We Ride and Rank ALL the Volcano Bay Water Slides
By: Amy Baranek, Vacation Experience Architect
February 10, 2022
On a recent mother/son trip to Universal, my 12-year-old son, Carter and I decided to brave ALL the water slides we could ride at Volcano Bay. To be fair, there were a few we were unable to ride. Those were the raft family rides, and one of the serpentine trap door slides that was not operating the day we were there.
My son and I are not chickens, but not huge dare devils either, so the trap door waterslides (where you stand in the tube and the floor drops from under you) were very intimidating for us, but we were committed and determined to complete our challenge!
There are eight slides below, I will give a brief description of the slide, what I thought of the slide, what Carter thought of the slide, and how we each rank them from 1-8, 1 being our favorite and 8 being our least favorite. I had Carter do his apart from me so he wouldn’t be influenced by my opinion and ranking.
Krakatau Aqua Coaster
What it is: Krakatau sits up to 4 people and is a fun combination between a rollercoaster and water slide. There are several hills on this slide, and every time you go up a hill you are pushed and propelled by the coaster aspect of this fun slide.
Me: I love this slide, I think it is so fun, and great to be able to ride with friends and family. Plus you don’t get super wet on it which is sometimes a nice bonus. My ranking: 2
Carter: A very good and fun slide, that lasts a while and is fun with the family. Carter’s ranking: 3
Tip: This slide is very popular. Go here first, if there is no wait, ride it, if there is a wait, scan your tapu tapu and get in the virtual wait….during the day, the wait for this can get up to 150 minutes long!
OhYah
What it is: This is right next to OhNo and is a fun and fast water slide that ends with a 4-foot drop into a 10-foot pool. You MUST be a good swimmer to ride this slide.
Me: This was such a fun slide, it’s everything you want in a waterslide with smooth speed and fun turns with a big drop at the end. My ranking: 6
Carter: Really good and fun, but not as fun as OhNo. Carter’s ranking: 4
Tip: This slide seems to frequently have a ride anytime available, so I would plan to ride it later in the day.
OhNo
What it is: The sister slide of OhYah, it is similar to the fun and speed of OhYah, but ends in a 6-foot drop into the 10-foot pool. You MUST be a good swimmer to ride this slide.
Me: This is hard to differentiate from OhYah other than the slightly further drop at the end. It is smooth, fun, and fast and a great slide to ride over and over again. My ranking: 4
Carter: The reason this is number one is that it has you gain a lot of speed and has a huge 6-foot drop at the end. Carter’s ranking: 1
Tip: Similar to OhYah, the slide seems to usually have a ride any time, which makes it a great option to ride while you are in the virtual queue (with your tapu tapu) for one of the other slides.
Taniwha Tubes-Raki(blue)
What it is: This is a raft ride for two people at a time. This slide is all enclosed tube slide and is the sister slide to Tonga.
Me: This was such a fun slide! It is fast and fun we were laughing most of the time on it. The slide is so fast that when you exit into the pool you end up right at the exit steps. My ranking: 5
Carter: Overall a good slide, but I don’t like how it is all enclosed. Carter’s ranking: 7
Tip: This slide also seemed to have minimal wait and will be a great option to ride while waiting for your virtual queue return time.
Taniwha Tubes-Tonga(green)
What it is: This is the sister slide to Raki, it is also a raft ride for two people at a time, this slide has some open areas and some enclosed areas.
Me: This slide I enjoyed a little more than Raki, just because the open areas allowed for some fun glimpses around you and riding up the side of the slide. I think this slide may have been a little faster than Raki as well. Both were really fun options! My ranking: 3
Carter: A little better than Raki, but only because of the open areas. Carter’s Ranking: 6
Tip: This slide also seemed to have minimal wait and will be a great option to ride while waiting for your virtual queue return time.
Ko’okiri The Big Body Plunge
What it is: This is the straight down, trap door clear tube water slide at the top of the Volcano. There are 200 steps to get up to the slide, and the slide itself is about 3 seconds. It ends in a straight clear tube viewing that people like to hang around in the pool and watch as everyone shoots down the slide.
Me: This slide is absolutely terrifying! You are standing in the tube as the lid closes on you, music plays and starts to get louder and faster as you wait for the floor to drop, and then you are free falling, water flying in your face, and I wondered if I was ever going to breathe again. As you start to slow down, you realize you have survived and are grateful to be alive! Ok, so maybe I’m being dramatic, but it was a terrifying 2 seconds. One other thing to note, there are SO MANY steps to get up here, even if you find this the best slide ever, you will only want to do it a minimal amount of times as it is a workout to get to the top! My ranking: 7
Carter: Very good slide, but so many steps just for a few seconds of going straight down. Carter’s Ranking: 5
Tip: Do this first thing in the morning, we did it first during early entry and we were the first riders of the day, later in the day, the virtual queue wait became quite long. Also, take the stairs slowly, take a break after a few flights, enjoy the view and then keep going. We went fast because we were nervous and wanted to get it done, but I was really out of breath and wanted a break when we made it to the top, but just hopped in to get it over with.
Kala(blue) and Tai Nui(green) Serpentine Trap Door Slides
What it is: These are both trap-door slides, they have some smaller drops in them, they criss cross each other a few times. In a perfect world, both slides are functioning and one person gets in one slide while another gets in the other and you stare at each other and drop the same time. Kala is the slightly milder version, since Tai Nui has a decent drop at the end of the slide(you can see it as you are going to get on the ride). This also has 200 stairs to get to the top of the volcano where the entrance is, so be ready!
Me: This slide was really fun, it was fast and frightening, but just the right level of thrill for me. The same process happens where you stand in the tube, wait for the door to close, listen to the intensifying music and the floor drops. I would have gone again, but all those stairs had my out of shape legs screaming at me! My ranking: 1
Carter: Really good with the twists and turns, and overall a really fun slide. Carter’s Ranking: 2
Tip: This line can get long, so plan on doing it earlier in the day if possible. Take the stairs slowly and take your breaks, remember, you are climbing to the top of a volcano!
Punga Racers
What it is: There are four slides all right next to each other, everyone waits until the lifeguard tells you to go. When you reach the bottom, the life guard will let you know who the winner was!
Me: This was a fun slide, nothing special that made it stand out, but it would be fun to race other friends and family members all at the same time. My ranking: 8
Carter: Overall, a good slide, I feel like there is nothing special about it, but it would be good with your whole family. Carter’s Ranking: 8
Tip: These slides typically have a short wait and will be the perfect fun to do while you are waiting in a virtual queue for another slide.
There you have it! Honestly, all of these slides are fun, and what we loved is that they all had some special aspect to them, even our least favorite was still a lot of fun, and it was fun to race each other down the slides. My recommendations are to arrive early, and visit Ko’okiri plunge, Krakatau, and the serpentine slides (Kala and Tai Nui) first. The other slides tended to have no waits, or minimal wait times and should be good to ride during busier times. Take the time to visit Volcano Bay when you stay at Universal, there is so much to offer, and so many fun family memories to be made!
Are you thinking of a vacation to Universal? I would love to help! Contact me at amyb@wishesfamilytravel.com . Stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Instagram, and subscribing to my YouTube channel!