A Guide to Volcano Bay Rides: The 15 Best Volcano Bay Rides

A Guide to Volcano Bay Rides: The 15 Best Volcano Bay Rides

A Guide to Volcano Bay Rides: The 15 Best Volcano Bay Rides

This article is your complete guide to Volcano Bay rides 2024! The rides at Volcano Bay are some of the best and most exciting, especially ones like the Krakatau Aqua Coaster which drops you right in the center of a massive volcano. We have been living in Florida for years and visiting for over 20 and can say, you’re not going to want to miss out on Volcano Bay rides.

We love the variety of attractions and the Tapu Tapu system, which makes wait times almost nonexistent. So with that being said, we are going to cover all of the best rides at Volcano Bay for 2024!

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Volcano Bay Rides 2024 Overview

Universal’s Volcano Bay is an imaginative water park that brings paradise to Central Florida based on the backstory of the Waturi people. Guests can visit and venture into one of the four distinct villages to check out all of Volcano Bay’s best rides! While meandering through the lush South Pacific vegetation and decor, you will find some of the best Volcano Bay slides, like Punga Racers or even the Krakatau Aqua Coaster.

Even if you aren’t a huge fan of Volcano Bay water slides, there are several pools, beaches, splash areas, and more! We love spending the day at Volcano Bay grabbing a fancy drink and snacking with the Krakatau volcano as a backdrop!

What are all of the Volcano Bay rides?

Here is a current Volcano Bay rides list for 2024:

• Raki and Tonga of Taniwha Tubes
• TeAwa The Fearless River:
• Puka Uli Lagoon
• Maku of the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides
• Puihi of the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides
• Honu of the Honu ika Moana
•  ika Moana of the Honu ika Moana
• Runamukka Reef and Tot Tiki Reef
• Kopiko Wai Winding River
• Ko’okiri Body Plunge
• Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides
• Punga Racers
• Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides
• Waturi Beach
• Krakatau Aqua Coaster

Related Page: Discount Volcano Bay Tickets

#1 Krakatau Aqua Coaster

Location: River Village

Overview: As the best Volcano Bay ride, the Krakatau Coaster offers a unique experience in a four-person canoe that launches straight through the massive Volcano. Guests will race through the massive volcano with the effects of mist, water jets, and even colorful lava effects at night! We love that Krakatau Coaster looks terrifying, but is quite fun and truly like a roller coaster!

Ride Requirements:

• Minimum Height: 42″
• Under 48″ needs supervising companion
• Maximum Weight – 700 pounds

Tips and Tricks: Since attraction truly is the best ride at Volcano Bay, you can expect that it will have the longest wait. Even with the Tapu Tapu system, where you don’t have to physically wait in line, you still might have to wait quite a while. Prioritize this attraction, especially if you’re visiting Volcano Bay on the weekends!

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#2 Ko’okiri Body Plunge

Location: Wave Village

Overview: Ko’okiri Body Plunge is one of the best drop Volcano Bay rides, the reason being, it drops you at a 70-degrees through a drop door where you fall for 125 feet. This drop is completely alone, with only one rider at a time, and at the tip-top of Krakatau Volcano. This ride is quite terrifying, and the tallest drop of any ride at Volcano Bay.

Ride Requirements:

• Minimum Height: 48″
• Maximum Weight – 300 pounds

Tips and Tricks: Since Ko’okiri Body Plunge has only one rider at a time, the wait is typically the highest for all of the high-thrill rides. It is between Ko’okiri and Krakatau Aqua Coaster where you should use your Tapu Tapu band first. Even though Ko’okiri is one of the best Volcano Bay attractions, we tend to skip it as it is extremely scary. This ride is also too intense for some of us at The Park Prodigy, so keep that in mind as it feels as if you’re free-falling.

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#3 – Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides

Location: Rainforest Village

Overview: The Kala and Tai Serpentine Body slides are two intertwining drop slides and some of the best Volcano Bay rides in 2024. These slides are just as scary as Ko’okiri Body Plunge, if not scarier because they are longer versions. It is a trap door style of the waterslide, which makes it extra terrifying, and only for the bravest guests. These two Volcano Bay waterslides have a really beautiful backstory and are a huge reason why we love Volcano Bay. Tai Nui and Kala had a forbidden love, and Tai’s father, Krakatau banished Kala to the sky and Tai Nui’s tears became the ocean. Together both Tai Nui and Kala represent the sea and the moon, which is an example of Universal’s storytelling.

Ride Requirements:

• Minimum Height: 48″
• Maximum Weight – 300 pounds

Tips and Tricks:

As for this Volcano Bay ride, one of the best insider tips we have for this attraction is to make sure to position your body right! Lie flat on your back with your arms crossed over your chest and your legs straight. This streamlined position will help you maintain speed and control throughout the slide. Position yourself in the middle of the slide rather than near the edges. This will allow you to experience the full force of the water flow and ensure a faster ride. Avoid leaning or shifting your weight to one side, as it can affect your speed and trajectory.

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#4 Punga Racers

Location: River Village

Overview: Hop on one of these water slides at Volcano Bay, and race your friends down one of four lanes right through the underwater sea caves. If you’re the winner, you even get a celebratory “water salute” from the God Punga himself. You get some great views of Krakatau Volcano and TeAwa Fearless River, which is worth the climb if you ride this attraction.

Ride Requirements:

• Minimum Height: 42″
• Maximum Weight – 300 pounds

Tips and Tricks:

We love Punga Racers for those with kids or with large families, as it tends to be a ride that everyone can do together. It is even great for those with smaller children, as long as they meet the height requirement because it is so gentle. We love trying to get the lead right away because it increases your chances of winning the race! These are the best Volcano Bay slides for just enough thrill, but not enough to make a splash.

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#5 – Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides

Location: Rainforest Village

Overview: These are two different slides for this number, both of which are some of the best rides in Volcano Bay. Guests get to go on an adventure to ride either of these Volcano Bay slides, with either a harrowing climb or crossing a rope bridge. Both slides twist and turn and dump you at the base of Krakatau into a rather deep pool with a splash!

Ride Requirements:

• Minimum Height: 48″

Tips and Tricks:

If you are interested in riding either Ohyah or Ohno slides, you’ll want to make sure that you’re a strong swimmer first. Both sides offer a deep drop into 10 feet of water, which is a rather hard swim if you’re inexperienced. Team members will acknowledge that you can swim before you take the plunge, so make sure you’re safe!

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#6 – Waturi Beach

Location: Wave Village

Overview: Waturi Beach is the resident wave pool at Volcano Bay, being the only one but incredible at that. We love relaxing at Waturi Beach, with the perfect view of a sparkling blue lagoon and the huge Krakatau volcano. Whether you’re looking to catch waves, or just splash around, Waturi Beach is perfect for a beach day!

Area Requirements:

• Height Requirement: Guests under 48 inches require a companion

Tips and Tricks:

If you’re celebrating anything special, or just want to spend a day in luxury, we highly recommend renting a cabana. Universal’s private cabanas are like a home away from home with towel service, padded lounge chairs, fruits and snacks, a fridge, and cabana service. There is also premium seating at Waturi Beach, which are padded lounge chairs with a shaded canopy.

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#7 – Honu of the Honu ika Moana Slides & ika Moana of the Honu ika Moana

Location: River Village

Overview: Both the Honu Moana and ika Moana rides are multi-passenger raft rides that let you feel as if you’re sailing the sea like the Waturi people. There are two versions, with Honu Moana being the more intense out of the two with twists and turns that almost feel like you’re going upside down. These two are the best rides Volcano Bay has for big groups of friends or families that want to catch some serious waves like ocean animals.

Ride Requirements: 

• Minimum Height: 48′
• Weight Requirement – 700 pounds

Tips and Tricks:

These two Volcano Bay attractions have exciting backstories and ties to why your ocean journey is different on either slide. On Honu, you are riding the currents like a sea turtle with a more intense journey through mists and sparkling pools. On ika Moana, you ride the waves like a whale that swims through more gentle, deep waters. Honu is much more intense than ika Moana, so don’t gauge the intensity if you ride ika Moana first.

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#8 – The Reef

Location: Wave Village

Overview: If you’re not into rides, one of the best Volcano Bay things to do is hang out at The Reef. The Reef is a leisure pool, one of two, with a great view of some top attractions and its waterfall. Guests can also explore the outside of Krakatau if they’re into splashing around and slowing things down. The water is only 5 in a half feet deep and allows you to look up at those falling from the Ko’okiri Body Plunge.

Ride Requirements: None

Tips and Tricks: All guests at Volcano Bay have TapuTapu bands, which allow them to interact with touchpoints to either save spots in line or play! The Reef is full of TapTu play points, which can shoot water jets, make sparkling water effects, or even make tiki faces talk or squirt water. We think this is perfect for kiddos visiting Volcano Bay, as they can spend a whole day splashing around.

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#9 – Runamukka Reef and Tot Tiki Reef

Location: River Village

Overview: If you’ve got little ones, the Runamukka and Tot Tiki Reefs are children’s play areas perfectly designed for them! At Runamukka, kids can play with bubbling geysers, and sea creatures or play with water guns, sprayers, or slide-down slides. Tot Tiki is made for toddlers, so there are more friendly tikis with toddler slides and spraying fountains.

Height Requirements: Guests under 48″ require a life jacket

Tips and Tricks: We can’t recommend these areas more for kids, especially seeing as that many of Volcano Bay’s rides are not suitable for little ones under 5. Both play areas are interactive with more than just water sprayers, but also whales that sing and spray water too. This area is also filled with TapuTapu play points, which enhances the experience significantly at Volcano Bay.

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#10 – Kopiko Wai Winding River

Location: River Village

Overview: If you’re a person who loves relaxing, then this would be the best ride at Volcano Bay for you! The Kopiko Wai Winding River is a lazy river that brings you through the beautiful landscaping of Volcano Bay. You might even get sprayed a few times or get to pass through Stargazers’ Cavern right inside of Krakatau.

Ride Requirements:

• Guests under 48″ must wear a life jacket

Tips and Tricks: There are two different lazy rivers at Volcano Bay, and Kopiko is the more calm one of the two. This is more meant for relaxing and floating in the Florida sun, not so much for splashing and swimming. The total trip is only about 6 minutes, but you can stay on either your tube or floating chair for as long as you need.

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#11 – Raki and Tonga of Taniwha Tubes

Location: Rainforest Village

Overview: The Taniwha Tubes allow you to ride on single or double-through slides inspired by twisting roots. If you decide to try the Taniwha Tubes, just know that tiki statues might spray you with jets of water on your journey. Both offer a different amount of intensity, but take guests on a twisty tube ride through the Rainforest.

Ride Requirements:

• Height Requirement: Minimum 42″
• Guest under 48″ must-have riding companion
• Weight Requirement – Maximum 450 pounds combined

Tips and Tricks:

There are four different Taniwha slides to try, and we highly recommend trying them all! Once you’re up at the platform, you can make the choice to ride either the back, blue Raki slides, or the front, green Tonga slides. The reason the Taniwha Tubes are farther down our list is that while they are fun and a water park staple, they aren’t overly exciting. You will have fun, but you aren’t going to be blown away by your experience.

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#12 – TeAwa The Fearless River

Location: Rainforest Village

Overview: TeAwa isn’t quite a lazy river, and is more of a torrent river with rapids, waves, and chaotic spraying features. The TeAwa River is 3.6 feet deep with portions that go up to 6 feet deep with a fast current, and rather thrilling. As for Volcano Bay rides ranked, we put TeAwa on the lower side just because of how chaotic it is and how you have to wear a life jacket. We like to relax on our Lazy River trips.

Ride Requirements:

• Height Requirements – Minimum 42″
• Supervision companion needed for guests under 48″
• All guests must wear a life jacket

Tips and Tricks:

The TeAwa River, while chaotic, only lasts about 5 minutes and can be done rather quickly if you end up not liking it. Guests are not allowed to bring tubes into this attraction, therefore, all guests are required to wear a life jacket to keep them afloat. This attraction is great for older kids and teens looking to take on a challenge with their friends in tumultuous waters!

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#13 – Puka Uli Lagoon

Location: Rainforest Village

Overview: The Puka Uli Lagoon brings the element of play to Volcano Bay, with tropical bongos and water jets to interact with. This is another one of Universal Volcano Bay’s leisure pools that guests can swim or sun in with a depth of 3-4 feet. This pool also has the perfect view of the Ohyah and Ohno slides if you’re looking to watch daring riders drop!

Height Requirements:

• Guests under 48″ require life jackets

Tips and Tricks: The Puka Uli Lagoon is the lowest leisure pool on our list because, while it gets the job done, it isn’t exciting. If the other leisure pools are busy, we would recommend stopping by this one, but try Waturi Beach first. Puka Uli Lagoon reminds us of a swimming pool, and there are much better options to relax if that’s what you’re looking for.

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#14 – Puihi of the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides

Location: Rainforest Village

Overview: The Puihi Raft Ride at Volcano Bay is one of two paths that those can take a Maku Puihi, and it is the more intense, and better in our opinion. Guest can board a six-person raft to make their way down the lava tube which takes you through a winding cavern. Puihi also shoots your raft with such intensity that you’ll feel a zer0-gravity moment, which is pretty cool.

Ride Requirements:

• Height Requirement: 42″
• Weight Requirements – Maximum 850 pounds, Minimum 300 pounds
• Guests Under 48′ require a life jacket

Tips and Tricks: If you can only prioritize one of the Maku Puihi raft rides, we would suggest doing this one first since it is more exciting. We find it to be unique for a rather common raft-type ride, as you don’t often experience weightlessness on a water ride. Four steep drops come with this ride, as well, so it might be too intense for some riders.

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#15 – Maku of the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides

Location: Rainforest Village

Overview: Maku of the Maku Puihi is the sister slide of Puihi, and is located side by side with the other raft ride. Maku has a six-person raft that takes you on an adventure through the volcanic gorge of Krakatau. You get to end your journey in a giant “bowl” of spinning and erupting down a watery vortex to the finish line.

Ride Requirements:

• Height Requirements: 42″
• Weight Requirements – Maximum 1050 pounds, Minimum 300 pounds
• Supervising companion needed for guests under 48″

Tips and Tricks:

Maku of Maku is the tamer of the two Maku of Puihi slides and is no different than any other raft attraction at other water parks. You will still have a lot of fun on this funnel-type raft ride, but, if you’ve already been on one, this one won’t be much different! You might be underwhelmed, as both of these slides look extra thrilling. In reality, Maku of Puihi is a rather mild raft experience. We tend to think that this is not the most unique or fun ride in Volcano Bay for guests to enjoy.

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What are the Volcano Bay Villages?

As we mentioned above, three different villages encompass their themes and attractions. In comparison, we like to think of the Volcano Bay Villages to be similar to the lands in either Universal theme park. Either way, it is really easy to organize your water park trip if you can see where each of the Volcano Bay attractions are.

Wave Village attractions:

• Ko’okiri Body Plunge
• The Reef
• Waturi Reef

River Village attractions:

• Krakatau Aqua Coaster
• Runamukka Reef
• Tot Tiki Reef
• Honu of Honu ika Mona
• ika Moana of Honu ika Moana

Rainforest Village attractions:

• Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides
• Ohyah of Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides
• Ohno of Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides
• Puka Uli Lagoon
• Maku of Maku Puihi Round River Rafts
• TeAwa The Fearless River
• Hammerhead Beach
• Taniwha Tubes
• Punga Racers

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What are the Best Volcano Bay Slides?

• Ko’okiri Body Plunge
• The Kala and Tai Serpentine Slides

The best slides at Volcano Bay have to be the Ko’okiri Body Plunge and the Kala and Tai Serpentine Body slides. Krakatau Aqua coaster is the best ride overall, but it isn’t a slide since you are inside a vehicle. The Ko’okiri plunge has the tallest drop of any other ride at Volcano Bay, making it a top attraction. The Kala and Tai body slides are the same, as they are also drop slides which provide an extremely thrilling experience. The Ohyah and Ohno slides are also a great choice, which we recommend guests try too!

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What are the Best Volcano Bay Lazy Rides?

The best lazy ride that Volcano Bay has is the Kopiko Kai Winding River. This ride is for those looking to kick back on a tube or floating chair and catch some sun rays. You’ll get to see all of the beautiful landscaping of Volcano Bay and adventure through Stargazers’ Cavern. It is our choice for relaxing, as we aren’t huge water ride people here at The Park Prodigy. There are life jackets for guests needing one, or even little ones that are accompanying you on your lazy river journey.

If you’re looking for ultimate relaxation, you can always rent a cabana and have your own private experience while at Volcano Bay. It is one of the best ways to stay hydrated and truly feel pampered while at a theme park.

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What are the Best Rides to Use on Tapu Tapu First?

The best Volcano Bay rides to use your TapuTapu first on would be the Krakatau Aqua Coaster and Ko’okiri Body Plunge. Even though you can use the TapuTapu system to avoid waiting in an actual physical line, you can still be waiting a while virtually for those attractions. Once you hit the afternoon, you are looking at the highest waits for those rides, meaning you might be doing a lot of swimming at Waturi Beach while waiting for your return times.

Volcano Bay Rides 2024 FAQ

Q: How many rides Volcano Bay has?

A: There are over 15 rides at Volcano Bay, with a blend of slides, lazy rivers, and even an aqua coaster. Volcano Bay is made up of three distinct villages, each of which, harbors exciting and innovative water rides.

Q: What are all the rides at Volcano Bay?

• Raki and Tonga of Taniwha Tubes
• TeAwa The Fearless River:
• Puka Uli Lagoon
• Maku of the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides
• Puihi of the Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides
• Honu of the Honu ika Moana
•  ika Moana of the Honu ika Moana
• Runamukka Reef and Tot Tiki Reef
• Kopiko Wai Winding River
• Ko’okiri Body Plunge
• Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides
• Punga Racers
• Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides
• Waturi Beach
• Krakatau Aqua Coaster

Q: What is the scariest ride at Volcano Bay?

A: The scariest ride at Volcano Bay would have to be the Ko’okiri Body Plunge. This is the tallest body slide in all of Volcano Bay and drops guests for 125 feet at a 70-degree angle. The ride is high-speed and ends in a massive splash at the base of Krakatau.

Q: What is the biggest ride at Volcano Bay?

A: The biggest ride at Volcano Bay is Ko’okiri Body Plunge at 125 feet tall. Krakatau Volcano is 200 feet tall, and the Ko’okiri Body Plunge is almost at the tip of it!

Q: How many drop slides does Volcano Bay have?

A: There are five drop-style slides at Volcano Bay: Ko’okiri Body Plunge, Ohno and Ohyah Drop Slides, and Kala and Tai Nui Serpentine Slides.

Q: How tall is the drop slide at Volcano Bay?

A: The tallest drop slide at Volcano Bay comes in at 125 feet, which is the Ko’okiri Body Plunge. It is the tallest water slide in America and is a high-thrill attraction for guests tall enough to try.

Q: Does Volcano Bay have a lazy river?

A: Yes, Volcano Bay has a lazy river called Kopiko Wai Winding River. The Volcano Bay lazy river is about 6 minutes long and brings you through the beautiful landscaping of Volcano Bay. There is also a “not so lazy river” named TeAwa the Fearless River for more adventurous guests.

Q: How deep is the lazy river at Volcano Bay?

A: There are two different river attractions at Volcano Bay. The true “lazy river” named Kopiko Wai Winding River is 3″ deep, while TeAwa the Fearless River ranges from 3.6″ to 6″ deep. They are two very different attractions and TeAwa does require guests to wear a life jacket.

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