Please compare TL and BB for me

[MrsMud]

We will be at WDW in early Oct, and would like to visit one of the water parks. Could you compare the two in terms of atmosphere, scenery, and attractions? To give some background info: the group includes: myself, DH, DMIL, and Dds aged 5 1/2 and 7 1/2. My Dds are both pretty adventurous, and both swim fairly well. They have been to a water park before (Splish Splash, for any other LIers), and loved it. I am not really concerned about the kiddie areas, as they are more into the family type raft rides, etc. My DH and I also enjoy the family rides, but will probably not do any very high body flumes or anything. DMIL, however cannot swim and may not be quite as adventurous. That said, she would probably like nothing better than to float around the "lazy river" for a couple of hours.
Any comparisons or advice would be appreciated. TIA.

 

[Thmacs]

We have been to both and prefer TL. BB is loads of fun but the torpical feel of TL is much more lovely and relaxing to us. BB is very stark with all the palstic "snow" everywhere and on a very sunny day you better have good sunglasses. BB does have some great slides, thier family raft ride is a hoot, but that is the only thing I like better about BB. The wave pool at TL is much better than at BB. It has great big surfing waves and bobbing waves that they alternate every hour. The shark reef where you can snorkel is much more fun than I thought it would be. The number of fish, rays and sharks is incredible. For those who have never snorkled before this is a nice introduction, especially for kids. There are more shaded areas at TL than at BB, plenty of lounge chairs and even picnic areas. When we were there last Monday we saw lots of people brining in coolers. We did not know this was even allowed or we would have at least brought our own drinks. We did purchase a refillable mug for $10 and certainly made good use of it. All of the slides at TL are managelable for most kids. Our friends had thier 6 year old DD with them and she did even the biggest body slide at TL. They are both lots fo fun, but we prefer TL. Have a great vacation.

 

[Thmacs]

I forgot to add that there is a great ice cream place at TL. I don't remember the name, but it was the only ice cream place there. They sold huge waffle cones and sundaes for $3-4 dollars which is what you would expect. The surprise was the gigantic ice cream pail sundae that would easily feed 4-5 big appetites for $7. It had loads of ice cream, brownies, cookies, toppings, whip cream, candy and sprinkles. It was very impressive and I would have expected to pay lots more for it. The ice cream is all soft serve chocolate, vanilla, or swirled. This was one of the higlights of our day.

 

[CindyAnn]

For children like yours, who are past the pre-school age, I think Blizzard Beach is the best bet. The Ski Patrol Training Camp is geared to children around the ages of 5 - 10 (or 12?) and offers lots of funs attractions that are bigger than "kiddie" but milder than the big stuff. Some of the other slides (Snow Stormers, Toboggan Racers) are also just fine for adventurous kids and their parents. The lazy ride is Cross Country Creek and that's fun for everyone too, with floats that hold 1, 2, or 3 people.

Teamboat Springs is our favourite, though - a raft ride for up to 5 people. I would guess that Teamboat Springs is at least twice as long? three times as long? as the family raft ride at Typhoon Lagoon, and much more exciting. My two children (last trip 6 & 9) found the raft ride at TL to be quite disappointing in comparison to BB.

The icing on the cake at BB is that there's a chairlift to take you to the top, or stairs if the line seems to long. At Typhoon Lagoon, however, stairs are your only option, and after you've climbed the stairs a gezillion times, a day at Magic Kingdom seems relaxing in comparison.

Have fun, and don't forget the water shoes! That pavement is bumpy!

 

[hockey mom]

BB also gets my vote. We like both parks but BB has by far the best family raft ride, the 8 lane toboggan racer is a hoot for families, the chair lift is a great way to see the whole park, and the tube rides are good. There is a kiddie area and and a pre teen area with ice bergs. Your kids are a little young for the wave pool at TL. It is great but very rough.

 

[donac]

My vote is also for BB. I disliked the wave pool at Tl because it was too rough (and I live near the Jersey shore). My guys loved the ski patrol section even this year when they were 13 and 18. I went here last year with a 12, 11, 10, 7 and the ski patrol area kept them busy for hours. The family raft ride is much better at BB. We also enjoyed the mat rides this year.

BUT is BB open in October?

 

[AimeeM]

BB WAS supposed to be open in October last time I checked. We are also going to try a water park for the first time the first week of October. I was wondering about the differeces between the 2, but I wanted some more input on areas for toddlers. I have an almost 2 year old and wanted somewhere were he can play. I aslo have a rather non adventurous 10 year old DD and a very adventurous 8 year old DD. What is the ski patrol area every one keeps mentioning?? I think I am leaning towards BB as it is right next door to All Stars where we are staying. My plan was... on the day of MNSSHP, sleep in and have a late breakfast. Go to BB for just a few hours ( I dont want them tired for later ) Come back to the room, change and pack up for the party. We have CP ressies for 4:30. Do you think 3 hours at BB will make them too tired for the party? I figure its better than going and walking around a park for the first half of the day which is what we did before the chirstmas party last year. Any thoughts?? We always do parks all day without returning to the rooms for naps. The kids have never been tired or cranky so its really worked out for us to stay in the parks all day. I dont think the water park will affect them.

 

[CindyAnn]

Aimee - Your 2yo would enjoy Tike's Peak at BB, which is designed for preschoolers (max height 48"?). There is a similar toddler area at Typhoon Lagoon called Ketchakiddie Creek.

Your other two would be bored there, however, but should enjoy the Ski Patrol Training Camp. The Ski Patrol Training Camp is for 5 - 12 yos and has an innertube mogul ride, a T-bar ride that you hang from before dropping into the water, an ice training course where you walk across "ice bergs" in the pool while holding onto an overhead net, and a couple of smallish slides. My dare-devil DD and more cautious DS have loved this area since they were 4 & 7, respectively. Several of the regular slides would also be appropriate for an 8 & 10 year old. The biggest slides (Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher, and Downhill Double Dipper) have a minimum height requirement of 48", and in any case, I'm guessing your more cautious child might want to avoid them. In fact, there's no way on earth you'd get ME on Summit Plummet!

Have a great trip.

 

[MrsMud]

Thanks for the replies, please keep 'em coming! I have two other, related questions:
1) Is there any diffference in crowds between the two parks?
2) What is the best day(s) for the waterparks?

 

[sjc]

We were at BB last Thursday and found the crowds to be very light. (The fact that it was after Labor day, and that the sky was slightly overcast, no doubt helped.) When we were previously there in June and did both parks on back to back days, BB seemed more crowded than TL. Both parks seem to have plenty of space however so the main down side to the crowds are the lines at the water slides. I would think that you may be better off going on a week day than a weekend day, but I will let others chime in..... steve c

 

[sarahj]

Personally, we prefer TL over BB. Living in New England, we see enough snow and the snow theme at BB does nothing for us. We love the tropical setting at TL. You really feel like you are on an island somewhere. And the lazy river is the best! I will say the family raft ride at BB is better than at TL, but overall we prefer TL. Of course, we go now without the kids, so we aren't looking for the same thing a family with young kids is looking for. If possible, I would suggest trying both.

 

[slp87]

We like both parks equally because we love the lazy river and wave pool at TL and the slides at BB.

 

[cd&kids]

I would check out Disney official wesbite for park hours. Seems like they're closing each water park twice a week in a cost-cutting move. (Not sure off the top of my head which days are which.)
We are Long Islanders and have gone many, many times to Splish Splash. We like it very much, but Blizzard Beach blows it away!
We've done BB every time so I cannot comment directly on Typhoon Lagoon. What I've picked up is that TL's wave pool is bigger than BB...and there is the uniqueness of the snorkeling with the fish.
As for atmosphere, we love BB. Their "Lazy River" equivalent is wonderful...and unlike Splish Splash, you can walk thru it and also can get in and out at various locations around the loop....not just at the beginning as in Lazy River.
They have a large family raft ride similar to Mammoth River. It is great! They have some wild rides, but you said you'd probably pass on those. There are also a lot of middle-of-the-road family rides. The one our family loves is a bunch of slides next to each other. You all go down within your own slide on a mat and "race" to the end.
Our kids are 14, 10 and 6....and when we started going, our oldest was 7. Each time we ask if we want to try TL for once...but the vote always comes back no because we love BB so much so why change?!
Have fun....I'm sure you won't be disappointed whatever you choose.

 

[MrsMud]

Thanks again. I am still unsure. I like the Tropical sound of TL, but I'm sure my kids wouldn't notice the "scenery" for more than two minutes! The Ski Patrol sounds like something they would love! Decisions, decisions.
So far the Disney website is not showing any closures for Oct. as they are in Sept., although BB is closed the last week of the month for rehab (we'll be loooong gone by then). Does anyone think they will do the same for Oct.? Also curious about why they are closing one park on the weekends, rather than the weekdays. Aren't the weekends more crowded? We are so far planning Monday as our waterpark day. Is that a bad choice?

 

[kapeppy]

Quick questions about TL:
1. Is there really snorkeling with fish?
2. Is there an added fee for the snorkeling?
3. How many people in a tube for the lazy river?

Thanks!

 

[Thmacs]

Yes, there really is snorkeling with fish. There is a manmade reef with lots of tropical fish, rays and even a few small reef sharks. It is not very big and takes about 5 minutes to swim across at a very leisurly pace. All the snorkeling equipment is provided for you along with a little intstruction abot snorkeling for those who have never done it. There is no extra charge for this attraction. Even though we lived in South FLorida and have snorkeld many times we love this attraction. Go early in the day when the water is still very clear. For those who do not wish to snorkel there is underwater veiwing in an old submarine.
There are single and double tubes in the lazy river at TL. I did not notice anything larger than this.

 

[dgaston]

I agree with the comments others have made about the family raft ride, and mat slides at BB being a lot of fun. I just have to echo sarahj and say that the melting snow theming is not my cup of tea. Maybe it's because we're from New England and see plenty of the real thing, but I find the tropical theme of TL far more relaxing, especially when floating in Castaway Creek. We also like the 3 body slides, and the two tube slides a lot at TL. DH loves to body surf in the wave pool, bringing back his Galveston TX boyhood. Both water parks are a lot of fun--we have great family memories from each. And if you get the refillable mug, you're supposed to be able to get a new bar code for around $5 on another visit. I goofed, packed the mug and left it in the hotel room on our last visit!! Maybe in October, but I don't know if we'll make it to a water park for certain.