Sun Wimp @ Blizzard Beach

[Wheelwatcher]

Hi All,
I call myself a sun wimp (red hair, burn easily, wear high SPF, "rash guard", hat, sunglasses) and I just prefer to be in the shade. I find no shame in that. DS15 and DH assure me that the lazy river at BB is shady, and they've about talked me into trying it in July. If I go, I would go early and leave by noon (and then go shopping in the shade, lol).
So, my question for the experienced water park-goers is this: is the lazy river actually in the shade, or just kinda shady in parts?
I really want to see BB and have never been there before. The lazy river sounds like so much fun! Thanks for any insight!

 

[AngiTN]

Curious about the answer myself. I haven't been because I'm married to a "sun wimp" and rather than make him deal with it we just don't go. DGD and I happen to be at Disney a couple days without him next week so we are going to try a WP for our first time. Maybe BB will be a place he'd like to check out sometime. Though leaving by noon is only 2 hours. Not sure it's worth the cost of admission

 

[Klayfish]

Hi All,
I call myself a sun wimp (red hair, burn easily, wear high SPF, "rash guard", hat, sunglasses) and I just prefer to be in the shade. I find no shame in that. DS15 and DH assure me that the lazy river at BB is shady, and they've about talked me into trying it in July. If I go, I would go early and leave by noon (and then go shopping in the shade, lol).
So, my question for the experienced water park-goers is this: is the lazy river actually in the shade, or just kinda shady in parts?
I really want to see BB and have never been there before. The lazy river sounds like so much fun! Thanks for any insight!

The BB lazy river is shady in spots, but definitely not fully shaded...not even close. You'll be in the sun a lot. The lazy river at TL offers more shade, but even that is definitely not "fully shaded" and has lots of sun worship time. I'm a sun wimp myself in that I go from pasty white to bright red with little in between. However, I absolutely LOVE the water parks. So I just am sure to use plenty of sunscreen and reapply it every few hours.

You'll love the lazy river, it's wonderful. But you WILL get wet, as in splashed. It's unavoidable. There are spots that have waterfalls you go under or spots where guests can spray you. BB has a sneezing alligator that you go by and it sprays water when it sneezes (i.e. it "snots" on you). It's not that way the entire time around, just in a few spots. If you don't try to paddle or push yourself, it'll take a solid 20-30 minutes to do a lap.

 

[Wheelwatcher]

Curious about the answer myself. I haven't been because I'm married to a "sun wimp" and rather than make him deal with it we just don't go. DGD and I happen to be at Disney a couple days without him next week so we are going to try a WP for our first time. Maybe BB will be a place he'd like to check out sometime. Though leaving by noon is only 2 hours. Not sure it's worth the cost of admission

Thanks, AngiTN! I should have clarified that we already have the water park add-on for our tickets; DS and DH will go multiple times and stay longer than a couple hours, definitely getting full value, so that's not an issue!

 

[Wheelwatcher]

The BB lazy river is shady in spots, but definitely not fully shaded...not even close. You'll be in the sun a lot. The lazy river at TL offers more shade, but even that is definitely not "fully shaded" and has lots of sun worship time. I'm a sun wimp myself in that I go from pasty white to bright red with little in between. However, I absolutely LOVE the water parks. So I just am sure to use plenty of sunscreen and reapply it every few hours.

You'll love the lazy river, it's wonderful. But you WILL get wet, as in splashed. It's unavoidable. There are spots that have waterfalls you go under or spots where guests can spray you. BB has a sneezing alligator that you go by and it sprays water when it sneezes (i.e. it "snots" on you). It's not that way the entire time around, just in a few spots. If you don't try to paddle or push yourself, it'll take a solid 20-30 minutes to do a lap.

Oh, AWESOME! Thanks, Klayfish! I think I'm going to love the lazy river!

 

[amberpi]

As you can see from my pic, I'm fair. That's as much sun as I ever get. I always wear high spf, even in the winter, and a wide brimmed straw hat. As long as I have good sunscreen, I'm gtg at waterparks and pools all day. All about the reapplication - I like the spray for everything, then an extra layer on my face, shoulders, chest, etc. The heat doesn't bother me. I'm a sun wimp, but heat is fine, don't know if they are distinct for you.

 

[PrincessV]

Floridian here... I get enough sun just going about my day, and we visit WDW in summer, when temps are near (sometimes over) 100: I limit my sun exposure as much as possible at the WPs to avoid overheating, if nothing else. I'm fair-skinned and I just need to make sure I apply sunscreen 20 mins before exposure, and I reapply every couple hours. I also wear a long-sleeve 50 UPF rash guard, which helps cut down on the sunscreening. I like to wear a baseball-style hat to keep the sun off my face and out of my eyes. I'd say the lazy river is about 50% shaded; definitely not all of it. I always locate chairs/stuff in a spot that will stay shaded the entire time we're there - preferably by a shelter - so I have a shaded spot to sit in when not doing things. We tend to arrive around park opening, and leave shortly after lunch. We were at a WP almost every morning for a week last summer, and I never burned, only tanned a bit. It can be done!

 

[Wheelwatcher]

As you can see from my pic, I'm fair. That's as much sun as I ever get. I always wear high spf, even in the summer, and a wide brimmed straw hat. As long as I have good sunscreen, I'm gtg at waterparks and pools all day. All about the reapplication - I like the spray for everything, then an extra layer on my face, shoulders, chest, etc. The heat doesn't bother me. I'm a sun wimp, but heat is fine, don't know if they are distinct for you.

Thanks, Amberpi! I can deal with a little heat (we live in Texas and are familiar with how hot WDW can be in July) as long as I'm in the shade like 1/2 the time. This is gonna be great!

 

[Wheelwatcher]

Floridian here... I get enough sun just going about my day, and we visit WDW in summer, when temps are near (sometimes over) 100: I limit my sun exposure as much as possible at the WPs to avoid overheating, if nothing else. I'm fair-skinned and I just need to make sure I apply sunscreen 20 mins before exposure, and I reapply every couple hours. I also wear a long-sleeve 50 UPF rash guard, which helps cut down on the sunscreening. I like to wear a baseball-style hat to keep the sun off my face and out of my eyes. I'd say the lazy river is about 50% shaded; definitely not all of it. I always locate chairs/stuff in a spot that will stay shaded the entire time we're there - preferably by a shelter - so I have a shaded spot to sit in when not doing things. We tend to arrive around park opening, and leave shortly after lunch. We were at a WP almost every morning for a week last summer, and I never burned, only tanned a bit. It can be done!

YES, I love this part: "I'd say the lazy river is about 50% shaded"
Thanks, PrincessV!

 

[Rockette]

The whole problem with Blizzard Beach is the white theming everywhere... I'm very pale too and find that I get burned here considerably more than Typhoon Lagoon.

 

[Wheelwatcher]

The whole problem with Blizzard Beach is the white theming everywhere... I'm very pale too and find that I get burned here considerably more than Typhoon Lagoon.

Ooooh, hadn't thought about that, Rockette! I still think I'm gonna give it a go once or twice around the lazy river...with lots of sunscreen and long-sleeved SPF rash guard.

 

[Rockette]

Ooooh, hadn't thought about that, Rockette! I still think I'm gonna give it a go once or twice around the lazy river...with lots of sunscreen and long-sleeved SPF rash guard.

I've gotten sunburn behind my knees at Blizzard Beach... I've never experienced that anywhere else. That white theming just loves to reflect with a lot more intensity than anything at Typhoon Lagoon.