Both Water Parks in the summer?

[GatorChris]

I'm planning a late summer trip to WDW next year. Our last hot FL trip was to Universal where we did Volcano Bay almost daily - so great and so easy to get to. Everywhere I read, it seems WDW refuses to keep both water parks open...even during the hot summer months. Is that still the case?

It just doesn't seem to make sense. It's freaking FL in the SUMMER! They really need both parks open. Especially since neither water park on its own can hold Volcano Bay's speedo.

 

[DisneyMom93]

I think it’s because they are frequently refurbished. Maybe even fully cleaned? Can’t close both at the same time to do that.

 

[Dave006]

Everywhere I read, it seems WDW refuses to keep both water parks open...even during the hot summer months. Is that still the case?

Disney is not refusing to keep both water parks open at any point in the year. There is simply not enough demand. They use the same Lifeguards and staff between the 2 parks.

This has been the situation since the Covid 19 shutdown.

Dave

 

[Mle8308]

I also think it's a staffing issue. They have to hire deep water certified guards (or people who are able to pass the deep water test) and it is more difficult. The lifeguards at the hotel pools are not deep water certified (though Y&B may be the exception due to SAB being considered a waterpark), it's a much easier test to pass (shallow water test). The employees you see at the water parks in the blue shorts are not guards, they are either ride operators or chemists (monitor the pool water for chemicals, etc).

 

[Mle8308]

Disney is not refusing to keep both water parks open at any point in the year. There is simply not enough demand. They use the same Lifeguards and staff between the 2 parks.

This has been the situation since the Covid 19 shutdown.

Dave

Just said basically the same thing!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Disney has been operating with only 1 WP open since 2019 and there is only 1 day I can remember that the one park closed to capacity. There is currently not the demand to open both parks at once.

That may change in 2025 when resort guests get a free WP day on arrival day but so far nothing has been announce to support both parks being open at the same time.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Disney does not NEED to do anything.

They also are not REFUSING to open both at the same time.
Between less demand, less staff, and keeping up with refurbishments this is how they have chosen to operate.

If you feel that Volcano Bay is better than Disney's water park options then you could always choose to go there instead.

 

[GatorChris]

Disney is not refusing to keep both water parks open at any point in the year. There is simply not enough demand. They use the same Lifeguards and staff between the 2 parks.

This has been the situation since the Covid 19 shutdown.

Dave

Here's a question. Why don't you think there's enough demand? I mean...it's Florida in the Summer!

 

[Dave006]

Here's a question. Why don't you think there's enough demand? I mean...it's Florida in the Summer!

It's easy if there was enough demand then Disney would not just leave money on the table. It has been this way since the shutdown in 2020. Will demand recover, maybe but so far it has not appeared to have happened.

Dave

 

[scrappinginontario]

Here's a question. Why don't you think there's enough demand? I mean...it's Florida in the Summer!

Every year it's Florida in the summer but even with only 1 water park open Disney isn't filling it. If they were filling or people were complaining about long waits it might mean they need to open a second one but so far those things have not been happening.

It could also be another example of people only have so much $$ to spend on a vacation so that budget needs to stretch where needed. I know for our family, since everything has gone up we have stopped booking ADR's (used to do 2-3 per trip), stopped adding the water park addition and now use those funds towards the general increase in $$ it takes to visit Disney plus one or 2 days of LLMP.

Same funds, different allocation and I'm guessing I'm not alone.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Here's a question. Why don't you think there's enough demand? I mean...it's Florida in the Summer!

Maybe there are others like me that just no longer find as much enjoyment in water parks.
I'm old enough to realize that I could get injured on some of these slides or in a wave pool full of kids not being watched by their parents slamming into me because they don't know how to control their body when a wave comes.

I'm guessing a lot of the lack of demand comes from people spending a lot of money to go that they rather focus on the theme parks, food, and specialty souvenirs/experiences and leave the water parks for a fun less expensive way to tire the kids out at home.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Here's a question. Why don't you think there's enough demand? I mean...it's Florida in the Summer!

Disney has plenty of other things to do and the novelty of their water parks kinda wore off on the general public, especially after VB opened. And summer sounds great for a water park- until you remember it’s FL and storms are frequent in the afternoons shutting down water activities.

If demand was there, they’d open them both. Alas demand is so sad they are literally giving a free ticket to every on-site guest next year…

 

[vyrg]

Do we have further informations about summer 2025 ?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Nothing new has been announced.

 

[vyrg]

So sad

 

[han22735]

Its obviously because they are too cheap. Last summer the lines for slides at Typhoon where very long. There's enough demand they just don't want to pay for it. Knowing that they both will probably never be open at the same time again I wish they would at least rotate which is open over the summer. We are sick of Typhon and would very much welcome a summer with BB instead.

 

[Dave006]

Its obviously because they are too cheap. Last summer the lines for slides at Typhoon where very long.

I don't think so and it is not obvious. If they could make money by opening both water parks at the same time they would do it. If the schedule does not work for your travel patterns you might consider Volcano Bay at Universal but it is my understanding that it will be very busy, and have long lines at the top rides.

Dave

 

[vyrg]

I saw crowds in Blizzard Beach. Will they open both water parks at the same time ??

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I saw crowds in Blizzard Beach. Will they open both water parks at the same time ??

If the crowds become overwhelming for one park then yes they would but I doubt it will happen.

 

[Dave006]

I saw crowds in Blizzard Beach. Will they open both water parks at the same time ??

There is a 99% chance of both TL and BB parks not being open at the same time. BB will close on April 30 at the end of the day and TL will open on May 1.

Dave