Water park help please!

[cheap traveler]

HELP!! I haven't been to a Disney water park since 1998, and I'm taking my kids to both water parks for the first time this year!

Two main questions:

-Is it easy/fast to take a bus from one of the main parks to the water parks? Our plan is to have 2 short days, where we spend the evenings in the water. I will have my car, so if it's difficult I can just drive.

-Do I need to bring my own towels, or do they provide them? Anything to make my bag lighter.


Also, which water park do you like better? My girls will be 10 1/2, and 8 when we go. I plan to peruse pictures/maps with them, see which looks better, because we will have 1 full day and I would like to stick to one park that day.


TIA

 

[DVC Doctor]

Show your kids the two water parks and ask them what theme do they like better.

 

[River Country]

Depending on when you are traveling, i dont think the water parks bus goes in between theme parks. I know at one time there was a shared route with Blizzard Beach and the AK. As far as Typhoon Lagoon goes i believe you can get a bus from AK but i am not positive, you should check the transprtation board. It is way easier to take the bus from a resort IMHO but this is why i rent a car....(i am sure someone knows if i am right or not and will no doubt point it out soon)...driving is the easiest

Also not sure what you mean by in the water in the evenings i believe the water parks hours are 10-5 daily, so by no means is that a full day, what i do is breakfast in the AM wherever and then got to the WP stay from 10-3 maybe then go back to hotel and get ready for dinner or a theme park at night


My favorite is my name River Country LOL but since that closed in 2001 i think i will choose Typhoon Lagoon as my favorite over BB

 

[T1nkerBell]

I'd drive personally. I believe the water park busses run from the resorts, not the parks. By car it's easier, in my opinion.

We liked the look of Typhoon lagoon the best, but we liked Blizzard beach better. For us, the wave pool at TL was too wild, and the other attractions less fun than the ones at BB. The only thing we'd go back to TL for would be the Crush'n'Gusher (we got stopped by thunder last time).

But people are different...

 

[ZoZo]

If you have a car, I would recommend driving. Taking WDW transportation can be time-consuming, depending on where you're staying and how far your chosen water park is from your resort.

You can rent towels at both water parks. The rental fee is $2 per towel.

I have been to both water parks, and prefer Typhoon. Some folks like Blizzard Beach better because it has more slides, but I prefer Typhoon Lagoon. But I bet you'd be happy with either one!

 

[bobbie68]

Hi,

I believe you can rent towels at the water parks. We bring ours from the resort.

We love BB. If your kids like slides and tube rides this is great. I like their wave pool it is a little calmer than TL. Their lazy river goes around the park.You can get on and off at different places.

We go at RD so we take the bus from our resort.

Have fun.

 

[Hootch]

drive. We usually stay at POFQ and the Typhoon Lagoon bus also stops at DTD. The Blizzard Beach bus stops at DAK.

 

[rpk1951]

depending on time of year make sure to check that they have not reached capacity before you head out.

 

[coolbrook]

When we went with my DD8 we chose Blizzard Beach because they have an intermediate kids area which had things my daughter liked. I think it is called ski patrol training camp of something like that. She would have been too tall for the little kid areas at either park and not brave enough for most of the big people slides. This year she is 10 an we will probably go back to Typhoon Lagoon, because I like the theme, the wave pool is wilder, and DD10 hasn't seen it.

 

[Donna in NJ]

I am not sure when you are going? We went in the summer a few years ago and by 11 AM TL was so packed it was not fun and we left The water parks are a huge attraction for local family in the summer. We now eat breakfast at a resort and take the bus from the resort we are at to the park. When they open at 10AM they let you in as far as the rope drop area about a half hour early. We change into our suits and am ready to go at 10. As soon as it gets packed we leave.

 

[JennyDrake]

Echoing what others have said--if you are gong in the summer, you really need to be there at opening. In August I've seen TL (where we usually go) close to capacity at 11:30.

Given the ages of your kids, I would vote BB due to the ski patrol are that PP noted--it has plenty of activities for kids the ages of yours.

My personal favorite is TL--but I don't have kids. the wave pool CAN be intense and you aren't allowed to float on rafts.

If you have a car, I would drive.

 

[cheap traveler]

Thank you everyone for the fast responses!

That ski patrol area sounds promising, DD10 is just shy of 5' tall, but not into big thrills. They LOVE wave pools, but I'm scared of them after nearly drowning in one.

We are going the last week of August, so Florida schools are back in session, I only have northern/foreign visitors to contend with. Our full water park day will be Wednesday 8/27 - hot, but the main parks usually aren't very busy.

My current plan was to go to AK until noon one day, then switch over to a water park. I think our Future World day would be the same (we do 2 Epcot days.)

Sounds like I will bring towels from my room, no need to pay for free things

I have never, all these trips since 1998, looked at the water park busses, but it sounds like I should drive!

Again, thank you all for the great input!

 

[ZoZo]

My current plan was to go to AK until noon one day, then switch over to a water park. I think our Future World day would be the same (we do 2 Epcot days.)

Again, thank you all for the great input!

One thing to consider is that if there are thunderstorms (a common, almost daily occurrence in Florida in the afternoons that time of year), they often close the water parks.

And I'm pretty sure that you don't get a refund if they close the parks due to weather - might be worth it one day to flip-flop your day and go to the water park in the morning, then to a park in the afternoon. It would be a shame to get "rained out" both days.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Depending on when you are traveling, i dont think the water parks bus goes in between theme parks. I know at one time there was a shared route with Blizzard Beach and the AK. As far as Typhoon Lagoon goes i believe you can get a bus from AK but i am not positive, you should check the transprtation board. It is way easier to take the bus from a resort IMHO but this is why i rent a car....(i am sure someone knows if i am right or not and will no doubt point it out soon)...driving is the easiest

Also not sure what you mean by in the water in the evenings i believe the water parks hours are 10-5 daily, so by no means is that a full day, what i do is breakfast in the AM wherever and then got to the WP stay from 10-3 maybe then go back to hotel and get ready for dinner or a theme park at night


My favorite is my name River Country LOL but since that closed in 2001 i think i will choose Typhoon Lagoon as my favorite over BB

IIRC, they are open until 8:00 pm in Summer.




Like a PP, I'm torn on TL. Crushin Gusher is great - best water ride in Disney. But, there isn't much else there I like. The kids enjoy some of the body slides and my oldest loves shark reef. The wave pool was interesting for a few minutes, but we spent WAY more time in the wave pool at BB.

OP, your kids are a perfect age for the water parks IMO. Check my trip report if you'd like to see my review of the water parks.

 

[River Country]

IIRC, they are open until 8:00 pm in Summer.

I just checked this again and according to the WDW.com the park hours listed for 8/27 TL are 10-5 and BB is 10-6

While Summer hours are extended such as 9-8 for BB and TL once school is back in session in the south the hours change back

Actually the week i will be there the hours are 9-7 which is the week of 8/17

 

[Amanda999]

FWIW, we go last week of August and I've never seen BB or TL close due to capacity. But, maybe we were just lucky. And, yes, sometimes they close due to lightning in the area, but it's all fun - we'd just go watch a movie back at our hotel room.

If you can possibly rent a car, I'd recommend it. The buses are freezing post-water park (extra cold AC + damp swim suits) and often make more than 1 stop before getting back to your resort. Parking is a breeze at the water parks. It seems to me that the buses are not as frequent as those that go from resorts to the 4 'major' parks.

 

[cheap traveler]

One thing to consider is that if there are thunderstorms (a common, almost daily occurrence in Florida in the afternoons that time of year), they often close the water parks.

And I'm pretty sure that you don't get a refund if they close the parks due to weather - might be worth it one day to flip-flop your day and go to the water park in the morning, then to a park in the afternoon. It would be a shame to get "rained out" both days.

This is a good idea, maybe I will move my AK lunch reservation to a dinner res, and hit the water park in the morning that day. I would rather do this on my future world day, but under the current system I can't get a fastpass for both Soarin' and Test Track (stupid), and they would both be pretty busy later in the day. At AK I can get my fastpasses: Kali, Safari, and Festival of the Lion King.



Thanks to everyone's input, I think I will hit BB on our full day, and do one of the short days at TL. Then our second short day can be back at the one we liked better. (And we will be driving )

 

[Gumbo4x4]

FWIW, we go last week of August and I've never seen BB or TL close due to capacity. But, maybe we were just lucky. And, yes, sometimes they close due to lightning in the area, but it's all fun - we'd just go watch a movie back at our hotel room.

If you can possibly rent a car, I'd recommend it. The buses are freezing post-water park (extra cold AC + damp swim suits) and often make more than 1 stop before getting back to your resort. Parking is a breeze at the water parks. It seems to me that the buses are not as frequent as those that go from resorts to the 4 'major' parks.

Parking is also free at the water parks.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I just checked this again and according to the WDW.com the park hours listed for 8/27 TL are 10-5 and BB is 10-6

While Summer hours are extended such as 9-8 for BB and TL once school is back in session in the south the hours change back

Actually the week i will be there the hours are 9-7 which is the week of 8/17

Thanks, I really didn't check to see when OP was going. Just referring to our past trip

 

[Sco]

In August it will be hot, but during a weekday when local schools are back in session, it should be a way to cool off. If it does rain, go. Unless there is lightning, they will still let you swim and go on the slides. It clears out pretty good and was kind of fun to be in the wave pool almost by yourself, and I wasn't upset about getting wet. Both are good, but IMO need more slides. The wave pool at TL is amazing as well as the water coaster. BB has more slides, the chairlift and the family slide is great.

If you don't mind driving, Adventure Island at Busch Gardens is the best water park I have been to. But it is an hour away.