Young kiddies at the water parks
Hi everyone!
My husband are taking our will be 4 year old to WDW this December (12.2-12.10) and was wondering if...
1. the water parks will even be open
2. if it is even feasable to take her///will it be worth it?
By the time of the trip she will be a "beginning swimmer" quite novice really.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for your input!
Finding Nemo has forever changed the way that I say the word escape.
This is a tough one for many families. I know that when my girls were that age we struggled with this very same question. Finally when my daughters were 4 and 6 we decided to go for a day at Blizzard Beach. The girls were thrilled. They had a wonderful time and got to experience many "water rides" for young inexperienced children. The themeing is so wonderful in the parks that it is worth going to just look around. That being said...I think it is ultimately up to your personal feelings about water parks. If you enjoy water parks then it is an easy decision. Disney does the best at everything that they do. Have Fun!!
I don't know about going at that time of year -- May actually be to cold. However, we took our son at 4 and he loved it. We did buy a nice lifevest for him and he was able to float down the river with us and even do some of the larger slides with the vest as well. Some waterparks don't let you bring in your own vest, but we did not have a problem at Disney.
Mickeygal
In December, it's pretty much a lock that one park will be down for refurbishment. Thinking about the fact that the second park to go down is usually down for a longer period of time and the fact that Typhoon Lagoon just got the new Crush 'n' Gusher and they'll want it to be up and running as much as possible, I would guess that Typhoon Lagoon will be the park that's down from mid-October until mid-December and Blizzard Beach will be down from mid-December until some time in March.Originally Posted by sunfun94
At Blizzard Beach, the kiddie area is around to the right when you get into the park. They've got a small water slide, a small raft ride, play fountains and other stuff. Our son, who was four years old and very nervous about the water at the time (2002), had a great time and we ended up having trouble getting him to stop going down the slides.
My daughter at 3 loved it and was able to go on most of the slides just fine (she can't swim obviously). We started with the family raft ride and then did the tubes (where you can ride double).
After some confidence building she was really into it and we eventually moved up to the solo slides even. All we needed to do was make sure an adult went first and we kind of waited at the bottom for her to come out. The lifeguards wont let you stand around though even if you are waiting for your kid so you have to make like you are slowly walking out but keep your eye on the tube and then you can help. We never had a problem once.
This year she will be 4 and our son will be 2 and we are pretty confident things will go well.
We just went this past january to Blizzard Beach and had a blast. My children were 3 and 18 months while we were there. My 3 yo old the kiddie area at blizzard beach and even went on some of the larger rides like Teamboat springs (family raft ride). My one concern about that ride is if there are only two of you, you have to sit opposite one another therefore you can not hold on to your child. If you can get on one with another family then you can at least keep ahold of your child.
The kiddie area is great with the mini water slides and raft slides.
Currently having WDW withdrawals.
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go back!
WDW - 7/83, 7/86, 3/00, 1/01, 1/03, 8/03, 1/04, 11/04, 1/05, 8/05, 9/07, 4/08, 2/09, 6/09, 6/10
DL - 4/07
Our 2 girls have been raised at both TL and BB. They are now 12 & 10. They love BB Tikes Peak, water slides , fountains to run in and out of and a mini raft ride, plus at all the water parks and the pools you can get a life vest for your little ones (it's been awhile but, Disney doesn't charge for them. If they do it might be $5.00) . The family silde is alot of fun and so is riding around the lazy river. TL has a cove to the side of the wave pool where little ones don't get bowled over by the waves and it had a slide there too . Both water parks are fun. Go and have a great time.
It's every tribe, every nation. It's all God's children singing, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah. He Reigns.
Newsboys
Oh yeah, I totally forgot about the life vest part. Yeah, you can rent them but if you have little children, none of them fit well. We brought our own we bought at a sporting goods store after being able to size them perfectly and they worked great. It also helped us prepare our girl to expect to wear it.
WOW... I really appreciate the awesome information you have all provided!! I really can't thank you enough!
My husband and I had discussed it tonight based on all the info you great gals and guys had provided and we had decided to just go ahead and get the option for the tickets and see how the weather plays out...If it's nice enough then we will take her...she LOVES the water but has never been to such a place so the expierience should be nothing short of interesting! Besides, we really want to go as well...lol..
Oh and Hersheythecat, we are supposed to be going with my cousins so we should be ok with getting help...
We needed to go and get her a good life vest for the summer (and her swimming classes) so we can bring that with us right?
Finding Nemo has forever changed the way that I say the word escape.
Skulking under a rock.... We did not use a life vest so I really can't say. I am sure you can call down there and ask - I would do this. At our local amusement park (Carowinds) they only allow certain types of life vests to be used. If you do not have a certain type they make you put on one of theirs.
Currently having WDW withdrawals.
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go back!
WDW - 7/83, 7/86, 3/00, 1/01, 1/03, 8/03, 1/04, 11/04, 1/05, 8/05, 9/07, 4/08, 2/09, 6/09, 6/10
DL - 4/07
Yes, you absolutely can. I worried that maybe they would have rules about what can be worn but my daughter is quite small and I knew that the ones at the parks wouldn't fit. When I asked them they said "of course she can wear her own." The only rules I know of about what you can/can't wear is no metal rings/tags/flaps because it scratches up the slides.
Great to know! I was just looking at them today!
Finding Nemo has forever changed the way that I say the word escape.
Definitely bring a life vest, it will give you so much peace of mind. Also make sure they wear those water shoes because the sand and pavement can get very hot (although in Dec. you may not have that problem). Still, they protect little toes from getting scrapped and stubbed and they can wear them on all the slides and in the pool,etc.
I hadnt even thought about the water shoes....
Finding Nemo has forever changed the way that I say the word escape.
I wouldn't go without them. Of course we always go in the summer and the pavement is as hot as hades. My big girls like flip flops but then you cant wear them on the slides,tube river,etc. The water shoes are a must, I think. And loads of sunscreen, applied often. The FL sun is strong.
It would be wonderful if the weather would reflect the average for the region in FL while were there...according to weatherchannel.com it averages 76-74 degrees while we are supposed to be there...
I had heard from another thread that they do a "ice cream social" in The Land at Epcot... does anyone know if they are still doing this?
Also, on a side note... where do we go to pick up the passport for World Showcase as well as the Kidcot materials? Do we just show up at one of the stops and go from there? Or is the passport and the Kidcot stops one in the same?
Finding Nemo has forever changed the way that I say the word escape.
The Ice Cream social is suppose to open again this summer I think. The passport can be picked up a just about any store or cart. We got ours where we rented the stroller last time. The Kidcot materials are a whatever country you start at. We usually got our stamp for the passport at the Kidcot stop.I had heard from another thread that they do a "ice cream social" in The Land at Epcot... does anyone know if they are still doing this?
Also, on a side note... where do we go to pick up the passport for World Showcase as well as the Kidcot materials? Do we just show up at one of the stops and go from there? Or is the passport and the Kidcot stops one in the same?
Enjoy!
The ice cream social is at the garden grill restaurant in the land. Yummy sundaes! The passport can be purchased at any gift shop , I think. They were about $10. The kidcot thigs are at each country and are free.
Ohhh, ok! Now I know where to go and to look for them!
THANKS!!
Finding Nemo has forever changed the way that I say the word escape.
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