Orlando/Disneyworld Thread (Part 3)

KarenG

Hi Kerry

Your decision will be made for you I'm afraid as Disney always close one of their waterparks in the winter, so you won't have a choice!

I think Typhoon Lagoon is the one open at the moment. But it will be absolutely great for you and your children Lovely children's area and there are two slides off to the side of the main wave lagoon where my DDs when they were younger would spend hours going up and down while DH & I sat in the shallows and watched them.

HTH

Karen

KarenG

Just checked the Disney.com website for you:

Disney's Blizzard Beach will be closed for refurbishment January 10 through March 20, 2010; Disney's Typhoon Lagoon is open during this time.

So it is TL for you unless your trip is longer than three weeks.

We always arrive for opening (10am) and tend to stay until 3 or 4 ish, but the weather may dictate how long you want to stay there (temperature, arrival of thunderstorm etc). I'd plan on a short day and maybe think about shopping / fireworks / chilling in the evening?

ETA: OMG how rude of me! Have a BRILLIANT time!

kerrymay

Thanks KarenG - you've answered my questions on here before I believe!! Well, Typhoon Lagoon it is then! Probably best that one is closed tbh, cos I would have just worried all the time that I'd chosen the wrong one! This way, I don't have a choice so will have to just be happy!! We're back on the 15th so Blizzard Beach won't have opened.

Now I'm just worrying about the weather - hope it's not too cold! I never even gave it a thought when we booked as we wanted to be there for my son's birthday. Now I'm worried I haven't packked enough warm clothes. There's always Walmart though! Must remind myself to stop worrying!!

Thanks again xx

blue_monkey_2

Just take fleece jackets kerry. You can get lockers in WDW if you do not want to lug them around. We have been in Jan and Feb and both time went swimming, just watch the weather and plan to go any day that seems like it is going to be the warmest.

We went to Discovery Cove on 31st December 2000, pre-paid and could not be changed. It was 3 degrees, taxi driver told us it was the first time Florida had been that cold for 30 years. The wetsuits were freezing, paid all that money and could have cried, we just wanted to get it over and done with and go home so did not enjoy it as we should have. Everyone was under the hand driers before the dolphin swim trying to keep warm. OMG. It was cold.

A few days later it was warm enough to go to Typhoon lagoon. My ultimate tip is: Don't wear a bikini to TL because the big wave knocked me over and removed my bikini bottoms and someone had to go them from the 'shoreline'.....

PS. Have a great time. 7 months, 25 days and counting....

Mr_Lahey

kerrymay wrote: »

Thanks KarenG - you've answered my questions on here before I believe!! Well, Typhoon Lagoon it is then! Probably best that one is closed tbh, cos I would have just worried all the time that I'd chosen the wrong one! This way, I don't have a choice so will have to just be happy!! We're back on the 15th so Blizzard Beach won't have opened.

Now I'm just worrying about the weather - hope it's not too cold! I never even gave it a thought when we booked as we wanted to be there for my son's birthday. Now I'm worried I haven't packked enough warm clothes. There's always Walmart though! Must remind myself to stop worrying!!

Thanks again xx

There is always only one waterpark open in January. IMO Blizzard beach is the better of the two - particularly for kids. But don't be dismayed because Typhoon Lagoon is still excellent and perhaps better for older kids.

I have gone to Orlando every January for about a century and only once has it been cold. Usually it is about 18 degrees up until about 11am then expect temperatures about 25degrees daily. But i have known it to be in the 30's - I don't ever remember it raining even once.

sweetpeas_2

blue_monkey wrote: »

My ultimate tip is: Don't wear a bikini to TL because the big wave knocked me over and removed my bikini bottoms and someone had to go them from the 'shoreline'.....

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I'm glad all the experienced ones of you have reassured me about the weather in winter there.. I was starting to panic cos we've booked for 28th Jan-11th Feb and I was really starting to worry that it was going to be too cold for the water parks I'm glad you've all said otherwise

xx

wilf55

hi we went 9 - 23 feb cold weather first week but if you have a fleece and long pants will be warm enough coat perhaps for evening

we went aquatica and typhoon lagoon TL being far far better warm enough to swim ...we watched the weather and chose a warm but cloudy day and we coped well enough

aquatica is just a water park even though it has a beach but typhoon lagoon was much more like a water slide based theme park...and it had free parking as opposed to $12 at aquatica

have a great time

you can hire towels out at aquatica but we took our own anyway
you cant take sandwiches into aquatica either but can at TL

wilf55

parking at the parks is average $14
eating out at tea time approx $12 per hed
breakfast eating out $4 per head on both of these drinks extra
we took sandwiches but $8 plus drinks at $2.50 on average

then plus spends we didnt buy much other than presents

wdw prices expensive
gift shops cheaper
supermarkets cheaper still esp supertarget selling some of the same stuff available in the parks

crisps approx $3 per pack
McDonalds subway etc $5 approx
milk $3.48 for 4 l
bread $2.49

hope these give guidelines to help

i found it rather expensive generally all round but i am a skinflint!!

jeanniebeanie_2

Dealmad wrote: »

I'm going Florida this year , but i wouldn't go to sea world as i just find it disgusting to be honest , things like Whales ,even fish don't belong in tanks ...they belong in the wild free and to enjoy what life they have.

If everyone refused to buy tickets to watch such cruelty then they wouldn't feel the need to do all this ,its all about money as per usual , just a shame that most people are selfish and only think of what pleases them.
We don't really have any right to enclose any animals , only maybe to protect endangered Species.

I wouldn't want to hijack this thread and turn it into an animal rights debate. However, we all have the right to make an informed choice according to our conscience. I believe Seaworld not to be evil. For instance they have a comprehensive rescue and rehabilitation programme and we witnessed the care and attention they have given to injured manatees and sea turtles who would undoubtably have died without Seaworld's intervention. They have also rescued whales from other parks where they had been kept in far worse conditions.

Quote from Seaword:

'The SeaWorld Animal Rehabilitation Program is an important part of SeaWorld's commitment to conservation, research, and education. Through this program, the SeaWorld animal departments rescue, treat, shelter, and release stranded animals. The main objective of the Rescue and Rehabilitation Program is to return rehabilitated animals to the wild.'

The shows bring huge visitor numbers and without that revenue they may not survive to carry out the rescue/rehabilitation side of their work- it is a double edged sword.

However, as I said before, there were things I saw I was not comfortable with and have decided I won't visit again.

KarenG

kerrymay wrote: »

Now I'm just worrying about the weather - hope it's not too cold! I never even gave it a thought when we booked as we wanted to be there for my son's birthday. Now I'm worried I haven't packked enough warm clothes. There's always Walmart though! Must remind myself to stop worrying!!

Fingers crossed - you should be safe as I'm back home in the UK now (Tip to all - never plan a holiday to a location I'm going to be at as it is often unseasonably cold )

Certainly the week we were there (week before last) it was NOT waterpark weather on any day whatsoever. We did go once a few years ago in December when it was in the low 60s and there were only about five other families there .. and us. No lines whatsoever but blue lips were free of charge