Volcano Bay: General Discussion

[OhHaiInternet95]

^^Is it true they rushed it to compete with Pandora?

I don’t have any plans of going in the immediate future (budgetary reasons) but I’m sad to see things like this happening. Really hope they work out VB’s problems before next summer. I can of course understand precaution after Veruckt.

 

[fryoj]

If you want my honest opinion. I think that it is terrible that these slides are such a low weight limit. I couldn't ride them anyways, because I am just too big, and I am not normal size. But I would say that the average adult weighs close to 200 LBs. This alienates a lot of people, and I think that Universal should have thought of this way before putting those slides in. I mean, shouldn't engineers know this kind of stuff. Especially with the kind of technology that we have today.

Idk, just my thoughts. It just drives me nuts when things get rushed because of corporate deadlines. Then this kind of stuff happens, and the only people to suffer for it are the on location staff and the guests. If corporate had to deal with this stuff on a daily basis, then they might consider dropping the unrealistic deadlines, and actual care about their employees and guests. But instead, the bottom line is all they see.

But I suppose that is just business, and that is why corporate hires people to deal with this kind of stuff. You would think that a multi billion dollar company could get things together better than this though. Just goes to show what rushing projects does.

~Corey Mathery

Yeah, except this has nothing to do with the project being rushed. The slides were opened up with a 300 lb weight limit. It wasn't until after it was opened that they found out that wasn't working. I guarantee the Proslide has engineers and computer models, but they clearly missed something. Whatever the issue is, it wasn't caught until they had people in the slides. Even if, like you claim, nothing would have been rushed, and they were just opening the park now, they wouldn't have known about this until they were at least in soft opening. And since this thing is built into the volcano, theres not a whole lot they could have done about it. I mean what do you expect? "OK guys, this one slide isn't 100%, lets shut the whole park down and rebuild this volcano!" Get serious. The most likely scenario here is Uni asked for something unique, and Proslide either dropped the ball on the engineering, or knew there was a problem and didn't have the guts to tell Universal no. Either way, that has nothing to do with unrealistic deadlines or Universals corporate care for their employees.

 

[Teebin]

Yeah, except this has nothing to do with the project being rushed.

Hear! hear!

 

[bob albert]

BTW the maps for volcano bay aren't the most effective. No one should use random icons to designate slides. They mean nothing to guests. That is just poor design.

 

[Donald Razorduck]

My sentiments are the same as everyone else.

If it makes anyone feel any better- I personally preferred Ko Okiri more- the straight drop. It was smooth, you were weightless, and you can breathe during it. The other two slides are like water boarding. You don’t know what the hell is going on because there’s NO way you can open your eyes. If you did- I think they would split open from the fire hose amount and pressure of water smashing into your face. Then- when it’s all over- and you look at your back, it’ll look like Freddy just attacked you.

Is it fun? Id use a different descriptor- it’s exhilarating. But only because it kicks your ass and you survived somehow.
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But I’ll still do them again when I go back

So they captured the essence of an old, classic wood coaster. Someone cue up some John Cougar before Mellencamp because it doesn't feel like it should, but it hurts so good.

 

[Jonea32]

As someone who has done both, I concur with @Andysol that Ko’okiri is a lot more fun so if there is a silver lining its that most people can still do that.

I’m just over 170 and the serpentine slides threw me around like a rag doll. I’d hate to feel what having an extra 50/100 lbs would do to you!

 

[Corey Mathery]

Yeah, except this has nothing to do with the project being rushed. The slides were opened up with a 300 lb weight limit. It wasn't until after it was opened that they found out that wasn't working. I guarantee the Proslide has engineers and computer models, but they clearly missed something. Whatever the issue is, it wasn't caught until they had people in the slides. Even if, like you claim, nothing would have been rushed, and they were just opening the park now, they wouldn't have known about this until they were at least in soft opening. And since this thing is built into the volcano, theres not a whole lot they could have done about it. I mean what do you expect? "OK guys, this one slide isn't 100%, lets shut the whole park down and rebuild this volcano!" Get serious. The most likely scenario here is Uni asked for something unique, and Proslide either dropped the ball on the engineering, or knew there was a problem and didn't have the guts to tell Universal no. Either way, that has nothing to do with unrealistic deadlines or Universals corporate care for their employees.

While I do agree with the fact it was on pro slide to engineer things accordingly. I still place the blame on Universal, you said it yourself. "Pro Slide didn't have the guts to tell Universal no". So in my eyes, this should have been thought of, and engineered way before the Volcano was built. Pro Slide and Universal both should have realized that this slide might have issues. I think this goes back to the root cause that Volcano Bay was rushed.

Once again, this is just my opinion.

~Corey Mathery

 

[fryoj]

While I do agree with the fact it was on pro slide to engineer things accordingly. I still place the blame on Universal, you said it yourself. "Pro Slide didn't have the guts to tell Universal no". So in my eyes, this should have been thought of, and engineered way before the Volcano was built. Pro Slide and Universal both should have realized that this slide might have issues. I think this goes back to the root cause that Volcano Bay was rushed.

Once again, this is just my opinion.

~Corey Mathery

You think they did all the blue sky, engineering, planning, blueprints, plan submissions, and all of that in a rush so quick that it never got tested in a computer simulation? That is months, if not years of work and you think a last minute push to get the park open is what caused the slides to have an issue? This is not a construction issue. It's a design issue. They had no clue they had a problem until after it was open and that wouldn't have changed if Uni had given Proslide 10 years to design the slide. If you can't see that, it's either you are letting something blind you to reality or because you just don't understand design and construction.

 

[Corey Mathery]

You think they did all the blue sky, engineering, planning, blueprints, plan submissions, and all of that in a rush so quick that it never got tested in a computer simulation? That is months, if not years of work and you think a last minute push to get the park open is what caused the slides to have an issue? This is not a construction issue. It's a design issue. They had no clue they had a problem until after it was open and that wouldn't have changed if Uni had given Proslide 10 years to design the slide. If you can't see that, it's either you are letting something blind you to reality or because you just don't understand design and construction.

Dude calm down, you have your opinion, I have mine.

If you think that the slide's problems doesn't have anything to do with the rushed deadlines. That's fine. We don't have to agree.

 

[epcyclopedia]

BTW the maps for volcano bay aren't the most effective. No one should use random icons to designate slides. They mean nothing to guests. That is just poor design.

Well Epcot used icons for all the Future World pavilions but they also follow a very strict design style. This, given the pavilion names and then the icons separately, one could likely guess what most of them correspond to.

The Volcano Bay ones are too abstract and full of weird design that makes them hard to see/read, nevermind understand.

 

[Frank Drackman]

While I do agree with the fact it was on pro slide to engineer things accordingly. I still place the blame on Universal, you said it yourself. "Pro Slide didn't have the guts to tell Universal no". So in my eyes, this should have been thought of, and engineered way before the Volcano was built. Pro Slide and Universal both should have realized that this slide might have issues. I think this goes back to the root cause that Volcano Bay was rushed.

Once again, this is just my opinion.

~Corey Mathery

I sort of get what you are saying, but I think this is the first water park that UNI 'created'.

I do not know all that much about how things get done, but I heard they visited a lot of parks, the decided to hire Pro-slides to (I assume design and build) the slides. Sure, I imagine UNI had an idea about looks, what the parks would look like and all. I also feel UNI went in with wanting more and unique thrills and such.

But once they agree on design, I just do not know that UNI would have or need an Engineer that knows water slides as well or better than a company that designs and builds slides.

I know it sucks that the weight restrictions are what they are, but I just do not see how UNI could have done anything different than trusting that the experts know what they are doing.

 

[Corey Mathery]

I sort of get what you are saying, but I think this is the first water park that UNI 'created'.

I do not know all that much about how things get done, but I heard they visited a lot of parks, the decided to hire Pro-slides to (I assume design and build) the slides. Sure, I imagine UNI had an idea about looks, what the parks would look like and all. I also feel UNI went in with wanting more and unique thrills and such.

But once they agree on design, I just do not know that UNI would have or need an Engineer that knows water slides as well or better than a company that designs and builds slides.

I know it sucks that the weight restrictions are what they are, but I just do not see how UNI could have done anything different than trusting that the experts know what they are doing.

I agree with everything you are saying! I do think that the blame is on the Pro Slide Engineers. I am just adding on, that I think if Universal had more realistic deadlines. That this whole weight issue would have not been over looked.

Like I have said though, this is just my opinion. I am in no way saying I am 100% correct.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Remember when we were promised eruption shows from the Volcano?

 

[Nick]

Remember when we were promised eruption shows from the Volcano?

We were also promised "water park fun that lasts well into the night".

I was hoping this could be a water park that I could hang out at after 4 or so and enjoy the night. However, with the park closing so early on most nights now that we're out of peak season (10-6 everyday), it's just not even worth it.

 

[Teebin]

We were also promised "water park fun that lasts well into the night".

While not a common occurrence, I hope they revisit this plan in the spring or even this coming holiday season.

 

[JunoSynth]

I used to work at Wet N Wild (Hurricane Harbor now) in Texas and they sometimes stayed open up to 1 am for special events. I have to say a water park is so different at night and really fun. I’m not expecting for closures that late but I really hope they do some late nights eventually.

 

[jrn14]

UGH!!! i just did a pretty intense diet to get well below the 230 weight limit when I went to visit next week and lost 20+ lbs and now the weight limit is down to 200! Grrrrr that sucks!

 

[P@n!K_Sw1tC#]

Heh. Everybody that's between 200-300lbs that cant ride the trap door slides at Volcano Bay should get a comp ticket to go try out the slides over at Aquatica. It's such a shame because I specifically remember saying that these slides would be the best in the park - but it looks like 50 percent of their audience won't be able to ride them.

 

[OLSinFLA]

Just as I was riding home (I wasn't driving thankfully) I saw the volcano erupt, first with small burts and then one big one ....wow

 

[Andysol]

I used to work at Wet N Wild (Hurricane Harbor now) in Texas and they sometimes stayed open up to 1 am for special events.

That blue carpet by the wave pool is still the same blue carpet from when you worked there- I guarantee it.