Waterparks after 3pm

[DisneyGal24]

Has anyone done this? We just got PAP and thought we might go to BB or TL one afternoon after visiting a park. We would probably arrive around 3:00 and stay until 6ish. It will be in June and our kids will be 5 and 8. Thanks!

 

[mill4023]

We did this at both BB and TL on our last trip(in June) and it worked out great.
We arrived around 1pm. It was crowded when we arrived, and the crowds gradually went down throughout the afternoon. For the last hour the park was open, we were going on slides over and over with no lines at all.

But there is one big problem with this strategy.
Afternoon thunderstorms.
It's very common to have thunderstorms mid afternoon in Orlando in the warmer months. And if there is lightning, the water parks shut down.

We got lucky both times because the thunderstorms didn't start rolling in until right about park closing time. But you are definitely taking a chance of having your water park afternoon ruined by the weather.

 

[DisneyGal24]

We did this at both BB and TL on our last trip(in June) and it worked out great. We arrived around 1pm. It was crowded when we arrived, and the crowds gradually went down throughout the afternoon. For the last hour the park was open, we were going on slides over and over with no lines at all. But there is one big problem with this strategy. Afternoon thunderstorms. It's very common to have thunderstorms mid afternoon in Orlando in the warmer months. And if there is lightning, the water parks shut down. We got lucky both times because the thunderstorms didn't start rolling in until right about park closing time. But you are definitely taking a chance of having your water park afternoon ruined by the weather.

Good point. We do have three afternoons/evenings set aside just in case we need them. Any preference between BB and TL?

 

[MiceFan]

My kids prefer Blizzard Beach. Have fun!

 

[uramr]

We were thinking of using the come later in the afternoon strategy for our next trip as it will be during spring/Easter break and will be busy. Do the water parks slow down later in the afternoon even during peak season? Thank you!

 

[Disneytam]

Would afternoon water park visits work in Sept? I was thinking about doing a park in the morning and then after lunch trying a water park. How late do the water parks stay open in Sept? This would be for 2 adults and my worry is that the water parks would be wall to wall people by the early afternoon and I would feel like I was crashing a party.

 

[dachsie]

Uh - I think the water parks close at 5. I just checked the June calendar and it said 10-5

 

[Suellen]

Depends when. They are sometimes open until 8:00 - but not usually until local schools are out.

 

[Tashinwdw]

Would afternoon water park visits work in Sept? I was thinking about doing a park in the morning and then after lunch trying a water park. How late do the water parks stay open in Sept? This would be for 2 adults and my worry is that the water parks would be wall to wall people by the early afternoon and I would feel like I was crashing a party.

I dont know what the hours are but we did the water parks on our last holiday in September and they were not too crowded, not like I expected them to be. There were plenty of loungers etc. I am sure they would be more crowded on the weekends though.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Any preference between BB and TL?

We much preferred TL to BB. The BB wave pool was underwhelming (small, continuous, bobbing waves and not nearly enough tubes to go around), we were not fans of the winter theme (we have enough real snow here at home) and we preferred the tropical vibe at TL to the Christmassy atmosphere of BB. There were also character meets at TL where there were none at BB (not on the day of our visit, anyway).

My August 2013 trip report might help give you a "feel" for the differences (there's lots of photos and a full write up of each). You can check it out here, if you're interested:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3167818&page=5

 

[mill4023]

If you arrive in the afternoon, it will definitely be crowded. But the crowds gradually diminish. Doing it this way works better when the hours are longer of course.
When we did it, it was peak season (mid June) and by 5pm, there were very few lines.

I love both parks and each has their own advantages.
TL: Better theme, better wave pool, shark swim, Crush n Gusher.
BB: Better slides, much better family friendly raft ride, better kids areas.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The later in the day, the better. Or early. We did a ton of stuff before lunch, and after supper. Midday at BB seemed better than TL to me. EVERYTHING at TL had lines midday (we went in June) including the lame raft ride. The lines never really stacked up at BB if you're willing to climb the stairs. Stuff further down the hill did back up.

 

[DisneyGal24]

Is there a possibility that park hours for BB and TL will be extended? Right now the hours for our trip in June have them closing at 5 or 6 depending on the day. Starting to wonder if it's worth it.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

We went last august, and stayed past 5pm. I dunno if it was just crazy weather we had, but in August, it got cool that late. Lines did diminish.

Also be aware that later afternoon is prime time for thunderstorms. By October they start to diminish, but in September there are plenty.

We arrived late morning, and we were basically able to cover the park. If you go late, you should probably come up with an idea of which things are your top priorities.

 

[DisneyGal24]

If you go late, you should probably come up with an idea of which things are your top priorities.

We won't be trying to get any of the thrill slides. My kids won't do it! Maybe the family raft ride, some smaller slides, and the kid area.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We won't be trying to get any of the thrill slides. My kids won't do it! Maybe the family raft ride, some smaller slides, and the kid area.

Definitely BB if that is the case.