From a post of mine a few years ago:
We
love TL. Nothing says vacation than a tropical theme. We usually pick the busiest day of the trip to go there. It was our Easter Sunday go-to park for years. If you are going during the winter the locals, who are far more used to much warmer weather, tend to avoid water parks. The best days we ever had there was when the temperature went below 70. The water is heated and being from the Northeast anything above 60 degrees is a warm day. One December day we were one of maybe 3-5 families in TL and the lifeguards were wearing winter gear but it was only in the mid-fifties. My tween DD's and DH had the run of the place.
Watch the weather forecast. If heavy thunderstorms are predicted we move the day around. They close the park when there is lightning. Pop up showers aren't an issue.
The best money you could possibly spend is renting an umbrella!! There isn't a lot of shady spots available and I can't sit in the sun. For around $70 you get a reserved umbrella, 2 lounge chairs, 2 low slung beach chairs, a table, a locker rental and 4 towels in a restricted area off to the side. You could probably book it a day or two ahead and still get a spot. They sometime have same day availability but I wouldn't chance it. Call 407-WDW-PLAY to reserve a spot. I sit there and read all day, my idea of a perfect vacation, and don't worry about having shade or saving my seats. We are rope drop people but the water parks don't open until usually 10 AM but I don't feel I need to get there early (like I used to) to get a seat with shade. Most people leave their non-valuables and come and go as they please. There is an entrance to the lazy river close by so my family uses it as a water highway from the other end of the park. There is no through traffic, Getaway Glen as the area is named, is next to Leanin' Palms and on a dead end. They do have cabana's with wait service there that comes with water but they are expensive. My experience is they are rented by families with older grandparents who sit there all day. You could bring coolers with water and food to TL. More than once I have seen large families rent several umbrella's (you are allowed 4 people/umbrella and they hand out wristbands) bring large coolers and have birthday parties or graduation parties. Don't waste your money on the refillable mugs. Bring your own drinks.
Each area umbrella is numbered. Occasionally, someone wanders in and doesn't realize that this is a reserved area and leaves their things and runs off leaving park
personnel to pack up their belonging and take them somewhere when the family that rents the spot shows up. I sit there all day so I usually watch the proceedings with amusement.
Renting an umbrella has completely changed my vacation day there. It went from grit my teeth and get through it for the sake of the kids, hunting for shade, juggling my lunch on my lap and protecting our area from chair poachers to a quiet relaxing day at the beach coming and going as we please.
In terms of park strategy. Get there at 10 AM ride all the biggies, have some lunch, do some smaller things, then the crowds start to thin out mid afternoon and then hit the biggies again. Right before closing the park is pretty empty. During peak weeks we found we were able to have more fun all day between the wave pool and lazy river then at the 4 main parks with just a few attractions per day, big crowds, and long lines.
Take an Uber back and forth. It is very reasonable and convenient. They don't run direct buses to the resorts anymore and getting there is time consuming. We would take a taxi before Uber existed. Wet kids on an air conditioned bus was sometimes unbearable.
