Typhoon Lagoon questions please :)

[household6]

This will be our 3rd family trip but our first time going to a waterpark. We decided on Typhoon Lagoon because from what I've read it seems like the best for smaller children. Our two girls are 7 and 3 1/2. Our friends may be with us, and their girls are 7 and 5.

We plan on getting there at rope drop and staking out a spot for the day. I've looked at the maps online, but it's hard to tell where the nice, shady spots with lounge chairs are. We will probably be spending a lot of time in the kiddie area since only one of the 4 girls is over 48". When we get there, where should we go to find a spot for the day? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Also, can anyone suggest a good touring plan for the morning? I have touring plans for each of our 7 parks days, but I'm clueless when it comes to the waterpark. Our 7 year-old is over 48 inches, but I'm not sure she will want to do anything too scary by herself. I think we'd like to concentrate on things we can do together first, and maybe work up to some of the bigger stuff later.

Thanks so much!!

 

[cgattis]

I think the best general plan saving the wave pool and lazy river for later in the day--do the things that require standing in line earlier. Beyond that, we really just tour the waterparks pretty randomly. There should be plenty of time to do everything once, then go back on your favorites multiple times.

 

[nkereina]

What time of year are you going? We did Typhoon Lagoon on a Friday in September. It was very hot, so we got there at rope drop (10am) and crowds didn't really pick up until noon. Even by then, the lines weren't terrible. We preferred to be in the sun, so we got loungers near the wave pool. I did notice that if you bared to either the left or the right, there were more shady spots than in the middle. There were more slides to the left, with the bigger slides and snorkeling to the right. We didn't find we needed touring plans. We did all the slides once, and spent the rest of the time in the wave pool and lazy river. The wave pool is big so it didn't feel very crowded. It is very rough though, so stay in the back with the little ones. It almost knocked me over!

 

[household6]

What time of year are you going? We did Typhoon Lagoon on a Friday in September. It was very hot, so we got there at rope drop (10am) and crowds didn't really pick up until noon. Even by then, the lines weren't terrible. We preferred to be in the sun, so we got loungers near the wave pool. I did notice that if you bared to either the left or the right, there were more shady spots than in the middle. There were more slides to the left, with the bigger slides and snorkeling to the right. We didn't find we needed touring plans. We did all the slides once, and spent the rest of the time in the wave pool and lazy river. The wave pool is big so it didn't feel very crowded. It is very rough though, so stay in the back with the little ones. It almost knocked me over!

We plan on going the last Friday in May so I expect it to get pretty busy. Our girls love to swim but have never been to a waterpark before, so I think we'll just start with the smaller slides and build up to the larger ones to see how much they're up to. Thanks for the tip on the locations. I really don't want to waste valuable time wandering around aimlessly looking for a spot whenever we get there.

Thanks.

 

[denise5374]

Also, the bottom of the wave pool is pretty rough on the feet.

 

[disney2014plan]

Also, the bottom of the wave pool is pretty rough on the feet.

And also on the butt, or any other bit that gets scraped along the ground if you get knocked over ;-)

 

[household6]

Also, the bottom of the wave pool is pretty rough on the feet.

Are water shoes allowed? Any special kind?

 

[kwdw]

If your goal is to spend the whole day there, you could look into a cabana rental..

 

[ZoZo]

Are water shoes allowed? Any special kind?

Yes, you can definitely wear water shoes. I like the kind that are made out of a neoprene-type of materials (similar to wetsuit material). You can find them pretty inexpensively at places like Kmart and Walmart.

Regarding where to sit if you want shade, it's important to think about how the sun is going to move over the park throughout the day. You might try asking a cast member where they might recommend for a spot that's shady all day long; I'm sure they could recommend a good spot.

I personally wouldn't rent a cabana - they're pretty expensive (I think more than $300 per day), and you can get lounge chairs and shade without spending the money on a cabana. It's a personal choice - I'd rather spend my money on something else, since I don't spend much time on my lounge chair during the time I'm there. I tend to hop in a tube on the lazy river for an hour or two at a time!

And as someone else said, the wave pool can be pretty rough. You might want to avoid it since your kids are so little - the waves are really huge, and can toss you around a lot.

Have fun!

 

[lroger01]

My favorite place to "park it" at TL is to the left of the wave pool (when facing it.) There is plenty of shade in that area, including some areas that are like an alcove.

It's a great area for younger kids too. The wave pool area flattens out to the left. The water here is about 2 feet deep (zero entry to 2 ft) and the big waves aren't strong, the water just bobbles. There are two slides about the height of a home pool slide here that empty into the water. They are fun enough for elementary kids, but not too big for a pre-schooler. Between those slides, the shallow water, and the sandy beach (bring sand toys!), your kids will be kept busy and in sight for hours while you relax. This area is also fairly convenient to food and access to the lazy river.

Beware of the kiddie area. I haven't been there in years, so it may have changed. They had a tube slide that my 4 year old just loved. The problem is she was too small to carry the tube up the hill. I was expecting a relaxing day, but ended up exhausted hauling that tube up over and over.

The nice thing about TL is most of the slides and rides are tucked away. You can go and spend a day "at the beach" so to speak, never get on a big slide, and most younger kids will never know what they missed. If you do want to do the big rides, start with Slush and Gusher the two water coasters. These are hidden and not quick to find. You'll need to ask for directions. After that, shark reef and then the speed slides would be next on my list. The family raft ride is poorly done. You have to carry the raft up yourself (it's big) and the ride down is stupidly short. I'd skip it.

Note that the park map doesn't show much shade. In reality the area in front of the wave pool (behind the beach) is thick with palm trees and has lots of shade. Also note, that there is sand everywhere. If you bring spare clothes keep them in a sealed bag until you leave.

 

[household6]

My favorite place to "park it" at TL is to the left of the wave pool (when facing it.) There is plenty of shade in that area, including some areas that are like an alcove.

It's a great area for younger kids too. The wave pool area flattens out to the left. The water here is about 2 feet deep (zero entry to 2 ft) and the big waves aren't strong, the water just bobbles. There are two slides about the height of a home pool slide here that empty into the water. They are fun enough for elementary kids, but not too big for a pre-schooler. Between those slides, the shallow water, and the sandy beach (bring sand toys!), your kids will be kept busy and in sight for hours while you relax. This area is also fairly convenient to food and access to the lazy river.

Beware of the kiddie area. I haven't been there in years, so it may have changed. They had a tube slide that my 4 year old just loved. The problem is she was too small to carry the tube up the hill. I was expecting a relaxing day, but ended up exhausted hauling that tube up over and over.

The nice thing about TL is most of the slides and rides are tucked away. You can go and spend a day "at the beach" so to speak, never get on a big slide, and most younger kids will never know what they missed. If you do want to do the big rides, start with Slush and Gusher the two water coasters. These are hidden and not quick to find. You'll need to ask for directions. After that, shark reef and then the speed slides would be next on my list. The family raft ride is poorly done. You have to carry the raft up yourself (it's big) and the ride down is stupidly short. I'd skip it.

Note that the park map doesn't show much shade. In reality the area in front of the wave pool (behind the beach) is thick with palm trees and has lots of shade. Also note, that there is sand everywhere. If you bring spare clothes keep them in a sealed bag until you leave.

Thanks so much for all this info! This is exactly the type of description I was looking for. We want to find a place to "park it" and use as a homebase, and this sounds great. Our youngest is 3 1/2 and she saw videos of the wave pool and decided she wants nothing to do with it! I think the area you describe would be perfect because it would allow her to be a part of it in a safer way. This has been so helpful!