Walt Disney World Resort guests will get free time in water park on check-in day in 2025

This is surprising, and I sure hope they intend to have both parks open at the same time more often. They can already get pretty crowded. This really surprises me, and I wonder what the intention is, and if it's reactive or proactive to something.

The water parks can clear out some in the mid-afternoon, which is most likely when most people checking in would be thinking about heading somewhere. But yes, I suspect this is to help support keeping them both open.

Reminds me of 2 high school band Disney bus trips I chaperoned. First place each stopped when we got to Florida was a Disney water park. In chaperone planning meetings, band director said that was not by accident. They viewed taking high school kids who had been on buses for 20+ hours to a place with chlorinated water as a good thing. LOL

"Free"

News next week, Disney resorts increases prices 10%.

I imagine that this is one of those perks that they can tout with a fairly limited impact. People arriving early in the day are just as likely to spring for a partial day at the big parks. People arriving closer to the time the waterparks close are unlikely to go. And then you have the group that are completely oblivious to the perk. Like always, Disney probably has a pretty good idea of the expected usage rate. If they were worried about the waterparks being overrun, they probably wouldn't be doing it.

That's a good point. I can't recall any arrival day that I would have been anxious to hit a water park. If I was going to take it easy, I'd be content to hang by the pool.

I wouldn't be excited to have people arrive earlier though, because then you have to watch their crap while they turn around the rooms.

TheMillenniumRider:

News next week, Disney resorts increases prices 10%.

More like today. Not 10%, but enough for people to ignore and cover the costs.

It’s an interesting promotion that I can see being beneficial in certain scenarios.

I imagine Disney has data that supports getting more guests into a park on their arrival day and hopefully spending some money. Perhaps Disney identified a trend that many people don’t burn a fill theme park admission on arrival day as these are typically partial days, people are tired from travel, and are mostly “transition days”. I’m sure a good amount of guests first head to their resort pool or Disney Springs before starting fresh the next morning at the theme parks.

For west coast arrivals, this promotion could be challenging to take full advantage of with the water parks typically closing in the early evenings or even late afternoons depending on time of year.

But if your arrival flight arrives early enough, it is a fun option to spend a few “free” hours at a water park and if Disney has its’ way, you will have a meal there and buy some merch in the process.

I hope this causes Blizzard Beach to be open more of the year. The past 2 years it has only been open 4 months and as someone who prefers it to Typhoon Lagoon, it's been tough to get there especially with the cooler winter this year. I only managed to get there once with the other attempt being a few weeks ago when the lot was full with people having to park at Coronado Springs and taking a bus over. I can only imagine how bad the lines must have been that day.

Usually on weekdays from Labor Day to Memorial Day, the water parks are empty during the day. It's rare for me to wait more than 5 - 10 minutes for any slide.

Typhoon has the better wave pool (dare I say the best wave pool), but yeah, I otherwise prefer Blizzard Beach.

Digging around in my crap for my swimsuit while I wait for my room to be ready doesn't appeal to me. I'd rather head to Disney Springs or one of the parks.

I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to just drop bags and head to the waterparks at first arrival? Typically we like to grab something to eat, wander the resort or go into one of the parks in the evening on the first day.

Water parks I usually schedule later in the trip, and ideally the morning after a party of EMH night. Do some slides early, then hit the lazy river for some high quality relaxation/napping.

Mulfinator:

I'd rather head to Disney Springs or one of the parks.

The_Orient_of_Express:
I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to just drop bags and head to the waterparks at first arrival

Touchdown:
Water parks I usually schedule later in the trip

Right. I feel like someone may have touched on this earlier. Where was it...? Oh, yeah, a mere six responses earlier.

bigboy:

I imagine that this is one of those perks that they can tout with a fairly limited impact. People arriving early in the day are just as likely to spring for a partial day at the big parks. People arriving closer to the time the waterparks close are unlikely to go. And then you have the group that are completely oblivious to the perk. Like always, Disney probably has a pretty good idea of the expected usage rate. If they were worried about the waterparks being overrun, they probably wouldn't be doing it.

Yes. We never talk in circles on Coasterbuzz.

(Disney hacking mode: activated)

So if I’m in the middle of my vacation and want a day at the water park for my family, can I book a camp ground or cheapo room at All Stars and get us all into the water park?

I don't see why not. People book ghost rooms at Universal Orlando to get 2 days of Express Pass for their family.

I don't see why not either. I've done ghost rooms at Universal, and I have even done a ghost campsite* back in the day for access to Extra Magic Hours.

Be sure you set up ghost MDE personas for everyone. Having the same MDE identity on two rooms at the same time usually causes havoc.

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I made the mistake of suggesting this on the offsite forum of DISboards. The Fort Wilderness fanatics got wind of it and were apoplectic that I was taking a campsite away from "someone who needed it."

It's really cheaper to book a hotel room for free express than to just buy the express?