I’m booked for August. I’m considering PH+ tickets. This will be our 4th trip, 8 nights, and
we’ve never done the water parks. Are they worth it? It’s just me, husband and our then 11 yr old daughter. I think it could be fun and it will certainly be hot enough but I’m not sold on cutting out park time. Did you love them? Hate them? Any tips on which is best? Thank you!!
In my opinion yes, but others may say no. We took a “once in a lifetime” trip a few years ago and planned a waterpark day because I had fun memories of River Country and Wet & Wild. After our trip, our then 12 & 9 yo said Typhoon Lagoon was their favorite park 
. I think no lines on a very hot November day may have contributed to that. However the whole family did have fun! I didn’t plan a waterpark day for our next trip because we are staying at YC. However next trip with my DS, we will have a water park day. Look at some youtube videos, that may help with your decision.
I added the + for like $20 a ticket so even a couple rounds of mini golf or one water park and I’ve saved. So if you’re getting that same deal I’d say worth it. Blizzard Beach is hot. As in the ground is hot and will burn your feet in August. That’s when I went. I literally had blisters. I’m not a super big fan of the big slides that drop you as they hurt. The one at Volcano Bay doesn’t hurt me that’s a straight drop so it’s something about these. I had bruises on my hips but the other slides are good fun. The team boat springs ride is fantastic as is the lazy River. This is a crowded park.
I prefer Typhoon Lagoon because it has more stuff with tubes which I prefer, it’s more shaded and less crowded. But as of right now only blizzard beach has an opening date. So I’d make your decision on that being the only option. If they open typhoon lagoon I’d choose it if you’re just doing one water park
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DS got a bad road rash from the straight drop also. I think it was called Kowabunga.
When I was b/w 4th and 5th grade we did a trip. We had a day planned for Universal which was brand new with signs for Kong and Jaws everywhere. We got there and Kong and Jaws weren’t operating so we turned around and went to Typhoon Lagoon instead. Most memorable day of that trip. My favorite part was playing with the tiny frogs in the Lazy River.
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We loved the lazy river! And there’s a lovey area for little ones. But if you want a place to sit you have to rope drop it. I thought of it like going to a popular beach 
get there early for a spot. We ended up leaving before we wanted cuz there was no where to sit and just relax for a bit.
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Glad you found Typhoon and have those sweet memories. I love the design and landscape, roller coaster slides, lazy river, and especially the wave pool!
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Or maybe rent the chairs or the polar patios if it’s in your budget?
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My mom broke her wrist in that wave pool so we have a love/hate thing for it. Ha ha ha. She got slammed into the wall. It’s got some serious waves so I wouldn’t even trust the 11yo alone in it. This is Typhoon Lagoon Wave pool for anyone reading who isn’t sure. The one at Blizzard Beach is normal. Both. Parks have great lazy rivers. They’re both very good water parks. (But my heart belongs to Schlitterbahn New Braunfels for best water park).
I don’t think we were aware of those options or not available when we went. When we did go anything extra $ would have been impossible. It was sooo long ago and after the disappointing experience we never went back. Instead sticking to quiet pools at resorts.
Also, I’d ask the 11yo because to a kid sometimes those moments not standing in a line and playing with frogs in the lazy River are the Disney magic. ;-). I’d let her have a vote.
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I don’t know if they had em last time I went either but we rope dropped so we got chairs. But they have them now and I’m thinking of getting some for our June trip. I’ve come to really enjoy having a private pool cabana. It’s really nice to have someone bring me drinks while the teens be teens. ;-).
Edit: I do still ride things because I’m still fun! But then the afternoon is all mine for the relaxing because I’m old and deserve it. Ha ha.
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A cabana sounds amazing. I want to try that next time we have a family trip.
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It’s just wonderful. I even do ‘em here in our dinky water park. I don’t have to deal with lines for food or drinks and I can take a nap. Why oh why didn’t someone tell me to enjoy those naps in Kinder?
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I think it depends on what you’re used to with waterparks. I’ve never been to the ones at WDW, but not sure I will because I live close to a tourist spot that has like 20 waterparks, many of them very good. So spending so much time at those as a kid and now with my family has me kinda waterparked out and don’t want to take time away from the theme parks.
But I’d say it’s worth checking out only if you have a fairly long trip where you’re not sacrificing theme park time and you don’t go to good waterparks very often.
ETA: I see you said 8 nights, so that shouldn’t be an issue.
I’d look at what’s available at the water park vs the hotel and go from there. We tried the parks on our first trip (DD 3 and DS 5) and it was fun but for us it was not worth the money plus the hassle of getting there and back.
The next year we just planned a resort day at AKL and had a much better time. It was a low key day when we got to sleep in (after RD every other day), didn’t have to worry about catching a bus, and the kids loved the water features at the Kidani pool area. My son must have gone down the little slide dozens of times.
Where your DD is older it very well be worth it to you. If she’s the kind of kid who wants to mostly splash around and maybe go down a slide one or two times, it may not be though. You can do the latter on a resort day or in the evening after you get back from the park.
We’ve had grandkids in your DD’s age group at both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. We do like TL better for the shade and the wave pool. One year we had a 2 year old at the very shallow part of the wave pool. She loved it.
The plus on the park hopper tickets has, in the past, made a water park or mini-golf worth trying out.
Full disclosure, we’re neither park commandos nor ride maniacs. Having a water park day is a plus rather than missing out. But that’s the nice thing about Disney. You have plenty of opportunity to do it your way.
One thing about waterparks right now. They are mask-free frolic. We went to Universal in August and really appreciated the mask-free day in the middle. For some, the mask-free aspect would be a problem .
Worth it? Absolutely!
We love TL, BB and I think Volcano Bay is our favorite. We always rent a cabana for privacy and convenience. It’s always a highlight of our trip and a much more relaxing day! Enjoy!
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I love them too! If you are a family that likes to take a “rest” day somewhere in your trip I find the water parks to be perfect. There’s more to do than the hotel pool and a few unique experiences.
Like children, I love them equally so it would be hard to pick.
With 7 days / 8 nights I’d say give it a chance. (Personally, I like to do the water parks on my arrival day. My flight’s tend to get there around Noon. I drop everything off at the resort, swim & play for a few hours and go out to Disney Springs for dinner / drinks. I don’t do a lot of “rest” days on my trips. I’m a rope drop to close guy… 
)