Waterpark for a newbie?

[choirbird]

Hello all - a few questions about waterparks, please be kind (I have sensory issues and a couple childhood traumas with water).

My boyfriend loves swimming and water parks, but I have a lifelong fear of putting my head underwater. Even snorkeling freaks me out. I also don't like rollercoasters with steep drops (I'll go on most Disney rides, no TOT but Splash is OK because the animatronics are "worth" the icky feeling for a few seconds). However, I think if I could feel in control of the situation I might actually have fun on a water slide.

I have limited swimming experience - I can doggy paddle fine and am OK if I can keep my head above water. I don't jump into pools/get my head wet on purpose.

- If I wear a life jacket, would that keep me from going all the way under if I did fall out of a tube somehow? I know I might still get some water up my nose or in my eyes a little, but hoping to avoid that.
- If so, am I allowed to bring my own? I'm a 2X so I'm nervous about trying them on in the park/if they'll have my size, and I'm embarrassed enough about needing one.
- Am I allowed to wear goggles? Maybe if I won't get water in my eyes, I'd be more OK with getting my face wet.

I've watched a few ride POVs and they seem fun, especially the family raft things/lazy river/wave pool and maybe a couple solo-tube rides if they're not too steep. Any suggestions for my first rides?

 

[DisArmyWife215]

I think you'd be fine and not have any issues with falling out of a tube. I was worried about my daughter cause she's not a strong swimmer and we never once had any issues of tubes flipping or anything similar. The lazy river sounds like it's right up your alley. Typhoon Lagoon does have a nice family raft ride that you and your BF could do together. If all else fails you could just let the small waves hit your feet and enjoy the sun. I would for sure steer clear of the wave pool past ankle deep, those waves are strong! They'll pull your legs right out from under you. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

 

[Klayfish]

We love the water parks, but I'm not 100% sure which attractions allow life vests because we haven't used them in years...I know some of them don't. The family rafts are awful hard to fall out of when the ride is going on (never seen it happen) and the water at the bottom is only about 2' deep. The lazy rivers are also 2.5 to 3.5 feet deep (forget exactly, one is deeper than the other), so you'd be fine there too. The wave pools are zero entry, so you can go in as deep or shallow as you'd like. There are also a few mat slides where the water is very shallow, such as Toboggan Racers. I think most of the other tube/body/mat slides have pools at the end that are about 4-5' deep, so if you're average height you may still be able to stand. Sorry I don't have the specifics on depths, as I don't pay a ton of attention to them, but that's the ballpark....I'm sure you can Google it to find out specific depths of each.

There's plenty you can still do and enjoy even if you aren't a strong swimmer.

 

[Belleandtinker]

I don't swim - I just float.

I suggest staying away from crazy slides and big waves.

Enjoy!

 

[cgattis]

Here’s some great news for you—I don’t think any of the Disney waterpark slides drop you out into water over 4feet! Many of them run out into just inches of water. And of course the lazy river is around 4 feet too. Plenty of places to NOT get dunked!! . That’s one of the things I really love about Disney water parks.

I think there are more tame slides at Blizzard Beach. I highly recommend the “racing” mat slide (I totally forgot the name...) It’s like one of those giant county fair slides you ride on a burlap sack, except you lie on your tummy on a flat mat and swoosh along in a couple inches of water—so fun!!! You just stand up at the end—no splashdown. As another poster said, any of the big family rafts end up in like a foot of water too. But again, you’re unlikely to get dunked on most anything. There are tons of fun ones!

All that said, I don’t think you’re allowed to wear a life jacket or goggles on any slide. BUT I really think you will be fine without them. Start with one of the mast slides and work up from there . Crush n Gusher at Typhoon Lagoon has propelled hills and some quick little drops—think Barnstormer with water. It’s pretty wild but it’s really fun; maybe you can try it too!

And hey, if you need a little break, stop for some donuts with chocolate sauce—they’ll make you forget anything you didn’t like!! Go and have fun—they are great parks.

 

[TangledHairDon'tCare]

I am also fearful around water that stems from a near drowning experience as a child. I’m 40yo and still hold my nose when I jump in the water! I have not been to the Disney water parks but I just wanted to pop in and say you’ll have a blast and don’t worry about what anybody thinks about the life jacket or anything else! Enjoy your trip!