Will both water parks every be open at the same time again?

[maui2k5]

Being that we are over 3 1/2 years since the shutdown of WDW, we have yet to see both water parks open at the same time. Is attendance or demand so low for WDW now that they cannot justify the cost to operate both at the same time? I have a hard time believing it is because they cannot find employees to work there and that excuse is getting tired.

I for one hope they get them both up and running again at the same time.

 

[HopperFan]

What does it mean that Disney just announced a seasonal water park pass valid now through May? It seems to me that attendance is low and they are trying to boost it. Are people not getting the water park add on because there is only one option? Are locals not coming because there is no longer a WP annual pass? For me, I dropped our annual water park pass because only Typhoon Lagoon is open. I hope by spring (maybe the end of May when this pass ends) that they are planning to open them both for the summer and go back to their old scheduling.

But who knows what they are going to do? Wait and see, and while I wait and see, we won't go back.

 

[jimmymc]

They haven't been crowded since reopening in 2020. I think people don't want to waste a ticket on 7-8 hours at a waterpark when they could also use that ticket on 12 hours in a theme park. Disney really needs to have better ticket bundles, where 4 days in the parks and 1 in a waterpark costs less than 5 regular park days.

 

[Rich M]

We added the Water Park option for our 8 day trip coming up in hope that Blizzard Beach might finally re-open but doesn't seem likely. I think the upcharge for the option on the ticket was very small and we will just go to a theme park for rope drop and then head over mid-day to check out the water park at least once and then hit a theme park in the evening after a little rest. I was really hoping for Blizzard Beach since I haven't been yet.

 

[HopperFan]

They haven't been crowded since reopening in 2020. I think people don't want to waste a ticket on 7-8 hours at a waterpark when they could also use that ticket on 12 hours in a theme park.

I think one contributing issue here is that they didn't bring back the WP Annual Pass. This is one way they can pick up LOTS of locals who can't afford Annual Passes or who have AP to the other theme parks but would buy Disney WP AP because it offers two parks. That creates a good base of income.

And for folks like me with an AP, who likes to bounce between parks or has a favorite, I'm not paying for the add on for each of us with just one park. And I think for folks who add to their tickets many are not doing 7-8 hours at the park. They are replacing their pool time with water park time. We have often gone, dropped our stuff in a locker, enjoyed all the water stuff, then grabbed our stuff and left. No loungers.

But without two parks, most the offerings are not monetarily worth it.

Disney really needs to have better ticket bundles, where 4 days in the parks and 1 in a waterpark costs less than 5 regular park days.

Yeah the added cost of $75 for Water Parks to base ticket is same price as one day at a Water Park. My guess is most people don't hop to and from water & theme parks but rather set aside a water park day - especially since there is only one. Unless you do some of the other activities there is no savings but you really need a much longer ticket to bring the add on value.

AND yes it is cheaper to just add another theme park day. Longer hours and more to do, better value.

NOW if you are doing Hopper tickets you bring the price down and why not if you have time. But even with AP we rarely hop anymore - mostly due to the reservation system and the 2 pm hopping time. When we bring others who buy regular tickets we don't do Hopper anymore. Between the money saved (which we can spend on Genie+ and a meal) and the loss of time hopping which is valuable with how long lines usually are - it makes more sense to focus on one park per day. That means $75 for ONE waterpark each. Nope.

 

[UnderTheSea7]

I’ve been to WDW three times and have never been to the water parks even though I’d quite like to go. I’m coming from Europe and the only ticket option we have is basically a week pass or two week pass - which cost the same. The cost is astronomical and it feels hard to justify going to the water parks when there’s so much else to do (and on rare none park days I literally just want to chill at the resort).

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

Ever is a long time. So if that is the question then I would venture the answer is yes

 

[lanejudy]

I think people don't want to waste a ticket on 7-8 hours at a waterpark when they could also use that ticket on 12 hours in a theme park. Disney really needs to have better ticket bundles, where 4 days in the parks and 1 in a waterpark costs less than 5 regular park days.

The waterparks add-on is a flat rate and includes multiple entries at a waterpark. Using your example, to add Water Parks and Sports option to a 4-day hopper is only $20 and allows for up to 4 waterpark entries (unless some are used for golf/mini-golf). That comes to just $5/day and there isn't anything else at WDW that costs just $5/day - and it's the same price even for a longer ticket, making that even less per day. The add-on does cost more to add to a base ticket, but again allows for multiple entries to either the waterpark or golf or mini-golf. It costs much more to add on a 1-day theme park ticket.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We visited TL on a hot Saturday (95°+) in August and it was busy but crowds were not overwhelming. Started riding slides around 3PM and longest wait was 15 mins although some were walk-ons. I’m just not sure there is the demand right now to open both water parks at the same time.

 

[nw6675]

I just wish they'd tell us which one will be open the rest of the year so I can plan!

 

[Robbie Cottam]

What does it mean that Disney just announced a seasonal water park pass valid now through May? It seems to me that attendance is low and they are trying to boost it. Are people not getting the water park add on because there is only one option? Are locals not coming because there is no longer a WP annual pass? For me, I dropped our annual water park pass because only Typhoon Lagoon is open. I hope by spring (maybe the end of May when this pass ends) that they are planning to open them both for the summer and go back to their old scheduling.

But who knows what they are going to do? Wait and see, and while I wait and see, we won't go back.

Waters parks are 80 bucks per person per day, after tax….
they just added them back to the annual pass 100 for the year…..

Disney way over priced the water parks for some reason….
as old as it is getting, staffing is a real issue, because, lots of people just stopped wanting to work post covid

 

[Upatnoon]

Being that we are over 3 1/2 years since the shutdown of WDW, we have yet to see both water parks open at the same time. Is attendance or demand so low for WDW now that they cannot justify the cost to operate both at the same time? I have a hard time believing it is because they cannot find employees to work there and that excuse is getting tired.

I for one hope they get them both up and running again at the same time.

There has been a shortage of lifeguards all over Florida for some time. The labor market for people to do low-paying service jobs continues to be extremely tight all over this state.

If you were going to pick someplace for Disney to pull resources away to put elsewhere, it would be one of its water parks. They are less crowded and popular than the theme parks, they make less money per visitor, they require a lot of workers who aren't at registers, just monitoring guests. They need a lot of maintenance.

Disney could offer deals and annual passes to drive in more guests, but people floating on the lazy river aren't spending any money in a gift shop. Locals know they can stop at Wawa or Twistee Treat and not buy a Mickey Bar. They just aren't as lucrative and audience as out-of-towners.

If you are squeezed for lifeguards, pulling them away from a resort hotel probably wouldn't go over well.

While I'm sure Disney still makes plenty of profits from its water parks, it doesn't surprise me that they have been slow to have two operating at once.

Hopefully, this will all change in the future. I am all in favor of more options for guests.

 

[Upatnoon]

Waters parks are 80 bucks per person per day, after tax….
they just added them back to the annual pass 100 for the year…..

Disney way over priced the water parks for some reason….
as old as it is getting, staffing is a real issue, because, lots of people just stopped wanting to work post covid

The labor market in Florida was tight before the pandemic, so it didn't take much to make it fall into the miserably tight category.

People retired. People died. The people moving here have money and aren't interested in working. The cost of living in Florida has soared, making it an unattractive destination for low-paid service workers. The list of factors goes on and on.

New jobs have popped up, like at Amazon, that put a big dent in the number of available workers at theme parks. Where I live, a decade ago no one worked at Amazon. Now it is the No. 1 nongovernment employer.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

The labor market in Florida was tight before the pandemic, so it didn't take much to make it fall into the miserably tight category.

People retired. People died. The people moving here have money and aren't interested in working. The cost of living in Florida has soared, making it an unattractive destination for low-paid service workers. The list of factors goes on and on.

New jobs have popped up, like at Amazon, that put a big dent in the number of available workers at theme parks. Where I live, a decade ago no one worked at Amazon. Now it is the No. 1 nongovernment employer.

Yes, I understand why there are no workers in this county ….

I also understand why for some reason COL has sky rocketed all over the country….

 

[Cfabar1]

Today the Waterparks hit capacity in the one that was open. Can't remember the last time that happened.

I've been to WDW countless times, and other than once on a bus to DS from the GF, have never so much as gone into the waterparks parking lots.... Have yet to be inside them!

 

[Upatnoon]

Today the Waterparks hit capacity in the one that was open. Can't remember the last time that happened.

I've been to WDW countless times, and other than once on a bus to DS from the GF, have never so much as gone into the waterparks parking lots.... Have yet to be inside them!

School is about to start in Florida, so perhaps a lot of last-gasp waterpark trips.

 

[LuvMyEAR]

When travelling with our grandsons, now 18 & 20, water parks are THE thing. They would spend all day in one (particularly body surfing at TL) and go to theme parks in the evenings. It’s been a while since we have caught BB open, and they would love it if they could visit both on one trip.

 

[scrappinginontario]

In 2025, guests with a Disney Resort booking will be able to visit a water park on their arrival day. To me this may be an indicator that they may open both water parks at the same time in the warmer months but, this is pure speculation.

 

[maui2k5]

A simple way for Disney to increase capacity at WDW is to open both water parks concurrently like they did for decades...

 

[thanxfornoticin]

In 2025, guests with a Disney Resort booking will be able to visit a water park on their arrival day. To me this may be an indicator that they may open both water parks at the same time in the warmer months but, this is pure speculation.

This fact also makes me think next year could be the time they go back to opening both - assuming they can get the specially-trained staff required to run both water parks every day.