Blizzard, Typhoon, or Aquatica?

[KuzcoRules]

I know every family is different but I'm interested in others' thoughts. Four adults (in our 50s and 30s) and three girls - 9, 7, and 5. Which park would you recommend on an and why? It's a weekday in mid-July if that makes a difference.

 

[brockash]

If you're talking this July BB isn't open, so that helps narrow it down a bit.

 

[Smugpugmug]

FYI Blizzard Beach will still be closed in July so your choices would be Typhoon Lagoon and Aquatica.

 

[KuzcoRules]

I wasn't initially intending to go to a water park and completely missed that fact! Thank you both for pointing it out. I think I'm leaning towards Aquatica.

 

[lovethattink]

Do you have your own transportation? Are you staying onsite? If I was staying onsite, I’d save time by going to TL. General parking at Aquatica is $30, free parking at TL.

 

[sbourgeois]

I wasn't initially intending to go to a water park and completely missed that fact! Thank you both for pointing it out. I think I'm leaning towards Aquatica.

I went to Typhoon Lagoon and I was not blown away. The wave pool is cool but the slides were 2 seconds long. It has pretty landscaping but other than that, I would say skip that one.

 

[HopperFan]

I went to Typhoon Lagoon and I was not blown away. The wave pool is cool but the slides were 2 seconds long. It has pretty landscaping but other than that, I would say skip that one.

Yeah we don't do it anymore. The slides are a snooze. We love Blizzard Beach slides. One of the last trips with everyone we did both parks in one week. Everyone said no more Typhoon unless we are just there to float and relax.

Our pick would be Blizzard Beach or Volcano Bay.

Aquatica has been getting some negative incidents on the news, sounds like the Wet & Wild group are there now.

BUT since OP's children are young the Typhoon Lagoon slides might be just fine for them.

 

[KuzcoRules]

Both of these responses are really helpful. I remember being underwhelmed by Typhoon Lagoon many years ago and choosing BB instead. We had two or three really nice visits at Aquatica in following years. Then came the years of marrying off my kids and them getting settled, and now here we are, finally back in our Disney-with-kids years! I really hope that the Wet & Wild group hasn't taken over Aquatica, because the one time we tried W&W we left after an hour and headed to Aquatica!

 

[kathy884]

I haven't been yet, but my nephew who lives in Orlando raves about the new Universal waterpark, Volcano Bay. My niece just loved it too. That is their favorite of all the waterparks they have been to, both in and out of Orlando. That's the one I'd like to try.

Any of them, though, are good and would be heavenly for cooling off in July.

 

[IndyToThere]

Never been to Aquatica so I can't comment on that one, but having been to Typhoon Lagoon and Volcano Bay in the same week... absolutely Volcano Bay. Large water park with lots of rides, good mix of thrill rides and family rides. Cool Hawaiian theme. The Tapu Tapu system for reserving a longer-wait ride works well. Great park.

 

[Karnor00]

I went to Aquatica a couple of years ago and was very underwhelmed. It’s a very generic waterpark with no theme. There were also a few rides closed when I went which gave it a very run down feeling.

I’ve been to Typhoon lagoon a few times and have enjoyed it. The theme isn’t amazing but much better than nothing. The wave pool is pretty spectacular.

But really I’d go for Volcano Bay. It’s just next level compared to any other waterpark I’ve been to. Great theme and rides, the Tapu Tapu system works very well and I particularly love the very-not-lazy river. There’s also a separate actually lazy river if that’s more your thing.

 

[emmabelle]

Volcano Bay is amazing. I wish I could go this week when we're in Disney but we have Universal Power AP's and can only go there from 4pm-7pm in July. boooooo

TL is nice but doesn't compare and seems a little tired, but we will still go this week.

 

[Tigger's ally]

I went to Typhoon Lagoon and I was not blown away. The wave pool is cool but the slides were 2 seconds long. It has pretty landscaping but other than that, I would say skip that one.

The slides aren't much but the coaster is far better than anything at BB. Crush and Gusher is where we stay all morning then head to the wave pool in the afternoon.

 

[JennyDrake]

I know every family is different but I'm interested in others' thoughts. Four adults (in our 50s and 30s) and three girls - 9, 7, and 5. Which park would you recommend on an and why? It's a weekday in mid-July if that makes a difference.

Volcano bay has great theming and usually lower crowds than the WDW parks. BUT. BIG but. Many of the slides and even one of the "rivers" are not for the faint of heart or those who are not strong swimmers.

 

[steve_rob]

While Aquatica is not as well themed as Volcano Bay or the two Disney waterparks, I will defend it on one area that I think they get right.

Too many waterparks in my opinion only have slides and other attractions at the extreme ends of the scales, e.g. some for kids, the rest for extreme adrenaline junkies. For someone like me who is an adult who likes mild thrills but isn't a super strong swimmer, there's usually very little middle ground.

Aquatica seems to be the exception to this rule - I found plenty of mild but still wild enough slides for me, plus you had the choice of a lazy river and a not-quite-so-lazy river, as well as plenty of kid friendly areas and more extreme slides as well. It really seemed as though they were trying to cater for everybody.

However speaking of catering, don't rely on their food. We had free dining at Aquatica due to our SeaWorld tickets, but if we hadn't I'm not sure we'd have bought anything - it was NOT good!

 

[fly girl]

Honestly, none of them. VOLCANO BAY. That is the best water park, and I don't even like water parks much but that one I do.

Second pick, and one you actually asked opinion on , Typhoon Lagoon.