Is there a VB strategy? Update
 

We’ve been twice now and in total in the 7 or 8 hours we have been there, I have only ridden 4 rides- and not for the want of trying. A very bad time:ride ratio for me!
The TapuTapu system seems rather inefficient for guests- you have to walk all the way to the ride, tap in and then just wait in the wave pool or the 2 lazy rivers for 1 hour plus... then walk all the way back.
What are we doing wrong? Is it better to go really late at night maybe? All the wait times are very long and twice we have had to leave at lunchtime due to being stormed out of it (admittedly nothing to do with the park itself)

Could you stay at Cabana Bay for one night to get the early access maybe? or one of the other universal hotels. Although Cabana Bay has the advantage of the walkway to volcano bay so no need for buses.

We did this in 2017, we at the park for 7.30am and did almost all the rides before the park opened (think that was at 9am). The only rides we did after was the rapid river and my DH did tapu for a couple of drop slides, but one of those was only a 20 min wait (I think it was, if not it was very low) and the other was around 45 mins. We had done the park and chilled in front of the volcano and by 2pm left the park.

We literally just worked our way around the park in that first hour, it was great.

Wish I could help we there just after it opened in 2017- manage 0 rides and the fast lazy river was down- hoping early morning entry will help this summer

We’ve only visited when onsite at universal so had early entry, I don’t do the slides by hubby and kids love them. We were in there by 7.30 and back at Hard Rock by 11.30 after they had done all but one plus multiple lazy river rides and time in the wave pool. I pretty much festered on a lounger other than the lazy river. I would go unless we stayed onsite for early entry because by the time it opened to the general public at 10 it was rammed!

Staying onsite is best way as you get early access

Early access makes a huge difference - you can do all the main slides before it gets busy

If you go on an evening it can still be busy - unless it has been raining

We went a few times last year. First we tried an evening, it was busy and we got on a few slides. Second time we went later afternoon and there was a storm so everything was closed. We waited about 30 mins and it reopened - most people had left so the slides were all really quiet.

Even better was early opening - arrived 30 mins before scheduled extra hour and they opened then. We were there with about 20 people - went on the coaster slide and they let us stay on it twice as it was so quiet. Then did all the other main slides and left after about 2 and a half hours of being there, just as it was getting busy.

Wonderful water park but understandably nowhere near as good when it is really busy as it is frustrating.

We did two days at VB. Once while staying at Cabana Bay and once off site.
The early entry is great, definitely get there early. We did the aqua coaster, plus the turtle and whale tubes, then the four other tubes rides before the park opened.
I didn’t use the band at all for rides. Just did the other ones as ride now in the first hour or so.
When off site we got there about 15 minutes before opening and did the other yellow tube rides first which we missed last time.
This was last week May/ first week of June so quiet but not that quiet.
You would get early access at endless summer which is bit cheaper than Cabana Bay although it’s a bus to get there rather than walking.
As with any park getting there early is the best strategy.
And having your swim stuff on before you go.

For us that extra morning hour made it soooo much better in 2018. It's not just that hour but the following hour or so is quiet too as people are just entering the park and setting up. All rides done multiple times and out by lunchtime!

TapuTapu worked really well for us. You can also do 'ride nows' whilst waiting for your slot. :spin:

yes, strategy is to stay onsite and get early entry.

we rode the aqua coaster 4 times in 30 minutes, plus 4 other slides all before the gates opened to the public.

only way to do it in my opinion

Good to hear this- The plan is to take advantage of early entry and hope to be out and done by lunchtime