Volcano Bay: General Discussion

[Disneyhead]

There is a lot planned for the expansion plot. One of which is a Mammoth Behemoth. I don't believe that is first up though.

And the volcano is finished. To say otherwise is just plain ignorant.

 

[Cheezbat]

There is a lot planned for the expansion plot. One of which is a Mammoth Behemoth. I don't believe that is first up though.

And the volcano is finished. To say otherwise is just plain ignorant.

It may be finished, but it will always look unfinished. Poor design choice.

 

[Brian G.]

It may be finished, but it will always look unfinished. Poor design choice.

I believe there was a legitimate reason it was left open (Believe it was safety/fire hazard related), so it wasn't so much poor design choice.

But I can't say anything as to why they left the view of the pipes open along the bottom/Te Awa River.

 

[Clive]

I believe there was a legitimate reason it was left open (Believe it was safety/fire hazard related), so it wasn't so much poor design choice.

But I can't say anything as to why they left the view of the pipes open along the bottom/Te Awa River.

They knew with plenty of time what the "design" would amount to in its current direction. Yes, it was safety-related. They still proceeded without changes, which I regard as a failure.

And the river failure is its own tragedy.

 

[Cheezbat]

I believe there was a legitimate reason it was left open (Believe it was safety/fire hazard related), so it wasn't so much poor design choice.

But I can't say anything as to why they left the view of the pipes open along the bottom/Te Awa River.

There are many ways around that...but they decided to go with what they did, and while the front looks spectacular, the back will always look unfinished.

With all the money thrown at this park, they could have and should have done so much more to theme the slide supports and towers.
I like the park but it’s not what I had hoped it would be.

Here’s hoping water park #2 ups the ante.

 

[RFRees]

Here’s hoping water park #2 ups the ante.

Yeah I mean it was their first water park they had ever built (they had only bought Wet n Wild), so hopefully they'll use that experience to develop something even better.

That being said... I've tried to find any water park with better theming (around the world) and can't come up with anything.

 

[Magic Feather]

That being said... I've tried to find any water park with better theming (around the world) and can't come up with anything.

Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Pretty Much Any Atlantis Waterpark... There is a huge list, some of which barely involve driving.

 

[RFRees]

Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Pretty Much Any Atlantis Waterpark... There is a huge list, some of which barely involve driving.

I guess that's a matter of opinion then - I don't consider the Disney parks better themed. Checked out Atlantis Dubai and that does look better themed.

 

[Magic Feather]

I guess that's a matter of opinion then - I don't consider the Disney parks better themed. Checked out Atlantis Dubai and that does look better themed.

While I personally don't find Volcano Bay (other than the front side of the Volcano itself) to compare to this:

I do suppose that it is a matter of opinion. And, for what its worth, I do find Volcano Bay to be a better balance of theme and thrill (Typhoon and to a lesser extent BB compromise a lot of thrill).

 

[Brian G.]

There are many ways around that...but they decided to go with what they did, and while the front looks spectacular, the back will always look unfinished.

With all the money thrown at this park, they could have and should have done so much more to theme the slide supports and towers.
I like the park but it’s not what I had hoped it would be.

Here’s hoping water park #2 ups the ante.

There are many ways around OSHA regulations?

It was always going to be open-sided. They could've decided to extend the volcano rockwork to cover the drop slides, but overall the volcano would be left open. Either way, I guess I disagree with the term "unfinished".

 

[Andysol]

With such limited expansion space, and water parks not being the best venue for a sit down restaurant, I would seriously doubt a sit down in that space. .

Right. The only conceivable place they ever would have put one was towards the entrance facing the volcano. But even at that point, a sit down at a water park was a long shot at best.

I would have to agree with @Magic Feather that TL seems more "immersive"- whatever you'd call having things "blend in" more. Yes, I realize it's supposed to be that way. But it doesn't make me dislike Dinoland anymore.
That said, as I've said many times: VB is by a mile my favorite water park in Orlando. TL/BB doesn't even get close IMO.

 

[Cheezbat]

There are many ways around OSHA regulations?

It was always going to be open-sided. They could've decided to extend the volcano rockwork to cover the drop slides, but overall the volcano would be left open. Either way, I guess I disagree with the term "unfinished".

No...there are many ways around theming and enclosing most of the volcano structure WITHOUT violating regulations or safety requirements. They just chose not to spend the extra millions to do so.

You may not think it looks unfinished, but the majority of people I’ve talked to think that it does.

 

[Disneyhead]

No...there are many ways around theming and enclosing most of the volcano structure WITHOUT violating regulations or safety requirements. They just chose not to spend the extra millions to do so.

You may not think it looks unfinished, but the majority of people I’ve talked to think that it does.

What Universal built was much more expensive than simply enclosing the volcano. They lined the entire interior of the volcano with rock work. Simply closing in the gap would have been far less rock work.

 

[Scott W.]

What Universal built was much more expensive than simply enclosing the volcano. They lined the entire interior of the volcano with rock work. Simply closing in the gap would have been far less rock work.

I don't get the logic behind that decision. Make it look worse and cost more?

 

[RFRees]

If you start a conversation with "do you think the volcano looks unfinished?" it's going to lead people to say yes. I'd be curious what the guest satisfaction surveys say...

I've heard a lot of people come off F&F saying it sucked (without asking), but from my dozen trips to VB I've never heard a random person say the volcano looks unfinished.

 

[Joel]

Besides being underneath the volcano, there a few places within the park that the back, open-side of the volcano really strikes you. Obviously when we constantly receive aerial images from bio, our viewpoint is skewed from what the designers of the park envisioned. That leads to the question of whether designers will take into consideration aerial viewpoints when designing from now on?

 

[Jwhee]

While we're on the topic of the half volcano and the exposed tubing, lets take a moment to remember this joke they pulled on us too:

 

[RFRees]

Looks familiar to another over-hyped attraction.

 

[WAJAS]

Looks familiar to another over-hyped attraction.

Fair is fair

 

[Teebin]

One of the things that brings me to this forum is the details found at theme parks like this table. What department decided that they needed a worn painted table? Did they paint it and then use a disc sander to wear off the paint? Did they then rub it with a darker paint and wipe it off to look a bit used? Or did they merely run out and buy an old used table? Hmmm...