Complete Guide to Taputapu at Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay

Complete Guide to Taputapu at Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay

tapu-tapu-wearable

Complete Guide to Taputapu at Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay

This article is your complete guide to all the things you need to know about the Tapu Tapu Universal! The TapuTapu is a free wristband given to all guests visiting the Volcano Bay water park in Orlando. Guests scan this wristband at ride attractions and return when your TapuTapu says its your ride time. This allows you to keep splashing around in the water park while you wait for major attractions! No time lost when you have a full day at Volcano Bay.

If you want to learn more about Volcano Bay’s TapuTapu system, keep reading.

We hope you find this post helpful! Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time and money on your next Universal Orlando vacation!  If you are planning a trip to Universal Orlando, be sure to check out the latest deals on Universal Orlando vacation packages and our discounted Universal Orlando tickets which include EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Universal Orlando, be sure to check out our Universal Crowd Calendar!

 Universal Crowd Calendar

What is a TapuTapu at Volcano Bay?

tapu-tapu-universal-kiosk

Tapu Tapu is a wearable wristband that is distributed to every guest visiting Volcano Bay water park at Universal Orlando. The Tapu Tapu at Universal Studios is used to hold your place in virtue queues, pay for things around the park, and activate interactive areas found throughout the park. To use almost every feature of the TapuTapu, you have to activate the select functions you want to use.

It is a small band, similar to an Apple watch, with a touch screen that does not work that well, but is manageable!

How to get a TapuTapu at Volcano Bay

  • As you enter the park, a Universal Team Member will scan your ticket and exchange it for a Universal Volcano Bay Tapu Tapu.

Using the Volcano Bay TapuTapu has some amazing benefits. What we love most about this device is that it eliminates the need to bring your wallet around the park with you! The TapuTapu eliminates that stress for you!

Related Post: A Complete Guide to Universal’s Volcano Bay

What Can I Do With TapuTapu at Universal’s Volcano Bay?

What CAN’T you do with your Volcano Bay wristbands?! From waiting virtually in line to hidden experiences throughout the park, the Volcano Bay TapuTapu can do it all. Any time you see the symbol above, your Volcano Bay Bracelet can be used. This symbol is used as a touch point to tap your TapuTapu wearable and will activate your virtual queue or pay for your meal. Our main goal in this complete guide is to make sure you are prepared and ready for your Volcano Bay Vacation!

TapTu Ride

  • TapTu ride is the main benefit and most advertised use of the TapuTapu system at Volcano Bay. Simply tap your TapuTapu wristband at a totem outside the ride queue entrance to be issued a return time for that ride. Then go about your day! Once it’s your turn to ride, your Volcano Bay watch will notify you!

Every ride in the park runs on a virtual Volcano Bay queue system. Sometimes a ride won’t offer a virtual queue by a sign at the slide’s entrance saying “ride now.”  It’s important to note that you are only allowed to be in one virtual queue at a time. If you are already “in line” for a slide and you tap your Volcano Bay wristband on another ride’s totem, you will cancel your existing return time. The new scan will replace that return time with a new time for the new ride.

TapTu Play

  • Throughout the park, you can find different touch points that interact with your TapuTapu Universal Studios wristband. These touch points do a variety of things like shoot water from totems, making totems burp around the park, or activating lighting effects

While we have loved the TapTu Play touch points we have found park-wide, they are few and far between when it comes to actually working. For some reason since Universal Volcano Bay TapuTapu play touch points were introduced, numerous locations haven’t been activated. There are some water cannons that you can activate in the Fearless River which seemed to work, as well as a lot of the touch points in Krakatau and in the Cave of Starlight.

TapuTapu Lockers

  • There are state-of-the-art lockers for you to use at Volcano Bay. If you want to rent a locker, simply tap your TapuTapu wristband at the designated touch point, pay the rental fee, and a locker will be assigned to you.

No need to remember a locker number or passcode. just tap your Volcano Bay bracelets to the touch point for locker access. You may also link up to 4 Volcano Bay wristbands to one locker if needed. The cost to rent a locker at Volcano Bay ranges from $10 – $20 depending on the size of locker you need. Lockers range in size from mini, regular, and family.

TapTu Pay

  • Simply tap your Volcano Bay TapuTapu at any point of sale system when purchasing food, drinks, or merchandise.

One thing we truly loved about signing up for TapTu Pay was being able to leave our wallets in our lockers! Any time I’m at a water park, I’m constantly worried about it getting wet or stolen while in the pool. If you’re traveling with kids, you are also able to set and keep tabs on spending limits for each member of your party!

TapTu Snap

  • The TapTu Snap Volcano Bay system is a hands-free way to send your digital photos to your Universal account. Once there, the photos are available to view, purchase, and download! There are plenty of selfie spots if you’re alone.

Along with in-ride photos, your Volcano Bay TapuTapu also allows you to TapTu Snap at three photo locations around the park. The first one can be found on your right-hand side as you first walk into the park. Your second photo location is situated across from the Kohola Reef Restaurant. And the final photo spot can be found Near the entrance of Honu ika Moana. You can download your photos from My Universal Photos.

Related Post: Complete Guide to Volcano Bay Cabanas

How Do I Set Up Tap to Pay Volcano Bay?

tapu-tapu-taptu-pay-featureAfter you have successfully set up an account on the Universal App, it only takes a few steps to set up the TapuTapu Pay. You can access the payment information screen from the app’s main menu. Enter your credit card information by following the prompts on your screen. Volcano Bay Tapu Tapu Pay will also give you the option to set a PIN if desired. The last step is to link your entire party’s Volcano Bay tickets to your app by scanning the ticket barcode! Once your TapuTapu is returned at the end of the day, all personal information will be cleared from the wearable.

How to Set Up Tapu Tapu Pay

  1. Download/Open The Official Universal Orlando Resort App on your phone
  2. Tap the WALLET ICON in the lower right corner (or from the main menu) and set up an account
  3. Enter your Credit Card information
  4. Link your travel party’s Volcano Bay tickets by scanning the barcodes or entering the numbers
  5. Create a PIN your entire party will use when they TapTu Pay
  6. Return your TapuTapu when you leave the park and all personal information will be unlinked

What if I need help setting up my TapuTapu?

If you ever need help setting up your TapuTapu at the Universal water park, you can find the concierge desk located right at the entrance. Team members are happy to assist guests with their TapuTapu wristbands or other general questions about the park.

How Much Does a TapuTapu Cost?

This popular Volcano Bay wristband is included with your price of admission to Volcano Bay! Upon entering the park, all guests will receive their complimentary TapuTapu wristband. From there the band is, yours to use for the day! Unlike a Disney World Magic Band that you purchase and take home, this Volcano Bay wristband is not yours to keep. At the end of your park day, you must return these Volcano Bay bands at the park exit.

The TapuTapu Universal wristband is a lifesaver. The amount of time this saves truly is shocking. Especially with popular rides like Krakatau Aqua Coaster, We love to enter the virtual lines and swim in one of the pools while we wait for our turn!

Related Post: How Much Are Cabanas at Volcano Bay?

What Happens if I Lose My Tapu Tapu?

tapu-tapu-wearable

This is rare, but it can happen! The Volcano Bay TapuTapu is very secure. They are made of a durable synthetic rubber, similar to other wearables or activity trackers. In the case where you do lose your TapuTapu Universal by it falling off or by misplacing it, Universal does have protocols in place to protect your personal information.

If your Tapu Tapu is lost, the first thing you need to do is report it to the nearest Guest Services or Concierge Hut Team Members. There, they will be immediately placed on hold or completely disassociated from your account.

Once you disconnect a lost Tapu Tapu from your account, a Guest Services member will be able to issue you a replacement.

Related Post: How to get Concierge Service at Volcano Bay

Tapu Tapu Universal FAQ

f-a-q

Q: Where Do You Return Your TapuTapu?

A: At the end of your park day, your Tapu Tapu will be returned to a Team Member as you exit the park.

Q: Is Tapu Tapu Free at Volcano Bay?

A: Yes! The Tapu Tapu system is complimentary at Universal’s Volcano Bay.

Q: Are towels free at Volcano Bay?

A: Volcano Bay does not provide any free towels, so be sure to bring your own if you do not want to rent them. Renting towels at Volcano Bay will cost $4.99 per towel.

Q: Do I Need an Express Pass at Volcano Bay?

A: At Volcano Bay, you won’t have to worry about express passes like you do in the other Universal Orlando parks. Volcano Bay doesn’t offer this “pay to skip the line” upgrade. Instead, however, the park runs on a park-wide Virtual Queue system through the Tapu Tapu wristbands.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Universal Orlando?

Our Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down the park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices by day, and average temperature.

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Universal Orlando Trip?

If you’re ready to plan your trip to Universal Studios, be sure to check out our Universal Orlando Tickets! Not only will you save money vs buying direct, but all of our Universal Orlando tickets come with some amazing benefits that can help save you up to three hours in the parks!

And to stay up to date on everything going on inside the theme parks be sure to check out our partners at Themeparktoday.com

 

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Kurt Gillman

Kurt Gillman is the Multi-Media Manager and one of the main content creators and editors for The Park Prodigy. Kurt has been a life long Disney and Universal fan. But after meeting his partner in 2016, the Orlando theme parks became a their go-to vacation spot. Often visiting multiple times a year! After moving to Los Angeles from New York City in 2019, Kurt quickly transitioned from a frequent Disney World guest to a Disneyland one! And now as a former Disneyland Cast Member, It’s safe to say he knows the ins and outs of the Disneyland Resort. If he isn’t found trying the newest treats in Disneyland, Kurt enjoys relaxing at home with his dog Sam and playing video games with friends in his free time.