Park - Water Park - Park in same day--Advisable?

[Scott McDuck]

We'll have Park Hopper Plus tickets for an upcoming August trip. For particularly hot days, I was thinking about trying to do a park early morning (get some rides in before it gets too hot), then go to Typhoon Lagoon/Blizzard Beach around midday to cool off for a few hours, and finally go back to the park (same or a different one) in the evening when it may be a tad cooler.

I know a standard strategy is for people to go back to their hotels/pools and cool off mid-day, so this would just be a variant on this. Obviously there will be some additional travel time (we'll be driving), changing, and lines at the water park, but it seemed to be a reasonable plan, at least in theory.

Combining Typhoon Lagoon with Epcot, and combining Blizzard Beach with AK or HS seemed to make the most logistical sense, given their proximity to one another by car, although even going to the farthest park would only add a few minutes.

Good idea or too ambitious? Please tell me what I may be missing. We have kids (12 and 8) and have done long days in the past.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think you'd have to pay for admission to the water park, which could be cost prohibitive for four people for only a couple hours.

I don't think Park Hoppers gets you admission to the water parks.

 

[mauionabreakaway]

I think you'd have to pay for admission to the water park, which could be cost prohibitive for four people for only a couple hours.

I don't think Park Hoppers gets you admission to the water parks.

Park Hopper Plus includes water park admissions doesn't it?

 

[lanejudy]

Park Hopper Plus includes water park admissions doesn't it?

Yes

 

[scrappinginontario]

You could do it if you were planning to go back to the resort anyway.

The park it’s the most challenging to include in this ‘hop’ is MK as you wold need to leave your car at the TTC and travel to the MK from there.

It’s worth trying for a day to see how it works.

Something to keep in mind though is that afternoon storms are very common in FL in Aug. If there is lightning within a 5 miles radius the water parks will close the attractions. At your resort you can go back to the room which is easier. We have a lightning app we use for our Aug trips.

 

[sam_gordon]

Park Hopper Plus includes water park admissions doesn't it?

Yes

Mea Culpa

 

[gottalovepluto]

You're already rather dedicated since you bought the Plus tickets so give it a whirl. Do realize the waterparks are pretty busy this year with the free waterpark on check-in day promo.

Do BB with AK. They're practically next to each other. Disney even uses AK as the transfer point to get to BB by bus.

I would plan to return to hotel from the waterpark though, might be hard trying to clean the whole crew up at the waterpark as showers are limited.

 

[georgina]

I generally find waterparks to be more exhausting than the theme parks. Sure you can get wet, but climbing stairs for slides and just being out in the sun tires me out.

 

[HeiHei2018]

The sun and stairs at water parks are as tiring, if not more so, than staying in the park, so it might be a lot. Give it a try and see how you feel. With AK. you may want to finish out the park and then hit the water park since AK closes earlier in August.

 

[HarryLeg]

Haven’t been in years but this is how my family did it and we are planning on it for our next trip in late August-early September. When you can hit the water park every day of your trip, you don’t feel the need to hit every major slide every day. Sometimes it’s just nice to float down the lazy river.

 

[SusanDK]

I would find a water park in between two parks to be quite challenging because you'll get to the water park at its busiest time and the hottest part of the day, when it's also difficult to find seating. I think a couple hours at a water park when it first opens is ideal, so would probably suggest you plan that for a couple days, followed by whichever theme park you want to spend the rest of the day at.

Alternatively, I would perhaps plan to go to the water park for the last couple of hours before it closes when crowds start to clear out, if afternoon showers are not in the forecast. So maybe do a park until 2 or 3 pm, then water park until 6 pm closing (I can't remember if they sometimes stay open until 7 pm in the summer), then see if everyone is up for a couple evening hours at a park.

I just think arriving mid-afternoon at a water park is the worst time to arrive.

But honestly, you know what works for your family so give your plan a try and be ready to pivot if it doesn't work out.

 

[Scott McDuck]

Thanks for all the input and suggestions. A few additional points/responses below.

The park it’s the most challenging to include in this ‘hop’ is MK as you wold need to leave your car at the TTC and travel to the MK from there.

Right, we will try to avoid including MK on these triple-park days.

Do realize the waterparks are pretty busy this year with the free waterpark on check-in day promo.

But both parks are open this summer, which I’ve heard more than offsets the arrival-day promotion, no?

I would plan to return to hotel from the waterpark though, might be hard trying to clean the whole crew up at the waterpark as showers are limited.

We're staying in a house about 15 mins away, so round trip that will probably eat up an hour's worth of time by the time we finish everything (in addition to our other travel time that day). I think we'll just bring some shorts and t-shirts and change at the water park without showers.

When you can hit the water park every day of your trip, you don’t feel the need to hit every major slide every day. Sometimes it’s just nice to float down the lazy river.

Right, that’s what I was thinking. We’ll likely do a near-full-day at a water park one day, but then some of the others can just be a 1- or 2-hour break where we just relax and maybe do a couple rides with short lines.

I think a couple hours at a water park when it first opens is ideal, so would probably suggest you plan that for a couple days, followed by whichever theme park you want to spend the rest of the day at.

Yeah, we’ve done this before and could do it again. Obviously 2 parks requires less travel time than 3. However, I was thinking we could take advantage of relatively low crowds and temperatures at the theme parks first.

Alternatively, I would perhaps plan to go to the water park for the last couple of hours before it closes when crowds start to clear out, if afternoon showers are not in the forecast. So maybe do a park until 2 or 3 pm, then water park until 6 pm closing

Hadn’t considered that. Going to the water park a little later in the afternoon makes sense too (again, as long as there’s no thunderstorms).

 

[elvispursley]

We did this very thing when we went one July. In fact, we did it every day. We actually would welcome those afternoon thunderstorms because it cleared the water parks out so they almost felt empty. We’d change and head to a park for dinner and a few more rides.

 

[Shellee999]

I will add one thing, but it's not from personal experience, so maybe someone on here can chime in. I've been reading that with the increased water park attendance, the parking lots have hit capacity at times during the day. Meaning, unless you took Disney transportation there, you can't get in.

 

[kylenne]

I will add one thing, but it's not from personal experience, so maybe someone on here can chime in. I've been reading that with the increased water park attendance, the parking lots have hit capacity at times during the day. Meaning, unless you took Disney transportation there, you can't get in.

This has not been the case to my knowledge since both have been open. BB had that issue during spring break when it was the only one open. But for instance I showed up to TL at just after noon the other week and the parking lot was like half full. Crowds are spreading between both parks so lightening the load on each.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I will add one thing, but it's not from personal experience, so maybe someone on here can chime in. I've been reading that with the increased water park attendance, the parking lots have hit capacity at times during the day. Meaning, unless you took Disney transportation there, you can't get in.

As @kylenne shared, we have not had any reports of this happening since both water parks have been open at the same time.