water parks

[caranate]

I am planning a trip Disney water park trip. We are only doing the water parks. Can anyone tell me if I can bring food and if the refillable mugs are worth it? Any other $ saving tip would be appreciated.

 

[pantherlj]

We brought a big cooler with sandwiches, fruit and sodas (cans only) when we went to Blizzard Beach and a bag with chips, etc. They looked in the cooler (probably for glass/alcohol) and then let us right through.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

At the four major parks (AK, DHS, EC, MK) coolers are restricted to "small, soft-sided, which can fit in a locker". And they cannot be rolling bags.

The only restrictions that apply to all parks (theme and water) are nothing in glass containers (other than medicines and baby food) and no alcoholic beverages.

Some things people don't think about (which tend to be in glass) are pickles, salsa, Mayonaisse, Starbucks drinks, Snapple drinks, Tabasco.

At the water parks any type or size cooler is acceptable. I have seen people come through the gate (Typhoon Lagoon) hauling wheeled coolers about 4' x 3' x 2½'. Note that the cooler can be on two wheels or carried, but the way the rules are written you can not have it in a wagon and it cannot have four wheels.

If you show up at the gate with prohibited items we will give you three choices:
(1) Take prohibited items back to your car or resort.
(2) Put prohibited items in the nearby trash can.
(3) (Only for other than alcoholic beverages) If you have plastic bags or cups you can dump the items out of the glass containers and throw away the container.


As far as the Water Park Refillable Mugs. These are much larger than the Resort Mugs and cost about $11.00. Thy have a bar code on them which is read by the dispense, which will then dispense an amount of soda to fill the mug. Each time you return you can buy a bar code sticker valid for the current day for about $5.00, which is put on the mug.

Note the mug is valid at both water parks, and a bar code sticker may be used in both water parks on the same day for no extra charge.

 

[angwill]

One more suggestion is not to leave out valuables even in a bag. I have seen too many times where someone is frantic because someone took their bag that had their money, sunglasses, clothing etc in it. If we take off a top or shorts we leave it under our towel on our chair and put our shoes on the chair as well. The only thing left in our bag is sunblock so if a theif wants it we are not out much just a bag and some sunblock.

 

[StephMK]

Thanks for posting this! I did not realize we were allowed to bring full coolers into the water parks. We are planning 2 water park days & I would love to save money plus not have to eat ff lunches those days.

 

[Dizneydaz]

One thing you can do if you get the refillable mugs is buy just one for the whole family and then pour the sodas into other cups-like your refillable resort mugs (even older ones). This is totally allowed since we were told this tip by the CM selling the mugs the time that we bought one. I usually bring in a styrofoam cup (like from Sam's Club) and put my beverages in that.

Also, be careful about leaving food out. One year the birds made off with all of our Cheetohs!

 

[caranate]

Thanks for your info. Do they have photopass in the water parks?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Yes. There are Photopass photographers in the water parks. And during crowded times at TL we will have Lilo and Stitch show up.

 

[angwill]

What we like is in the water parks if they take a pic on a slide they throw a small photopass card attached to a rubber band in the innertube which is so much easier to keep track of on your wrist.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Re: Photopass-depends.

In 2009, and before, we saw PP photographers at both parks and got a lot of pix taken. In 2010 we went to TL and BB and didn't see one photographer, not one! We were there in late Sept/first of Oct. I even asked at TL why there were no photographers there and they told me that they aren't there every day. I told the CM I wasn't happy and hoped he would relay the info.

Based on Cheshire's comment I'm hoping this has changed.

I was really disappointed as we got some great PP taken the previous years.

BTW, all of our recent trips have been in mid/late Sept., after Labor day. We never go to the waterparks on the weekends so I don't know if you go on the weekends if you will find PP there during the slower times.

I'm hoping next time we go that the photographers are back.

Here are a few of the ones we got in 2009 and prior

I hope they are there when you are.