If you’ve ever visited Universal’s Volcano Bay water park, you’re probably familiar with the TapuTapu wristbands and virtual line system. Typically, guests would use their TapuTapu to get into a virtual line for different attractions, such as Krakatau Aqua Coaster. Recently, Universal has been testing for a potential stand-by queue at the Krakatau Aqua Coaster in Universal’s Volcano Bay, which would be a major change from the current system.
Normally, guests enter a sort of virtual queue for Krakatau through the TapuTapu wristbands provided at no extra charge upon entering the park. The idea is that guests can experience other things around the park and return when it’s their time to ride. The downside is that guests can end up with very long waits for a single popular attraction, preventing them from joining other virtual queues.
The TapuTapu may be used for purchases, photos, interactive features, and, most frequently, getting in line for the park’s attractions at stands like these. The Krakatau TapuTapu station is currently unavailable because of the test, though the regular system will return tomorrow.
Each guest may only be in one virtual queue at a time, and that limited availability can cause issues on busy days. Krakatau is the most popular attraction at Volcano Bay, and it’s not uncommon for the virtual queue to be backed up for hours. For the guest, it means the ride may stop accepting new people hours before the park officially closes, and if someone does tap into the long wait, it relegates them to a limited selection of experiences until their arrival time.
Today was the final day of testing. While no official decision or announcement has yet been made, guest feedback from this experience will determine whether a permanent queue is put in place or virtual line with TapuTapu carries on. Waits this morning were considerably short compared with the normal virtual average, estimated at 30 minutes.
Krakatau Aqua Coaster is a water coaster that traverses the Krakatau volcano, a 200-foot icon for the park. It behaves somewhat like a roller coaster, with descents and ascents as you ride in a raft. Universal has this to say:
It’s a drencher. Honorary Waturi can experience the power of Krakatau on this amazing ride. Four-person canoes slide upward through the mists and into the dark twists and turns within the volcano before emerging with a plunge through a shimmering waterfall.
Have you ever braved this unique thrill ride? Let us know in the comments.
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