Picnic at the car - practical?

[colinsdad]

Wow. Some interesting banter.

I don't think I've ever been to a water park that you didn't create a "home base" when you arrive, and I've been to a lot besides Disney, in all parts of the country.

At BB and TL, I've shown up early and late. When I get there early I can usually grab a lounge chair near the central wave pools. When I show up late, I usually have to move to the "outerlands" (of which there are many) or I simply take one of the many leftover chairs that are stacked up behind the loungers. Not a big deal. There is definately a seat for everyone, but maybe not a "prime wave pool" lounger for everyone.

If I'm late, I don't expect a prime real estate lounger, and I certainly don't expect someone to give it up if they want to go on a ride, after all, it could take them 1 hour to do just one. They want to come back and get sun after one ride and now they can't? It's a water park. This is what people do. Sit in a chair, go on rides, and come back. I'm the one who was late. My bad. Early bird gets the worm and all.

As to keeping your stuff in the locker argument, I personally never rent a locker because, to me, those are for people who want to lock up valuables. I don't bring any, and my towel and lunch don't qualify.

Even if the lockers were free, who would want my softsided cooler's ice to melt and leak all over your $1000 camera in the locker below! Not me. And, when I get out of the pool or off a ride, am I really supposed to walk to the lockers over the HOT pavement to get my towel to dry off? That seems quite silly.

Relax. Some of you need a

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I've learned things too, that some waterparks operate exactly the opposite of the Disney waterparks.

I may not have worded that properly. It may not be so much that they operate the opposite, as the strategy is the opposite. I can't say if it's allowed or not, but I've never noticed anyone wheeling a large cooler into Whitewater (Branson, MO), Noah's Ark (Wis Dells), or Six Flags (St. Louis). With Whitewater, you enter with basically half the park to your left, and half to your right with lockers all around you. The wave pool is way off to the left & there aren't many chairs around it. So, it wouldn't make a real convenient base anyway. The most chairs are around the tot area which is even more inconvenient to get to. Actually, it's a good setup for parents as there's only 1 way in & 1 way out. Way easier to keep tabs on the little ones. The lockers are a much better spot for a base & closer to 90% of the food. They're also 3X as big & 1/2 the price as the ones at Six Flags.

Noah's Ark has 2 entrances at opposite ends of the park. The secondary entrance is near the big wave pool and it's literally a mile from the main entrance. The secondary entrance does not open until as early. So, if you're coming in as the park opens, it is a Looooooooooooooooong haul to the wave pool. And the park is so big, it's kind of a pain to have to return to that part of the park anyway unless you happen to be up there.

Six Flags wave pool is also off to one side, but it isn't really any more inconvenient than the locker location and the lockers are stupid expensive. There's also much more lounging space around this pool than there is at Whitewater - more comparable to Noah's Ark. Of the 3, this would be the most likely one I'd pick for setting up base at the pool. But, if you leave your stuff unattended for a long time, don't be shocked to come back & find it moved off your chairs and someone IN the chairs - assuming it's a busy day around the pool

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Ya, we wont be going to the Wis dells anytime soon either!

I know we're all just having fun at this point, but in all seriousness if you're a family of waterpark junkies like mine, you will love it up there. As a side note, when we were there last year, there was a tiny section of Iowa and pretty much all of Wisconsin hovering in the upper 70's and low 80's. EVERYWHERE else in the U.S. outside of the mountains was 90+ that week. We were actually kind of cold at one point around 4 in the afternoon and this was the last week of July.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Sorry Gumbo4x4 for getting so far from "picnic in the park" Sometimes threads take on a life all their own - that was a real sore point for all of us that have gone to Disney water parks "forever" and never heard of such "rules"!!

Hey no worries - most of the forums I frequent would have deviated off to politics or Ford vs. Chevy by now

 

[North of Mouse]

I know we're all just having fun at this point, but in all seriousness if you're a family of waterpark junkies like mine, you will love it up there. As a side note, when we were there last year, there was a tiny section of Iowa and pretty much all of Wisconsin hovering in the upper 70's and low 80's. EVERYWHERE else in the U.S. outside of the mountains was 90+ that week. We were actually kind of cold at one point around 4 in the afternoon and this was the last week of July.

Give me my southern heat, I can't take the cold We made the mistake of going first of June to Acadia National Park in Maine and nearly froze It's mostly a matter of where we were raised - I was raised with my feet almost in the Gulf of Mexico

 

[Bribrittmom]

I have to tell you your post brought a smile to my face this morning.......gotta love the judgement that you get from the Dis!!!!!

I am thinking that you dont go to the waterparks often, if at all, or you go late in the day and all the chairs are gone, and you are dissapointed.

EVERYBODY that goes to the waterparks in the morning grabs some chairs and puts their stuff on it. You then go and ride some rides and come back to your stuff to relax, have a snack and go ride some more rides.

There are some people that sit in a chair for the whole entire day and dont ride anything, but its not the vast majority. most people actually go to the waterparks to ride the slides etc.

No, I will never consider renting a locker and not getting some chairs, Heck, we LIKE to come back to the chairs to sit down, just like the other thousands of people that arrive in the morning and do the same thing.

You think I am selfish Hey, why dont you go to the waterparks at opening and preach that sentiment to the crowds grabbing a chair?

I will not debate this any futher as its just too silly

I totally agree with you.Part of the fun of the waterparks is knowing you have a place to go and relax and eat between ride sessions.We too go early in order to get our favorite spot in the shade w/ a picnic table at Blizzard Beach.We are not morning people but know on waterpark days we have to drag our lazy bodies out of bed to get a good spot.Everyone does it.

 

[crisi]

Wow. Some interesting banter.

I don't think I've ever been to a water park that you didn't create a "home base" when you arrive, and I've been to a lot besides Disney, in all parts of the country.

I wouldn't set up camp at some of the indoor waterparks I've been to. There just isn't enough room, and they aren't set up to camp.

At Disney, we find a place to camp far to the edge of the park where you can't watch. There are plenty of chairs out in the middle of nowhere, and if what we are doing is setting down our stuff, we take one and head out. However, if we are "camping" we don't tend to go for high demand chairs - nothing near the wave pool or kiddie area for instance.

Last year the kids took off on their own. My husband was suffering from a slipped disk, so he spent his day in a lounge chair with a book. I took the chair next to him, but spent more time wandering around (sometimes with the kids, sometimes not).

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I know we're all just having fun at this point, but in all seriousness if you're a family of waterpark junkies like mine, you will love it up there. As a side note, when we were there last year, there was a tiny section of Iowa and pretty much all of Wisconsin hovering in the upper 70's and low 80's. EVERYWHERE else in the U.S. outside of the mountains was 90+ that week. We were actually kind of cold at one point around 4 in the afternoon and this was the last week of July.

Yes, we LOVE waterparks!!! We went to Disney for 1 1/2 weeks last August, and spent four full days at the waterparks. While we LOVE the parks, we find that our waterparks days are the most relaxing of the vacation. The relaxation comes from the ability to ride the slides, play in the lazy river and wave pool and return to our spot to rest and snack. My husband like to spend part of the day reading a book.

After reading this thread, it is obvious that at least the waterparks in Wisconsin, you would not be able to do this. Everytime you wanted a break, you would have to go to your locker to get your snack, towel and book, then after you retrieved those items you would need to locate enough chairs for your group to sit down. Then when you were done, you would need to return to your locker to put everything away.

I know for the peole that do this and dont know any other way, they dont think anyhting about it. However, when you have experienced the other way....well....the locker routine seems FAR from relaxing.

I really hope that you enjoy the waterparks this summer. If you are waterpark "junkies" I think that you are in for a treat. Many of the waterpark attractions at Disney are always found in the top ten ratings and I know in the past (perhaps this year to, I just havent read any reports lately) the Disney waterparks have been rated as the best in the US.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Yes, we LOVE waterparks!!! We went to Disney for 1 1/2 weeks last August, and spent four full days at the waterparks. While we LOVE the parks, we find that our waterparks days are the most relaxing of the vacation. The relaxation comes from the ability to ride the slides, play in the lazy river and wave pool and return to our spot to rest and snack. My husband like to spend part of the day reading a book.

After reading this thread, it is obvious that at least the waterparks in Wisconsin, you would not be able to do this. Everytime you wanted a break, you would have to go to your locker to get your snack, towel and book, then after you retrieved those items you would need to locate enough chairs for your group to sit down. Then when you were done, you would need to return to your locker to put everything away.

I can't say that nobody does it your way, I just don't ever recall seeing it done that way. Shoot, maybe I'm actually in the minority and it could just be we don't notice it because *we* don't do it that way & never have. We've never felt a need to utilize our towels at any waterpark until it's time to go home for the day and we are ready to get in the car. So we just view them as one less thing to keep track of when we stash them in a locker. We don't lounge at the wave pools, either. We like to splash around in them, but we only use the chairs to stop & reapply sunscreen. We're usually more focused on trying to cram in as many rides as possible

If lounging by the pool is your thing, for Noah's Ark I would recommend going a little late & using the back entrance right by the main wave pool. There are lockers & several food options right there as well, and you can decide if you need the locker or not. That was our "splurge day" for our WI trip, so we just took $$ and ate in the park. The food was pretty reasonable IMO.

Six Flags (STL) waterpark is only open from 10:30-6, so we don't bother bringing food in there. We just pay for one small meal. That park is nice & new, but if it weren't so close we'd probably never go there. They are always understaffed and don't do a good job of keeping the rides moving. A 10-minute line at Whitewater in Branson has about the same # of people in it as a 40-minute line at Six Flags

I know for the peole that do this and dont know any other way, they dont think anyhting about it. However, when you have experienced the other way....well....the locker routine seems FAR from relaxing.

I really hope that you enjoy the waterparks this summer. If you are waterpark "junkies" I think that you are in for a treat. Many of the waterpark attractions at Disney are always found in the top ten ratings and I know in the past (perhaps this year to, I just havent read any reports lately) the Disney waterparks have been rated as the best in the US.

I wouldn't be shocked if its our highlight of the trip. We have 4 days of WP on our tickets. Not sure we'll have 4 full days TIME to do that, but I imagine we'll at least do each park 1 full day, and maybe repeat 1 of them

 

[Pembo]

Waterpark fan here...we always find a homebase and leave our "stuff" there. We don't take valuables with us and we've never had our towels and shoes stolen. That said we usually only use two chairs for our family of 5 because it's very rare that we are all sitting there at the same time. We to WDW waterparks and also Soak City in Ohio.

When we've been to Kalahari in Ohio in the winter, we have used a locker only because it seems like no matter where you put your stuff there, it gets wet. When we've been in the summer, we found a homebase outside.

As for lunch in the car at WDW...wouldn't do it bc we go in the summer and it's too hot! Plus it's a long walk to the parking lots from the entrance. We usually eat lunch in the park and go back to our room/condo for an afternoon break and eat dinner outside the park.

and I hate chair hogs at the pool....so glad to have my own backyard pool so I can be my own chair hog!

 

[kirstenb1]

We don't even bother with chairs. Usually I take dd's with me during the week, so dh is at work. I throw all our towels and change of clothes in a giant pool bag and just leave it near the concrete ledge at the wave pool. When we're at Water Country here in Va, we go all day, just with a quick stop for lunch. No one has ever messed with our stuff. I put credit cards and cash in a waterproof lanyard that I wear.

 

[NotUrsula]

I know we're all just having fun at this point, but in all seriousness if you're a family of waterpark junkies like mine, you will love it up there. As a side note, when we were there last year, there was a tiny section of Iowa and pretty much all of Wisconsin hovering in the upper 70's and low 80's. EVERYWHERE else in the U.S. outside of the mountains was 90+ that week. We were actually kind of cold at one point around 4 in the afternoon and this was the last week of July.

Which is why I don't do waterparks in Wisconsin, unless I'm going indoors in the wintertime. Summers are COLD in Wisconsin. (FWIW, SFSTL's water park is too dang cold in June. We took DS once in early June when he was little, and the poor kid turned blue on the raft ride in the main park -- no way were were going into the water park that day. The ground temps in St. Louis tend to hover in the high 60's for most of June, which means the water temp in unheated pools normally only warms up into the high-70's -- way too cold for this Southern girl to consider swimming.)

I'll take Schlitterbahn if I'm traveling to a waterpark that isn't in Florida; at least New Braunfels is hot in the summer.

 

[SaraJayne]

Which is why I don't do waterparks in Wisconsin, unless I'm going indoors in the wintertime. Summers are COLD in Wisconsin. (FWIW, SFSTL's water park is too dang cold in June. We took DS once in early June when he was little, and the poor kid turned blue on the raft ride in the main park -- no way were were going into the water park that day. The ground temps in St. Louis tend to hover in the high 60's for most of June, which means the water temp in unheated pools normally only warms up into the high-70's -- way too cold for this Southern girl to consider swimming.)

I'll take Schlitterbahn if I'm traveling to a waterpark that isn't in Florida; at least New Braunfels is hot in the summer.

Have you ever been to WI in the summer? Compared to summer in FL, yes, we're less humid (most days).

 

[SplashDad]

We always pack our picnic right in our backpacks. 4 boys, and my wife and I. We can picnic pretty much anywhere in the park, any time. Has always worked great.

 

[NotUrsula]

Have you ever been to WI in the summer? Compared to summer in FL, yes, we're less humid (most days).

Yes, I have. My experience was that it's fine as long as you stay dry, but getting wet is asking for discomfort. (Same deal with Colorado; unheated pools just stay too cold because the ground temps don't really get high enough to let the sun sufficiently warm the water.)

Where I grew up the ground temp never goes below the 60's; there is no such thing as frozen ground. AFAIC, if the water is less than 85F, then it is too cold to swim without a wetsuit, and I don't like wetsuits.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Yes, I have. My experience was that it's fine as long as you stay dry, but getting wet is asking for discomfort. (Same deal with Colorado; unheated pools just stay too cold because the ground temps don't really get high enough to let the sun sufficiently warm the water.)

Where I grew up the ground temp never goes below the 60's; there is no such thing as frozen ground. AFAIC, if the water is less than 85F, then it is too cold to swim without a wetsuit, and I don't like wetsuits.

Only time we were remotely cold in WI was when it was raining on us Even at 78 degrees, it was plenty warm in the sun. As for St. Louis, you've got at least a 50/50 shot of experiencing "Southern type" heat in June, and more like 90-95% in July & August

 

[mikehn]

Just checking in to see why there are 7 pages on this topic

 

[North of Mouse]

Just checking in to see why there are 7 pages on this topic

Because it goes around in circles and is so interesting and down right entertaining a times

 

[SaraJayne]

Yes, I have. My experience was that it's fine as long as you stay dry, but getting wet is asking for discomfort. (Same deal with Colorado; unheated pools just stay too cold because the ground temps don't really get high enough to let the sun sufficiently warm the water.)

Where I grew up the ground temp never goes below the 60's; there is no such thing as frozen ground. AFAIC, if the water is less than 85F, then it is too cold to swim without a wetsuit, and I don't like wetsuits.

Guess it's all perspective. I don't think wetsuits are even allowed at Noah's Ark (not on the rides anyway).

The only time we've ever been cold at an outdoor waterpark was when we got rained on...or the temps were in the low 70's.

 

[North of Mouse]

Only time we were remotely cold in WI was when it was raining on us Even at 78 degrees, it was plenty warm in the sun. As for St. Louis, you've got at least a 50/50 shot of experiencing "Southern type" heat in June, and more like 90-95% in July & August

I think it's a matter of where you were raised - I would be freezing in the water at those temps in WI summers We southern girls have to be warm to enjoy water parks Don't think my body would ever acclimate there!!