know that they are working around the clock but there is surely a risk that not everything will be finished on time. Secondly the south side of the volcano looks much more open towards the bottom than I was expecting which is a pity. Hopefully they will improve the look of this over the next few weeks.

Aerial photos probably don't do the park justice but despite that fact that it is not yet finished I am struggling to see how this might be as immersive as Disney's water parks. It reminds me more of Aquatica but with a huge theming structure in the middle. However there are plenty of slide and I'm sure it will be a brilliant park!

:)
 
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