Typhoon Lagoon Water Park Review | Disney World Activities for Families
If you’re looking for a fun and refreshing way to kick off your Disney vacation, Typhoon Lagoon Water Park at Walt Disney World is a perfect choice! Especially with the 2025 Disney Resort guest promotion that offers complimentary water park access on your check-in day!
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Through the end of 2025, and returning in Summer 2026, guests staying at any Disney Resort hotel can enjoy Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach for free on the day they check in. It’s a great way to add extra magic to your arrival day!
During our recent trip, we were doing a split stay at multiple Disney Resorts, so we actually had the chance to take advantage of this promotion several times. Since we had visited Blizzard Beach in the past, we decided to focus on trying out Typhoon Lagoon this time. It turned out to be a fantastic choice!
Attractions at Typhoon Lagoon
Typhoon Lagoon is the original of the two Disney water parks, and it offers an incredible mix of attractions for all ages. Families will love the variety of slides and raft rides, from gentle adventures to thrill-seeker favorites.
Originally opened in 1989, Typhoon Lagoon features a shipwreck atop a hill as its main visual feature. I remember going here as a kid and thinking it was a blast! There are two family raft slides, Miss Adventure Falls and Gangplank Falls. Miss Adventure Falls was probably our family’s favorite raft ride!
The massive surf wave pool is a standout feature!! It’s one of the largest in the world and a blast for both kids and adults. Younger guests can splash and explore in kid friendly play areas, while older kids will enjoy the winding water coasters and group raft rides.
The park’s tropical, storm tossed theme is beautifully immersive, making you feel like you’ve landed on a remote island after a shipwreck. There’s plenty of shaded seating, sandy beaches for lounging, and lazy rivers for relaxing between rides.
It actually reminds me a bit of the vibe of Castaway Cay, and that’s one of my favorite places to visit so that is a bonus!
Who is Typhoon Lagoon Best For?
Let’s compare the two Disney World water parks to see which one may be the best fit for your family! Having been to both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon at Disney World, there are some differences between the locations.
Blizzard Beach is a more compact water park. (Even though it takes up slightly more land area!) Everything feels centrally located and easy to get to here. This is great if you have school aged children that you want to be able to keep to one area, while keeping an eye on multiple kids at one time.
They also have Tike’s Peak, a special water play area for children that are 48 inches or shorter, making this a great place for little ones!
They also have some thrill water slides, kids activity area, lazy river, and chair “ski lift” to get up to the family water slide.
In our opinion, Blizzard Beach is a great introduction to water parks and works well if you have younger children. Or is a good choice if you just want to see how well a water park will work for your family.
We have been there a number of times with younger children, and the range of activities worked well for our family.
Typhoon Lagoon also has a lot to do, but there are many bigger slides and activities, making it a great fit if you’re traveling with older kids. It also feels bigger to get from one side to the other, so you’ll want to building in at least a few hours of your day to enjoy the water park.
Traveling with Teens
Now with teens, we headed over Typhoon Lagoon which is packed with activities! It has tons to do for the whole family, but is a location with bigger thrills. We spent two check-in days at Typhoon Lagoon and still didn’t get to every attraction in the water park.
The wave pool is actually more of a surf pool with some of the biggest simulated waves you’ll ever see! And they also have a great selection of water slides. There is play area for kiddos under 48 inches here as well called Ketchakiddee Creek. (Although one noticeable difference is that it is near the back of the park, whereas Blizzard Beach’s play area is towards the front.) And a large lazy river going around the outside.
If you have a small amount of time to visit the water park, Blizzard Beach may be your best option. And if you have all day, are looking for the biggest water attractions, or are traveling with teens, Typhoon Lagoon may be your best bet.
They both are great fun, and should work well for families. Check out our tips on how to plan a split stay trip, so you have multiple check-in days and you can just visit them both!
Dining at Typhoon Lagoon
One of the biggest highlights of our visit was lunch at Leaning Palms, the park’s main quick-service dining location. We used mobile ordering for convenience and efficiency, which worked perfectly on busy days.
My personal favorite was the Pork Elote Nachos…so good!! In fact, that I ordered the nachos for lunch on both visits. The flavors were fresh, the portions were generous, and it was easily one of my favorite quick service meals of the trip.
Honestly, I’d come back to Typhoon Lagoon just to eat here again! They had a good selection of treats that should appeal to most families.
The Butterfly Pea Tea Frozen Lemonade was the perfect refreshing drink on a hot day too!
Why We Recommend Typhoon Lagoon for Families
If you’ve got an extra day at Disney that you’re looking for something different to do from the theme parks, going to Typhoon Lagoon is a great option! With its variety of attractions, immersive theming, and excellent dining, Typhoon Lagoon is an ideal activity for families visiting Walt Disney World.
Especially on your arrival day when you might not have time for a full theme park visit. It’s a great way to make the most of your Disney Resort stay and start your vacation with a splash.
Tips from a Mom: Bring water shoes or sandals with good grip, as walkways can get hot in the Florida sun, don’t forget a cell phone holder, and plan to use mobile ordering for meals to maximize your time in the water.
Found in photo: Beach Tote / Cell Phone Cases / Water Shoes
If you’re visiting Disney World in 2025 (or when the promotion returns in Summer 2026) consider making Typhoon Lagoon your first magical stop after dropping off your luggage. It’s the perfect combination of relaxation and fun for the whole family.
Planning Your Disney Vacation
Visiting the water parks at Disney World is a great way to kick off your trip! If you’re planning the other parts of your vacation, visit some of our favorite planning articles below to find the best places to stay, where to dine, and how to plan your itineraries!
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite planning articles to help you navigate everything from park strategies to dining recommendations, so you can focus on making memories instead of stressing over details. Check them out to start planning your next Disney adventure!
Disclaimer:
** All opinions are unbiased and independent. This post contains affiliate links. Moms with Mouse Ears is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
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