Meet the Team Members Behind the Flavors and Vibes at Volcano Bay Nights

Picture this: It’s a warm spring day and you’re about to walk into Universal Volcano Bay. It feels like you’ve just walked into a postcard: the foliage is lush and green and fellow Team Members are greeting you with a friendly “kia ora!” You think, “How could it possibly get any better?”

We’ll tell you how: by visiting Universal Volcano Bay Nights, happening on April 12 and 26, and May 3, 10 and 17.

If you’ve been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Volcano Bay after dark, you know just how beautiful it is all lit up — and now, we get to share those unique views with our guests! Lisa Hall, general manager of Volcano Bay, agrees: “While Volcano Bay is stunning during the day, at night it transforms into something truly magical,” she says.

For the first time ever, you can enjoy the thrill of our best water theme park after dark — with super low waits, might we add. Ten of the most favorite rides and slides will be available to a very limited number of guests during this exclusive nighttime event.

Plus, your favorite DreamWorks Animation characters will be there partying with you in an atmosphere unlike anything you’ve experienced at the park.

That’s not all — you’ll also experience unique food offerings created especially for this event. Thanks to the collective hard work of so many teams, Volcano Bay Nights is sure to be a hit! “This event is a testament to the incredible collaboration across all our teams, coming together to create an experience we can all be proud of,” Lisa says. “It’s going to be unforgettable!”

Let’s dive into some of the stories behind the food and fun waiting for you at Volcano Bay Nights!

Exciting Beachside Entertainment

“How do we get a DJ on the beach?” is a problem most people don’t have to think about in their daily lives. However, for the entertainment events team, this question is just a normal part of the job.

Richard Cravens, senior manager of creative development and show direction for entertainment events and youth programs, has been working on Volcano Bay Nights since its inception years ago. He started his career at Universal Orlando in 2011 and held roles that are all pretty much considered my dream jobs: he was a performer in Blue Man Group, he helped create “streetmosphere” shows like the Beat Builders, and he wrote music for Universal’s Superstar Parade, all at Universal Studios Florida.

What’s kept him at Universal has been the opportunity to create lasting memories for so many guests: “To see families interact and take a second out of their normal lives… that’s why we’re in the theme park business, right? To see the looks on their faces, that’s something I certainly cherish,” he says.

Richard and his team went through multiple different event concepts before landing on one that was “uniquely Universal.” Guests can expect to interact with DreamWorks Animation characters in a fun new way — like watching Shrek and Fiona do the limbo in front of a 200-foot-tall volcano in the midst of a Waturi Beach bash.

While his team has brought entertainment to Volcano Bay in the past, the after-hours event is a chance to see these characters in a different, party-style atmosphere. “That should be the tagline: if you want to see Shrek hula hoop, come to Volcano Bay Nights,” Richard says with a laugh.

He couldn’t have worked on this project alone; joining him on the journey in 2022 was Christopher Robinson, show director for entertainment events. At the time, Christopher had just moved into a new role as a performance coordinator after working as a performer with Universal Orlando for seven years; this is the very first event concept he helped build from scratch.

“The growth of Volcano Bay Nights and the growth of my career has aligned, which is nice,” he says. “Working with the entertainment events team has been my favorite role. There’s a sense of pride you get when you see something succeed when you know all of the work that went into it.”

In the summer of 2024 — when teams were notified Volcano Bay Nights had been officially approved and would be happening in less than a year — Meghan Mitchell entered the scene. As an assistant show director for entertainment events, she worked closely with Richard and Christopher to finalize their entertainment plans for the event — including figuring out just how they were going to finally get that DJ on the beach.

“My favorite part is getting into the nitty-gritty logistics of event planning,” Meghan says. “Once we had the final concept, we had to determine where we can have the characters, what would look the best at night, how we can integrate a dance party, and what the costumes would look like. We have to figure out, realistically, how to bring characters to a place that’s not normally built for animated entertainment.”

Now, it’s about time for the team to hand the reigns to the entertainment events stage management team to execute the first event night. Christopher says the teamwork between their departments is the key to pulling off a flawless event: “We’re in charge of the creative side and some of the logistics, but we have an entire team that will be handling the daily operation. From our production managers to our stage managers to our coordinators, they are going to be the ones really making it happen on a day-to-day basis.”

Fun, Fresh and Flavorful Food

All that dancing and hula-hooping can make a person hungry — so it’s Chef Ron to the rescue, as he and his team have whipped up some unique and delicious-sounding food items, many of which are exclusive to Volcano Bay Nights. Chef Ron says they wanted to offer dining options that were “upscale and different.”

They’ve certainly achieved this goal: upon entering the event, you’ll receive a free welcome item – either savory spiced shrimp with vibrant blue jasmine rice, or creamy seashell parmesan and white cheddar mac and cheese. “All of these food elements encompass that South Pacific feel,” he says. “We thought this was a great way to start off the event.”

At Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club, you’ll find options for purchase like Coconut Chicken Island Sliders, Jerk Mahi Tacos, and PuPu Platters – which consist of delicious appetizers like coconut shrimp and Lumpia. Chef Ron says they also added Loco Moco (coconut rice topped with angus beef, fried egg, katsu slaw and shiitake mushrooms) to the menu since this is a dish often enjoyed by surfers before they hit the waves.

All of this adds up to what Chef Ron calls “an elevated theme park experience” where all of your senses work together to give you the unmatched immersion you’ll only get at Volcano Bay. “As we worked on upgrading what we offer at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, we wanted to match what we do at Volcano Bay. It’s not your average food; they’re some really well-thought out, well-researched and well-executed items that tie together nicely.”

DreamWorks Animation fans, rejoice: many of the options you know and love from DreamWorks Land in Universal Studios Florida will be available at Volcano Bay Nights, too! Frozen Ogre and Chonkey Donkey pops, the totally Instagram-able Shrekzel with its green cheese counterpart, the pizza-dough wrapped Swamp Dog, and the Poppy-licious Pink and BroZone Berry ice cream cones are among the character-themed snack lineup at the event. “One thing we’ve learned during our other events is that our return guests like to see something that they’ve already tried and loved,” Chef Ron says.

All of the team members who have worked tirelessly to make this event happen hope their guests will love it as much as they do – and that this won’t be the last time we hear about Volcano Bay Nights. Chef Ron says, “I think we’re going to put together a new experience for guests that hopefully will become an annual thing that people look forward to.”

That’s it – we officially have FOMO! Are you ready to purchase your tickets and experience all Volcano Bay Nights has to offer? Tickets are available now. Click here to purchase.