Disney Waterpark How Long?

[dreamer17555]

So this May will be our first time trying the Disney waterparks with my DS 11 & my DD 16. I have never been and I am trying to get a feel for how much time to set aside for them assuming my kids want to do all the slide at least once. We are rope drop people (and will actually be there a good 30 mins before rope drop). We are looking at Monday, May 20th for Typhoon Lagoon and Wednesday, May 22nd for Blizzard Beach.

How long should I plan for us to be at the waterparks? Also if you have any tips for the waterparks I would be so grateful!

 

[goodeats]

We were at Blizzard Beach a Monday in later August, got there before opening and left by 2:30. We rode every slide at least once, did the lazy river, the kids played in the Ski Patrol area, had lunch, and had an ice cream treat before we left.

I found that around 30-40 min after opening the big slides had long waits, but they died down around lunch time.

 

[dock]

We've been to Typhoon Lagoon in May and August. We got there at opening and were worn out and left at about the 4-4 1/2 hour mark of being there both times and we felt we had plenty of fun in that time.

 

[TwinkleKS]

If you get there early, it usually isn't as crowded and you can enjoy yourself and be worn out and done with the water park in about four hours, like others have said.

 

[ShadeDK]

Agree with the PPs - I usually plan on around 4 hours at one of the waterparks (including lunch) and find that's plenty of time. If you only did each slide once and made a circuit around the lazy river, it'd take about 60-90 minutes total per park. I've done both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach in one day - I thought that felt rushed (and a lot of standing and walking in one day in the heat). Part of the fun of the waterparks is going on the slides multiple times and not rushing through.

As for tips: each of the waterparks has different types of slides and a different park "feel". I prefer the laid-back vibe at Typhoon. The only water coaster is at Typhoon, which also has several storm and speed slides, as well as a couple of tube slides. Blizzard has fewer, but more thrilling slides (including the huge body slides off of Mt Gushmore). Blizzard has a couple of mat slides and "competitive" racing slides, which Typhoon doesn't have. Blizzard also has a lot more steps and (in my opinion) less shade. Blizzard also has a longer family raft ride (but note that it requires at least 4 passengers, so your party of 3 would have hitchhikers) - while the two family raft rides at Typhoon are fine for parties of 3 (and Miss Adventure Falls is fantastic). Typhoon has a much better wave pool. It's worth doing both because there are significant differences - but it will take a full day (assuming 10am-5pm operating hours that time of year) to really get the most out of both.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We spend 5 hours in the wp's.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We love the water parks. In my opinion, rope drop is key for the water parks. Knock out those big rides first and then chill the rest of the day.

For us, we don't plan how long we'll stay, rather, we just let the day play out. Sometimes we could be there half a day, sometimes longer... but it's too hard to predict moods, weather, etc... so we just play it by ear. If we're digging the water park day and the weather, we just keep rolling. If we're petering out after lunch, we head back.

Total time in the parks has probably been 4-6 hours, roughly speaking.

 

[dreamer17555]

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate the answers and tips. Going to plan for about four hours or so with some wiggle room if they want to stay a bit longer!

 

[anomamatt]

We did our first (WDW) water park in October, at Blizzard Beach. (perfect weather, 89-90 degrees and sunny). We stayed from open (10am) to 4pm so we could do MNSSHP after. And everyone, me included, was sad to leave. We had a blast. BB was amazing. Eagerly looking forward to coming back -- and I could not imagine spending less than the whole day next time.

 

[Klayfish]

Showing up at the water parks 30-40 minutes early is a complete waste of your time, I very highly suggest you don't do it. 5-10 minutes is more than enough. We are huge water park fans and have been to each one many times. The "rope drop" crowd is nothing remotely close to what the theme park crowds are. When we go to BB, there are a few spots you can go for RD. We go to the right, towards Ski Patrol/Tykes Peak. Even in the heat of summer, in 4th of July week, I'd say there are maybe 50-75 people waiting in line at park open...max. Often less. So we show up in the parking lot at 9:50am, which gets us to the rope drop point at 9:55am for a 10am opening. We quickly drop our bags at some chairs and go hit the rides. Same for TL.

Yes, the first hour is the golden hour. You should do the "big" stuff then. The lines will be short, you can do the big stuff over and over and over, until your legs get tired of climbing the stairs. Do NOT use the ski lift at BB, it's slow and stops very often. Stairs are quicker. We literally hit all the slides within an hour and then start repeating some. From about 11am to 4pm it gets sort of crowded, but never anything like the theme parks. The big slides will have 30-60 minute lines, depending on the weather. Late in the day, the lines go back down.

We typically spend 4 hours in each.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

We could easily spend all day in the water parks. We do the slides first, while our legs are fresh (kids often want repeats, even if it means waiting in lines). Then we have lunch, and after lunch, we do the lazy river, kids play areas, and wave pool. Then mid afternoon ice cream treat, and then a couple more slides or more wave pool time. Then we change into dry clothes, and head out to dinner.

Yes, if there is a line for the ski lift at BB, it will take longer than walking the stairs. But, if there's no line, like first thing in the morning, it is actually faster. Either way, it is a fun ride, itself, and you should be sure to use it at least once.

At BB, the purple slope (the one with the tube slides, never gets a very long wait, even in the middle of the afternoon. It's all the way in the back, so it's a long walk to get to. That, combined with it being a VERY fast moving line, equates to short waits.

 

[nkereina]

For us, we don't plan how long we'll stay, rather, we just let the day play out. Sometimes we could be there half a day, sometimes longer... but it's too hard to predict moods, weather, etc... so we just play it by ear. If we're digging the water park day and the weather, we just keep rolling. If we're petering out after lunch, we head back.

This. Plus, we're usually beat after our day in the water park. We'll usually plan something easy at night like Disney Springs or a quick service dinner, so we don't have to stick to any ADRs or solid plans depending on how we feel and how long we decided to stay at the water park.

 

[lvdis]

We may be in the minority here, but we had a lot of fun going in at the end of the day during our last trip (early May). We did that with both water parks. Arriving around 3pm with a 5pm close, when lots of people were leaving. It may not work for everyone, but we did everything we wanted to with very little wait. At TL, we rode the fruit water coasters over and over right after we got there, just as fast as we could walk up again. We had the plus option and did mini golf either before or after on our waterpark days. It was a lot of fun and I would do it again!

 

[Klayfish]

Yes, if there is a line for the ski lift at BB, it will take longer than walking the stairs. But, if there's no line, like first thing in the morning, it is actually faster. Either way, it is a fun ride, itself, and you should be sure to use it at least once.

It is pretty neat if you aren't in a hurry. The speed will depend on climbing stairs. We've "raced" before where a few of us take the lift and the others take the stairs...the stairs win every time, but we're out of breath.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Another thought..............Are you visiting a regular park later in the day? It can be very enjoyable to do a water park from opening until the afternoon, and then go to a regular park where you have booked your 3 FP's. We sometimes have a late lunch and shower before heading out a regular park.