Water play has always been a key element of our family vacations. In recent years I’ve discovered a couple of innovative neoprene devices that have improved our time in the water and would work very well on a Disney vacation: neoprene-strapped swimming goggles Frogglez that don’t pull on the hair and an adjustable neoprene suit, the WarmBelly, that helps keep little ones warmer if the water temp is bit chilly.
Gideon in our backyard “not hot tub”.
Family members often have a variety of water temperature tolerances. It can be disappointing when the water is too chilly for a family member or two and you end up cutting the water time short as teeth chattered away. When our son was a toddler we discovered the terrific WarmBelly neoprene suit. The best way to describe it would be neoprene overalls with adjustable Velcro shoulder straps. It provided just the right layer of warmth to let our little dude enjoy the unheated pools of the Disney cruise ships without getting too chilled in the early spring. We also appreciated the variety of colors and selected a bright orange which kept him highly visible when we visited Disney’s water parks such as Typhoon Lagoon or even Sea World’s Aquatica. Its sleeveless design kept him from getting too hot when he was playing around in the sand and the neoprene suit was easy to maneuver for bathroom visits. Warmbelly even has a suit designed with a crotch tab for easier diaper changing access, but our little dude was past diapers when we discovered the WarmBelly suit so I don’t have experience with it. Warmbelly is made with 2 mm (1/8 in) neoprene and we found it to be highly durable. We used it for a several years before he outgrew it and were able to pass it along to a younger child. Warmbelly is available online at warmbelly.com for $32 plus $7.95 shipping & handling.
Earlier this year we were given the opportunity to try Frogglez, a neoprene strapped swimming goggle. Given our experience with the neoprene WarmBelly we didn’t hesitate to try out the uniquely designed goggles and were delighted to find out that they were hassle-free as advertised. Unlike my memories of wrestling with rubber strapped swim goggles in my youth, I watched my little dude easily slide the Frogglez on and off himself. It’s nice not to have my time lounging the pool interrupted by goggle adjustments especially when they were inevitably accompanied by a chorus of “ouch” or “it’s pulling.”
The goggles are attached to the neoprene strap via Velcro connectors so they are easily adjustable. Frogglez also offers silicone loop extenders to attach the goggles to the neoprene strap for older children. I suspect we will be picking that up soon to keep the goggles comfortable on our seven-year-old as he seemed just on the edge of too snug. Another benefit of the neoprene strap is its buoyancy as it also helps keep the goggles afloat if he decides to take them off for a bit. Frogglez are available in a variety of solid colors and prints. Frogglez Goggles products retail for $19.99 and are available at Bed Bath & Beyond, Buy Buy Baby, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Costco.com, Target.com and several swim shops and resorts across the U.S.
Hopefully these products can help you and your family to better enjoy your aquatic adventures while on your next Disney (or even non-Disney) vacation.