Water park footwear?

[brightspark]

Hi there,
We are planning to spend quite a lot of time doing water stuff in our trip (starting next week!!!) and I've got those neoprene shoes for both my boys... Am I right that they can wear them in the water parks? But suddenly I have realised that i've not considered what DH and I are going to wear on our feet. I have flipflops, but dh doesn't have anything like that. I'm assuming that the paths will be really hot... Dh is talking about where his sandals and leaving them at the bottom of the steps up to things like crush and gusher, but that doesn't seem very safe and also leaves him needing to go back and get them... Are shoes of some sort allowed on the 'rides' and if so what do you recommend? Are they expensive to buy in the parks? (I imagine so )

We also have a day at Discovery cove, what should we do there?

Thanks for your help.

 

[dancin Disney style]

We ALWAYS wear footwear in the WP's. I wear a sort of flip flop type shoe that is very similar to the Crocs flip flops....they are called Dawgs. The rest of the family wears Walmart water shoes. I have hip and knee problems so walking barefoot on cement is really bad for me plus the walkways do get very hot.

I've seen people wearing Keens, Tivas and all sorts of other sandals. Many of the slides you can keep them on your feet but some will ask you to remove and hold them as you go down.

Regardless of my joint issues I would never walk around barefoot at a waterpark. I think a little protection for the toes is a good idea. A broken toe or a big cut on your foot is not at all fun.

 

[lwake]

Good Morning: We haven't done Discovery Cove, so I can't help you there. However, my Disney Family has done the Disney Waterparks. Most people wear sandals to the park and then go barefoot when there. In fact, I don't recall seeing people with water shoes.

 

[catpowers]

We always wear plain old cheap-o water shoes. I think we've only been asked to take them off for 1 or 2 slides and you just grab them at the end (they get them down there for you). And this is for any water parks, not just the Disney properties. Have fun!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Good Morning: We haven't done Discovery Cove, so I can't help you there. However, my Disney Family has done the Disney Waterparks. Most people wear sandals to the park and then go barefoot when there. In fact, I don't recall seeing people with water shoes.

I would say that a good 40% wear something on their feet all through the park.

 

[kathy884]

They are expensive (about $100 for an adult sized pair), but we like those Keen sandels . If you do light hiking in warm climates, they are good for that too (great for a trip to a place like Costa Rica), and they are breathable and protect your toes. My son did a Sea World high school camp this week and brought these along for both Aquatica and Discovery Cove. If you are a adult whose foot size won't be changing, they might be a reasonable investment. For kids, it really depends on how much use you would get out of them. I like them so much more than traditional water shoes.

 

[CNYDisneyFan]

I went to Blizzard Beach in 2011 and wore both flip flops and water shoes.

 

[4kids4karen]

This depends on how sensitive your feet are. I am from the South and love going barefoot. I do not wear water shoes even at water parks. My husband is from the North and wears slippers in the house - year around! (Ha Ha, his feet are so sensitive!). He never goes barefoot and even wears water shoes at the beach.

So if you are not use to walking barefoot, you may want water shoes. Most of the water parks the sidewalks are damp and not hot.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Target has water type shoes cheap. Best to wear some kind of water shoe or teva type sandal. Once my daughter and I went barefoot and left our water shoes in the locker. Big mistake. While it was nice being free of footwear in the lazy river my daughter suddenly had to go to the bathroom. No way were we going barefoot in there and it was a mad rush to the locker that was far and then the restroom. Lesson learned.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[ZoZo]

I've been to TL and BB a couple of times, both in October. Brought water shoes to wear, but didn't end up needing to wear them either trip. I didn't find the pavement too hot or too rough for my feet. (I did wear my flip flops when going to and from the parks, and also in the restroom, though.) For me, water shoes were not needed, and just seemed to be a pain.

 

[brightspark]

Thanks everyone, I popped to the shops and bought some cheap ones for us yesterday (about $10 for both pairs) so we are prepared.

 

[BuzzLiteyear]

My family wore a combination of flip flops and water shoes. When I wasn't wearing mine, I didn't find the concrete to be too hot. Lots of shady areas with trees (BB).

 

[Calle&Jakesmom]

Really, my mom didn't wear shoes at all and she was fine. If you really insist on wearing shoes, I recommend water shoes (especially in the wave pool).
From: CB, age 11.