Disney World has two very distinct water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Typhoon Lagoon has a wave pool capable of making waves up to six feet. Blizzard Beach is newer and features more slides. Both water parks are beautifully landscaped, and a great attention is paid to the atmosphere and aesthetics. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard beach have adjacent parking lots or can be reached using the Disney bus.
When purchasing a base Magic Your Way ticket for the Disney World Parks, guests will have the ‘Water Park fun and More’ option. This is one valid admission for one person to a choice of either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon among other choices. Visitors can also purchase Water Park Single Day Tickets during the time of the reservations or at the Water Parks and Resorts. Guests can also use automated ticket-vending machines to purchase admission tickets at the Water Parks. These automated machines use touch-screen technology and should help reduce the amount of time spent standing in line at the ticket windows.
At the Water Parks, the following rules and prices apply: towels are $1; lockers are $10 for small, $12 for large (includes a $5 refundable deposit); one cooler per family or group is allowed, but no glass or alcoholic beverages; life jackets are free with a $25 refundable deposit.
Like the other Disney World Parks, the water parks participate in the Extra Magic Hours. Each day, guests can enter either water park one hour before the park is opened to the public. During the summer months and some spring holiday periods, evening Extra Magic Hours are offered at Typhoon Lagoon only on two to five designated evenings a month; on these days, Typhoon Lagoon stays open until 10 pm, which is three hours beyond the normal closing time.
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
Legend has it that on one hot day, a freak winter storm blanketed the area with snow. Florida’s first ski resort was open for business. Ski lifts were built, toboggan runs were made and the entire area flourished around a mountain of snow. When the temperature returned to normal the slush created downhill waterslides instead of slalom course and bobsled runs. The ski lift began to carry swimmers instead of skiers. An echoing ‘yahoo’ was heard from the summit of the mountain. Everyone looked up to see a playful alligator sliding down the melting hillside. Once the resort seen this, they knew they were back in business to have a ski jump that became the tallest and fastest water slide in the world. The ski resort became known as Disney’s Blizzard Beach, the most slippery, slushy, exhilarating water park.
Downhill Double Dipper
These two 230 foot long, side-by-side tubes blast down the slopes at 25 miles per hour. Hop on an inner tube and slide into a tunnel before remerging seconds later before splashdown.
Slush Gusher
Get ready to speed down a 90 foot tall Mount Gushmore in a slushy mountain gully. Two humps create fun-filled ups and downs on the trip to the bottom of the snow-capped mountain. This launches you down the slopes in the shadow of Summit Plummet.
Summit Plummet
Dare to take this 120 foot vertical plunge from the top of the world’s tallest and fastest free-fall body slide. This tall ski jump drops you down the slopes of Mount Gushmore at a speed of 55 miles per hour for a 360 foot long trip back to the lower atmosphere.
Toboggan Racers
Get ready to race of one the eight side-by-side lanes that toboggan down the mountain. While hanging onto your mat as it heads down the slopes and make dips that charge to the finish line.
Tike’s Peak
This kid sized version of Blizzard Beach allows children 4 feet tall and under to play in their own pools, ride their own slides, and play in the pop jets, wading pool and fountains while sunning in the ‘snow’ reserved just for them.
Runoff Rapids
Hop on one of three high-speed tub-rafting flumes. Each flume is different. The center slide is enclosed and is a solo ride. The outer two slides can be ridden in one, two or three person rafts. All three twist and turn along the water-logged journey down the banks of Mount Gushmore.
Ski Patrol Training Camp
Here is a place designed specifically for pre-teens. At this training camp play area they can slide down inner-tube slides, balance on floating icebergs, ride the T-bar drop and swoosh down curvy slides.
Snow Stormers
Choose from one of the three different downhill racing courses that will bank through the curvy path marked with ski-type gates. Speed down the slopes in switchback slalom-style racing slides on a mat. Compete with your friends and meet in the plunge pool at the bottom of the course.
Teamboat Springs
This is the world’s longest family white water raft ride. Three to six passenger inner tubes will take the whole family through twelve hundred feet of white water and rushing waterfalls. This not-so-tame flume ride is a twisting, turning journey from the top of the mountain to the bottom for the family.
Cross Country Creek
Grab an inner tube and chill as it floats along a meandering river that flows around the entire park. Use the creek as transportation to get from one area of the park to the other.
Melt-Away Bay
This gentle water wading pool is fed by the melting snow run-off from Mount Gushmore. The far-reaching one-acre pool is great for those that just want to get your feet wet or take a dip on the bobbing waters of this bay.
Chairlift
This wooden chair lift, complete with umbrellas and dangling skis, is a one-way access to the top of Mount Gushmore for access to Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher, Teamboat Springs, Toboggan Racers and Snow Stormers.
Disney’s Legend has it that a storm once roared across the ocean throwing surfboards into trees, blowing boats through roofs and landing a shrimp boat on the peak of a volcanic mountain. Left from the typhoon is the water park filled with roaring rapids, relaxing rivers, twisting waterslides, and one of the world’s largest artificially created waves.
Ketchakiddee Creek
This is a children’s water play area when they can play on the slippery slides, watery whales, slippery seals or fountains. An interactive leaking tugboat and mini rapids ride and bound to create and adventure for the little ones.
Crush ‘n’ Gusher
This watery coaster experience will defy gravity as jets of water rush the raft through the ride. There is a surprise around every corner as guests slip and slide during the suspense-filled climb, turn and plunge.
Gang Plank Falls
Climb aboard on of the four person giant inner tubes. Enjoy the view on the way down and look out for special water effects and rock formations. This is a crazy curvy course that will take you through caverns dripping with water.
Humunga Kowabunga
Ride on one of these three enclosed flume speed slides. Each one will send you zooming in a blaze of water to a surprise ending by whipping you downhill and dropping five stories in seconds.
Keelhaul Falls
Grab an inner tube for this tropical white water adventure. This is a curvy, water rapid adventure down the mountain through the cavernous palm-lined course.
Mayday Falls
Take a plunge on the longest waterslide in the Park. Grab an inner tube to travel through caves and waterfalls as it twists down the mountain in the shadow of the famed stranded shrimp boat.
Shark Reef
Get up close and personal with the real live sharks and schools of tropical fish. Grab the snorkeling gear and swim this saltwater adventure on a reef around a sunken tanker. Non-swimmers can even go inside the tankers and observe the sharks through portholes.
Storm Slides
Slide down a winding waterway at 30 miles per hour plunging into a refreshing pool at the bottom. Choose from one of three body slides: the Jim Jammer, Stern Burner or Rudder Buster. This trio of waterslides offers excitement, waterfalls, geysers, caves, and more than a three story drop.
Surf Lessons
Master the art of surfing before the Park is open. Here professional instructors will teach the small classes how to surf on Typhoon Lagoon’s wave machine. During this two hour session the instructors will help anyone from the novice to a pro improve form. There’s surf every 90 seconds and waves that are adjusted up to six feet in height. For reservations call (407) WDW-PLAY (939-7529).
Surf Pool
Enjoy a dip on one of the world’s largest wave pools. Surf’s up all day long as guests can body-surf the waves towards the sandy shore. Choose from diving into the excitement, wading in the gentle waters farther away from the action or lounge on the white sand beaches.
Castaway Creek
Take this serine tropical retreat around this meandering creek that winds itself around the entire Water Park. Relax on an inner tube as the ride takes it through cool mists, grottoes, rain forests and waterfalls. This is a great way to kick back and watch the world go by.
Sandy White Beach
Relax on the gorgeous white sandy beach. Here find hammocks, lounge chairs, palm trees, great water views, and be close to food and beverages. Lounge around all day as guests enjoy this tropical environment or make this a stop between the active attractions in the Park.
