Disney World water parks, decided properly
Typhoon Lagoon vs Blizzard Beach
Two water parks, one swimsuit day. A shipwrecked surf town against a melting ski resort, judged slide by slide, with live gate status for both.
Updated July 1, 2026, prices and dates checked against Disney's published 2026 season
The 10 second answer
Blizzard Beach wins on slides, Typhoon Lagoon wins on everything you do between slides. Our seven category matchups below end 3 to 3 with one push, which is the honest result. Thrill seekers and families juggling mixed ages should pick Blizzard Beach. Wave chasers, shade lovers, and groups who want to float together all day should pick Typhoon Lagoon.
seven categories, one too close to call
Pick Typhoon Lagoon if
- the wave pool is the whole point, waves up to six feet on a 90-second clock
- your group wants to ride rafts together instead of splitting up by height
- you want tropical shade and scenery with your float
- a night owl wants the H2O Glow after-hours party
Pick Blizzard Beach if
- someone needs to free-fall 12 stories off Summit Plummet
- you have both toddlers and tweens to keep busy at once
- the longer lazy river and the ice cave sound like your speed
- you are visiting after September 8, when it is the only one open
Pick your park in three taps
Answer for the group you are actually bringing, not the group you wish you were bringing.
The head to head, seven rounds
Each round tilts toward its winner. We kept score so you do not have to.
In the water
Wave pool
Typhoon Lagoon takes it
Typhoon LagoonThe Surf Pool is the headliner of the entire park. Swells up to six feet every 90 seconds, big enough that Disney has run real surf lessons here.
Blizzard BeachMelt-Away Bay bobs. It is pleasant, kid-friendly, and completely out of its weight class in this fight.
Nothing at either water park, or honestly anywhere else at Disney World, touches the Surf Pool. If waves are the day's mission, this category decides everything.
Thrill slides
Blizzard Beach takes it
Typhoon LagoonHumunga Kowabunga drops five stories in the dark and Crush 'n' Gusher is a genuine water coaster. A strong hand, not a winning one.
Blizzard BeachSummit Plummet is a 12-story free fall you can see from the parking lot. Back it up with Slush Gusher and the racing Downhill Double Dipper.
Blizzard Beach was built as a ski mountain, and the drops prove it. Thrill seekers should not overthink this one.
Lazy river
Blizzard Beach takes it
Typhoon LagoonCastaway Creek is gorgeous, all mist and jungle shade, but it is the shorter loop.
Blizzard BeachCross Country Creek runs about 3,000 feet around the entire park, and the ice cave ambush is a rite of passage.
Both are top-tier floats. The longer circuit and the cold-water ice cave give Blizzard Beach the edge by a tube length.
Keeping the crew happy
Little kids
Blizzard Beach takes it
Typhoon LagoonKetchakiddee Creek is a lovely toddler zone and Bay Slides ease beginners into the surf pool's calm corner.
Blizzard BeachTike's Peak covers the toddlers, then Ski Patrol Training Camp gives the 8-to-12 crowd a whole obstacle course of their own.
Typhoon Lagoon handles small kids fine. Blizzard Beach handles small kids and their older siblings at the same time, and that wins family trips.
Riding together
Typhoon Lagoon takes it
Typhoon LagoonMiss Adventure Falls seats the whole family for a treasure hunt, no height requirement, and Gangplank Falls adds a second group float.
Blizzard BeachTeamboat Springs is the single best family raft ride at either park, but after it the mountain splits everyone up by height and nerve.
If the goal is maximum minutes in one raft, Typhoon Lagoon keeps the group together more of the day.
The rest of the day
Theming and shade
Typhoon Lagoon takes it
Typhoon LagoonA shipwrecked shrimp boat on a mountain, a surf-town ruined by a storm, and real tropical canopy that throws real shade.
Blizzard BeachA melting ski resort in Florida is one of Imagineering's best jokes, but concrete snow reflects sun instead of blocking it.
Typhoon Lagoon is the prettier, cooler, more photogenic park, and on a 95-degree July afternoon the shade is not a small thing.
Food and snacks
Too close to call
Typhoon LagoonLeaning Palms and Typhoon Tilly's cover the burgers-and-fish-basket beat with a tropical accent.
Blizzard BeachLottawatta Lodge does the same set list in ski-lodge costume.
Both parks eat like a pool day, fine and forgettable, and the sand pail sundae exists at both. Call it a push and pack snacks.
Planning the day
Tickets and the free day most people miss
A one-day water park ticket in 2026 runs $74 for adults and $68 for kids 3 to 9, plus tax, and covers both parks on the same day when both are open. A cheaper $64 and $58 version comes with blockout dates. Kids under 3 walk in free.
The sleeper deal is for on-site guests. Every Disney Resorts Collection hotel stay with a check-in date from May 26 through September 8, 2026 includes water park admission on check-in day. Your room usually is not ready anyway, so drop the bags and go make it a wave day. It stacks nicely with the discounts in our summer 2026 deals roundup.
Timing the season
Both parks run daily through September 8, 2026. From September 9, Typhoon Lagoon goes down for its seasonal refurbishment and Blizzard Beach carries winter alone. Disney rotates which park hibernates each year and has not announced a reopening date, so a fall or winter trip means Blizzard Beach or nothing. Cold snaps and lightning both close the gates temporarily, which is exactly what the live chips at the top of this page are watching.
Arrive at opening or after 3 PM in summer. The afternoon thunderstorm clears the park, everyone leaves, the storm passes, and you get golden-hour slides with no lines. It is the water park version of the strategy in our guide to planning a Disney day.
The night shift
Typhoon Lagoon moonlights. H2O Glow After Hours runs 8 to 11 PM on select nights from June 2 through September 5, 2026, with event entry from 6 PM. Tickets are $85 to $89 for adults and $65 to $69 for kids, and popcorn, ice cream novelties, and select bottled drinks are included. Three hours of a glowing, mostly empty Surf Pool is the best crowd-to-wave ratio Disney sells.
What to bring
Towels rent for a few dollars and lockers for a bit more, but water shoes are the real hero, both parks have long stretches of sun-baked concrete. Sunscreen, a dry bag, and a phone pouch round it out. Our Disney World packing list has the full checklist, and the park bag rules in what you can bring into Disney World apply here too, coolers and all.
Two parks, two tall tales
Imagineering gave each park an origin story, and the theming plays it completely straight.
The storm that made a surf town
Typhoon Lagoon opened June 1, 1989 with a backstory about a freak typhoon that wrecked a tropical resort. The shrimp boat Miss Tilly still sits impaled on the peak of Mount Mayday, and every half hour she fires a geyser of water at the sky. The whole park plays castaway, right down to surfboards fencing the walkways.
The ski resort that never stood a chance
Blizzard Beach opened April 1, 1995 on a better joke. A rogue snowstorm hit Orlando, a ski resort went up overnight, and then Florida remembered what it was. The snow melted into slush rivers, the slalom course became a slide, and a chairlift still carries swimsuits up Mount Gushmore. Look for Ice Gator, the park's blue mascot, mid-meltdown everywhere.
Questions people actually ask
Which is better, Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach?
Our category scoreboard ends 3 to 3 with one push, so it genuinely depends on your group. Thrill seekers and families with mixed-age kids do better at Blizzard Beach. Wave lovers, shade seekers, and groups who want to ride together do better at Typhoon Lagoon.
Is Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach open right now?
Both parks are open daily through September 8, 2026. Typhoon Lagoon closes September 9, 2026 for its seasonal refurbishment with no announced reopening date, and Blizzard Beach stays open. The live status chips at the top of this page show today's answer.
Can you visit both water parks in one day?
Yes, when both are open. A single water park ticket covers both parks on the same day, so a morning at one and an afternoon at the other is a real strategy in summer.
How much are Disney water park tickets in 2026?
A standard one-day water park ticket runs $74 for adults and $68 for kids 3 to 9, plus tax. A cheaper ticket with blockout dates runs $64 and $58. Kids under 3 are free.
Do Disney hotel guests get free water park admission?
Yes. For arrivals from May 26 through September 8, 2026, guests of Disney Resorts Collection hotels get water park admission on their check-in day, at either park, using their MagicBand or MagicMobile pass. It cannot be moved to a different day.
Which park has the better wave pool?
Typhoon Lagoon, and it is not close. The Surf Pool sends out waves up to six feet tall every 90 seconds. Melt-Away Bay at Blizzard Beach is a gentle bobbing pool.
Which water park is better for toddlers?
Both have dedicated toddler zones, Ketchakiddee Creek at Typhoon Lagoon and Tike's Peak at Blizzard Beach. Blizzard Beach gets the nod for families because Ski Patrol Training Camp also covers kids 8 to 12, an age the other park mostly skips.
What are the height requirements at the water parks?
At Blizzard Beach, Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher, and Downhill Double Dipper all require 48 inches, and the chairlift requires 32 inches. At Typhoon Lagoon, Humunga Kowabunga and Crush 'n' Gusher require 48 inches. Everything else is any-height, and each park has an under-48-inch kids zone.
What is H2O Glow After Hours?
A separately ticketed night party at Typhoon Lagoon on select nights from June 2 through September 5, 2026, from 8 to 11 PM with event entry starting at 6 PM. Tickets run $85 to $89 for adults and $65 to $69 for kids 3 to 9, and include popcorn, ice cream novelties, and select bottled drinks.
Do you need park reservations for the water parks?
No. As of summer 2026 the water parks do not use the park reservation system. Buy a ticket, check the weather, and go.
Still torn? Blizzard Beach for the drops and the kid zones, Typhoon Lagoon for the waves, the shade, and floating together. And after September 8, the park picks itself.
Run the three-tap picker again