Blizzard Beach - Kiddie Area

[goofygal531]

Are water wings necessary? It looks like the water is up to the toddlers ankles in the splash pool.

 

[WIDisneyFan]

The kiddie area at Blizzard Beach is great! and no water wings are not needed. If you have any specific question I would be more than happy to answer, and just for reference we did it last summer with our son who was 3 and daughter who was 1 at the time.

 

[GottaLuvMickey]

Are water wings necessary? It looks like the water is up to the toddlers ankles in the splash pool.

Definately not! I used to be a lifeguard at BB... The only "deep" water is at the landing pool of the waterslide that they go down in a tube but there is a lifeguard at the bottom to catch them and take them over to the stairs (where hopefully you will be waiting for them, but unfortunately a LOT of parents are NOT!) But other than that one area, the water really is only ankle deep... It's a fun area! I LOVED working in that area and playing with the kids everyday!

 

[goofygal531]

Thank you!!!

I watched some YouTube videos of the area and it looks really fun, but very tame. I did notice the life guards at the top and bottom of the slides!

I do have another question about my DS5. Would he be allowed to play in that area? He's 46" tall.

DS5 also wants to go down some "big" slides, which ones would he be able to go on? Can I rent him a life vest for those slides? He doesn't know how to swim, he's currently taking lessons. He's done the pool side at the GF last summer, which to me is a water park slide , and he loved it. I'm guessing he'll mostly go on the tube slides.

Anyone been to Typhoon Lagoon with little ones? Is it worth it? Is the kiddie area better at BB? We're planning two water park days.

 

[clc053103]

Definately not! I used to be a lifeguard at BB... The only "deep" water is at the landing pool of the waterslide that they go down in a tube but there is a lifeguard at the bottom to catch them and take them over to the stairs (where hopefully you will be waiting for them, but unfortunately a LOT of parents are NOT!) But other than that one area, the water really is only ankle deep... It's a fun area! I LOVED working in that area and playing with the kids everyday!

I had a very bad experience with my 3 YO at BB- I put him down the water slide, he flipped out of the tube at the bottom and the lifeguard just stood there!!!!! I started screaming "GRAB HIM" and ran (I was in the water) towards him, and the guy said "I thought he was ok". UM, he's 3!!!!!! It was so bad another parent stopped me to say she saw what happened and I need to report him. I did to another guard, and was moved. It's now 9 months later and he still won't go in the water again above his ankles. So if you want to use the slide, I would plant myself right up next to the lifeguard.

 

[larklynn]

How deep is the water at the end of the slides my ds15 is a non swimmer with cerebral palsey he is fine if the water doesn't go over his head he is about 5'6". My ds8 is similar in the water but not quite as tall he is tall enough to ride rnr. They both love water slides at home and at the resort but wear life vests. Can they do this here?

 

[tricia]

The drop off pools on the big water slides are between 3 and 4 feet deep. When my sons were too short to touch the bottom they still enjoyed the slides at BB that you used the crazy carpet type thing on. They would float on that right to the edge of the pool where they could get off, or I would wait in the pool and grab them once they cleared the slide area.

 

[djp0630]

The kiddie area at Blizzard Beach is great! and no water wings are not needed. If you have any specific question I would be more than happy to answer, and just for reference we did it last summer with our son who was 3 and daughter who was 1 at the time.

Can you tell me what your daughter did at age 1? Did she go down any of the slides? I am going this Fall with a 3 year old DD and a 1 year old DS and know DD can do stuff, but was wondering about DS. Thanks.

 

[NotUrsula]

I make it a policy to keep a flotation vest on my toddler at all times when in a water park, even if the only place that I *plan* for her to be out of my arms is the kiddie splash area. It's just the safest thing to do, and it helps to keep them from getting scraped up if they fall (the bottom is rough to prevent slipping.)

Water wings I don't use at all -- I think that the things should be banned, quite honestly. They are just not safe as flotation devices.

Older nonswimmers should take advantage of the free loaner vests, too, IMO. I see a LOT of adults in the main pools wearing them, especially at TL in the wave pool.

 

[GottaLuvMickey]

So if you want to use the slide, I would plant myself right up next to the lifeguard.

I'm VERY sorry for your experience, and I'm NOT trying to start anything here, but for your safety, your childs safety, and the safety of every other child coming down that slide... do NOT "plan yourself right up next to the lifeguard" We can't do our job if you are there in the way, plus, most parents can't tell by standing at the bottom if it's their kid that's coming down next or not. Yes, I agree, that was absolutely horrible what that lifeguard did, and he should have been removed from his post immediately, but most lifeguards are not like that. If you are concerned about something like that happening, then watch a few kids come down and see how the guard reacts to them coming down and if it's not being handled in a way you like, the ASK the lifeguard if you can catch your own child... We (as in lifeguards) are more than willing to step back and let a parent catch their own child, but especially in that landing pool, there's a pretty strong current and it's difficult to catch the child and get them to the step and with their parents already, the last thing we need slowing us down is someone else in the landing pool that we'd have to dodge around. Safety is our first concern, and that means EVERYONE, if you are blocking us from doing our job in the landing pool, chances are, the next kid is going to come down and the guard wont be there to catch them because we're still trying to get the first kid out of the water.

As a whole, in Tikes Peak or anywhere in the park... if you want to catch your own kid, just let the lifeguards know! They're more than willing to let you IF they know what you're doing....

 

[GottaLuvMickey]

How deep is the water at the end of the slides my ds15 is a non swimmer with cerebral palsey he is fine if the water doesn't go over his head he is about 5'6". My ds8 is similar in the water but not quite as tall he is tall enough to ride rnr. They both love water slides at home and at the resort but wear life vests. Can they do this here?

Pretty much all of the landing pools for all of the slides at BB are 4 feet deep. Most people do end up going under the water when they hit the bottom of the slide, but that's due to the currents, not because of depth. If you're concerned about your boys just make sure you, or an adult in your party, goes down before them and once they hit the landing pool, you need to let the lifeguard know "I need to catch my kid, he can't swim" and they may ask you to move back a little so you don't get totally wiped out by them popping out of the slide, but they'll let you catch them. The only one you can't do that on is the Downhill Double Dipper, if you're not a decent swimmer, I don't reccommend going on this slide, because you have to get out of that landing pool FAST! Or you'll get creamed by the next person coming down! The biggest thing I always told people was to just make sure they stood up when they hit the bottom and they'd be fine. 90% of my rescues were actually adults that would hit the bottom, start jumping up and down & splashing acting like they were drownig, yelling too! They didn't realize they could stand up and be just fine... Honestly, by the end of the day it just becomes comical when full grown able bodied adults are still freaking out at the end of a slide because they dont take the time to stand up and realize the water only goes half way up their bodies!

If anyone has any questions, I'm more than happy to answer them!

 

[goofygal531]

If you're concerned about your boys just make sure you, or an adult in your party, goes down before them and once they hit the landing pool, you need to let the lifeguard know "I need to catch my kid, he can't swim" and they may ask you to move back a little so you don't get totally wiped out by them popping out of the slide, but they'll let you catch them. !

I had no idea they allowed this!! That's fantastic!

Where do you recommend parents stand when the toddlers go down the tube slide in tyke's peak?

 

[clc053103]

I had no idea they allowed this!! That's fantastic!

Where do you recommend parents stand when the toddlers go down the tube slide in tyke's peak?

When I was there, the lifeguard told me I had to stand back by the stairs- I was not allowed close enough to catch DS. However, I think next time I would demand to catch him, after watching the lifeguard let him drop last time.

 

[abouley]

Can you tell me what your daughter did at age 1? Did she go down any of the slides? I am going this Fall with a 3 year old DD and a 1 year old DS and know DD can do stuff, but was wondering about DS. Thanks.

It's been 3.5 years since we went here but our son was 19 months old and up at the top of the slides that everyone is talking about there were some tiny water slides for the really little ones. They sort of had to push themselves down them but my son loved them. I didn't feel comfortable with him on the bigger slides yet. I also want to remember there being this "wall" type slide that he and I slid down together. But, mostly it'd be just hanging out playing in the water and also grab a tube and float the lazy river. This was one of our favorite days of our trip even with a toddler! He fell asleep floating the lazy river!

Alison

 

[PollyannaMom]

....I do have another question about my DS5. Would he be allowed to play in that area? He's 46" tall....

I think they are allowed up to 48" in the kiddie area.

There is also a "tween" area with a couple of smallish slides and "icebergs" that you cross holding onto a rope. I'm not sure of the heights there.

 

[NotUrsula]

...
The biggest thing I always told people was to just make sure they stood up when they hit the bottom and they'd be fine. 90% of my rescues were actually adults that would hit the bottom, start jumping up and down & splashing acting like they were drownig, yelling too! They didn't realize they could stand up and be just fine... Honestly, by the end of the day it just becomes comical when full grown able bodied adults are still freaking out at the end of a slide because they dont take the time to stand up and realize the water only goes half way up their bodies!

Comical, but still serious. My MIL almost drowned that way a few years ago at her neighborhood pool. She was about 70 at the time, and she's not a strong swimmer. At the urging of the grandchildren, she decided to brave the slide (a spiral tube slide about 50' long, and certainly not fast in any way), but went down lying flat. When she hit the bottom she was in water about 4' deep, but had gotten disoriented on the way down. She tried to swim out, but was swimming DOWN toward the bottom -- we could see her legs flailing rather desperately.

The teen lifeguard was looking straight at her but didn't realize she was in any trouble, but DH went in after her and got her head up. She came close to drowning because of how disoriented she was -- she had panicked completely. Now she gets quite terrified if I let the children go on any waterslide when she is there, but my kids are total water rats; they feel very safe in water and do not panic; they just go to bottom and push up.