How long to stay at water parks?

[Dr. G]

We're hopefully going to WDW in June 2017 and are currently looking at the Water Parks & More add-on. Are Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach full-day water parks? I know opinions will vary, and I'd love to hear them. Trying to figure out how many days to stay and wondering if we can do a water park and Hollywood Studios in one day, for example. Or 1/2 Epcot and 1/2 water park, etc. Thanks in advance!

 

[awalker1015]

I would think they could easily be full day parks. We only spent a few hours at Typhoon Lagoon because we got the text our room was ready, but we could have easily done a few more hours.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

At least 2-3 hours, but we would be happy spending all day there.

 

[jeepwreck]

last trip we spent all day at Typhoon Lagoon. we were traveling with 5 kids and they had a blast even my 22 month old would not come out of the water

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

We make a day of it. RD till about 3 or 4pm. Then TS dinner out somewhere. There's plenty to do, and most kids can't get enough of the big waves at TL.

 

[dprincessmom]

we have done it as a half day with a half day park but it was on a long trip so we had plenty of time and didn't have to rush. We were there two weekends ago and did 5 hours at Blizzard Beach. We left because it we had done everything we wanted to do and the clouds were rolling in.

Keep in mind that in the summer, it isn't unusual for a thunderstorm to roll through. The park will clear out and be a virtual ghost town after the rain.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

We were at both TL and BB on two separate days a couple of weeks ago with girls ages nine and four. Crowds were very low (practically no lines) and we had done everything within four and a half hours on both days at the parks. Arrived at 9:50, 10 minutes prior to official opening, and kids were tired and ready to go back to the resort by 2:30 or so.

On the other hand, our friends who were also at Disney took my daughter (4) and theirs (5) one day and they stayed from open to close that day. A big thunderstorm came up for a couple of hours from 1-3, so the kids rested and ate then largely had the park to themselves.

We loved the water parks. I have been to a lot of water parks and Disney's are the best.

It probably depends on the ages and attitudes of people with you. Also depends on weather and crowds. June will be more crowded than September, so you may need all day to do everything.

Have a wonderful time!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We're hopefully going to WDW in June 2017 and are currently looking at the Water Parks & More add-on. Are Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach full-day water parks? I know opinions will vary, and I'd love to hear them. Trying to figure out how many days to stay and wondering if we can do a water park and Hollywood Studios in one day, for example. Or 1/2 Epcot and 1/2 water park, etc. Thanks in advance!

One of the things about WDW is don't try to pack too many things into a day. It just makes you more tired. Why not do water park and if you decide you are done go play mini golf or something or schedule a dinner. I think we did Typhoon Lagoon, then went over to Epcot for Dinner one night. The other day we did Blizzard beach and ate at the restaurant in Coronado Springs. Something nice and relaxing afterwards.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We used to go to both water parks when the kids were younger (adults now!). Son #3 is special needs and has very fair skin. So we would get there when the park opened, and we would head for the family rift ride from the top. (for this ride, BB has the longer family raft slide). Then DH would take #3 to the lazy river while I rode the big slides (and snorkelled) with the other kids. We would meet up for lunch, and shortly afterwards I would leave with son #3, who was tired by this time. Then DH would head for the slides, wave pool, etc with the other kids.

I offer this plan as it works for families with big kids and little kids as well. When they were a bit younger, we did spend lots of time in the kids section, and the 7-10 year olds loved the section at BB with the ice boulders, etc. (When #3 was small enough to be carried easily up the mountains, we did more slides with him).

So we DID stay all day at the water parks, just maybe not all 6 of us. Other days we may have left at 3-4 and gone to DD at night. We had the old 5+2 tickets then, 5 park hoppers with 2 water parks.

 

[jsrj21]

My family and I always get park hoppers and the water park fun and more package. We go to the water parks at opening until about noon. We can easily stay all day but we usually have had our fill of the park by noon. Plus, since we always go in August, we don't want to get caught in one of those afternoon storms while at a water park.

 

[Keels]

I can spend an entire day rotating between a lounge chair, the lazy river and the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon ... no question.

It's really all about what you want to get out of the day! Do you want to relax and enjoy the water and the weather? Or do you want to hit every ride and then move on to the next thing?

 

[wishing4PA]

I have only been to Typhoon Lagoon once (and to one non-Disney water park many times.)
TL is beautiful, and there was a lot to do (there would have been more if my DD at the time had been willing to go on the slides), but I'd be burnt to a crisp if I truly spent an full day there. I realize there is shade, and I do reapply sunscreen, but somehow I can't seem to do a water park without getting a lot more sun than I would get in the equivalent theme park time.
That may not be an issue for you and your family depending on how sensitive your skin is to sun.
Also, IMHO, there's nowhere near the variety of things to do as in one of the 4 major theme parks. There's a lot to do, but it's all water, water, water. I personally don't think I would spend open to close at a water park, but I could see visiting one as my only park on a day where I want to slow down a bit and get to sleep early. And I really wouldn't want to have to clock watch while at the WP just to get to an ADR or FP elsewhere. It's easy to lose track of time when you are jumping waves or half asleep in a tube.

 

[Klayfish]

We're big fans of the water parks. We go to each one of them at least twice during our summer trips. They are the only parks we will still RD. You can do SO much in the first 60 to 90 minutes the parks are open. You can get on all of the big slides, multiple times each, with little to no wait. We do that, then spend a few hours doing smaller slides, the lazy river or the wave pools. Even after all that, it's just lunch time. We'll eat lunch, maybe do a bit more swimming and then call it a day. We get back to our townhouse by 2:00ish and chill for a bit. Head back to a park by 4:00pm and stay until maybe 8:00pm and call it a night. Those are fun days.

 

[Dr. G]

Thanks so much everyone for all the replies! These are VERY helpful. We'll plan to hit Rope Drop and then stay until we're done. I won't "plan" on anywhere else that day, then if we get our fill at the water park an evening in one of the 4 main parks will be a bonus. Thanks again!

 

[IhrkeFamily]

Our family likes to stay the full day. Could spend a couple hours in the lazy river alone while thinking I would much rather be here than working My kids also spent time playing in the sand this past trip. Perfect way to spend time when it rains! For us we like to get the most for our money so we stay the full day. Then it's back to the resort to shower and enjoy the resort amenities. Love Yee Haw Bob!!

 

[kwdw]

FYI - the only times I've been - we have NOT arrived at rope drop - more like 1 pm - and we've stayed until close. I think if it's your first time at these parks - you should assume you are going to spend at least 3-5 hours there. Could be longer, doubt it would be less.

They do make us tired in a different way than walking through the parks - the steps and the swimming! So - I agree - no big firm plans for the rest of the day.

 

[TwoLittlePrincesses]

I took my two girls, 9 and 6, to BB this past summer. We were there for rope drop and left around 4, and the girls could have easily stayed until close. We ate dinner at the resort and decided not to go to another park that evening. We were all too tired!

 

[kaybird]

We love love love the waterparks, but we are more non-traditional. We go nearly every day of the trip, from between 2-3 hours. We generally go during the heat of the afternoon, when the other parks are most crowded. It is our park break instead of going back to the resort; we do the slides we want, and finish with a long ride around the lazy rivers. Then we are cooled and refreshed, and head back to the parks as many are leaving.