waterparks on first visit

[HeyMickeyUSoFine]

How do you guys feel about waterparks on the first visit? It was actually the third visit before I felt that I'd conquered enough of the main parks to venture to the waterparks....but that's just me. I have friends going for the first time for a week this summer. I'm trying to convince them to just go with the basic tickets. They insist they want to go to the waterparks. I think they believe I'm trying to prohibit them from experiencing something.

 

[BLeeS]

How do you guys feel about waterparks on the first visit? It was actually the third visit before I felt that I'd conquered enough of the main parks to venture to the waterparks....but that's just me. I have friends going for the first time for a week this summer. I'm trying to convince them to just go with the basic tickets. They insist they want to go to the waterparks. I think they believe I'm trying to prohibit them from experiencing something.

You've offered your advice, now step away...they are grown ups and will have to live with their choice...

 

[clareita]

It depends on the time of year and how long they are staying. If it is a warm time of year and they are staying at least 4 days (although preferably 5) I would recommend going to a water park. If you've ever been to a non-Disney water park, you know how different they are from the Disney ones. After several days in the main parks, just about anyone could use some relaxation and water time. If there are kids on the trip, doing a water park is a no-brainer.

 

[HeyMickeyUSoFine]

It depends on the time of year and how long they are staying. If it is a warm time of year and they are staying at least 4 days (although preferably 5) I would recommend going to a water park. If you've ever been to a non-Disney water park, you know how different they are from the Disney ones. After several days in the main parks, just about anyone could use some relaxation and water time. If there are kids on the trip, doing a water park is a no-brainer.

Like I stated in my post, they'll be going for a week in the summer, so yes it'll be a warm time of year. Your're right we call need relaxtion and water time, which could be satisfied with a resort or villa pool. I don't think visiting a water park with kids is a nobrainer. We always have kids and on our first trip, there was just so much to do and see that there just really wasn't time for the water parks. I'd just hate for them to pay for it and not use it.

 

[seashoreCM]

They can buy or order base tickets now and add water park fun after getting to a water park.

There is one obscure idiosyncrasy (a catch 22) that may result in the price being a little higher doing it that way. If the ticket has hopping and was purchased for less than ticket booth price and also the very first usage is at the water park then the discount they got on the ticket relative to current gate price will be clawed back.

With non-hoppers they can buy a separate water park ticket and, after entering a theme park later with the regular ticket, submit the spent water park ticket and their regular ticket and a few dollars to add WPF and/or hopping and preserve the ticket discount. This method does work with a hopper but adding WPF to a hopper costs about $23. and no change is returned after submitting the spent $50. water park ticket.

(Tickets used more than 13 days ago may no longer be upgraded.)

 

[stargazertechie]

I absolutely think a water park in the middle of the summer is a no-brainer!

 

[wiigirl]

I absolutely think a water park in the middle of the summer is a no-brainer!

Same here....

 

[puffkin]

I agree with you that it may be too overwhelming on a first trip, but everyones priorities are different.

I would encourage them to just get base tickets now and then they can upgrade there if they feel the need to experience the waterparks.

 

[Mrs Eeyore]

My very humble opinion is that they probably know themselves and their preferences, and if they're anything like my family a water park visit is essential. Some of us (hi! ) love water parks and wouldn't dream of missing the best in the world. If it were me I'd be giving them the hard sell on the water park option!

 

[Reddy]

on our first trip it was a week long & we did water parks
my oldest boy went up to his first character at the BB - Goofy is now one of the ones I seek out now because of it - it was a Thursday morning we got to Disney on Sunday

anyways it really depends on the family if they love water parks then why not?? my boys had been to a water park before so they knew what it was

 

[Love Tink]

Like I stated in my post, they'll be going for a week in the summer, so yes it'll be a warm time of year. Your're right we call need relaxtion and water time, which could be satisfied with a resort or villa pool. I don't think visiting a water park with kids is a nobrainer. We always have kids and on our first trip, there was just so much to do and see that there just really wasn't time for the water parks. I'd just hate for them to pay for it and not use it.

You're really prickly, for someone who asked for opinions.

 

[prairiesarah]

I would go to the waterparks on my first visit, or any visit for that matter if the weather permitted. We are big waterpark fans and I think the Disney ones are great. I have friends who went last April for their first visit and spent most morning from RD in the parks, then headed to the waterparks for the afternoon and had a fabulous trip. I think if your friends think they would enjoy the waterparks, then they should get the waterpark option.

 

[brennicksmom]

We have gone to the water parks every visit except when we went in Feb. It is actually my hubby's favorite parks and we all love them. We decided that we would never want to go again without the water parks option (cold weather), although I would love to visit at Christmas. To us it is another park or 2 to explore. There is no other water park anywhere that we have found that compares to BB and TL. If someone tried to keep us from visiting a WP we would be frustrated with them. We always find time for both the Theme parks and water parks. And, it gives us a good reason to go visit again.

Just because you didn't want to visit water parks on your first visit doesn't mean other people would not look forward to water parks just as much as theme parks. We look forward to both equally.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We had 4 park and 3 WP days for our first visit. We could have maybe given up one of those WP days for more time at Epcot, but all in all we were very pleased with our plan.

 

[DAZY3BYZ]

My very humble opinion is that they probably know themselves and their preferences, and if they're anything like my family a water park visit is essential. Some of us (hi! ) love water parks and wouldn't dream of missing the best in the world. If it were me I'd be giving them the hard sell on the water park option!

Us too!! We would never consider NOT going to the WPs!! My family loves them! Everyone is different and they should just decide for themselves what works for their family.

 

[Golf4283]

Why do you feel you (or they) need to conquer the dry parks before the wet ones? I don't understand that for some reason. I always take first timers to the water parks. It's a great way to break up a vacation and get out of the walking and standing in line monotony (lazy river and wave pools). It's a totally different experience and I think really adds to the trip to be able to mix it up.

Also not all people like the same things. You might recommend they do something in the park that they end up hating. Why try and push things on people? Just say what you guys did and be done with it like the first response said.

 

[seashoreCM]

Why do you feel you (or they) need to conquer the dry parks before the wet ones? .

OT: If you conquer at least one dry park before the wet ones then you will never hit ticket bridging idiosyncrasies or clawback relating to adding water park fun on the spot.

 

[Golf4283]

That does make sense. It's just different peoples views on it. I couldn't imagine getting a ticket without the waterpark and more option and others might not think it's a good idea. To each their own!

 

[mill4023]

For a first visit, I think you need at least 1 day for each park, and a second day for MK.
So a minimum of 5 days for the main parks.
We personally like having at least 1 day that we sleep in and don't plan anything.
So if I had at least 7 days in the area, I'd definitely do a water park. Anything less and I'd probably skip it.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

It's a vacation and whatever they like is fine. Our kids were young the first visit so did not do the water parks. However, if our first visit fell when they were water park loving ages we would have done them. The water park ticket option is very reasonably priced so why not.