Blizzard B or Typhoon L? (I'm sure this has beeb asked a million times...)

[alohamom]

My kids are 4 & 6 and good swimmers. Which water park is better for us and why?Does either stand out in your memories? I really wanted to go the last time we were in WDW but it was just too cold(Dec)so we skipped it. I also read somewhere here about snorkelling in one of the two parks but a friend tells me you must be 10 or older. Is this true? Thanks in advance for any and all responses

 

[Ames]

Not sure on the snorkeling age but that is at Typhoon Lagoon.

I would recommend that pare over BB. BB is very hot! There are very little shade areas there and wait times seem twice as long because you have to take a ski lift up to every ride.

TL is very nice and tropical, a wave pool and areas of shade.

 

[alohamom]

Thanks Ames, that is exactly the kind of info I needed to hear!

 

[ShadowWind]

Typhoon Lagoon is more layed back, lots of shade, a calmer lazy river. It also features smaller more family friendly slides. In the summer sometimes they have games at the clock tower. It does feature an 8 foot wave pool that waves every 90 seconds for an hour and 40 minutes and 20 minutes of bobbing. It's more relaxing and it does have the shark snorkelling. Even if they can't snorkel, there is an underground ship that you can see all the fish out the portholes of. TL has a kiddie area and a slide next to the wave pool.

Blizzard Beach is more designed around the thrill rides, massive slides including the omnious Summit Plummet, which is a 120 foot drop. It's hotter, and much less place to find shade. It does have a bigger kiddie area. The wave pool is bobbing waves all the time here. Don't forget to get your pic took with Ice Gator. BB is definitely a more energetic park...

Hope this answers your question...

 

[alohamom]

Thanks ShadowWind, it sounds like you have been a few times! I love the idea of the laid back tropical feel that TL sounds like it has, probably the best one for me. Thanks again for the details.

 

[jacksmom]

We have been to both several times and like both! But my ds(7) really likes TL better! He loves the waves!

 

[ShadowWind]

alohamom,
Yeah, we have been to TL and BB quite a bit. In fact, live only 5 minutes from the real ocean and have been there only a few times. Course Disney's beach doesn't have jellyfish, sea lice, and other assorted critters. Either is a good time, but yeah, if you want relaxing, TL is the way to go...

 

[BuzzLightYear3]

O.K.....I'll part with the majority here.....I have 3 kids, currently DS-10, DD-6, and DS-4, and BB is their hands-down favorite. I'd recommend BB for a 4 and 6 year old who are good swimmers for two reasons (a) Jr. Ski Patrol area, and (b) family raft ride. The Jr. Ski Patrol area is specifically designed for kids who are starting to out grow preschool areas but who are not big enough for the really intense water slides. It has several medium innertube rides, a 'walk across the ice bergs thing', and a T-bar that the kids hold on to and then fall off of. I've read in books that it's designed for kids 8-12, but I think it's really more for the 4-9 year old set. I think 10 and up tend to be on the other rides. The family raft ride at BB is also fantastic.....large round rafts that accomodate a family (all 5 of us fit)....whole family can have fun together....even our pretty unadventurous 3 year old enjoyed it last year. There are several other medium rides that 4-6 year olds can do as well, e.g. Toboggan Racers.

TL does have a more tropical feel....nicer landscaping, more restful...features which are certainly appreciated by parents but not kids.

TL does have the really awesome wave pool though.

Go to both if you can!

 

[kilee]

I haven't been to BB, but it's because I can't tear myself away from TL. I love the theming here. DS (11) loves it too. We have spent whole days here where we didn't even do many water slides. But did the wave pool (DS could spend hrs in this wave pool). I loved the snorkeling. DS got skittish and didn't like it. (He just wasn't real comfortable w/ the gear and felt like he wasn't breathing). I could just spend hours laying in a semi-shaded spot while DS built in the sand listening to Jimmy Buffett's (sp?) Margaritaville (I think I heard it at least 2 dozen times our last trip to TL when we were there 2 days in a row).

But beware, bring the strongest sunscreen you have and reapply every 60-90 minutes. I used waterbabies, and put it on constantly and then let it soak for alittle bit before getting into the water. We both still ended up w/ a sunburn-- not real bad but I couldn't imagine what it would of been like w/o. The CM's told me they see so many people leaving beat red. Every time I've been I've always been asked by a CM if we have sunscreen, because we're gonna want it there.