Question about Disney Water Parks

[LeighM]

For my trip next year, I'm thinking about going to either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach for the one day we're there. My problem is that I have vertigo and I cannot do the stairs to the water slides that are at most water parks - those stair towers will get to me before I even get to the first major landing. I've looked online and it looks like those at Disney's are more like sidewalks with switchbacks. Although it looks like Crush n Gusher at TL has the tower stairs. I would love to hear from people who have been there. And which park is better in terms of stairs to the slides - TL or BB? I'm leaning towards Typhoon Lagoon because of the theme but I would switch to Blizzard Beach if the stairs are more vertigo friendly.

 

[slipperalwaysfits]

I know there's a chairlift at Blizzard Beach and then for some slides, you have to walk up built in (not tower) stairs. I am very afraid of heights, as in, chairlifts tend to bother me. Once I got to the top, it really wasn't bad and it was a big landing and it was flat, so I didn't feel like I was going to fall or anything. I haven't been to TL, but my experience at Blizzard Beach made me happy! I'd recommend BB! Good luck!

 

[Bairstow]

Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach is the only ride I can remember at either Disney waterpark, and even it isn't more than 50 or so feet off the "ground", since it's on top of a concrete mountain.

Crush n' Gusher sort of has a stairs tower, but it doesn't really feel that way since it's part of a much larger launch/pump house disguised as a ruined cannery. It's more like the stairs on the side of a motel than a "tower."

Honestly, I'm surprised someone with vertigo would be into tall waterslides in the first place, but if it really just is stairs with you then Disney's are the way to go. The little paths and trails leading up and between their slides are beautifully constructed and landscaped. Trekking around Typhoon Lagoon feels more like exploring part of Animal Kingdom than a waterpark.

 

[Rob562]

I have a friend who has a fear of heights, but mostly when they're open and exposed heights. When we went to a regular water park, he couldn't force himself to do most of the waterslides because the stairs were open-air on both sides.

But when we went to Blizzard Beach he was OK for almost all slides. The chairlift was out of the question, so we had to walk up the mountain. There's stairs that zig-zag up the right side of the mountain. Since they're built into the mountain, they don't feel open. He was fine as long as he focused on the stairs and the mountainside without looking out at how high up he was climbing. Once at the top, the only thing he couldn't do was Summit Plummet because of the additional couple of flights of open stairs to the platform.

On a different trip, we hit Typhoon Lagoon. He was OK for all slides, though he had to psych himself up to walk up the stairs for Crush n Gusher. (He really wanted to ride it)

-Rob