Your best tips for Blizzard Beach...

[laurabelle]

I hear the lazy river is long, which is great, but I'm a tad bit worried about losing the kids (7 & 9) there. Do they have tubes large enough for and adult and child, or a way to hold on to the kid's tube?

 

[DisOrBust]

Any answer to the cooler question. This year I want to try to make it but will have a 16month old in tow....

 

[Obsessed w/Disney in OH]

We really enjoyed BB--what a great time. Here are my suggestions...

1. Go after an afternoon rain storm. We arrived as everyone was leaving. It was still warm, but not unbearably hot and the crowds were less. We had enough time to do everything and the lines were minimal.

2. We really enjoyed the family tube ride, but be prepared for "take-off" as soon as you enter the raft. It's a little scary if you have younger kids, because it moves down the chute almost as you sit down. The handles are far enough apart, it is difficult to feel like the little ones are secure before you hurdle down. It is a blast, but prepare younger kids before you enter the raft.

3. Familiarize yourself with the map. We found this place to be so confusing. We could always see where the rides ended, but finding the beginning of the correct line was not always easy.

4. If you enter the lazy river with a family or larger group--pick a meeting spot and immediately latch onto your younger children. The lazy river is an endless circle--with several places to get in and out. We wasted valuable time looking for each other after we got separated in the lazy river.

Have a blast--enjoy! Enjoy!!

 

[nativetxn]

Great idea, Pete. Haven't been to BB so just bumping this up

 

[katrina1122]

I've been in Jan and in Mar. While the air is cool, the sun's warm and the water's heated and the crowds are pretty much non-existent. For this reason it makes for a great sleep in day and go when you are fully rested. No reason to rush there when it first opens, you may not get your first chair location choice but you'll certainly get your 3rd or 4th without much effort. This goes for HH too. The lines can still be long for the chair lift...those stairs are enormous, so it still goes, to avoid them, climb. Beyond that if you are there in a low season you really don't need too many tips as you really have the run of the park. Its great.

 

[maps]

we missed BB this year in mar because of it's delayed opening. will be trying again mar 04. i was thinking of hitting it around 3pm - 5pm. are the lines just as long at this time or would you still recommend the morning?

 

[cruzindon]

Bump

 

[melk]

I have a couple of questions. First, can a child use arm "floaties" or do they have to use the life jackets provided by BB? Second, is there a height or age restriction to the family raft ride? Thanks!

 

[photobob]

We always plan a BB trip on a non-theme park day. Go to the park at opening and go commando for the first hour and a half or so when lines at slides are virtually non-existant. Once lines get longer we head to the wave pool or the lazy river. We usually head back to the resort after about a 3 hour stay, take a nap and go to DTD in the evening. We take drinks, snacks in a soft cooler, towels and other items in a large beach bag. We dont get lockers so we can go get some chairs in the shade, drop of our stuff and head to the slides. We usually go to the same area, it is circular completely shaded by trees right of the wave pool near the ski lift and kids activity area. Since our tickets are plastic i take a couple of sandwich baggies and put the tickets, room keys, cash and room safe key in it. I put all the items in one baggie roll it up and stuff it into another baggie. I purchased a swimsuit with a zippered back pocket to keep this stuff in. Early has always worked well for us and it also is a day you can sleep later since it doesn't open until 10...

 

[cruzindon]

Bumping this up again.

 

[DisOrBust]

Anyone know about floaties and coolers???

 

[cruzindon]

Bumping this up.

 

[JulieWent]

I didn't read through the whole post, so excuse me if someone has already posted this.

When we were at BB last week, I found out (after I stood in line for 15 minutes) that they have instituted a new policy in regards to the ski lift. They will not allow you on the ski lift if you have anything that they consider "loose objects" with you. This includes water wallets worn around the neck and underwater cameras worn on straps around the wrist. I saw them turn away people with towels, goggles, and a variety of things that I have no idea WHY were problematic. This is not posted anywhere. (There is a sign that says no loose items, but who would think that loose items include things you wear around your neck???)

Anyway, hope that keeps some people from waiting in line for 20 or 30 minutes only to be turned away and sent hiking up those steps instead!

Julie

 

[Katies Dad]

Someone`s trip report said that one of the slides had been closed as there was a snake hanging over the side. Anyone been recently and seen any?? DW is frightened to death that she is going to come face to fact with one whilst floating in one of the water parks.

Thanks

 

[asta]

I posted this same information on a thread about crowds. We were turned away from BB on Thursday, 7/24 at around 11 am because of the crowds. We complained because we thought that our UPH should have been honored. (TL was also closed due to crowds.) The manager of the GF said that we should have been admitted with UPH but in order to make sure, we would have to take the resort bus. He compensated us for the missed time with a free meal and some Express Passes for the park of our choice, but we had to complain to get this offer. We had a big laugh by the next day when the Disney tip for the day on the resort TV channel was to make sure you traveled to the Water Parks by resort bus. We felt that we our complaints must have caused this.

 

[snuggles]

 

[Beanie]

Great tips, everyone!

 

[cruzindon]

Now that we finally got to BB I am offering these tips:

Bring an underwater camera. we wish that we had one.

We brought a cooler with us for lunch and ate at 11:30 which we normally do at the parks because it is before the crowds. At BB the lines seemed to explode between 11:30 and noon. Next time we will eat later.

As stated before go Summit Plummit and Slush Gusher first and often because the lines will be long later.