Universal’s Volcano Bay is truly an innovative leap forward in the attraction experience. It’s Tapu-Tapu system eliminates the traditional queue line, requiring an increase in the number of “play areas” including pools, two rivers (lazy and not so lazy), and a large children’s splash pad area. There’s certainly plenty for adults and older kids – but what about toddlers? Let’s explore 8 toddler-friendly activities at Universal’s water park.
Bus Ride
After parking, you’ll need to take a bus from the lot to the park’s entrance. For my toddler, this was an attraction all by itself. She was so excited, even though the bus was too crowded to sit during her initial ride to the park. I have a feeling most toddlers will be equally as thrilled.
Pathways
Once we entered, my toddler was absolutely amazed at the sights of the park. She loved exploring the pathways, seeing some of the props and scenery, and of course, she was “wowed” by the sight of the volcano. Simply walking around the park probably could have provided her with a good hour of entertainment.
Waturi Beach
Next to the wave pool, you’ll find plenty of sand ready for playing and building. Between wave sessions (since during the waves even the shallow water can be a little rough), toddlers can wade in the zero entry portion of the pool and play in the water as well.
The Reef and Puka Uli Lagoon
If your toddler will wear a life jacket, they can play in two pool areas: The Reef overlooking Waturi Beach and Puka Uli near the drop slides. Each pool has multiple Tapu-Tapu play points (lights, sounds, or water features activated by using your Tapu-Tapu wrist band) and a view of the park’s other attractions.
**I should note that toddlers will not receive a Tapu-Tapu wrist band as they do not need a ticket to enter the park. However, my daughter was still entertained watching Mama use her wristband to activate these play points.**
Kopiko Wai Winding River
Universal’s official stipulation is that children under 48″ need to wear a lifejacket on this attraction. Honestly, unless my toddler was a very strong swimmer, I don’t know if I’d ever be comfortable with such a young child on this river – life jacket or not. It’s the constant current that makes me so nervous, but each parent has to make their own decision.
Inside Krakatau
Inside the actual volcano, guests can find a couple Tapu-Tapu play points, a small splash pad, and even an interactive talking face. This video from Attractions Magazine shows all the explorable features for those brave enough to enter.
Runamukka Reef
This splash pad is divided into two portions: an area for toddlers and babies called Tot Tiki Reef and a much larger area for bigger kids. Of course the bigger kids should get the bigger area, but it means that the easily accessible portion for toddlers and babies really only amounts to about 20% of the entire attraction.
Of course, even though the toddler area is small, it’s really well done. There are two slides, fountains, a volcano, and spitting statues to explore. While she enjoyed herself -going down each slide multiple times and running circles around the fountains- my daughter was ready to leave after about 25 minutes. We moved to the bigger kid area, and she found some fish-shaped spitters to enjoy for a short time. When she tired of them, we ran into a problem. The majority of this play area required kids to climb some very scary stairs. Now, my daughter doesn’t mind a few steps, but these stairs were either covered in intimidating rushing water or they were behind a sprinkler/waterfall. It took a lot of coaxing, but eventually she would go up the steps while holding my hand.
Once we got into the bigger kid area, she found more Tapu-Tapu play points and a few caves to explore. I tried to get her to do some of the larger slides or play equipment, but she was still too nervous-even after conquering the stairs. We were pretty limited in this area, but it did provide some entertainment. If we had spent more time, she may have gathered the courage to go farther inside to find more fun.
My Daughter’s Favorite Volcano Bay Attraction
But the most exciting part of her day at Volcano Bay? The sprinklers meant to cool down the park’s pathways. I’m dead serious. She wanted to stop at every single one of them and play with her feet in the stream.
Are there enough activities to entertain a toddler for an entire day? My final answer is maybe… if you work at it. Since they can’t do any of the larger rides and slides, your party will need to take turns experiencing these attractions. If you’re willing to deal with the logistical struggles and to get creative when your toddler gets bored of an area – you can spend a successful day at Volcano Bay.
