We ARE Water Park People!

Typhoon Lagoon

We ARE water park people!

This was the reply I gave when the subject of whether or not people/families are water park people or not in a thread on a Disney message board I frequent.   My reply got me thinking. . .

The husband grew up swimming in the lakes of Minnesota and has never shied away from a dip in any body of water since I’ve known him.  He enjoys the water slides and is only slowed by the impending threat of losing his glasses.  The solution is either to take them off or use a strap to secure his glasses to his head. 

I, too, grew up frequenting swimming pools and supervised a pool one summer in college.  In high school, I was co-captain of the Shark Club, a synchronized swimming team that I participated in for multiple years.  I now enjoy water slides, I just don’t enjoy the climb (heights) to the water slides. 

The boy’s November birthday allowed him to meet the requisite 6 months old before his first summer spent at our local swimming pool.  He’s been in swimming lessons since he was an infant—not toddler—infant!  He did one season on a swim team and enjoyed the practices—swimming laps—but not the competition.  He was 18 months old when he experienced his first water park away from home and even yesterday asked about when we could return to Great Wolf Lodge as the water park is so cool.  He’s got water parks like Coco Key and Schlitterbahn under his belt in addition to both Walt Disney World water parks. 

So, yes, we are water park people!  And, while we are at the Walt Disney World Resort, we enjoy spending a day or two at the incredibly themed water parks of Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.  (Click on the links to read more about the water parks.)

In addition for our love and comfort with water that makes us water park people, we also come prepared.  Sunscreen, water shoes, sunglasses, and towels make for a comfortable day at a water park.  We wear our swimsuits to the water park so there is no delay in getting into the water and we apply sunscreen when getting dressed, again, avoiding any delay.  I sort of laugh when I watch families taking their water park time to apply sunscreen only to have the kiddos immediately jump into the water and wash the majority of it away, unless the sunscreen is waterproof.  Applying sunscreen 30 minutes prior is preferable, even to manufacturer’s recommendations.

Blizzard Beach

Speaking of water proof, we also wear waterproof watches and use a water proof camera at water parks.  If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me for the time when we have been at a water park. . .

Ski Patrol at Blizzard Beach

Prospective guests will ask which water park we prefer and the answer is so difficult.  Typhoon Lagoon wins by a bit, but it has more to do with theming, the pool near Crush-n-Gusher, and the availability of ordering shrimp for lunch with an incredible special sauce than with anything else.  Blizzard Beach’s Ski Patrol area is one of the boy’s favorites and the family raft ride and lazy river are both longer at Blizzard Beach.

With the approaching of summer, it is inevitable that many guests traveling to Walt Disney World will wrestle with the idea of taking advantage of one or both of the on property water parks.  As for us, our travels to Disneyland will allow us to take advantage of the resort pools as there is no water park at Disneyland.  No worries for us, as Legoland does HAVE a water park and we plan to visit it first!  Yes, we ARE water park people!

The "Wave Photo" at Typhoon Lagoon