Hi, Lisa! Thanks for bringing your question to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
When my family and I enjoy a day at
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park or
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, we make sure we wear water shoes that enclose our feet. These have a semi-rigid plastic bottom (so we can't feel the heat from the sidewalks) and a neoprene cover that makes them kind of like wetsuits for your feet! My husband prefers his Vibram FiveFingers shoes (since that's what he wears for things like running on the beach), but my daughter and I picked up a couple of bright pink pairs of generic "water shoes" from a local discount store.
In order to be able to wear your shoes on the slides and other water attractions, you need to make sure they don't have any metal buckles or fasteners, and you need to make sure they are secure on your feet (unlike flip flops which can easily fall off). I did see people on some of the water slides at both parks with their flip flops in their hands, but I think it's a better bet to make sure you have something that fits more like a sock.
We also pack flip flops in our backpack or beach bag that we can wear back to our
Walt Disney World Resort hotel at the end of the day. I would also recommend making sure you bring along something like a couple of gallon-sized plastic bags that you can stash your wet shoes in when you're ready to leave the Water Parks. Bring your own towels, too! In case you forget, though, towels are available to rent or purchase at both Water Parks.
Hopefully these tips help you (and your tootsies) have a splash-tastic time at Walt Disney World Resort.
Grab your sunscreen, and we'll see you real soon!
Amy