Atlantis, Paradise Island Bahamas

[Ngwira]

We are spending one full day here next month while our ships is in port. Family of 4-2 kids ages 10 and 7. Our day pass includes the AQUAVENTURE, DIGS and pools. Does anyone have any tips for making the most of the day we will be there?

 

[mjkacmom]

Get there ASAP, secure loungers and lockers, get a map, you can use the pools and small slides at 9, big slides open at 10. Do those first, then the unlazy river. If the ocean is tough, head left. Buy water from guys before getting into a taxi - much cheaper than Atlantis. And eat a big breakfast, food there is crazy expensive! We save the Digs for he way out.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Did you already purchase the day pass? Purchasing a "night" at the Comfort Suites (you get full access to Atlantis) is cheaper than buying a day pass to Atlantis.

 

[Ngwira]

Did you already purchase the day pass? Purchasing a "night" at the Comfort Suites (you get full access to Atlantis) is cheaper than buying a day pass to Atlantis.

We did purchase the night at comfort suites. We paid $360 total. $90 pp..much cheaper than what DCL wanted for just the aquaventure!

 

[Ngwira]

Get there ASAP, secure loungers and lockers, get a map, you can use the pools and small slides at 9, big slides open at 10. Do those first, then the unlazy river. If the ocean is tough, head left. Buy water from guys before getting into a taxi - much cheaper than Atlantis. And eat a big breakfast, food there is crazy expensive! We save the Digs for he way out.

Thank you. Very good tips!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

People will hoard tubes, even stacking them up by their chairs while they eat lunch. Get there early.

Everything is expensive, so eat a good breakfast and bring water with you, as a PP said.

 

[DisMommyTX]

Wear comfortable shoes off the boat, then change into water shoes. It is about a 20 minute walk from the check in at Comfort Suites to get the bands at the Royal Towers, then through the dig to the water park area. Also, if it is a sunny day the concrete can burn your feet to the point of blistering. We spend a lot of time at water parks in Texas, and have never had our feet damaged as much as they were at during our Atlantis day last month. I recommend wearing flip flops everywhere in the water park, then holding them (or slip over your wrists) when you go down slides.

I second the recommendation to eat well before you leave the boat. As you walk through the pier, you can buy bottled water and sodas for a dollar--stock up both ways! If you plan to stay at Atlantis all day, be aware that some of the little stands will close early. My kids were disappointed that the snow cone place closed at 4.

I wish we had studied a map in advance. It is very spread out with meandering pathways. You definitely want to have a plan before you arrive.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

People will hoard tubes

There have been multiple reports that Atlantis has changed things, and there is now just one place where people get on and off the Aquaventure river system. According to what I’ve read, people are required to get out of their tubes at this particular place and then get in a line to get back in the river. Not sure if this is a permanent change or a test, but its something for the OP to be aware of. But it would make tube hoarding thing moot.

PS…I had a thread about this a year ago, and the hoarding mostly happens on days when there’s a Disney ship in port: Why do Disney Cruisers Horde Tubes at Atlantis?

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

There have been multiple reports that Atlantis has changed things, and there is now just one place where people get on and off the Aquaventure river system. According to what I’ve read, people are required to get out of their tubes at this particular place and then get in a line to get back in the river. Not sure if this is a permanent change or a test, but its something for the OP to be aware of. But it would make tube hoarding thing moot.

PS…I had a thread about this a year ago, and the hoarding mostly happens on days when there’s a Disney ship in port: Why do Disney Cruisers Horde Tubes at Atlantis?

I hope you're right! We were there between Christmas and New Year's last year, and people would stack four, five, nine tubes up next to their chairs while they ate. The teenagers in our group were very frustrated, because they would get to the front of a line but not be able to ride because there were no tubes.

We were not on a Disney cruise, but there was one in port that day.

 

[havaneselover]

There have been multiple reports that Atlantis has changed things, and there is now just one place where people get on and off the Aquaventure river system. According to what I’ve read, people are required to get out of their tubes at this particular place and then get in a line to get back in the river. Not sure if this is a permanent change or a test, but its something for the OP to be aware of. But it would make tube hoarding thing moot.

PS…I had a thread about this a year ago, and the hoarding mostly happens on days when there’s a Disney ship in port: Why do Disney Cruisers Horde Tubes at Atlantis?

Probably for the same reason they leave a towel on a chair on the pool deck all day but never actually sit in the chair!

 

[DisMommyTX]

Now it makes sense! I couldn't figure out why they made everyone get out of the river (leaving their tube behind) then cross the path to get a new tube and get back in. We were there July 13 and there was no tube hoarding. I don't know if the change was permanent, but it seemed to be working well as we had no problems getting tubes for any of the tube rides.

 

[kathy884]

Probably for the same reason they leave a towel on a chair on the pool deck all day but never actually sit in the chair!

You don't know how irritating it was for me on my last cruise to see 3/4th of the chairs by the pool empty with towels, but no empty chair without towels. This resulted in my sitting on the ground on my towel to watch my kids at the pool because there was no chair and I needed to be where I could watch them. I have heard of some places instituting a 20 minute rule that towels are removed after 20 minutes of no one there -- how refreshing.

 

[havaneselover]

You don't know how irritating it was for me on my last cruise to see 3/4th of the chairs by the pool empty with towels, but no empty chair without towels and sitting on the ground to watch my kids at the pool because there was not chair. I have heard of some places instituting a 20 minute rule that towels are removed after 20 minutes of no one there -- how refreshing.

Yep. Our last cruise was a 4 day. On our sea day we had tickets for dd to get photos with Anna and Elsa. By the time we hit the pool deck around 9:45 am there were no chairs. But 80% of the chairs were empty!