theDIBB - Scottishnellies Redundancy Trip Jun18. Day 2. Volcano Bay, RPR Pool, IOA US & Toothsome

Alarms went off at 6:30, showers etc then the club lounge for breakfast 7:05. I've discovered if I use a shot of caramel, top it up with their caffeine number 3 coffee and add some half n half it tastes just like a caramel latte so I took one of these to go 👍downstairs past the water taxi to the resort shuttle area. We got there 7:45, bus arrived 7:53 and left at 7:56. Picked up at another hotel then arrived at volcano bay at 8:08.

Scanned our park tickets at entry and were each given a tapu tapu band to wear. At the next entry point we had to show our room keys to show we were all guests and therefore had the early entry which today was 8am instead of public 9am. We found beds right in front of the volcano and left our towels there.

Went and hired a locker which was very simple with no codes or fingerprints. Just hold the tapu band against it, put your credit card in to pay, and a locker pops open. That band then opens and closes that locker all day. You can add multiple bands to one locker. There are 3 locker sizes, large at $16, medium is the size of a large handbag or small rucksack at $12 or a mini locker at $8 which is the size of a shoe box.

We then walked to the back of the volcano to the Krakatau wet roller coaster as we knew that would be busy later. This was BRILLIANT! We got off and rode it again knowing it'd be busy later. The guy weighs your party on this one and tells you which seats to sit in. The boat (is it a boat/carriage I don't know!) holds 4 but we saw groups of 2,3 or 4 going on. You get a photo on this but having viewed it on the app it's pretty much all spray and no faces!

We then went over to the big round family raft ride. Again your group is weighed and you are told where to sit to balance it right. I screamed my head off on this and was almost crying! It goes so far up the side of the flume that your butt comes right out of the wee hole and you feel like you are going to topple right over 😳 the other 3 were howling too but that was very much AT me, not with me!

Hannah and I decided to do the fearless river next while the boys headed to the big slides.

Well - that river is brilliant fun! You have to wear a life vest, and you are basically pushed round this river at times really fast with huge waves and at times more slowly. Hannah and I loved this and were laughing and hollering all the way round. I couldn't stay upright in the life vest for some reason and Hannah was knotting her self at me either floating on back like a dead body or flat out on my tummy. Took me ages to keep my legs under me and the two of just couldn't stop laughing. Even the lifeguards were laughing at us 😃. I love lazy rivers but this is now my total favourite. What a scream it was. It was especially good as there seemed to only be Hannah and I in it at that point. Would need to try it again later to see if still as good with lots of other bodies crashing about.

We came off here and picked up the locker stuff ready for a lie in the sun. We passed the boys who were just firing from one slide to the next.

Hannah and I stopped at the photo booth to register our tapu tapu bands to our photopass account which is where we saw our misty rollercoaster photos.

Hannah and I dried off, reapplied sun cream and settled down.

The boys appeared back at 10:15 saying they only had 2 more rides to do. Everything at break neck speed eh? Their Tapus soon updated to ride now and off we went so I could film them coming out at the end on the go-pro. I then left them as they went to go on the fearless river.

I wandered right round the park, picked up some dippin dots and made my way back to Hannah. I had these limited edition ones which I loved til Hannah started laughing that my tongue was bright green.

I looked like a five year old and spent the next hour sooking my own tongue trying to get it off!

By 11:30 we were all done and could either lie here all afternoon or go back to the RPR pool. We opted for the RPR as last time we were here it poured and we didn't get to use it, plus Hannah was needing a wee sleep as she had a sore tummy and was struggling with the heat a bit now. The kids rinsed their feet on the way out with the fountains that shoot up and you never know how high - hilarious to watch them

Back to RPR on the shuttle bus within 5 minutes, up to the room and got organised. We stopped in at the club room as the afternoon snacks were on. There was crisps, fruit and PBJ sandwiches (which we all loved).

Wouldn't be worth leaving the parks for, but certainly filled a hole since we were there anyway. Kieran ate his own body weight in fruit.

Hannah went back to the room now fed and watered, to take some ibuprofen, have a shower and a nap. Us 3 took a caramel coffee and a couple of sprites down to the pool, found beds and settled down. Well this was absolute bliss 😍 lying in the roasting hot sun, dipping in the pool, listening to the DJ who seemed to be playing everything I love from Sun Daze by Florida Georgia Line (you would have loved it D) to 70s funk - fab! I was in my absolute element and totally kicked back and relaxed. Heaven!

Kieran spent the whole time in the pool and ended up playing with a bunch of American boys around the water guns on the boat. He meets pals anywhere that boy.

At 3:30 we went back up to the room for showers and found Hannah well rested, in much better spirits and almost ready. Even with the eyebrows drawn on - always a good sign. We went to the club room just after 4:30. The evening offerings tonight were fab with chilli, tacos, salsa, salad. We were very well fed tonight. I counted 5 plates for kieran who loves this kind of food 😳

We sat here passing the time of day and enjoying the wine and beer.

Then we walked over to IOA again and straight for a go on hulk. Again this was 40m yet we walked straight on with our FOLP. Really enjoyed this again!

Next was a go on Spiderman

The kids and I had some dippin dots as we passed through the Jurassic area.

We passed over the bridge where we watched the castle show from last night. Turns out Hannah had taken a couple of pics so will pop those in here.

Kevin and kieran went on flight of the hippogryff while I found a seat on a bench with Hannah

Down to the Hogwarts Express to ride over to US and again thank goodness this now has FOLP access as it was pretty busy.

In US we lockered up and did escape from gringots.

When we came off it was 9pm and although the park was open til 10 we were done in. I'm not surprised mind you. We've been a busy bunch. Kevin sent me this pic of the walking we had done yesterday.

We had said to the kids we might pick up dessert somewhere so headed here

We were told it would be a 10 minute wait for a table which turned out to be totally accurate. I wasn't sure about this place.

I've no idea what it's based on or what the characters are, but it seems a bit dark n creepy.

Anyway I had a bowl of French onion soup which was lush

And the kids had a couple of Sundaes. Kieran had banana cream pie

And Hannah had a Brookie something or other

Kevin had a beer. By the time I had finished this soup I was almost falling asleep. The kids ate and ate and yet seemed to barely make a dent in their puds

Then we all walked back to RPR. My body is really tired now that I practically fell into bed when we got back, way too tired to type a trippie. We decided not to plan tomorrow morning and instead just see what time we all woke up. So that's why I am now sitting here 4:30am, wide awake again, typing the trip report...

Tomorrow we check out and move to St Petes.