Volcano Bay: General Discussion

[Bulldog45]

Multiple sources have told me that not hitting their projected numbers has hurt the resort as a whole, and even led to some of the cost-cutting measures we've seen. Yea, it sees decent crowds, and even hits capacity during season, but that "capacity" is apparently not what they were hoping it would be, so they're seeing that as losses of potential earnings based on (inaccurate) projections made before it opened.

Sorry, but I'm not following. How is reaching capacity not meeting their numbers? If they literally can't let anymore people in the park then I would think they are hitting their numbers, at least during the busy season.

 

[JungleSkip]

Sorry, but I'm not following. How is reaching capacity not meeting their numbers? If they literally can't let anymore people in the park then I would think they are hitting their numbers, at least during the busy season.

Because the *theoretical* numbers for capacity were much higher than what the actual "capacity" is. The theoretical numbers are the ones they based profit expectations on. With significantly less people in the park than those theoretical numbers, they're making significantly less money than they thought they would.

 

[Alicia]

Sorry, but I'm not following. How is reaching capacity not meeting their numbers? If they literally can't let anymore people in the park then I would think they are hitting their numbers, at least during the busy season.

They thought the park was going to hold more people. It doesn't. So they're making less money than they expected.

Physical limitations, and not enough space to hold all the people not standing in physical lines is part of the problem (a side effect of TapuTapu). Other issues are the slides not putting enough people through per hour. Etc etc.

Bottom line is, the park is small, and they thought it was big, so they miscalculated prior to opening how much money they could theoretically make.

 

[Bulldog45]

Because the *theoretical* numbers for capacity were much higher than what the actual "capacity" is. The theoretical numbers are the ones they based profit expectations on. With significantly less people in the park than those theoretical numbers, they're making significantly less money than they thought they would.

Gotcha. So basically they were hoping to get more people in the park on a given day, especially those days that they hit capacity. Thus, missing out on food/beverage sales as well as other miscellaneous ways to make money like cabana and locker rentals, etc.

 

[JungleSkip]

Gotcha. So basically they were hoping to get more people in the park on a given day, especially those days that they hit capacity. Thus, missing out on food/beverage sales as well as other miscellaneous ways to make money like cabana and locker rentals, etc.

Yea, exactly. They overshot their limit on basically every Volcano Bay preopening projection

 

[Mad Dog]

How so? Did they think the park would "hold" more people, and Tapu Tapu failed, so they had to restrict capacity?

Alicia & Jungle Skip have covered that well. Essentially capacity shortfall is the situation that has retarded the ability of Universal Orlando to reach their profit projections, and subsequently cut's in the overall resort operation have occurred because of this. Kind of a case where a revenue issue in one segment affects all the other segments of the business. Or a smaller version of the Thank You Shanghai situation. These things do not happen in a vacuum.

 

[Scott W.]

They thought the park was going to hold more people. It doesn't. So they're making less money than they expected.

Physical limitations, and not enough space to hold all the people not standing in physical lines is part of the problem (a side effect of TapuTapu). Other issues are the slides not putting enough people through per hour. Etc etc.

Bottom line is, the park is small, and they thought it was big, so they miscalculated prior to opening how much money they could theoretically make.

This is my graph about Tapu Tapu:

 

[Alicia]

This is my graph about Tapu Tapu:

View attachment 8255

Turns out not having people all physically standing in lines means you have too many people on pathways, in pools or in the rivers, meaning congestion in all areas, and a need for larger guest areas.

Adding the new covered seating areas a few months back was a nice step in the right direction, because there just needs to be more places for people to be, if they're not standing in a line somewhere while waiting to ride.

 

[Mad Dog]

Turns out not having people all physically standing in lines means you have too many people on pathways, in pools or in the rivers, meaning congestion in all areas, and a need for larger guest areas.

Adding the new covered seating areas a few months back was a nice step in the right direction, because there just needs to be more places for people to be, if they're not standing in a line somewhere while waiting to ride.

Reminds me of the argument against switching attractions to Virtual lines. Essentially the same negative things happen. Hopefully Universal has backed off of that concept, except for an attraction here or there. I recall the UC mgr. for Fallon talking about how they wanted to do Virtual lines for most everything in the future. If Universal is smart they'll burn those ideas on a big trash bonfire and throw tapu tapu into the flames too.

 

[Magic-Man]

Reminds me of the argument against switching attractions to Virtual lines. Essentially the same negative things happen. Hopefully Universal has backed off of that concept, except for an attraction here or there. I recall the UC mgr. for Fallon talking about how they wanted to do Virtual lines for most everything in the future. If Universal is smart they'll burn those ideas on a big trash bonfire and throw tapu tapu into the flames too.

Are the queue lines at VB long enough to handle the crowds without a Tapu-Tapu?

 

[Andysol]

Are the queue lines at VB long enough to handle the crowds without a Tapu-Tapu?

Everything except Krakatau would be more than able to.

 

[Mad Dog]

Word (from some Insiders) has it that the Universal Orlando Executive that pushed for Tapu Tapu is stubbornly refusing to acknowledge it has been a misstep , and won't back off his support.

 

[JunoSynth]

Word (from some Insiders) has it that the Universal Orlando Executive that pushed for Tapu Tapu is stubbornly refusing to acknowledge it has been a misstep , and won't back off his support.

That doesn't surprise me. lol

I wonder if they considered removing Tapu from half the rides to see what happens. I wouldn't think the drop slides need it. It's a loooong road up those stairs!

 

[Alicia]

That doesn't surprise me. lol

I wonder if they considered removing Tapu from half the rides to see what happens. I wouldn't think the drop slides need it. It's a loooong road up those stairs!

Maybe one day, in the distant future, only the water coaster (and maybe Honu) will be the only ride with reservations... And they keep Tapu (or something like it) for interactivity, lockers, purchasing, etc. Someday.

 

[Andysol]

Word (from some Insiders) has it that the Universal Orlando Executive that pushed for Tapu Tapu is stubbornly refusing to acknowledge it has been a misstep , and won't back off his support.

The idea isn't bad in theory. Had the numbers met pro-slides theoretical capacity, it would be much better received. It's not the executive's fault entirely.
The design also failed in it's execution of Tapu Tapu. There should've been an interactive shooting area similar to Jurassic Park's area for adults and teens to run around and shoot people with water guns. They needed more activity things to do, and fell short there as well.

As mediocre as it would be, an interactive area w/ a 4 body slide "non-tapu" tower is really all they need to get their capacity to what they originally wanted. If they can throw in a Mammoth, that'd be great too. Although preferably, they have an interactive ride similar to Yas that can interact with the people below who have guns, etc.

That doesn't surprise me. lol

I wonder if they considered removing Tapu from half the rides to see what happens. I wouldn't think the drop slides need it. It's a loooong road up those stairs!

It's an all or nothing situation though. If half the rides weren't tapu tapu, then that 2 hr Krakatau would end up being 4 hrs. It'd be asinine.

 

[rhino4evr]

The idea isn't bad in theory. Had the numbers met pro-slides theoretical capacity, it would be much better received. It's not the executive's fault entirely.
The design also failed in it's execution of Tapu Tapu. There should've been an interactive shooting area similar to Jurassic Park's area for adults and teens to run around and shoot people with water guns. They needed more activity things to do, and fell short there as well.

As mediocre as it would be, an interactive area w/ a 4 body slide "non-tapu" tower is really all they need to get their capacity to what they originally wanted. If they can throw in a Mammoth, that'd be great too. Although preferably, they have an interactive ride similar to Yas that can interact with the people below who have guns, etc.




It's an all or nothing situation though. If half the rides weren't tapu tapu, then that 2 hr Krakatau would end up being 4 hrs. It'd be asinine.

that water gun roller coaster looks amazing. i do think its weird riding a roller coaster with your shirt off though.......

 

[Cheezbat]

I’ve talked with friends of mine who work Volcano Bay and they’ve told me numbers...and the numbers for what they’ve allowed in the park are high for a waterpark, but with the amount of attractions the park has, it becomes a nightmare. Nowhere near enough things to do. You have people everywhere clogging up the paths and rivers and restaurants while they all wait for their rides. This would be more acceptable if the park was much larger...like say 70 acres...but in a tiny 30 acre plot you can only fit so many people. TapuTapu is a major failure, and the slides not hitting their projected numbers is affected by TapuTapu. Obviously if the capacity of a slide is 400 people an hour, it’s going to be easier to get that 400 people on if they’re already in line. It’s the same issue with fastpass and how it’s created lines on rides that never had them before. It’s a mess.

My personal opinion is that Universal looked at TapuTapu as the game changer when in reality they should’ve spent all that money on more attractions and dumped the Tapu concept immediately after they saw how much of a mess it was. I’ve been to the park a number of times, but have only ridden a few slides because of the chaos. Honestly I’d rather stand in the lines at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon ir Aquatica over the mess at VB.

 

[rhino4evr]

I’ve talked with friends of mine who work Volcano Bay and they’ve told me numbers...and the numbers for what they’ve allowed in the park are high for a waterpark, but with the amount of attractions the park has, it becomes a nightmare. Nowhere near enough things to do. You have people everywhere clogging up the paths and rivers and restaurants while they all wait for their rides. This would be more acceptable if the park was much larger...like say 70 acres...but in a tiny 30 acre plot you can only fit so many people. TapuTapu is a major failure, and the slides not hitting their projected numbers is affected by TapuTapu. Obviously if the capacity of a slide is 400 people an hour, it’s going to be easier to get that 400 people on if they’re already in line. It’s the same issue with fastpass and how it’s created lines on rides that never had them before. It’s a mess.

My personal opinion is that Universal looked at TapuTapu as the game changer when in reality they should’ve spent all that money on more attractions and dumped the Tapu concept immediately after they saw how much of a mess it was. I’ve been to the park a number of times, but have only ridden a few slides because of the chaos. Honestly I’d rather stand in the lines at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon ir Aquatica over the mess at VB.

this makes a lot of sense to me. Tapu Tapu seems like a good idea on paper, but in reality it just makes the entire park a waiting room, instead of a place to explore while walking between rides. The wave pool or lazy river aren't as much fun when everyone is using it.
People still end up waiting once their "time" is up. So what's the point?

 

[Bobharlem]

Gotta call shenanigans on the Tapu Tapu making slides not hitting their projected numbers claim, what would that do to ride throughput if there are lines already there? It would only matter if the queues dried up with nobody in them. Sounds more like a scapegoat for the actual problem (just not enough capacity or over estimated ride throughput).

 

[Alicia]

Gotta call shenanigans on the Tapu Tapu making slides not hitting their projected number, what would that do to ride throughput if there are lines already there? It would only matter if the queues dried up with nobody in them.

Slides aren’t hitting their projected numbers because ProSlide gave numbers that weren’t correct. Tapu issues are unrelated to that.