Blizzard Beach Help

[frozengirl]

Hi! We've never done a waterpark in our visits to WDW. We bought the park hoppers plus pass so we can try them out this time. We are going to go to Blizzard Beach on our first day. I will have my kids (3, 9, 11). Any tips or have to do's? I feel so out of my element on this one! Thanks for any advice

 

[disneyvoice]

At 3 my son LOVED the Tike's Peak area but your 9 and 11 year old won't be interested. Ski Patrol Training Camp will be fun for the 9 and 11 year olds. I would suggest getting there at opening and finding a nice spot in Ski Patrol Training Camp. Your 9 and 11 year old will be fine on their own in the area and you can probably find something that your 3 year old can do. If you are comfortable with you 9 and 11 year old going off on their own then I would suggest getting a spot in Tike's Peak and having your older kids check in with you throughout the day. When my son was 3 we used to get chairs in the center of TP and turn my son loose. We were able to watch him like a hawk as he went down the slides - there are a lot of lifeguards in TP. The first time we went we either got there right at opening or they were doing EMH (I think they did them at the water parks many moons ago) I can't remember now but there was no one else there but my son for longest time. I was walking around in circles along with him as he did all the slides and the lifeguards told me to just sit down, that he was fine on his own. They were so great with him (and all the little ones)! He was scared of the "big" slide (still actually a tiny one in TP!) so the lifeguards helped him be brave and go down it - then he loved it. When he got older we did the same thing at SPTC - we couldn't see him the entire time but he knew he couldn't leave the area. Lots of lifeguards there too. A few times throughout the day we would walk around together and do some of the family rides.

It's a bit expensive but if you are okay with your 9 and 11 year old going off on their own, one of the Cabanas might be a good option for you. We haven't done them at Blizzard Beach but I think most of the them are in shaded areas there. It would be a good "home base" where you can all meet up for lunch/snacks and the older kids can come back and check in with you. If the little one gets tired you could hang out there for a nap.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Fun, we love BB! I think it's the better of the two with kids, in my humble opinion.

I like to get to the water parks at rope drop. Just like the theme parks, those first few hours can be critical in terms of getting a bunch of rides in with less waiting.

You might want to look at a map and figure out a good "home base" for the day to put your stuff. You're probably going to want to find a spot with some shade. I would do this first thing when you get there.

We rented a cabana last summer and it was GREAT, but the price is a bit obnoxious. The cabanas come with bottles of water, several seating options, and an attendant that can bring food/drink all day long (you have to pay for food/drink). Some cabanas are better than others in terms of shade, size, location, structure, etc.

Are you staying on property? Bus or car? Disney has jacked the bus routes to the water parks recently. From many resorts you have to go to a park and transfer, it's such a pain. For example, from Poly you have to take the bus to AK then transfer to a bus from AK to BB.

Your ages are pretty wide. The 3 year old is going to love the kid's area, the others, not so much. Assuming there are two adults, you may need to split up at times.

Sorry for the long post. Feel free to ask more questions. Again, we love BB!

 

[gatormom2tots]

We considered renting a cabana before our first trips to the water parks- glad we didn't. Besides the crazy price, if you go at rope drop there are plenty of covered shaded areas in the kids section.

 

[Klayfish]

BB is a ton of fun, we love the place. Your three year old will love Tikes Peak and Ski Patrol areas, great for kids. The 9 and 11 year olds are obviously too old for Tikes Peak and I'd say they are too old for Ski Patrol also. Last summer, our oldest had just turned 12 and our twins were 8 just about to turn 9. We've been going to BB for years, and this was the first time they were bored with Ski Patrol.

Just my opinion, but the cabanas are a complete and total waste of money. There are tons of shady areas and you don't need to worry about your possessions. Don't bring valuables in, and if you're really worried (we've NEVER had our stuff touched) there are lockers you can use.

Yes, show up at "rope drop" but it's different than the 4 parks. No need to be 45 minutes early. Show up 5 minutes early and it's more than plenty. Grab some chairs and head to the slides. In the first hour, the only limiting factor is how fast you can climb the stairs. You will find little to no waits in that first hour. Summit Plummet and Slush Gusher are the two "big" ones. They're right next to each other and in fact share the same sidewalk for their queue. There is a ski lift to take you to the top if you want, which is fun. But the line gets long quickly for that, and frankly if you're in good physical shape it's quicker to take the stairs.

The family tube ride is a ton of fun and all 5 of you can go together. I highly recommend it. Beyond that, there are numerous other tube, mat and body slides which are a lot of fun. The lazy river is also a lot of fun, we go in it every time to relax.

Pavement can get hot. Many people wear water shoes. Personally, we don't like them and go barefoot 100% of the time, just be mindful that it can get hot.

Enjoy!!!

 

[dprincessmom]

You don't say when your trip is so some of these thoughts may not be as important during slower season:

• If the 3 year old is tall enough, don't miss the family raft ride.
• Use the ski lift early in the day (if interested) as the line will build as the day goes on.
• The kids play areas are a fun option.
• We usually rent one big locker - sunscreen up, and leave everything else there.
• The waterparks sells a refillable mug - great if the family is willing to share, but you will have to store in your bag or locker so think about this.
• Life jackets are available for free use at several stations.
• The lazy river is a great place to chill and also get you from one side of the park to the other.
• Take your own beach towel if at all possible - the ones they rent aren't very big and my kids like to bundle up bef.
• Remember it is melting "ice" so some dripping water will be colder; the pavement can get hot but there are water sprayers throughout the park to help with this.
• WARNING flip flops and wet floors can equal a bit of "skating" in the bathrooms - just be mindful and you will be fine.

BB is my daughter's favorite among the two. If the kids need a water break, you can always hit up Winter/Sumerland mini golf while you are there (just check the time).

 

[frozengirl]

Thank you all! It sounds wonderful! We will be there at the end of March. A few more questions:

• Are magic bands waterproof?
• Can I bring my own floatie vest for my 3 year old?
• What do you do with your phone?
• Can I bring in food and drinks?
• Can I bring a stroller?

Thanks again!!! Only a few weeks...

 

[Klayfish]

1. Yes, magic bands are waterproof. I leave mine on, because there are a few photographers around and sometimes we get a photo taken. They're pretty tough, I've never had mine fall off. Only my kids have, because they were rough housing on the icebergs in Ski Patrol. So now they just leave them off.
2. Not sure if you can bring your own flotation device, I'm guessing you can, but they offer them for free for kids of all ages.
3. You can put your phone in a locker if you want, leave it in the car (if you have one). Frankly, I leave mine buried in my towel in my bag which I leave on the chair. My phone is the cheapest smartphone available (literally got it free) and there's nothing of personal details on it, so if someone really wants it, they're welcome to it. But if you have a nice phone, put it in a locker if you're concerned for safety. I will say I've never had my stuff touched, and I've been to the water parks probably 20 or 30 times.
4. Yes, you can bring in food and drinks, same rules as the main parks. We bring all of our own food and drink in.
5. Not certain, but I think you can bring a stroller (or at least I'm pretty sure you can, we haven't had to deal with it in a long time). But frankly you'll probably be better off without it.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Thank you all! It sounds wonderful! We will be there at the end of March. A few more questions:

• Are magic bands waterproof?
• Can I bring my own floatie vest for my 3 year old?
• What do you do with your phone?
• Can I bring in food and drinks?
• Can I bring a stroller?

Thanks again!!! Only a few weeks...

You can NOT bring your own floatie. Must use their free life vests. Insurance issue.

Strollers are allowed, we've brought them. For a 3 year old, I would recommend it. If you can park it in a shady spot, stroller = place to nap.

 

[pd1138]

We did blizzard beach for the first time on our first day of our trip last August! My kids loved it! We took a stroller for our toddler and didn't have any problem. We found a covered space near tikes peak as soon as the park opened and had shade all day! The family raft ride was the most fun as we could all ride together! We did that ride 6 or 7 times!! My toddler had a life vest on and she loved it! We all did the lazy river and the bobbin wave pool too!
We topped off the night with ice-cream for dinner back at our resort and it was a great start to our vacation!