Volcano Bay Construction & Preview Discussion

[Teebin]

It will be interesting to see why they need bus parking in both areas. I personally doubt WnW will be involved. Perhaps bus parking in the tram area will be for the north hotels...

 

[Imagineer83]

Interesting, that tunnel will be a pedestrian tunnel. Always thought it was for trams to drive through. Now the size makes perfect sense. I always thought the turn into/out of the tunnel looked very tight. Makes perfect sense that the trams will not drive through this tunnel now.

This makes me wonder if the tram is only meant for guests arriving by car that park in the garages. Hotel guests will either walk or use buses. The buses will drop off right at the bus loop. Can't image any other guests would arrive by bus that close to the entrance on such a tight site.

For some reason I always thought that hotel guests would access the tram via City Walk and the tram would be 'part of the park experience'. Now I believe that is completely wrong and onsite guests will have a more 'express' entrance to the park.

 

[Teebin]

I spit on the base of this sign... I dunno who is creating these retro looks within UC but I am sick of it. I would like to belt them with 1960's boomerang Formica.

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

:saywhat:

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Interesting, that tunnel will be a pedestrian tunnel. Always thought it was for trams to drive through. Now the size makes perfect sense. I always thought the turn into/out of the tunnel looked very tight. Makes perfect sense that the trams will not drive through this tunnel now.

This makes me wonder if the tram is only meant for guests arriving by car that park in the garages. Hotel guests will either walk or use buses. The buses will drop off right at the bus loop. Can't image any other guests would arrive by bus that close to the entrance on such a tight site.

For some reason I always thought that hotel guests would access the tram via City Walk and the tram would be 'part of the park experience'. Now I believe that is completely wrong and onsite guests will have a more 'express' entrance to the park.

Yes. Much like Disney's Magic Kingdom experience. Guests who park use a tram. Hotel guests use transit options available to them (in this case buses or walking) which is pretty cool but not sure if it's efficient. I'm sure more effective than Disney being Universal has a smaller transit footprint but still as effective.

 

[epcyclopedia]

I didn't realize it was a pedestrian tunnel either - but that creates some other questions now too. There's a slope up from the tunnel that is extremely steep looking. How does that work?

And again, why two bus drop offs?

There's 5 stops at the park side teardrop. That's Portofino, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, Adventura, and Sapphire Falls maybe?

I can't see them bothering with Cabana Bay. I'm iffy on Sapphire and Adventure due to their proximity.

So the tram side stops would be for other resort and tour buses? I sort of assumed they would all drop off at the main garage, but maybe not.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Yes. Much like Disney's Magic Kingdom experience. Guests who park use a tram. Hotel guests use transit options available to them (in this case buses or walking) which is pretty cool but not sure if it's efficient. I'm sure more effective than Disney being Universal has a smaller transit footprint but still as effective.

Speaking of smaller - like the mystery stops on the tear drop - ever wonder where in the hell all the bus stops at Cabana Bay are supposed to be for? It just runs one shuttle to/from the parking garage. What are the other bus stops for?

 

[WAJAS]

Speaking of smaller - like the mystery stops on the tear drop - ever wonder where in the hell all the bus stops at Cabana Bay are supposed to be for? It just runs one shuttle to/from the parking garage. What are the other bus stops for?

They're thinking ahead. I doubt they have legitimate plans for the extra stops, but you want to build for the future.

 

[tielo]

I noticed Universal is working on land next to the main parking entrance at the resort. It looks quite wide. Will they also use a part of it (next to it or above it) to transport guests to their new sites (the replacement for W&W and the third park)?

 

[Frank Drackman]

Speaking of smaller - like the mystery stops on the tear drop - ever wonder where in the hell all the bus stops at Cabana Bay are supposed to be for? It just runs one shuttle to/from the parking garage. What are the other bus stops for?

They're thinking ahead. I doubt they have legitimate plans for the extra stops, but you want to build for the future.

I always figured CBBR would have bus transit since CBBR was built with three bus stops. My guess is that the Cabana stops were built with the idea that there would be a water park as well as another gate in the future.

I imagine it makes sence having more spots at the water park knowing there are more resorts coming in the future.

 

[Mad Dog]

I spit on the base of this sign... I dunno who is creating these retro looks within UC but I am sick of it. I would like to belt them with 1960's boomerang Formica.

I get the feeling you don't care much for this look. Don't beat around the bush. Let your true feelings out.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

So the tram side stops would be for other resort and tour buses? I sort of assumed they would all drop off at the main garage, but maybe not.

I only know about an end goal for transportation and that is still in flux. I believe each resort will have bus transportation with any additional resorts on the new plots of land/WNW will have a method of transportation from a remote hub to the current transportation hub.

 

[Scott W.]

I only know about an end goal for transportation and that is still in flux. I believe each resort will have bus transportation with any additional resorts on the new plots of land/WNW will have a method of transportation from a remote hub to the current transportation hub.

I think that's the gap people are trying to figure out. If people from the new properties are getting transported to the transportation hub, that's fine for the parks but a bit of a walk getting to VB if they have to enter the car park and get the tram.

 

[GAcoaster]

View attachment 3416

Looking back at this again, it does look like a pick up/drop off bus area and the only reason I can find for this is that it will be for guests staying at Wet n Wild plot or the 3rd gate whenever it opens. That way they only have to drive up Turkey Lake Road and round the outside of VB instead of heading directly into the current resort.

I think that's the TM drop off zone. My understanding is all the VB TMs will be parking in the regular employee lot and shuttling over there.

 

[Scott W.]

I think that's the TM drop off zone. My understanding is all the VB TMs will be parking in the regular employee lot and shuttling over there.

They could be, I don't know for sure. A car park is being built to south though.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

They could be, I don't know for sure. A car park is being built to south though.

It has windows. Odd windows to be a parking garage.

 

[darkridelover]

Here are all the aerial photos worth embedding as large images:

Purple supports going up in this area today for another slide complex. Anyone know which slides are supposed to be here? I imagine the square orange building built into the side of the Volcano is the pump house for these slides.

 

[Scott W.]

It has windows. Odd windows to be a parking garage.

They could be painting a large mural on the side to help blend it into the background?

Purple supports going up in this area today for another slide complex. Anyone know which slides are supposed to be here? I imagine the square orange building built into the side of the Volcano is the pump house for these slides.

Where abouts in the park? Here's the map from the app before it got taken down:

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Anyone thing this will be open in time by Summer?
I'm usually quite good on construction following but I've been low from Volcano bay because the entire city of Orlando has so much going on construction wise. From the Soccer Stadium, to the skyscrapers, police station, the highway! I've been tangled up. So I'm not sure how far along this project is but it looks as though they are about 60-70% done maybe?

 

[Scott W.]

Anyone thing this will be open in time by Summer?
I'm usually quite good on construction following but I've been low from Volcano bay because the entire city of Orlando has so much going on construction wise. From the Soccer Stadium, to the skyscrapers, police station, the highway! I've been tangled up. So I'm not sure how far along this project is but it looks as though they are about 60-70% done maybe?

I have good faith that it will open on time. This is where we were a year ago:

Latest satellite imagery

View attachment 1287

Most of the hard work is done with most of the rides pretty much installed. Just got to get theming completed, plant a million trees and fill the pools.

How much has been done over a year makes the whole project look surprisingly easy.