Pack me the perfect water park bag...

[Angry Eyes]

for BB and TL and inside this bag, please include your best water park touring tips too!
My family has been to the Disney parks a bzillion times and we know all of the ins and outs of preparing for the perfect day. We have NEVER been to BB and TL and this time we are doing both. It's me, my DH, DD 11 and DS 10. I know absolutely nothing about the water parks except that I have to eat the donuts which seems juxtaposed to having a perfect water park day but so does swimming with sharks so what do I know?? So after I eat the donuts, then what? I know to bring sunscreen of course but what else do you recommend for a water park newbie? I am almost afraid to ask this question but luggage space is at a premium, do we bring our own beach towels? See, thats how little I know. Please help, I am a firm believer that the little planning nuances you can prepare in advance enable everyone to have the best experience possible. TIA

 

[AllieBoo]

Both water parks rent towels for I believe $2.00 each, so your call on whether it's worth it to pack them or rent instead(we bring our own when we go). As far as other stuff to pack, my top of the list item is water shoes for everyone. You will be doing a fair amount of walking on concrete sidewalks to get to all the different attractions, plus I personally will not walk in public bathrooms with no shoes on We also pack a small cooler with water and snacks.

Other than that and sunscreeen, I would say maybe a waterproof camera or waterproof cover for your phone so you can get lots of great pics! Have fun, the water parks at Disney are awesome!

 

[Christine]

I bring nothing but sunscreen. I rent the towels. If you have your own, you could certainly bring them but I do like going places and not worrying about my own stuff. I generally rent a locker there and place my valuables (money/phone) in it because there are times when all of our party is away from where we are sitting.

I know people do the watershoes. I've never felt a need to do that. There is a lot of walking and I do have sensitive feet but it's never been an issue. I definitely wear my flip flops, though, when going to the restroom!

I can't think of anything you might need. If you have really little kids and are going to Typhoon Lagoon, you might want to take some sand/play toys for them. Otherwise I can't think of anything.

 

[crostorfer]

We bring our own beach towels, I don't like Disney's.

Sunglasses so you don't go blind from glare. (Both off of gleaming pasty skin and the water itself.)

More sunblock that you'll think you need. Like, twice as much. The sun is brutal at both parks.

Refillable water bottles, preferably with a filter like the Brita bottles, Florida tap water tastes nasty. This will save you a lot of money though.

If you don't bring a filtered water bottle, bring flavored drink packets to mix with the water to kill the taste. I like the Gatorade packets, or the MIO liquid.

Water shoes. Wear the water shoes. They are hideous, but just trust me, you'll be glad you did. Not only is the pavement scorching hot, but the steps on the way up the slide are rough, and the surface of the bottom of the pools and Castaway Creek is rough and pebbly. You don't need fancy ones, just pick up a cheap pair for each of you at Walmart for like $6.

A waterproof lanyard like ID holder, if you don't want to rent a locker. Personally, I find the locker renting a hassle, so I always get a holder I can keep with me. The park sells a plastic one for under $10 in all different colors. This time, I just ordered a Qwik Tech one from Amazon that is pliable plastic. I can just stuff it down my suit without bulk.

Swim goggles for your kids.

Perhaps a good book so that when you exhaust after an hour and need to sit with a frou frou drink and relax, even though your kids are still going full throttle, you have something to do.

On a side note, depending on when you are going you could consider renting a Beachcomber Shack. It's not cheap, not at all, but you get a covered cabana for the whole day, a private locker, upgraded lounger chairs, a cooler full of bottled water, and an attendant to fetch you food if you are hungry. (You still have to pay for the food, they just go and get it for you.)

 

[SLM]

We bring our own towels (easier to spot from a distance). We don't bother with a locker-just put tickets/keys/small amount of cash in a plastic lanyard. We have one of those coolers that's a backpack and load that up with water and some fruit, snacks. Reapply sunscreen every hour! I also suggest getting there at opening-the first hour you'll get to ride on almost slide without much of a wait. And plan for a quiet evening-we're exhausted when we get back to the resort! Have fun-the water parks are beautiful and a great way to spend a day.

 

[crostorfer]

Oh! And clothespins or towel clips to keep your towel soundly on your chair. Chair stealing can and does happen. It's hard for someone to steal your space if your towel is securely attached and can't blow away in a breeze.

 

[MinniesYooHoo]

Oh! And clothespins or towel clips to keep your towel soundly on your chair. Chair stealing can and does happen. It's hard for someone to steal your space if your towel is securely attached and can't blow away in a breeze.

That's a great tip! I would have never thought about that. I've always wondered why there is no Water Parks Forum on this board. For those of us who are newbies to the water parks, it would be a tremendous help.

 

[Angry Eyes]

Thank you all so much for the tips and advice. I really thought I would need a tumbleweed emoticon for this one as I wasn't anticipating so many great tips. We are so excited to try something new. Thanks again! Now I am off to buy some clothespins! That's fantastic!

 

[CanadianPaco]

Thank you all so much for the tips and advice. I really thought I would need a tumbleweed emoticon for this one as I wasn't anticipating so many great tips. We are so excited to try something new. Thanks again! Now I am off to buy some clothespins! That's fantastic!

I agree - this is a great idea!

 

[MrsDrewsky]

Extra hairbands!

The wave pool at TL is brutal enough to pull them out of your hair, and the ones at the gift shop are over $8.

 

[pigletto]

My husband and son always bring the waterproof containers that go around their necks for park tickets and money. They wear their water shoes right to the parks, bring a small container of sunscreen that fits in a pocket and towels/sunglasses. They don't spend enough time in chairs to care if someone moves their towel so they usually just put the towels down somewhere and off they go.