Best time for the waterparks?

[mikerohlfing]

I'm headed to Orlando in October for a long weekend. We'll be doing a Friday at Universal and a Saturday at Magic Kingdom. I'll arrive about 11 hours ahead of my wife on Thursday afternoon, so I'm trying to figure out what to fill the day with. I've never been resort hopping at Disney, so that's high on my list. I've also never been to the waterparks...

What are the crowds like at BB/TL near the end of the day? If I were to show up at one of the waterparks around 1 or 2pm, would it be worth the $50 for a few hours? Or will the lines still be really long by then? (Both waterparks close at 5pm that day.) Which waterpark has better rides for a single rider?

Thanks!

 

[whitney250]

The water parks are a lot of fun! If it's a normal day, I would think they would become more crowded as the day progressed. We went to both in the same day with no problem, but it was also a rainy day, so many people left as soon as the rain started. TL has a few slides that require more than one rider, it seemed like BB had more options for single riders. I will say that it's really hard for me to choose between the two because they are both so different and so much fun.

 

[Klayfish]

In October, I doubt they'll be as crowded as they are in May-September. 1pm is probably about high time for crowds, but it'll start to die down towards closing time. I'd bet that by 4pm, you'd be able to get on anything you want. As for which is better for a single rider, they're about equal. If I had to pick one, I guess it would be TL, because of Crush n Gusher and the wave pool, but BB has Summit Plummet and Slush Gusher. You can't go wrong either way.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Resort hopping > than water parks hands down IMO.

That's how I would spend my time. Having a drink here or there (e.g. Sams at the Poly), enjoying the lobbies with a good book and the monorails. Perhaps a cigar along the way (e.g. on a chaise lounge at GF).

 

[Alice777]

I don't know when you are going in October but Blizzard Beach Water Park is closed from 10/23 to 12/24 for refurbishment.

 

[mikerohlfing]

I don't know when you are going in October but Blizzard Beach Water Park is closed from 10/23 to 12/24 for refurbishment.

I'll be there 10/20-22

 

[mikerohlfing]

Resort hopping > than water parks hands down IMO.

That's how I would spend my time. Having a drink here or there (e.g. Sams at the Poly), enjoying the lobbies with a good book and the monorails. Perhaps a cigar along the way (e.g. on a chaise lounge at GF).

I'm kind of thinking that I can do both. Lunch at Disney Springs, resort hop for a couple hours, go to Blizzard Beach from 2-5, then resort hop a little more before heading to the airport at 9ish. It looks like parking at Disney Springs and Blizzard Beach is free, so that helps.

 

[kelleybean]

I would do it the other way and go at opening instead. The crowds are at their lowest and a lot of times you can get all the slides in before the crowds build. Then when it is busier do the lazy river/wave pool/bobbing pool (stuff with no lines). Then you can go to Disney Springs for lunch, resort hop in the afternoon. We used to have AP's for the water parks and going at opening always worked best for us, even on crowded days.

 

[mikerohlfing]

I would do it the other way and go at opening instead. The crowds are at their lowest and a lot of times you can get all the slides in before the crowds build. Then when it is busier do the lazy river/wave pool/bobbing pool (stuff with no lines). Then you can go to Disney Springs for lunch, resort hop in the afternoon. We used to have AP's for the water parks and going at opening always worked best for us, even on crowded days.

Unfortunately, I don't arrive in Orlando until around 11:30am. By the time I get my rental car and drive to Disney, it'll be 12:30 at best.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

You can't go wrong with a Waterpark.

 

[yaya74]

Waterpark is sooooo much fun!! The crowd at waterpark won't be as bad as the 4 major theme parks. When we were there last week, the longest waittime for some slides was 30 minutes around noon. The chair lift at BB has a single-rider line and that was the only single rider line that I saw during my visit. The only concern that I would have if I were going to a waterpark around 2pm might be finding a locker. Again, that might not be an issue for you as October is slow. Anyways, have a good time at the Disney waterpark!!Cann't wait to go back next summer.

 

[kizzle]

Lazy river ftw

 

[mikerohlfing]

The water parks are a lot of fun! If it's a normal day, I would think they would become more crowded as the day progressed. We went to both in the same day with no problem, but it was also a rainy day, so many people left as soon as the rain started. TL has a few slides that require more than one rider, it seemed like BB had more options for single riders. I will say that it's really hard for me to choose between the two because they are both so different and so much fun.

It looks like there are slides at both water parks that have tubes that fit more than one person. If I'm by myself, do I have to ride with strangers, or can one person ride in a four-person raft? I'm not opposed to riding with others, I'm just curious.

 

[yaya74]

It looks like there are slides at both water parks that have tubes that fit more than one person. If I'm by myself, do I have to ride with strangers, or can one person ride in a four-person raft? I'm not opposed to riding with others, I'm just curious.

hum.... great question.. There is only 1 family raft slide at each park. The one at BB fits 6 and the one at TL fits 4. If you cann't find a family to ride with you, you won't miss much by skipping that ride.

 

[whitney250]

It looks like there are slides at both water parks that have tubes that fit more than one person. If I'm by myself, do I have to ride with strangers, or can one person ride in a four-person raft? I'm not opposed to riding with others, I'm just curious.

One of the slides at Crush n' Gusher is a two person only slide, I'm pretty sure... and I'm not 100% sure about the family raft ride.