Will I regret skipping Blizzard Beach?

[MikeandReneePlus5]

Water parks...hmpfff. Seem like fun util you see that first bandaid float by....

 

[Sara_H]

We have never done the Disney water parks and don't feel like we are missing out. Honestly my husband and I are not huge water park people, the kids do enjoy it but we live about 2 hours from Noah's Ark in the Wisconsin Dells so we do have that option, but even then we don't typically go there. When we go to Disney it is for the 4 theme parks. That being said, BB and TL are Disney park so I'm sure they are lots of fun.

 

[bryanb]

The answer to those who are afraid of getting tired out is that you don't go at 120% energy all five or six days. There's no reason for your vacation to be pedal-to-the-floor on every park day. When you're buying a 1 or 2 day ticket, many people will rightfully want to get every penny of value out of their admission cost and time. But a longer trip is a vacation, and does not have to be a race.

OP says their kids LOVE water, and they're eight hours away from any other "real" water park. I think this is a no-brainer. Your vacation ought to be customized to the things you like.

Also, you might already know this, but if you upgrade to the Park Hopper Plus, you still only need a five day ticket because you can use your water park admissions on a non-park day (as long as it's before the ticket expires), and it doesn't count as one of your 5 theme park days.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Kids are almost 12 and 9, and LOVE water. They have never been to a real water park, just a small local splash park type thing with a few water slides.

Last time we went we wanted to go to BB, but we never got to it. I know the kids really want to go, but it's so expensive - $275 (CDN) for the 3 of us for what? Half a day?

So I'm wavering. It's honestly their only chance for a "real" water park, and the closest one would be 8 hours from home. And yet, it just seems like so much money. Plus, the only chance we would have to do it, would be on our only resort day, which would mean we're doing parks 6 days in a row.

Thoughts??

Hello fellow Canadian. FWIW, I didn't enjoy BB at all. Sure they have a lot of slides, but there's so much climbing and tube carrying. Its exhausting. We enjoy TL much more. Love the wave pool. They have some great slides at TL too. For $275, I don't think its worth it. Im sure the kids will be just as happy at the resort pool. AS Movies is a lot of fun. Maybe just play it by ear and see how it works out?

 

[jennadi8]

My kids would say you are definitely missing out! They have loved the Disney water parks since 2 years old and we have 2 water parks within 30 minutes of our house! If your resort day was going to be spent in the pool anyway I'd go to the water park instead. Get there when it opens and do the big slides and then relax in the lazy river for a few hours! We usually get there at 10am and leave around 2pm.

 

[Klayfish]

Hello fellow Canadian. FWIW, I didn't enjoy BB at all. Sure they have a lot of slides, but there's so much climbing and tube carrying. Its exhausting. We enjoy TL much more. Love the wave pool. They have some great slides at TL too. For $275, I don't think its worth it. Im sure the kids will be just as happy at the resort pool. AS Movies is a lot of fun. Maybe just play it by ear and see how it works out?

Sorry you didn't like the water parks. If you felt the stairs at BB were a lot, I'd suggest not trying TL, it has even more stairs. In fact, one of the slides has you go up 4 stairs, then go back down 2, then up 3, then down 4, then up 5....it's comical.

The WDW water parks have nothing in common with a resort pool except for the fact that both have water. Complete apples and oranges.

 

[chicagoshannon]

Maybe look into Aquatica instead. Might be cheaper and it's a great water park. I don't think Volcano Bay is any cheaper or I'd suggest that one.

Add hoppers and water parks and I believe you'd be able to do both water parks (Typhoon and Blizzard) in one day.

 

[mshanson3121]

You've said before that your family really needs its down time. I would take the down time so you're not out of steam for your park days.

Will you regret it if you don't go? Probably. But you might regret it more if you do.

Very good point.

 

[mshanson3121]

Reply to a few comments:

- hoppers are out of the question. It would make our cost almost $400 and we don't want to hop.
- for the "6 days might be too much", my worry stems from the fact that both of my children have special needs, which means they really can't be pushed too hard. We did four park days in a row last time (and they and weren't full days) and paid for it. They're older now, but still.
- as far as what we normal do on resort days, we would swim some, but mostly sleep in, lounge around, relax, read, watch TV etc... All three of us have EDS, so physical rest is important too.

 

[Bullseye]

Reply to a few comments:
- hoppers are out of the question. It would make our cost almost $400 and we don't want to hop.
- for the "6 days might be too much", my worry stems from the fact that both of my children have special needs, which means they really can't be pushed too hard. We did four park days in a row last time (and they and weren't full days) and paid for it. They're older now, but still.
- as far as what we normal do on resort days, we would swim some, but mostly sleep in, lounge around, relax, read, watch TV etc... All three of us have EDS, so physical rest is important too.

Ok we'll now that's additional information we didn't have previously. Water park can be relaxing, but it's also very tiring. I'm always exhausted after the waterpark. So now I'm leaning towards just skip it and have a great day at the resort. Plus you can always just wait until the day comes and see how everyone feels about going.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Sorry you didn't like the water parks. If you felt the stairs at BB were a lot, I'd suggest not trying TL, it has even more stairs. In fact, one of the slides has you go up 4 stairs, then go back down 2, then up 3, then down 4, then up 5....it's comical.

The WDW water parks have nothing in common with a resort pool except for the fact that both have water. Complete apples and oranges.

I've been to TL, been on all of the slides. I found BB more tiring. I just wasn't a fan at all. But we do love water parks. Just not BB. We love TL. I think for us the draw is the wave pool at TL. So fun. We can spend hours in there. Plus it kinda feels like youre at the beach.

 

[holden]

We've done both water parks - BB while on a cruise that docked in Port Canaveral and TL during a Disney trip. I'm not a fan of water parks. I find them gross to be honest. My kids had fun while we were there but haven't asked to go back, so I'm not sure how much of an impression the experiences made on them.

I can't imagine regretting not visiting something you've never been too. If you haven't experienced it, you don't know what you are missing. I could see if you HAD been there, didn't visit, and then regretted not going again. I hope that makes sense.

Do what's best for your family. Honestly, they'll probably have a blast just being at the pool.

 

[kathy884]

Just focus on what you want to do. Even though Blizzard Beach is lovely, I see no issue without going. There is just so much to do in Orlando that it important to prioritize things from a time, budget, and practicality standpoint. I wouldn't think twice about skipping it. Although we love water parks in reality our kids have always enjoyed the hotel or condo swimming pool just as much.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Reply to a few comments:

- hoppers are out of the question. It would make our cost almost $400 and we don't want to hop.
- for the "6 days might be too much", my worry stems from the fact that both of my children have special needs, which means they really can't be pushed too hard. We did four park days in a row last time (and they and weren't full days) and paid for it. They're older now, but still.
- as far as what we normal do on resort days, we would swim some, but mostly sleep in, lounge around, relax, read, watch TV etc... All three of us have EDS, so physical rest is important too.

One of the great advantages of the water parks, IMHO, is that it really doesn't take a lot of pre-planning. There are no FP+ and no ADR's, so, you may not even need to make the decision now. If you are on your trip, have a free day, the weather is nice and you are in the mood, you can simply go to the water park, buy your ticket and enjoy. My only advice would be, if you go, be there at opening to avoid the lines that build throughout the day.

 

[bryanb]

Just focus on what you want to do. Even though Blizzard Beach is lovely, I see no issue without going. There is just so much to do in Orlando that it important to prioritize things from a time, budget, and practicality standpoint. I wouldn't think twice about skipping it. Although we love water parks in reality our kids have always enjoyed the hotel or condo swimming pool just as much.

I agree. Walt Disney World is a really big place, and unless you can afford to go frequently or take extra-long trips, it's necessary to make sacrifices somewhere. You aren't going to be able to do everything the resort has to offer in this trip, so I would avoid thinking of this as a decision based on pressure or regret. Going for five days to the major theme parks and having a resort day is absolutely valid.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

I say do it. To me, water park days are down time. You don’t have to be up super early and you can chill out. We’ve got kids the same ages and doing the water parks for the first time this summer since before they were born.

 

[elaine amj]

We adore waterparks and Disney has the best waterparks we have been to. There may be better ones, but we haven't been there. Love both BB and TL.

But in your case, rest sounds more important. I would consider your vacation as a whole and decide from there.

 

[Erzengel]

We have to actually.

We have 8 remaining non expiration fun days. We did Blizzard Beach already and we thought it was enjoyable. We'd go back. We also have to try out Typhoon Lagoon.

 

[STJ]

My husband and I love the water. My brother and I loved the water growing up. Now I am kinda picky about waterparks I visit because, as some have mentioned, that bandaid that floats by. I love the Disney waterparks. Each is great for different reasons. I find Typhoon Lagoon more relaxing and Blizzard Beach more thrilling. However, I do not always hit the Disney water parks when I am on a WDW vacation. You can have a complete trip without them and you will not feel as though you are missing out. Being in the sun all day like that wears you out, especially in the water. If your family is the type to really need a rest day, take the rest day. Take the day to stay indoors, hit the pool for a few hours, see other resorts or shop. Take a slower day and you'll be glad you did. We even opt for the day off over water parks most of the time, but we're sure to hit the pool. You can always take a florida trip and just hit the disney water parks, they don't always have to be in the big Disney vacation trip.