Opening at Typhoon Lagoon

[SL6827]

With Typhoon Lagoon opening at 10, do they by chance really open then or let guest in a little earlier than that? And do they have an "area" where they hold guest off at before allowing everyone in?

 

[Cinderella94]

On the 4th of July, I'm 99% sure that they let us all in right at 10.

 

[Klayfish]

Yes, they really open at 10am sharp. You can go to where the shower/lockers are before then, but can't go much past that. People are stopped just to the left and to the right of that area, where you'd head to actually go to slides and chairs. They actually do a "countdown" to opening 10 seconds before. This is the same thing they do at BB.

 

[mdb07]

We just returned from our first visit to Typhoon Lagoon and I will echo the above response. They opened the main entrance/turnstiles around 9:35 or so and let people back to the initial shops/locker area. That's a good opportunity to get a locker or get in line where they hold the crowds. I was a little surprised at the mad dash to get prime shady spots once they let people past the ropes at 10:00. People running all over the place.

I HIGHLY recommend, if you can swing it, reserving a Getaway Glen umbrella. I had called the day before to see if any were available and I was told there were none available. However, once we were let into the initial shops/locker areas, I noticed they had a sign outside Singapore Sal's advertising umbrella and cabana rentals. On a whim I went in and asked and they had several available. The cast member told me that sometimes they wont allow phone sign-ups within 24 hours. The whole process took less than 5 minutes and we went back out to get a locker and get in the line. We picked Umbrella 27 and it was just about perfect (I don't recommend the umbrellas in the actual Getaway Glen section over by Leaning Palms as we went by there later and it looked very crowded/cramped with many umbrellas in a relatively small roped-off section). 27 and 28 are right next to Crush N Gusher, the pool at Crush n Gusher and Miss Adventure falls as well as a bathroom. And there are only two umbrellas in that space with tons of room and it is set off very privately away from other guest areas. It was well worth the $60 just for the great space alone, not to mention reducing the stress of the mad dash and trying to lock down a shady spot - especially for us as it was our first time and we weren't even sure where the best spots were anyway.

Even with renting an umbrella, I would recommend getting there at rope drop. We were able to do all of the slides, including two laps on Crush n Gusher before noon so we could enjoy the wave pool and lazy river after lunch. And this was during a Spring Break week, too.

 

[SL6827]

I was a little surprised at the mad dash to get prime shady spots once they let people past the ropes at 10:00. People running all over the place.

Hoping this wouldn't be the case too much. I do know my way around TL a good bit even though I haven't been in a while. I'm glad you posted this though, it will make us even more prepared.

 

[mdb07]

Don't be scared - in my estimation there were plenty of shady spots available for all those who got there early. I think some people just got a little overzealous. And if you are familiar with the park you should have a good idea of what the right spot for your needs is. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how many shady areas they have at TL in general. From what I had read on this and other boards, I had gotten the impression that there were very few and that if you didn't get there super early you were out of luck and would be forced to pay. For us the calculation on getting the umbrella was more about having some space from other people and the fact that my wife finds the mad dash stuff incredibly stressful.

 

[SL6827]

Don't be scared - in my estimation there were plenty of shady spots available for all those who got there early. I think some people just got a little overzealous. And if you are familiar with the park you should have a good idea of what the right spot for your needs is. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how many shady areas they have at TL in general. From what I had read on this and other boards, I had gotten the impression that there were very few and that if you didn't get there super early you were out of luck and would be forced to pay. For us the calculation on getting the umbrella was more about having some space from other people and the fact that my wife finds the mad dash stuff incredibly stressful.

I too find that stressful. But from what you said, I wouldn't rent one unless I could get one over by Crush and Gusher.

 

[Klayfish]

Don't be scared - in my estimation there were plenty of shady spots available for all those who got there early. I think some people just got a little overzealous. And if you are familiar with the park you should have a good idea of what the right spot for your needs is. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how many shady areas they have at TL in general. From what I had read on this and other boards, I had gotten the impression that there were very few and that if you didn't get there super early you were out of luck and would be forced to pay. For us the calculation on getting the umbrella was more about having some space from other people and the fact that my wife finds the mad dash stuff incredibly stressful.

Right, exactly. A lot of people do rush back to get spots once it opens...and I won't lie and say we don't...because we do. But it's not for the shade as much as it is the fact that we want to drop our stuff (we don't rent a locker) and get to the slides. That first hour is gold. You can get on the slides as many times as your legs can carry you back up the stairs.

Renting an umbrella is definitely personal taste, but you definitely don't "need" to. Most people think only the front section (near Crush n Gusher) has shaded areas. There are shade areas all around, even toward the "back" of the park...which few people realize so you can very likely find shade even mid-day.

 

[DSLRuser]

2 springs ago, we were there at 10am. They let us in a little past the front at 9:45, but rope dropped us at 10am. We did everything in the park at least 1x some 2 x before it got over crowded at 12ish.

 

[mdb07]

I too find that stressful. But from what you said, I wouldn't rent one unless I could get one over by Crush and Gusher.

As for getting a specific spot, I'm not sure what to tell you. My understanding was that when you book over the phone you can request a certain spot. But when I booked in person, she showed me a map with all of the locations specifically numbered and told me which ones were still available. I don't know how that would work over the phone unless you knew the number of the spot you wanted already. She had a register book with all of the spots allocated to reservations, so they were clearly assigning them before the day-of (I was the first in line for day-of reservations). But I am not sure if that was random assignment or if they talked people through the locations over the phone and let them choose.