Exploring Disney’s Water Parks: Typhoon Lagoon vs. Blizzard Beach [Expert Tips]

Both of Walt Disney World’s water parks deliver an abundance of thrills, sun, and refreshing floats in the water, but they offer different experiences. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon leans tropical with North America’s largest surf-style wave pool, while Disney’s Blizzard Beach is a charming melted ski resort with a 12-story plummet slide, scenic chairlift, and a long, shady lazy river.

In 2025 and summer 2026, guests of Disney resorts get complimentary check-in day water park access for a great way to dive into a Disney vacation.

Let’s compare both of Disney World’s water parks from theming to signature attractions and food so you can decide which park to visit — and find out how to visit both.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon vs. Blizzard Beach: At a Glance

How Disney’s Water Parks Compare

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach have a lot in common:

• Heated water
• Complimentary towels
• Life vests
• Lockers
• Abundant loungers
• Lazy river
• Wave pool
• Kids play areas
• Quick-service dining and bars
• Free parking

While you can expect great service, fun features, and attractions, these water parks differ in theming, signature attractions, and overall vibe.

Theming

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon theming is a shipwrecked tropical paradise. The idea is that a massive storm hit the lagoon and shipwrecked the Miss Tilly boat atop the volcanic Mount Mayday. The park features lush greenery and beach-town details, such as a boardwalk and shaded pathways. The vibe is laid-back with a tropical soundtrack. While this park is well-themed, it’s far from unique, as many water parks are tropical-themed.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Disney’s Blizzard Beach theming goes in the opposite direction, as a quirky melted ski resort. The story is that it was a ski resort during an unusual Florida snowstorm, then transformed into a water park once the snow melted. Where Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon’s tropical vibes felt par for the course at a water park, the Alpine architecture, snow, ice, and ski lifts of Disney’s Blizzard Beach are more novel and playful.

Bottom Line:

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon feels natural and relaxing, while Disney’s Blizzard Beach is clever and unique.

Attractions

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon

Slides and Thrill Rides

• Humunga Kowabunga (riders must be 48 inches or taller) is among the most thrilling slides, with a 5-story near-vertical drop down Mount Mayday.
• Crush ‘n’ Gusher (48 inches or taller) is a 400-foot partner tube slide through a fruit chute at an abandoned fruit-processing plant with sudden drops and sharp turns, including uphill climbs from water jets.
• Whitewater rafting along Gangplank Falls takes groups of 4 through a 300-foot adventure through rocky caverns and waterfalls.
• Prefer a solo raft? Keelhaul Falls is a 1-person ride down Mount Mayday.
• Mayday Falls takes you on an intense ride in a single-rider inner tube down Mount Mayday through caves and waterfalls.
• At Storm Slides, you can choose from 3 body slides, which take you through grottoes and end with a waterfall splashdown.
• Board a 4-person raft at Miss Adventure Falls for a family-friendly whitewater ride.

Lazy River

Castaway Creek is a 2,000-foot lazy river that winds through the park. It features overhead mist, grottoes, and a tunnel through Mount Mayday. The waterfall at the tunnel entrance has intense water pressure that’s tough to bypass, but it’s refreshing.

Wave Pool

The Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool is Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon’s signature attraction and North America’s largest wave pool, featuring intermittent 6-foot swells. It offers an intense body surf, and you can expect to be swept away by the forceful wave.

Hot Tip:

The Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool is best for strong swimmers. Signs encourage parents to hold their kids by the hand.

Kids Play Areas

• Bay Slides (60 inches or shorter) at the edge of the wave pool are beginner slides good for kids 10 and under and up to 60 inches tall.
• Ketchakiddie Creek (48 inches or shorter) is a splash pad for kids 4 feet and under with a sandy beach and shallow pools with small waterslides and a waterfall.

Unique Feature

Follow the Mountain Trail up to the top of Mount Mayday and watch for Miss Tilly water eruptions every half hour.

Hot Tip:

Surf sessions are available at the Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, offering 100 waves in a 3-hour session before or after regular park hours.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Slides and Thrill Rides

• The most intense waterslide at Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Summit Plummet (48 inches or taller) is a freefall body slide with a near-vertical, 12-story drop through a dark tunnel.
• A less-intense version of Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher (48 inches or taller) is a 90-foot waterslide with rolling hills.
• Race side-by-side on the Downhill Double Dipper (48 inches or taller) waterslides themed as a ski race.
• Runoff Rapids features 3 600-foot tube slides that twist and turn down Mount Gushmore, including a dark and fully enclosed center slide.
• Snow Stormers feels like a downhill ski race, with a 350-foot slalom down on a toboggan-style mat.
• Similar to Snow Stormers, Toboggan Racers takes you down headfirst on a toboggan-style mat on an 8-lane waterslide.
• Up to 5 riders can take a whitewater raft down Teamboat Springs, with a 1,200-foot ride down the mountain along the rapids.

Lazy River

Cross Country Creek is a 3,000-foot-long lazy river that runs through the park and within the forest, winding into grottoes, through waterfalls, and past the ice gator’s house.

Wave Pool

Melt-Away Bay is a 1-acre wave pool with gentle waves, a waterfall, and a white sand beach. Inner tubes are allowed in this wave pool.

Kids Play Areas

• Ski Patrol Training Camp is great for young guests who want adventure but aren’t ready for the thrill slides. It features obstacle courses, waterslides, and a zip line.
• Tike’s Peak (48 inches or shorter) features wading pools, an igloo fortress, snow slides and chutes, an inner tube ride, and splash zones with a “Frozen” theme with Olaf, Snowgies, and other characters from the movie.

Unique Feature

The Chairlift — with ski lift theming — takes guests (32 inches or taller) up to the mountain to the top of Mount Gushmore. You can ride a waterslide back down or take the stairs.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for an epic wave pool, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is unbeatable and intense. Disney’s Blizzard Beach has a longer — and calmer — lazy river, plus a 12-story waterslide and an obstacle course training camp for kids who are too big for the splash pad but not ready for big slides.

Amenities

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon

Changing rooms, lockers, and showers are available at the water park. Towels are complimentary for all guests. Locker rentals are $10 to $15 per day, depending on whether you rent a small or large locker.

The restrooms are split into zones, with a regular restroom, private changing stalls, and shower stalls. The shower stalls have a shower and changing area and feature a shampoo-body wash combo.

The wave pool features a deep sandy beach filled with loungers. Reserved umbrella spots near the wave pool are available for $49 to $99, including a beach umbrella, 2 reserved lounge chairs, 2 beach chairs, a drink table, and towels.

Beachcomber Shacks (cabanas) are available for 10 to 12 people, with prices ranging from $225 to $500 depending on the options. Standard cabanas include attendant service, cushioned furniture, cold water and select soft drinks, a locker, and towels. Deluxe cabanas have room for 12, and Premium Plus cabanas offer a dining table, minifridge, flatscreen TV, fan, and electrical outlets.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Amenities at Disney’s Blizzard Beach are largely the same as at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. The park features complimentary towels, has restrooms, changing rooms, and showers with shampoo-body wash, and paid locker rentals.

There are loungers available near the wave pool, some under shady trees. You can rent a spot with an umbrella for $49 to $99, which includes 1 beach umbrella, 2 lounge chairs, 2 sand chairs, and 4 towels.

Polar Patios are private, shaded decks with seating for up 6 guests and priced from $225 to $375. A standard patio includes attendant service, towels, a locker, cold water, and select soft drinks. Premium patios add a roof, minifridge, fan, and cell phone chargers.

Dining

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon

There are 7 dining options at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, ranging from a bar next to the wave pool to quick service snacks, meals, and ice cream. Leaning Palms and Typhoon Tilly’s accept mobile orders in the My Disney Experience app, which can save you time if there are long lines.

Leaning Palms is the largest restaurant at Typhoon Lagoon, and it’s known for its pork elote nachos. Typhoon Tilly’s is one of the best spots for dining. We recommend the tropical salad with tomatoes, cucumber, mango, pineapple, red pepper hummus, and chickpeas.

The Snack Shack next door to Typhoon Tilly’s is a Dole Whip lover’s dream. Choose from pineapple, orange, watermelon, strawberry, or vanilla Dole Whip, or get a bathtub sundae with pineapple, strawberry, and orange served in a miniature bathtub with boba pearls for bubbles on top. Prefer regular ice cream? There’s a sand pail sundae at Happy Landings, a photogenic layered vanilla and chocolate sundae served in a souvenir sand pail bucket.

Look for the Joffrey’s cart to grab fan-favorite miniature donuts with chocolate, raspberry, or white chocolate dipping sauces.

Hot Tip:

Use a Disney^® Visa^® Card or Disney^® Premier Visa^® card to get 20% off at Joffrey’s. Read our guide to learn more about the benefits of Disney credit cards at Disney parks.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Disney’s Blizzard Beach has 9 dining options, with some food in common with Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, including the pork elote nachos, sand pail sundae, and Joffrey’s mini donuts, along with standard park fare such as burgers, fries, pizza, and Mickey-shaped pretzels. Mobile ordering is available at Avalunch and the Warming Hut.

The Warming Hut is where you can find a barbecue pork sandwich with house-made pickles and a turkey-and-cheddar sandwich with cranberry mayonnaise. The winter harvest salad, available at the Warming Hut and Lottawatta Lodge, features grape tomatoes, kale, red radishes, rainbow carrots, golden raisins, quinoa, and dates with a pear vinaigrette — a refreshing yet substantial salad loaded with veggies that are somewhat rare at Disney parks.

I.C. Expeditions features a churro-topped praline sundae with loads of ice cream and whipped cream in a waffle cup and topped with pralines. The baked Alaska at Lottawatta Lodge is a splurge at more than $40, featuring an ice cream cake including vanilla ice cream, pineapple Dole Whip, strawberries, gold leaf, and viola flowers.

Which Disney World Water Park Should You Visit?

Both water parks are worth visiting. If you have to choose, consider which attractions, dining, and features matter most to you.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is a great choice if you want a challenging wave pool, tropical immersion, or a chill day followed by a Disney Springs visit.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach is excellent if you want greater thrills and a long, shaded lazy river. It also has great options for kids who are too big for kiddie slides and splash pads but not ready for the thrill slides.

Here are some additional considerations:

• Single riders: Disney’s Blizzard Beach has speed and races, and most slides are single-rider experiences.
• Adults only: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon offers an epic wave pool and easy Disney Springs pairing for dinner after. Or visit Disney’s Blizzard Beach if thrills and shaded lazy river laps are your ideal water park day.
• Families with young kids: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon has Ketchakiddee Creek, sandy beach zones, and small slides near the wave pool.
• Families with older kids: Disney’s Blizzard Beach features the Ski Patrol Training Camp for in-betweeners and “Frozen” themed Tike’s Peak for littles. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is great for strong and adventurous swimmers.

I liked visiting Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon for a family trip, mainly for the colossal wave pool. My 3 school-age kids loved body surfing the waves as I nervously watched them take on the jaw-dropping walls of water. The lazy river (always my favorite water park attraction) was fun, but I didn’t like the aggressive waterfall on the way into the cave. The Dole Whip treats at the Snack Shack made for a refreshing treat on our way out, and everyone liked getting flavors we don’t typically get to try.

For an adults-only trip, Disney’s Blizzard Beach was fantastic, offering a far superior lazy river with abundant shade and delightful ski resort theming — especially the chairlift. Where else can you ride a ski lift up to a waterslide? We liked the dining (including some winter-themed dishes) better than Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. But the wave pool couldn’t hold our attention compared to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. We’d love to bring our kids to try out the Ski Patrol Training Camp obstacles.

Hot Tip:

It’s possible to visit both water parks. Resort guest check-in day admission is good at either park, and you could hop between both water parks if you’d like. Or do a split stay, checking into a second Disney resort for another day of water park admission.

How To Visit Disney World’s Water Parks

Admission

You can buy a 1-day water park ticket to either park for $74 per adult or $68 per child 3 to 9 (kids under 3 are free). If you buy a ticket with blockout dates, it’s $64 for adults and $58 per child.

Hot Tip:

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon offers H2O Glow After Hours on select nights, offering admission after the park closes. Attractions have lower wait times, a DJ plays, characters appear, and complimentary snacks and beverages are available.

If you’re visiting Disney World theme parks, you can add the water park and sports option, which includes 1 admission for each day of your tickets to the water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and Disney World golf courses, including Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course, footgolf, and miniature golf courses.

Staying at a Disney resort? You get complimentary admission to the water parks on your check-in day. This perk is valid through 2025 and will be available in summer 2026. You can use your MagicBand+, Disney MagicMobile pass, or Key to the World Card to enter the parks.

Hours

Both water parks are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach will close on September 8, 2025, for a seasonal refurbishment, while Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will remain open. We expect to see Blizzard Beach reopen a few months later, with Typhoon Lagoon then shutting down for seasonal refurbishment.

Transportation

Parking is complimentary at Disney World water parks. There’s also complimentary bus transportation between Disney resorts and the water parks. You may have to transfer at Disney Springs to get to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, or transfer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to get to Disney’s Blizzard Beach.

Location

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is near Disney Springs, and you may have to take a bus transfer from Disney Springs to get there. Pairing a visit to Disney Springs with this water park can make a great arrival day combination before you hit the theme parks. Work up an appetite in the Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, then hit Disney Springs for lunch or dinner.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach is near Disney’s Animal Kingdom and right next to Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf. You may take a bus transfer from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to the water park, so this can be a good pairing, too. We recommend cooling off with a visit to the water park after you hit Disney’s Animal Kingdom or play miniature golf next door.

Tips for Visiting Disney’s Water Parks

• Arrive early for the best parking and short lines.
• Order food on the mobile app to avoid lines.
• Bring sun protection, including hats, rash guards, and sunscreen.
• Wear water shoes to protect your feet from hot pavement.
• Bring drinks and snacks if you’d like, except for glass containers, alcohol, loose or dry ice, and hard-sided or large coolers.
• Drop luggage at bell services at your resort first if you’re using the resort check-in day admission benefit.
• Do a split stay, checking into a second Disney resort during your trip, to get 2 free check-in days for water park admission.

Final Thoughts

You can’t go wrong visiting either of Disney World’s water parks. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon has an exceptional wave pool, solid attractions and dining, and proximity to Disney Springs. Disney’s Blizzard Beach has a unique theme, maximum thrills, and a great lazy river. If you’re staying at a Disney resort, use the check-in day water park admission benefit to check out one or both of the water parks.