I'd Love Some Tips on Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Hello again!

We will be visiting in September for MNSSHP and I initially planned to spend a couple of days just exploring Fort Wilderness with the family (riding bikes, swimming, etc.). As our vacation gets closer I realize that it is going to be very hot in mid-September and we might want to spend some time at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon.

We are Disney veterans, but we have never done either of the water parks.

First, would it be worth the ticket price to visit one of the water parks for a day for two adults, a 2-year old, and a 7-year old? (We are not purchasing regular park passes this year. We are just buying tickets for MNSSHP and possibly a water park.)

How will the crowds be at the water parks in mid-September? (I'm hoping that free-dining might keep some of the crowds away from the water parks since they are not dining destinations, but I could be wrong...)

Which park would you visit with 2 and 7 year old girls? The 2-year old loves playing in water and jumps in the pool without reservation. The 7-year old also loves playing in water and mild water slides, but she does not like big thrill rides. They both probably have most fun with water play areas, sand play, and small slides.

Any other tips for enjoying a Disney water park with two little girls?

Thanks!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

With a 2-year-old, I would choose Blizzard Beach. More to do there IMO for toddlers.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Both have great areas for little ones. Which is better depends on how adventurous your kid is.

I'd say TL's kid area is a bit more tame, but would be the better option if she is a bit timid. BB's kiddie area (not preteen area) has a few more adventurous slides, which may or may not be appropriate for a 2 year old. There's a soft & wet play area at TL, and some tiny slides that might be appropriate.

I took my then 27 month old daughter to both parks, and we had a great time at both. She wasn't ready for the bigger slides at either location then but still had lots of fun.

One thing to note: the BB area has a fairly significant wading pool area. If you're concerned about a foot of water or so, please account for this. The TL kiddie area has no wading pools....just some tiny river type spots, and I don't think there are any areas that are more than ankle deep.

Here are a few pictures of the features at TL:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And BB:

the very-small-child slide structure at the top/back of Tike's Peak:

There's a great write-up with pictures of BB on allears. There's a section with more pictures of Tike's Peak. Unfortunately, I can't find a similar blog about TL which I think has the better kiddie area for toddlers/babies.

 

[hazlnut]

Where's the best place in Blizzard Beach for a family of tweens to set up camp (put our towels on chairs)... proximity to slides and food etc.

 

[elaine amj]

For Blizzard Beach, we set ours up next to the tween play area. Perfect for us to snooze while the kids played. The line up for the little zip line there is long so it was good to have lounge chairs nearby.

For Typhoon Lagoon, we chose to be near the small slides on the left side of the big wave pool. We wanted to set up in spots where it would be likely the kids would play by themselves while we chilled.

For all the big slides and stuff, we were always with them since we wanted to do them too

We spent 4 days at both waterparks last trip. Awesome!

 

[Svhadden]

Our kids (13 & 7) love the water parks, and I'd say its definitely worth doing at least once.

Since they close early, it's very easy for the day to get away from you, so just try to hit all the areas you want to without sticking to one place for hours, like mine do, haha!

Also, I know this may seem obvious, but be prepared for A LOT OF FLESH . And I don't mean like what you might see at a regular ol' American beach, I mean like what you might see if you were to visit a South American beach. Lots of thongs. LOTS. OF. THONGS. My 7 yr old son's eyes were at bun-level our last trip, so my husband spent a lot of time standing in line between the exposed buns and our sons face .

We're not prudes, we totally acknowledge that other countries/cultures do things a bit differently than what we're used to seeing, so no big deal. Just a heads-up.

I think taking a mid-trip break for a relaxing and fun day at a water park is absolutely wonderful, so I'd say it's a must-do, at least once.