Pool Day or Water Park?

[The13thLetter]

Hey everyone,

We have a trip in the middle of the August for 8 nights and have a few pool days planned (we are staying at Beach Club). But we started thinking this morning that it might be fun to go to one of the water parks in lieu of a pool day. We have never been to the water parks so we don't know how to gauge if it is worth it or not. We are APs but not the ones that include water parks so DW and I would have to purchase tickets. Are the water parks that worth it (and if so which one, BB or TL)? Or is it not worth the extra money and trip to a park since we have SAB right there at the hotel?

What do you think?

Cheers!

 

[chris benton]

What does this word "or" mean?
No seriously tho - I swim every day possible when in WDW. The pools are part of the reason the resort prices are so high. Never been to one of the water parks, but I have a feeling they are probably freekin awesome. As an AP holder, you probably do the parks enough, and go enough times to want to investigate the Water Parks to switch things up. I'd 173% give one of them a try! I'd be surprised if there weren't a few threads about the Water Parks here already!

 

[kiford]

I believe as an AP holder, you can get tickets to the water parks at a discount. While we like to spend time in the pools, I wear glasses and I simply can't see anything without them, so we've never bothered going to the water parks. I really can't go on water slides or in the wave pool because I don't like to be in the water without my glasses - I would literally have to have someone walk me around both to and from the water and I don't feel safe in the water if I can't see anything. So we figured it would never be a good use of time and money. But we got a chance to spend the evening at TL in May at the VIPassholder event so we went. We had a great time; loved the lazy river. We did a few turns on that. I think I could do that for ages. Watched DH and our friend get knocked over several times in the wave pool and got some good pictures of them. Went on the family raft ride and would have done the second one but the line was long by then. We did have a lot of fun and there's lots of different types of activities depending on how tame or wild you want them so I have less concern about that now - like the parks, there's lots of choices.

Biggest drawback is that it's likely to be uber crowded in August and very hot during the middle of the day so you'd probably want to go early and leave when it got too crazy busy which I understand happens about 11 am-ish. So you have to determine if the price is too steep for just a few hours. Because of this, we'd never pay even the discounted rate for the day but we are considering upgrading our APs next year to include the water parks. I think it's $100 more for those tickets. At that price, I'd be fine going 3-4 times over the year in the morning for just a couple of hours. And I'd still spend time in the resort pool simply because it's a lot less chaotic and active and much more relaxing so I'd get the best of both worlds.

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

We are also staying at the BC in August, which is where we always stay. SAB is the reason we’ve never tried a water park. It’s its own water park. However, this year we are going to both BB and TL. Since we have the free dining promo with park hoppers, it was super cheap for us to add on the water parks ($130 TOTAL for 5 people for 11 days!), so we are going to give it a go. Something new to try this time. We’re looking forward to it.

 

[tgree9369]

Hey everyone,

We have a trip in the middle of the August for 8 nights and have a few pool days planned (we are staying at Beach Club). But we started thinking this morning that it might be fun to go to one of the water parks in lieu of a pool day. We have never been to the water parks so we don't know how to gauge if it is worth it or not. We are APs but not the ones that include water parks so DW and I would have to purchase tickets. Are the water parks that worth it (and if so which one, BB or TL)? Or is it not worth the extra money and trip to a park since we have SAB right there at the hotel?

What do you think?

Cheers!

Beach Club is a great choice and has one of the top, if not the top, pool in property. That said, we do each of the water parks at least 2 times when we come (9 day stays - be there in 7 days!!!!) We do morning in a park (using our 3 FP+ selections - out by 11am) and then back to our resort and off to BB or TL. We do this for 2 of the days because the evenings in the water parks tend to thin out after 3 pm, due to most getting ready to head to dinner. The other 2 days we do rope drop at either BB or TL. This maximizes getting a great location in the water park and gets you on some of the more popular rides quickly (as there are no FPs for water parks). My personal favorite is TL, the park is huge and there is so much to do and the wave pool is one of the largest in the world. So, I would say yes...it is well worth the extra money and like mentioned by a PP, look for a discount using your AP. Either water park will WOW you if you have never been there.

 

[tgree9369]

We are also staying at the BC in August, which is where we always stay. SAB is the reason we’ve never tried a water park. It’s its own water park. However, this year we are going to both BB and TL. Since we have the free dining promo with park hoppers, it was super cheap for us to add on the water parks ($130 TOTAL for 5 people for 11 days!), so we are going to give it a go. Something new to try this time. We’re looking forward to it.

You are going to love them! We do both every year and the kids never want to leave. FYI - summer hours are till 8pm, so bonus evening hours!

 

[cgattis]

I agree with others—the water parks are both great (3 of the 4 of us prefer BB). You’ll love it.

I personally didn’t think SAB was that awesome. There’s a water slide and a sand bottomed pool. It’s pretty but WOW it gets insanely crowded and hard to maneuver. We thought it was nice but it hasn’t been enough to bring us back to BC. (Location is of course fantastic.). We enjoyed the pools at the Dolphin and AK more.

 

[jerseygal]

SAB is a fabulous pool, but the water parks are so much fun! Yes, get the AP discount, can only purchase the discounted ticket at the gate in person, obviously have your AP card and license. Have fun. Youngest DS loves waterparks as we do, planning 2 water park days during August.

 

[tgree9369]

I agree with others—the water parks are both great (3 of the 4 of us prefer BB). You’ll love it.

I personally didn’t think SAB was that awesome. There’s a water slide and a sand bottomed pool. It’s pretty but WOW it gets insanely crowded and hard to maneuver. We thought it was nice but it hasn’t been enough to bring us back to BC. (Location is of course fantastic.). We enjoyed the pools at the Dolphin and AK more.

Kidani's pool is amazing and the splash pad area is probably the best of any resort. As far as SAB, I think it really depends on what you like in a pool. SAB has a small amount of everything and does it well - it really doesn't compare to either BB or TL. We love BC, so SAB is an added bonus and I agree location is a huge factor for BC or YC.

 

[cinnaminny]

We went to both of the water parks on our trip. We had an amazing trip and for me at least, it wouldn't have been the same without them. I am sure the pool is lovely at Beach Club, from what I have seen/read, it is not the same. This is next level.

 

[disneycat321]

We love both water parks and highly recommend them. We're only going to TL on this trip because we like it better, though BB is also really fun.

You could also consider H20 Glow Nights at TL since you'll be there in August. 8-11pm on Thursdays and Sundays.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Just got back from staying at BC and while sAB is great, it is not a mini water park. There is only one slide and it is rough on your back (my DD and we’re both scratched up). The lazy river is small and not enough tubes. So it is great for swimming and relaxing, but if you want slides go elsewhere.

 

[disny_luvr]

I agree with the above poster -SAB is great, but by no means is it a water park. We go to the water parks every trip as we absolutely love them! I’d definitely give the water parks a try.

 

[glocon]

We loved SAB when we were there- great pool area with a slide, very miniature lazy river (pretty deep too- 8ft) and not much else that is water park- like. Definitely not a mini water park. Water parks are a LOT of fun and I think you should try one! Do both pool days AND a water park!

 

[pixiedustedme]

We love Stormalong Bay, but it's no substitute for a real waterpark. Disney's waterparks are both wonderful, and each is well-themed in addition to having great attractions. I can't name a clear favorite, as they both have certain attractions I really like. We like to go to both during our summer trips, in addition to Stormalong Bay (another must-do in our book).

I also recommend wearing a swimshirt on SAB's Flying Jib slide to make your back more comfortable. I could say the same for most body slides everywhere, fwiw.

 

[WEDWDW]

We are going to hit BB and TL several times during our Holiday and take advantage of the fab AP offer this Summer!

Summer Splash Pass: Beginning July 5, 2019 through September 7, 2019, enjoy unlimited access to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park for $69, plus tax.

 

[KellyHonos]

I can't speak from experience because I personally have never visited the water parks, but I think your decision should be based on what exactly you like having your pool days for. Is it to take a load off your feet and stay out of the parks and get some time to relax? Or is it another form of fun/entertainment for you guys? If it's the second, I'd say, what the heck, go! See what it's all about. But if it's the first, I'd recommend just staying at your resort and laying low, because I'm sure the waterparks have big crowds much like the parks do. Maybe not as bad in comparison, but you catch my drift. No matter what you choose, you will have fun

 

[scrappinginontario]

We love the waterparks and last year travelled to Disney from Canada for a 5 day trip exclusively for the water parks. We had a blast! I have 2 tips:

1. In the summer, keep an eye on the weather. Thunderstorms happen almost daily. If you plan to visit the water parks in the afternoon, they will be much less crowded after a storm has passed as they close the pools when lightning is with 5 miles and once they reopen the majority of people have left the park. We did this a couple of times and many of the slides were almost walk-ons!!

2. For those who wear glasses, there are places online where to purchase giggles and snorkling masks that you can have made with your prescription. A friend did this last year before their Disney cruise and it made a huge difference as she was able to do things she’d never done before!!

 

[pacomom]

We spend mornings at the parks and enjoy pool time at the resort in the afternoons. I love the sun and pool and my time relaxing there is one of the ways my family talks me into Disney World every couple years. Last time, we got some discount on the water parks and I was angry-no way did I want to give up my relaxing pool time to go to a crowded water park, especially when my kids just "like" water slides (not love). However, Typhoon Lagoon ended up being my very favorite day of our whole vacation. There is so much to do-my kids were barely on the water slides, they were so busy having fun in the wave pool and snorkeling with the fish. We all spent tons of time on the wonderful lazy river and there are plenty of sun loungers to relax/read/nap in-we were totally rejuvenated for the parks the next day. I highly recommend just trying it for a day.

 

[cwestpvb]

I also agree with heading out to a water park. I LOVE the pool at YC/BC, but its still just a hotel pool. It is significantly better than other pools on property, but it can't replace the experience of one of the water parks. Definitely enjoy SAB during breaks from the parks (we do mornings and nights at the parks, and pool midday which works perfectly for us), but for a full day a water park will keep you more entertained. When it comes to the two water parks, I prefer TL, but BB is also a ton of fun. I think TL is a bit more rounded in terms of varying thrill levels, as BB has more thrilling options. TL wave pool can't be beat, and if I remember correctly there are less stairs to get around. You can't go wrong with either one, but I think most people prefer TL (for good reason).