Stormalong Bay or Typhoon Lagoon?

[lucysdad]

We have always visited TL at least once during our trips to
WDW. We're not big slide people, but we have loved the wave pool and lazy river. However, last summer the wave pool was so darn crowded that it was actually dangerous, and the lazy river was just plain dirty! Sooooo, we're thinking of staying at the Yacht Club and enjoying Stormalong Bay instead. I know it has a lazy river. Could someone compare it with the TL lazy river? Also, does Stormalong Bay have a wave option? What is there to enjoy at SB other than the slide, which we won't use because it's covered (claustrophobia!)?

Lucy's Mom

 

[jcjohns91107]

No comparison. We were at YC 6/20 - 6/27. There is almost no current in the river pool at SB and at some points along the "river" the depth is 9' so you better be able to swim. I found myself just swimming because the current wasn't strong enough to pull be along. Also, they are not chilling the water at SB. The water must have been 90 degrees. It felt like a jacuzzi. We took a mid day break our first day and I went to the quiet pool to cool off and trust me, there was no cooling off. May as well have gone in the jacuzzi. Same held tru for SB.

We went to Typhoon and loved it but we are slide people. Crush Gusher is great!

 

[PolynesianAlex]

Id do storm along bay but i warn you they are VERY strict about resort guest only using there pool. ( need to get Braclet to go in) unless you are staying at the Y&BC

 

[lucysdad]

Warm pools....nuts! That is why I did not like the pool at AKL. It was too warm! But, if the pool is so deep in spots, it must be cool at least there, right?! Oh, I'm so disappointed. We were so looking forward to staying at the Yacht Club mainly to enjoy the pool. Are there any folks who loved Stormalong Bay?
Lucy's Mom

 

[PrincessShea]

Are there any folks who loved Stormalong Bay?

I thought it was really cool and I think kids will have a lot of fun playing in the sand. The whole pool has sand at the bottom. It's not like regular sand though that makes everything dirty. It's hard to describe but the sand immediately falls to the bottom if you swirl it and the pool is totally crystal clear.

However, it doesn't really compare at all to Typhoon Lagoon. The Stormalong Bay "lazy river" is really small compared to TL...you have to pay to rent a tube ($2 for a half hour I think)...and as someone else said it is REALLY deep in parts...I definitely wouldn't let kids go unsupervised there. Someone said the current isn't strong, but I thought it was. And it's even worse when you are in a part that is 7 feet deep and you cannot get any footing down to brace yourself.

There is no wave pool at Stormalong Bay.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

Warm pools....nuts! That is why I did not like the pool at AKL. It was too warm! But, if the pool is so deep in spots, it must be cool at least there, right?! Oh, I'm so disappointed. We were so looking forward to staying at the Yacht Club mainly to enjoy the pool. Are there any folks who loved Stormalong Bay?
Lucy's Mom

You're obviously not a Floridian. Most pools up north are way too cold for me. I'm originally from Ohio, but have been properly climatized in my 10 years in the FLA. If the pool is too warm for your taste, try swimming in the earlier hours of the morning. Then it has had all night to release some of it's warming and is noticably cooler.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The deep areas in SAB are very deep and there isn't a gentle slope; they drop off rather quickly. If you aren't a good swimmer you can get in over your head very easily. TL is much better than SAB and we stayed at BCV just a month ago. We were there for ten nights and I never went to SAB, only to the Dunes Cove pool. My son and husband went over to SAB a couple of times at night after we returned from the parks. What people refer to as the "lazy river" is far from a river and far from lazy. It's just a quick little loop in the 9' deep area with a rather swift current.

I think SAB is the most overrated pool at WDW.

We went to TL at least four or five times during our stay, BB once. The trick to TL is to get there when the park opens or to show up later in the afternoon around 3 or so. If you try to arrive at 11 or noon, you will encounter massive crowds. The lazy river at TL is much longer, much lazier and only about 3.5' deep. Plus the tubes are part of your admission at TL and BB. At SAB you have to rent them.

You definitely must watch your children at SAB because of the deep parts and swift current.

 

[jcjohns91107]

Sorry, I didn't find a cool spot anywhere in the pool. There are a lot of people who love that pool however, I suspect most have young kids.

 

[n2mm]

SAB is a pool, just a little fancier than other pools. TL is a water park. Lots of slides and fun things to do. Competely 2 different things. Keep in mind that the small lazy river at SAB is 8 ft deep, so it does keep folks from "walking" the lazy river like they do at water parks. We are at the BCV in August and while we have the option of SAB, I believe some of our family will be visiting BB or TL one day.