Our third day of adventures brought us to beautiful Universal Orlando Resort and quite possibly the most anticipated destination of the trip. We started our short stay with a bang by checking into our private cabana at Volcano Bay! Check out the video below for a recap of our action packed day:
The morning started a bit later than most on this trip, but we still had to get our things packed up from our first hotel for the quick trip up I-5 to Universal. Our next round of accommodations were at the beautiful Portofino Bay Resort–unfortunately just for a one night stay this time around. With a somewhat lengthy line at check-in upon our arrival (around 8:30-9am), we decided to check our luggage and head straight for Volcano Bay to make the most of our cabana rental.
The resort bus was a tad sluggish but we were still able to get into the park just before the end of early entry, which lasted from 9:30 to 10am the day of our visit. After heading through the main gates and acquiring our Tapu-Tapu wristbands, we headed for the concierge to get all setup for our cabana. This was possibly the lone frustration of the morning, as the staff seemed to be a bit overwhelmed and we had to wait a good bit before we were escorted over to our cabana. Not a big deal at all, and like I said, it really was the only snafu of the otherwise perfect day.
I actually made the reservations for the cabana about a month or so out, and I inquired with them a few different times as to whether or not we could request a specific cabana. Apparently this used to be possible, but this is no longer the case as unfortunately our requests were denied. All worked out in the end though, as we were actually seated at our first choice location. How lucky is that? The cabana number was 22C, and it has to be the best location in the entire park. It perfectly overlooked Krakatau and Waturi Beach (the park’s centerpiece volcano and wave-pool, respectfully), and also gave us very convenient access to nearby bathrooms.
Upon arrival, the team member showing us to our destination gave us the rundown on all the cabana had to offer, including: a complimentary snack tray, plenty of fresh towels, a refrigerator stocked with bottled water, and our own private Tapu-Tapu touch point. This came in handy no longer than five minutes into our stay, as our whole group immediately tapped into the most popular attraction at the park, Krakatau Aqua Coaster. In addition to wait times for the waterslides, the touch point also had other useful info such as food and drink menus, a park map, and various other intel.
After getting settled in the cabana and ordering our first round of drinks, we locked up our valuables (in the included storage area) and took off for our first slides of the day. After starting off slow with a “ride-now” tube slide towards the back of the park, we made our way towards our first virtual queue of the day with the Krakatau Aqua Coaster. This is by far the best attraction in the park, and we had such a blast on this thing. It is by far the coolest waterslide I’ve ever ridden, and even though Olivia and me have been on it multiple times, it was so fun to share the experience with the rest of the family.
After perusing the back of the park a bit more, we made our way back to the cabana to hangout and soak up some of the warm Florida sun. We lucked out with the weather for this day, as there was no threat of rain but merely a healthy diet of sun & temperatures in the upper 80’s. We also put in our first food orders around this time, and everything that we indulged in was absolutely excellent–some of the best theme park food I have ever had. A few of the highlights were the pupu platter tray (a sampling of conch fritters, coconut shrimp and spring rolls), chicken sliders, “longboard” flatbread pizzas, and delicious yucca fries. Honestly, from what we tried, I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu here at Volcano Bay.
After some more time chilling at the cabana, we took off to get on a few more slides and test out the two “lazy” rivers they have at the park. I put the quotes on lazy only because one of the two is actually called the “Fearless River”, and it is pretty much anything but lazy. This is always one of the highlights of our visits, and this time around was no different. My mother especially loved the Fearless River, as we made two laps around while sharing countless laughs along the way. I think this was captured well in my recap video. We hit a few more slides along the way, but eventually made our way back to home base to recharge.
After another round of food at the cabana, my brother and I made preparations to ride the most intimidating and tallest slide in the park, the Ko’Kiri Plunge. Sadly, our time at the park was winding down, but we were able to secure a short wait via our personal tap point in the cabana. Ko’Kiri is a 125 foot tall drop-door body slide (housed within the Krakatau volcano) that pitches riders down a 70-degree-angle descent. This slide honestly freaks me out more than any roller coaster I have ever been on, but as an adrenaline junky, these are the things we live for. This was the exact reason I had to have my brother experience it with me. It is such an intimidating climb to the summit of the ride, but after the intense plunge, the feeling of accomplishment is unbeatable. A must ride in my opinion (although you would never be able to convince Olivia to get on it).
By the time we made it down Ko’Kiri, it was 5 o’clock and we had reached the park’s closing time. Reluctantly, we had to head back to the cabana to pack up our things and make our way over to the resort bus. Although none of us were ready to leave, we had such a full afternoon and made such amazing memories that we were content with calling it a day and sauntering our way to the exit. An epic adventure that I’m sure we will be talking about for some time.
The last part of our evening was another memorable family dinner, this time at Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium in Universal’s CityWalk. This restaurant has been on my list for some time, but it was even better sharing this first-time experience with the family. We indulged in some excellent drinks, an amazing meal, and two decadent milkshakes to finish it off. The perfect capper to an absolutely unforgettable day.
Although the price tag on the cabana can be somewhat high during peak season, we lucked out and were able to secure ours at a very reasonable rate. I would highly recommend this experience if visiting Volcano Bay–it certainly makes for an epic “splurge” that is more than worth the top-notch service, views, and amenities. It will definitely be tough visiting the park the next time without one, as we have been more than spoiled by this experience. Thanks again for checking out another entry in my six part spring break series, and be sure to stay tuned for the next blog on our full day at the dry parks of Universal Orlando Resort!
– Walker
Texas-Ranger Travels 