Water Parks for non swimmers?

[feathersmcgraw]

Hi there! We have the water parks on the tickets we have bought. Last time we visited Florida we had them too but didn't bother. I'm a non swimmer and the children are not water babies by a long shot, which would be best to visit, Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon? Maybe neither? Anything I should avoid?
TIA *BTW, I wondered how come there were so many people called Tia in here until I realised what TIA stood for

 

[bookbunny]

You would probably enjoy Typhoon Lagoon more if you are a non swimmer. I have to say, I dont swim but I enjoy Typhoon Lagoon. You can always float around the park on inner tubes. Plus they have places for little kids to splash around in. This park feels more like a beach.

 

[Karpkg]

It really depends on how comfortable you are in the water. I know a lot of people who don't swim but are comfortable in laying in a tube and floating on the water, or mothers who dabble at the edge of the water with their babies.

Both TL and BB have the lazy river for which you can just float along around the entire park that way, and then just lounge in the sun in front of the wade pools.

I've seen others sleep in the shade oblivious to everything around them for the entire day and not touch a drop of water.

I would lean more toward BB then because the wade pool is smaller and doesn't have giant waves that may intimidate you. I see a lot more people floating in there as opposed to TL where people are bobbing up and down in the wave without a tube waiting for the waves to come.

The family raft is bigger at BB if that might make it more comfortable for you, and longer.

 

[Hannathy]

The water in the water park is very shallow in the slides and the tube areas and in the lazy river. You don't need to be able to swim!! All you need to be able to do is stand up. The water will not be over your head in the pools at the end of any of the slides or tube rides. It is no more than 4 ft. Even kids who can't swim well are ok. They can bob over to the steps.

Now if you go out far in the wave pool it will be deep but you can stay were it is knee deep there also very easily.

Don't let not being a swimmer stop you from going. as long as you remember that even if you go under at the end of a slide or fall off your tube, all you have to do is stand up. -I'm very short, barely 5 ft and I can walk out of all the areas.

 

[disprincessatheart]

The water in the water park is very shallow in the slides and the tube areas and in the lazy river. You don't need to be able to swim!! All you need to be able to do is stand up. The water will not be over your head in the pools at the end of any of the slides or tube rides. It is no more than 4 ft. Even kids who can't swim well are ok. They can bob over to the steps.

Now if you go out far in the wave pool it will be deep but you can stay were it is knee deep there also very easily.

Don't let not being a swimmer stop you from going. as long as you remember that even if you go under at the end of a slide or fall off your tube, all you have to do is stand up. -I'm very short, barely 5 ft and I can walk out of all the areas.

There is one slide, though I can't remember which slide or which park, that has very deep water and has regular lifeguard interventions. It's mentioned on the podcast every so often since one of the podcasts used to be a Disney lifeguard. Just ask before you get too far!

 

[winteriscoming]

We love TL and it's lazy river. It's great to be able to kick back and float along! The only thing we've run into on the two occsions we've been there is a snake in the water. Luckily the life guards ( I think that's who it was) fish them out very quickly.
Got to love vacationing in Florida!!

 

[feathersmcgraw]

Thank you for all the replies! DS12 and DS-almost-11 are reading over my shoulder and getting all excited that we might be able to try out the water parks after all

 

[Gumbo4x4]

There is one slide, though I can't remember which slide or which park, that has very deep water and has regular lifeguard interventions. It's mentioned on the podcast every so often since one of the podcasts used to be a Disney lifeguard. Just ask before you get too far!

Someone mentioned having issues with the pool at the end of Storm Sliders (Typhoon Lagoon) the other day. We didn't have any trouble with it on our trip, but it was definitely one of the deeper "landing" pools particularly for a non-tube ride.

We also ended up flipping at the end of Runoff Rapids (Blizzard Beach) when riding the double tubes, but the water's not swift & you can stand right up in it. Ditto for Downhill Double Dippers (BB). Didn't have any trouble flipping at the end of Crushin' Gusher (TL), but saw some others who did. That water's pretty shallow though - maybe 2.5 feet.

Blizzard Beach has several rides that I think would be great for non-swimmers. Slushin' Gusher, Summit Plumet, Toboggan Races, and the mat sliders (forget what they're called) all empty into just inches of water. Teamboat Springs requires you to climb out of the raft in about 2 feet of gentle moving water. And the shallow end of the wave pool is non-swimmer friendly.

 

[Hannathy]

There is one slide, though I can't remember which slide or which park, that has very deep water and has regular lifeguard interventions. It's mentioned on the podcast every so often since one of the podcasts used to be a Disney lifeguard. Just ask before you get too far!

Is this a new slide because I seriously don't remember a single one with deep water in many, many trips.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

There is one slide, though I can't remember which slide or which park, that has very deep water and has regular lifeguard interventions. It's mentioned on the podcast every so often since one of the podcasts used to be a Disney lifeguard. Just ask before you get too far!

The water is just over 8 feet deep at the Ski Patrol Training Camp at Blizzard Beach, and it is an area recommended for "big kids and preteens".

 

[jmkjr72]

my wife is a non swimmer and loved tl
the only thing she didnt do was the swim with the sharks
she just didnt go out very far into the wave pool

 

[nkereina]

I am a non-swimmer and we did TL and had a good time. I went in the wave pool up to my knees and didn't feel like I'd be knocked over (waves are intense). I was also able to sit on the rock wall at the back of the wave pool and just enjoy the water splashing on my legs. I also enjoyed the lazy river (only 3-4 ft deep) and even did two of the easy going raft rides without getting scared.

FWIW, if you are unsure if you will even go to a water park or think you may go once, you may want to leave the Water Parks Fun & More option off your tickets. You can add the option at any time while you are there if you decide you will use it more than once. If you want to go once, it is cheaper to buy a one day water park admission for everyone than it is to add WPF&M option to the tickets. We bought a one day water park admission from our resort concierge and it was no problem and saved us a few bucks.

 

[ilovecoasters]

I am a non swimmer and I love the waterparks. I do stay out of the wave pool at TL, but that's it. I am able to go on everything else. Blizzard Beach to me, is a little more friendly to nonswimmers.

 

[Mrs K]

I think BB would be better for nonswimmers. The wave pool at TL can be very rough. My DD, who could swim, got so knocked around that she refuses to go there again. The slides are fun, and the lazy river is nice.

 

[disney777]

Another non-swimmer here, and I prefer BB. I like the lazy river, and the wave pool has innertubes. So I have flotation aids at both those attractions. I liked riding the ski lift up to the family raft, hate climbing the stairs carrying an innertube! My stress point when I do the slide rides is disembarking from the innertubes. I almost drowned in 2.5ft of water, because I slipped and panicked. haha. I do like swimming with the sharks (water is cold!) and the lazy river at TL. BB is a newer park, and I prefer the setup there.