Why would Blizzard Beach be open in December?

[mikehn]

Does it really get warm enough during December to attract visitors to a water park? I understand it can get warm in Orlando during the day, but is it really warm enough to play in the water? Just wondering what the attendance is like during the winter?

 

[wbeem]

Does it really get warm enough during December to attract visitors to a water park? I understand it can get warm in Orlando during the day, but is it really warm enough to play in the water? Just wondering what the attendance is like during the winter?

Yes. People are in the water year round here, even if it's not a sane thing to do.

 

[dprincessmom]

The water at all hotels and the water parks are heated, so if its a nice day (in the panhandle it has been in the 80s during the day in December) then why no go for a swim.

I would imagine that this would be one of the best times to go to the water parks if lines aren't your thing and you have a down day.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

We keep the water in all the slides and pools around 80F (27C) except for Shark Reef which does not have heaters. What you want is a day that will be bright and sunny and preferably not windy.

If you go on a day that is heavily overcast you will not be able to take advantage of any radiant heating (from the sun) or on a windy day (especially with a dry wind from the North) you will get hit by wind chill.

But a day with the highs in the mid-50s or above which is sunny and calm most people (at least from Northern climates) should be comfortable.

And having a day in the high 70s or even low 80s is possible any month of the year.

 

[chartle]

Also they heat all the water.

I think they only close if it gets to 65 degrees.

One other think they only have one water park open at a time from around Oct 1 to March 31. They close one at a time.

 

[si-am]

It's for all those crazy Northerners.

 

[Robo]

Also they heat all the water.

I think they only close if it gets to 65 degrees.

If WHAT gets to 65 degrees?

 

[chartle]

If WHAT gets to 65 degrees?

I thought the air temperature but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[mikehn]

Wow, I did not realize the water is heated. This opens up an option for our trip next month that I did not really count on.

 

[Chellymouse]

Crazy Northerner here.....almost always hit the open water park in Dec. It's been warm enough every time we go. 75 is plenty warm enough! We've even known to be in the pools at night...a little chilly walking back to our villa, but otherwise not too bad.

 

[Robo]

I thought the air temperature but maybe I'm wrong.

The air temp must be much colder than that for them to close a water park (and they have done so.)

 

[wbeem]

Well, they could go a different route and start adding sharks to the water - create a new thrill park experience. It's a good time to try. A news report just aired saying that the shark attacks in New Smyrna Beach are down again this year, threatening their status as the Shark Bite Capital of the world.

One of the potential reasons they gave was due to a decline in tourists. Well, are the sharks not biting because there are no surfing tourists, or are there no surfing tourists because the sharks aren't biting?

This is an opportunity for Disney! Shark bites year round.

 

[101DalmFan]

We spend February staying in a condo that is right on the ocean in the Cocoa Beach area, and have done so for a few years. There hasn't been a weekend yet during our time there when the beach isn't full of people and, yes, we always see several people swimming in the ocean. Likely all crazy northerners but the truth is that when you've come down from a wintry climate, winter in the south seems much much warmer than it does to a local Floridian who has grown accustomed to the Florida weather.

 

[DOOM1001]

There's plenty of days in the winter in Orlando that stays warm enough for people to visit the waterparks,especially if they come from a colder climate.They only keep one of the waterparks open at a time while the other one is being refurbished.Also if the temperatures are too cold they will close for the day,probably if the high temperatures are about 55 or less.I remember seeing a guy in the Saratoga Springs pool last January with the temperatures around 45 degrees,sure it was heated with steam coming out but seriously!!!

 

[cab0899]

Hey if it's not ice, the Canadians will be in the water.

 

[Colleen27]

We had a couple-few days on both our Dec and Jan trips that got into the 80s, plenty warm enough to enjoy the waterpark. I prefer Blizzard Beach during the cooler weather just because the shark reef is my favorite part of Typhoon Lagoon and I don't enjoy it as much when it isn't hot enough for the cool water to be refreshing, but FL winters are often warmer than what passes for swimming weather up here and we often take advantage of whichever waterpark happens to be open.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Well, they could go a different route and start adding sharks to the water - create a new thrill park experience. It's a good time to try. A news report just aired saying that the shark attacks in New Smyrna Beach are down again this year, threatening their status as the Shark Bite Capital of the world.

One of the potential reasons they gave was due to a decline in tourists. Well, are the sharks not biting because there are no surfing tourists, or are there no surfing tourists because the sharks aren't biting?

This is an opportunity for Disney! Shark bites year round.

We do have sharks in the water. Shark Reef actually has two different types of real sharks. However, they are related to Bruce in Nemo; "People are friends, not food."

 

[wbeem]

We do have sharks in the water. Shark Reef actually has two different types of real sharks. However, they are related to Bruce in Nemo; "People are friends, not food."

Yes, but until they start biting people, you can't earn that #1 title currently owned by New Smyrna Beach.

 

[goofyernmost]

You think Northerners are crazy, but when we see folks with thick, heavy parkas, knit hats and mittens while we are in shorts and T-shirts...we think that's kind of crazy and very amusing.

We start to wonder what you would do if it really got cold.

Don't let my address fool you. Until last April I lived most of my life in Vermont.

 

[wbeem]

You think Northerners are crazy, but when we see folks with thick, heavy parkas, knit hats and mittens while we are in shorts and T-shirts...we think that's kind of crazy and very amusing.

We start to wonder what you would do if it really got cold.

Don't let my address fool you. Until last April I lived most of my life in Vermont.

That's OK. I was giggling at the tourists in their rain parkas yesterday evening. Nothing more than a drizzle to me.