Water Park Advice

[DolphinBoy]

I need some tips on going to TL. What is the best way to carry your tickets, cash, towels, etc? How about getting an inner tube? I have been to WDW twice, but this will be our first time to one of the water parks. Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[Pigletlover]

When we go to the water parks, we leave our valuables/wallet etc behind in the room safe (or the safe at hotel front desk). We put our tickets, room key, and a small amount of cash for food etc into a small ziplock bag.

When we get to the park we rent a locker to store the ziplock bag, towels, clothes, shoes, sunscreen etc. I think the Disney ones were maybe about $7 with a refund of $2 when you bring back your key. When we went in 2004 they gave you the choice of a free plastic mug or the $2 refund.

You just put the locker key around your ankle or arm, the same as other waterparks.

You can rent lifejackets for kids, but you don't need to rent innertubes at Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach. They are supplied at all the rides, wave pool, and the lazy river.

I think I remember at Wet n Wild on International Drive that the only thing you needed to rent innertubes for was the wave pool, although you could just enjoy the pool with no tube if you want. All their other rides had tubes supplied.

At Typhoon Lagoon, if you want to snorkel in the saltwater pool with the sharks and fish, do this first thing when you arrive at opening time because the line can get long. This is totally free. You can also walk down into a separate viewing area where you can watch them under the water through windows.

Do try to get to the waterparks by the opening time, as you can get a lot of rides done before the parks get too crowded. Remember that weekends are busier than weekdays because you have more local people.

They have park maps at the entrance, which you can store in your locker so they don't turn to paper mache in your pocket. There are signs around the parks with big maps, so you can always check on which rides you still need to do and where they are.

Don't forget to take hats, sunglasses and sunscreen. Put the sunscreen on several times during the day. The first time I went to Typhoon Lagoon I got sunburned so badly on my legs that I could not even walk properly the next day. Even on overcast days you can still get burnt.

Lastly, if there is a thunderstorm in the afternoon, they will clear everybody out of the water and you have to wait around until they say it's safe to go back in the water. Don't leave the park. Just wait it out - sometimes it's only for about one hour or less. Some people will leave the park when it starts raining, so if you stay you will hopefully have less crowds to deal with.

 

[DolphinBoy]

Thanks for the detailed post. It sounds like good advice.
One last question. I assume that you get the towels as you walk in?
And if you throw all your clothes in the locker how to you save a chair...or do you?

Once again, thanks for taking the time fo such a detailed post!

 

[Pigletlover]

I think you can rent towels at the waterparks (at the same place where you rent the lockers), but we always just bring a couple from our hotel room and then return them to our room.

We have never staked out any chairs for lounging, as we are always too busy running around. When we want to relax we float around in the wave pool or on the lazy river, or we sit down at one of the food places. I am not much of a sunbather.

I don't know how people stake out chairs, but I suppose you just put your towel and some clothes and gear on a chair. I think I would worry if somebody moved it or stole it!! You could always just lie on the sand somewhere.

Your towels stay nice and clean and dry in the lockers, for drying yourself later when you are leaving. But you could always bring one for lounging and one for drying.

 

[kelleigh1]

We just returned from Disney on Sunday and spent Friday and Saturday at Blizzard Beach.

Locker rentals were $5 for small and $7 for a large plus a $5 deposit. (In other words, $10 and $12 and you get $5 back when you return the key.) We rented small on both trips for hubby and I. We used it for shoes, towels and the clothes we had on over our suits. Everything fit just fine for the two of us.

I would suggest bringing your own towels as it was $1 each to "rent" one of theirs.

We also have small waterproof cases which we could hang around our necks to hold cash, room key, and other small objects. (Our cell phones actually fit in ours.) I didn't really ride any of the slides, but when my husband did I would usually hold his case. I wouldn't recommend wearing it on the slides. I saw one woman who did and it smacked her in the head as she landed in the water.

As the other person mentioned, all tubes or other ride apparatus is provided at the individual rides.

Being that it was January, it wasn't too crowded later in the day, but I'm sure that on hot summer days it fills up fast. Luckily for resort guests, they appear to open an hour early every day.

Let me know if you have any other questions. (We couldn't go to Typhoon Lagoon as it was closed for refurbishing during our trip.)

 

[abbie13_15]

I don't know if you are considering Wet and Wild on I-Drive, but don't. We hated it so much. You have to walk up all of the stairs to the slides that have the backs cut out of them . So, you can easily see down. I didn't feel safe on these. Someone could easily slip and their legs could fall through the stairs. Also, while we were waiting on the stairs in mid air we could feel the whole thing moving in the wind. Totally scary, I don't like heights but I like the rides. There is also something in their water that makes it taste salty. I don't like this when you are laughing and you get that nasty taste in your mouth. yuck. At Blizzard beach I can't tell that I am up that high because of the landscape it’s on. We had four tickets to Wet n Wild. My mom and I went on the first day, and my sister and her friend were supposed to go the next day. Needless to say they didn't and we went and spend extra money on tickets to go to Blizzard Beach. I wouldn't recommend going there.

 

[DolphinBoy]

Thanks for all the tips! One more question. Any suggestion on where to get the water proof container? I saw that somebody posted a lanyard type pouch once, but I cannot find it. Also anybody buy one of those disposable waterproof cameras? Where can you find them? WalMart?
Do you go barefooted or were beach shoes?

Thanks again?

 

[DisneyElf]

You can buy a waterproof container at the park (nice souvie) for approx $ 5. - or get one at your resort for the same price. I have the large one - holds hotel key, cash & inhaler. I also have a waterproof case for my cellphone, since my sister & I go on vacation together and the kids left at home (adult's now) or dog sitter need us - they can reach us.

Do not get one at the dollar stores - they are cheaply made and can open easily.

In all our years at the water parks - we have only lost one towel ... nobody has bothered our backpack (with sunscreen in it).

 

[traciedee]

Best place to get a waterproof box to carry your stuff in is your local dive shop. You can get a couple of different sizes and they work wonderful. I use them for diving and where ever else I go in the water and don't want to leave my money and keys behind. I have one now the size of 2 card decks and it's big enough to fit money, ccards, chapstick, key and a a small comb! yeah. You can also get a curly cord to go around your wrist to make it easy to hold on to.

 

[Pigletlover]

I'm not sure where to buy those disposable waterproof cameras. Probably drugstores and chains like Walmart, Target, KMart etc. Maybe some supermarkets would even stock them.

Make sure you buy all your camera supplies, film, batteries etc at home before you leave because Disney prices are high.

We just go barefoot at the water parks. We've never noticed glass lying around because I don't think you're allowed to take glass bottles into the parks.

You could always take some cheap beach shoes and store them in your locker, just in case you find the concrete too hot. It's always been fine for us, but maybe some children would feel the heat more.

 

[kelleigh1]

For Waterproof cameras you should find them at Walmart, Target, CVS...any of your stores which sell film and disposable cameras should have them.

I HIGHLY recomend the Fuji underwater camera. I've tried a few of the different disposable water cameras and Fuji really is the best. The picture quality is so much better than all the others. We used them for our honeymoon in Jamaica and the pictures are great. (I'll see if I can post some for you to see the quality.) And they have an elastic strap to hang around your wrist so you won't lose it.

 

[kelleigh1]

Ok, here's one of the pictures we took in Jamaica with the Fuji water camera. I have another picture of us at the water falls and we're holding one of the cameras (we had 2 with us), if you want to see that one to see what the camera looks like, let me know.

 

[DolphinBoy]

Thanks for all the tips. I found a 27 exposure waterproof camera at Target for $7.

 

[Hannathy]

We never rent a locker too much walking back and forth Always put money and keys in one of the containers around my neck and leave the rest of the stuff in a tote bag near a chair. I have never had a problem with anyone taking anything . If they need my sunblock and shorts that bad take them! On rafts I usually tuck it under my T-shirt which I wear cause I burn so easily or inside my bathing suit for a few minutes. looks funny but my stuff is safe and I'm too old to care if it does look funny. Have sandals or water shoes for the parking lot but don't really need inside the park. Remember a strap for your sunglasses if you are practically blind like me and need to wear your glasses in the water.

 

[JCA1970]

We just returned from Disney on Sunday and spent Friday and Saturday at Blizzard Beach.

Locker rentals were $5 for small and $7 for a large plus a $5 deposit. (In other words, $10 and $12 and you get $5 back when you return the key.) We rented small on both trips for hubby and I. We used it for shoes, towels and the clothes we had on over our suits. Everything fit just fine for the two of us.

I would suggest bringing your own towels as it was $1 each to "rent" one of theirs.

We also have small waterproof cases which we could hang around our necks to hold cash, room key, and other small objects. (Our cell phones actually fit in ours.) I didn't really ride any of the slides, but when my husband did I would usually hold his case. I wouldn't recommend wearing it on the slides. I saw one woman who did and it smacked her in the head as she landed in the water.

As the other person mentioned, all tubes or other ride apparatus is provided at the individual rides.

Being that it was January, it wasn't too crowded later in the day, but I'm sure that on hot summer days it fills up fast. Luckily for resort guests, they appear to open an hour early every day.

Let me know if you have any other questions. (We couldn't go to Typhoon Lagoon as it was closed for refurbishing during our trip.)

Where did you find a waterproof case to put your $ etc. in? Iam looking for one.JVA1970

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Before our trip to Disney, I went to our local REI and bought a bag of 3 waterproof zip lock type bags (but stronger) big enough to hold a park pass, id and cash for $3.50 and lanyards with clips for $1.00 each. Quite a bargain and they worked out beautifully.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...56&parent_category_rn=4500525&vcat=REI_SEARCH

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...EI_RELATED_ITEMS_PRODUCT_PAGE&vcat=REI_SEARCH

 

[TSM1993]

Put sunscreen on even if cloudy day and sun not out. 1st time to waterpark and said we didnt need sunscreen on boy was I wrong. We got our worst burn ever even the tops of our feet were burnt lobster red. Got back to our room and oretty much had a hard time sleeping and getting up the next day.

SO Lots and lots of sunscreen even on your feet.

 

[Molly K]

Going with a 3 year old in Oct or Nov of 2007. Does any one recomend going to the water parks or just staying away. Did not know if it was worth the moeny for a child of that age. Or in that time of the year for that matter.

 

[daisyduck123]

The waterproof cameras at the park are ridiculously overpriced...something like $20.00 I believe. We get ours at our local Target...for only $6.39.
Another nearby Target sells them for $7.49.

The waterproof things for around your neck are $6.00 for the larger ones...good price IMO, & they have some new pretty colors this year.

We just returned from an 8 day stay at POP last week.

Someone at Blizzard Beach went into our pool bag & stole some of our stuff.
We learned our lesson...from now on we will only bring in towels & leave them on a chair in a populated area.

We had left our pool bag in an isolated area, but hey, this was January & practically the whole place was isolated.

Well after an hour or so we went back to our pool bag & noticed that there was someone else's backpack on our chair...funny since there were at least 100 empty chairs all around us.

We learned that our water camera, DS's goggles, & Star Wars toy from MGM had been taken.

Turns out, whoever took our stuff had also swiped someone's backpack & left it on our chair after they went thru it. Then took our stuff too.

We notified security. Can you believe that the manager gave us a new water camera? He did not have to do that & nor did we expect it. Then, MGM had a new Star Wars toy sent over with a specially signed card/photo from Mickey Mouse.

No more bringing extra stuff into the parks for us.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Hey, I'm on vacation, only thing we bring is the waterproof container, sunscreen towels and our butts. The waterproof box has our room keys and a few bucks, that it. Nothing to guard or watch and no extra cost of a locker. We swim, slide, lazy river it and by the time the bus comes we're dried out and had it for the day. We do the same at our resort pool also except take the collapsable cooler too, with our drinks and picnic lunch.