Water Park Crowds This Summer?

[Shanti]

How have water park crowds been this summer? I'm sure weekends are very crowded, but how have they been during the week this June and July? Has it been a challenge to find a shady place to sit?

 

[neastguy]

just got back a couple weeks ago.. Blizzard Beach on a Monday was not crowded... seemed like there were plenty of chairs all day long... waits were not long either

 

[Klayfish]

I would say they were slightly less than what I have seen in years past. As always, the first hour or so of the park opening is the best. Even the e-ticket slides have no lines. After that, they will get lines, but not as long as we've seen in the past. The "second tier" slides have light to moderate lines...I would say about 15 minutes. Finding a chair has never really been a problem, even in years past, but this time it was a bit easier to find one in prime (i.e. shady) spots.

 

[Duffywannabe]

For Florida residents, you need the platinum plus pass to have water parks included. It's just too much money and I am guessing that other, like me, just don't have the water park options anymore. So crowds are probably down to due to that.

But I haven't been to a WP since May when I had to change lasses so there is at least 3 people of the attendance decrease accounted for.

 

[paceyswife]

I would say they were slightly less than what I have seen in years past. As always, the first hour or so of the park opening is the best. Even the e-ticket slides have no lines. After that, they will get lines, but not as long as we've seen in the past. The "second tier" slides have light to moderate lines...I would say about 15 minutes. Finding a chair has never really been a problem, even in years past, but this time it was a bit easier to find one in prime (i.e. shady) spots.

What are e-ticket slides and "second tier"? We've never been to Disney water parks. You don't just get in line?

 

[hakepb]

What are e-ticket slides and "second tier"? We've never been to Disney water parks. You don't just get in line?

Yes, like the theme parks, you just get in line.
E-ticket is an old reference to the "best" attractions like Space Mountain, Test Track, EE, RnR.. They don't cost more $, but are usually much longer lines.

Each park has a "best" slide, Summit Plumet at BB and Crushin' Gusher at TL

 

[Klayfish]

Right. I was just referencing the most popular slides as "e-ticket", sorry for the confusion. Yes, you just get in line. At BB, Summit Plummet and Slush Gusher are the two big ones, they're right next to each other. Slush Gusher is a lot of fun, but beware you can get a little bit airborne over the last slope. It's a ride that goes down, levels out, drops again, levels again, drops again. You build pretty decent speed and at the last drop you can do a bit of a jump. It's fun, just be ready for it. At TL, Humunga Kowabunga is the big slide. I suppose you could call Crushin' Gusher an e-ticket ride. It's kind of a roller coaster water slide, where strong water will push your raft up an incline, then you go flying down the next drop.

The "second tier" slides are the ones that don't get as crowded. Both parks have mat slides, inner tube slides and body slides. They both have lazy rivers. The one at BB flows a little quicker, though by no means fast. The one at TL is so slow you can get stuck at times and have to you your hands to paddle forward a bit.