I have a question...

[lafifille]

... and probably a dumb one, but I just need to know. Believe it or not, we've never been to water parks. We've done "wet" rides in parks, but water parks, no. So we're wondering: what do you do with your car keys, camera, IDs, and stuff? Do you rent a locker? But is it really safely locked, and then you if don't carry any ID and if something happens you're just Jane Doe (okay, I am the anxious type [msnwink]). Do you just put your belongings in a ziplock type bag? Hints and tips pretty please, it's definitely bugging me...

[peterB]

Hi, all the waterparks have lockers where you can store your belongings. I consider these safe and I have never heard or witnessed anything stolen from these. You can buy a small waterproof plastic holder for your id and small valuables and hang that round your neck if you wish. These will float so you are unlikely to loose them. I know that Aquatica also has a changingroom facility where you can have a shower before you leave the park. Shampoo and shower gel was provided free of charge last year. One more tip, I would recommend buying some cheap surf shoes (6-10$ at walmart or ron jon's). You are allowed to keep them on on the rides and they prevent you from injuring yourself on the pavement (hot hot hot) Also good in terms of hygiene. Have fun.

[lafifille]

Thanks. Surf shoes were on my list of things to get already (I feel so smart all of a sudden). It's good to hear that the lockers are safe, I think we'll do that at least for the things we don't need during our stay in the park. I'm thinking of buying a disposable waterproof camera to avoid worrying about the digital camera.

[freddiehollie]

QUOTE "I'm thinking of buying a disposable waterproof camera to avoid worrying about the digital camera."

There are some very good waterproof/crushproof etc digital cameras on the market now
We have three(kids love cameras) never had a problem with them and you can take as many photos
as the card will allow[msnwink] You then have no need to worry about developing poor photos later.
Just delete them and print the good ones[msnsmile2]

[lafifille]

I saw those, but I was wondering if they're any good, as I find the prices are quite reasonable. Do you have one? Any advice on what I should look for if I decide to buy one?

[peterB]

Hi lafille, I bought the Olympus 1030SW last year at BestBuy. I am very happy with the quality of this camera. You can take the camera with you in the pools. It also can make movies which is fun since we took it with us on a few of the slides. We also brought it with us to Discovery cove and got some great photos there as well. I don't know if I can post pictures here but if you are interested you can send me a mail and I will sent you a few samples of the pictures I took with this camera. I am a keen photographer and while this camera is not a replacement for my digital SLR it is a fine compact camera in terms of built and picture quality.

[freddiehollie]

We have 2 Olympus 770sw which are great. Just bought the Olympus MJU-8000 Tough.
Not had this in water yet but it seems OK
As Peter says it wont replace my DSLR but they are great for the kids (5year olds) and the photo quality for what they can do is great.[msnsmile2]
They have been through Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Hotel Pools, Villa Pools etc, down the slides, through the tunnels, under water, taking photos all the way [msnsmile2][msnsmile2]
Lots of hit and miss on the slides but still got some great photos you would not be able to get otherwise.
You can also use them on the water rides, at the theme parks[msnwink] Popeye, Dudley, Jurrasic, Jaws etc at Universal
Kali River Rapids etc at Disney
Check out ebay for bargains on older models as new models come out frequently
Canon just brought out waterproof model also

[wilfy]

We go just in what we stand up in and a towel.Hire a locker and put what little clothes etc and the towel in the locker.

Then when we get out of the water we'll walk around to dry off or find some shade to sit in. This means we're not tied to 1 spot and have a lot of too-ing and fro-ing. When we want to eat, pop back to the locker grab some cash and that's it.

We only use the towel at the end when we have a quick shower to wash out the chlorine etc.

[lafifille]

Thanks for all the advice guys [clap]

We'll hire a locker, but I'll buy a waterproof pouch to keep a few dollars with us. I'm bringing old beach towels with us and I'm not planning to bring them back, so I don't really care if the kids "misplace" them at the park.

I think I'll keep an eye out for a waterproof digital camera, sounds wiser than buy disposable ones then pay to get pics developed and throw away 2/3rds of them .
Our digital camera is an old thing anyway, so I guess a modern waterproof one, even a cheap one, will do at least the same job [msnwink].