Disney's Typhoon Lagoon

Disney runs two water parks and refurbishes each one every year. Its ticket page says the maintenance periods are staggered so that at least one is open year-round, and its FAQ says at least one is open every day except in bad weather. In practice they take turns.

The recent history, from Disney's calendar and WDW News Today:

• February 14, 2026: Typhoon Lagoon closed for its seasonal refurbishment.
• February 15, 2026: Blizzard Beach reopened after its own winter closure.
• Summer 2026: both parks operated during Disney's Cool Kids' Summer promotion, May 26 to September 8, which included free same-day water park admission for resort guests on their check-in day. That perk ended on September 8.
• September 9, 2026: Typhoon Lagoon closed again. No end date.

What this means for you: if your trip is between now and the end of 2026, plan on Blizzard Beach. If your trip is in spring 2027, check the official calendar about six weeks out before buying anything that depends on Typhoon Lagoon specifically. Your water park ticket does not care which park is open, so the only thing you can lose by waiting is time.

Typhoon Lagoon is built around a mountain with a shrimp boat stuck on top, and the rides are arranged around the wave pool at its foot. The ones worth knowing, with Disney's height rules:

There are also the Storm Slides, Keelhaul Falls, Mayday Falls and Gangplank Falls, plus two children's areas: Ketchakiddee Creek for children 48 inches and under and Bay Slides. Life jackets and towels are free; lockers, umbrellas and cabanas are extra.

Two things set it apart. The surf pool is a real wave machine, not a gentle ripple, and the big waves come on a cycle; watch one set from the beach before sending small children in. And Castaway Creek loops the whole park, so it works as transport as well as a rest.

Disney runs surfing programs in the wave pool outside regular park hours: 3-hour Open Surf or Private Surf sessions. You cannot surf during the normal day. These are booked separately from park admission, and with the pool shut for refurbishment we would not expect sessions until the park reopens. We did not find a current price we could verify, so check Disney's surfing programs page when the park reopens rather than trusting an old figure.

For confident teenagers and adults, a surf session is the most unusual thing you can do at any Disney water park, and the only reason we would build a trip around Typhoon Lagoon rather than treat it as a hot-day extra.

There are three ways in once it reopens:

• 1-Day Water Park Ticket: $74 (ages 10+) or $68 (3 to 9). A version with blockout dates is $64 or $58. Disney says the blockouts fall in summer and early fall.
• Disney Water Park Seasonal Pass: $89 or $83, plus tax, valid through May 15, 2027 with blockout dates. Two visits and it has paid for itself against the full-price 1-day ticket.
• Park Hopper Plus on a theme park ticket. On October 10, 2026 a 1-day Park Hopper was $279 and Park Hopper Plus $302.50; on December 28 they were $284 and $307.50. That $23.50 difference is far less than a $74 standalone ticket, if you were buying a hopper anyway.

On a multi-day theme park ticket, Plus adds a number of water park visits tied to your ticket length. If a water park day is likely, price Plus before buying a standalone ticket. Our Disney World tickets guide and Park Hopper verdict cover the rest.

When both Disney parks are open, the choice is simple. Typhoon Lagoon is better for families, for the wave pool, and for anyone who wants to float for an hour. Blizzard Beach is better for teenagers and thrill slides, with Summit Plummet's 12-story drop as the headline. Blizzard Beach's wave pool, Melt-Away Bay, is heated and gentle, which is a plus in winter and a minus if you came for waves.

Outside Disney, Universal's Volcano Bay uses a virtual line system instead of stair queues, and Aquatica is SeaWorld's water park. Both have their own pages with current prices. Neither accepts Disney tickets.

While Typhoon Lagoon is shut, the Disney choice is made for you. Blizzard Beach was open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the dates we checked, and besides Summit Plummet it has Slush Gusher, a 90-foot speed slide, and Teamboat Springs, a 1,200-foot family raft ride with no height limit. Its lazy river, Cross Country Creek, runs 3,000 feet, longer than Castaway Creek.

• Weather decides. Disney posts full-day water park closures on its calendar at least a day ahead, but also closes rides or whole parks for storms with little notice. Summer afternoons in Orlando often bring lightning, and the slides close first.
• Arrive at opening. The hours we saw at Blizzard Beach were 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first two hours are when slide lines are shortest and loungers are free.
• It is a half day for most families. Four to six hours of sun and stairs is plenty, so pair it with a pool afternoon at your hotel rather than a park evening.
• Free parking and buses. Standard parking is free at both water parks, first come, first served, and Disney Resort hotel guests get complimentary buses.

On a trip of four days or fewer, we would spend the day at a theme park instead. On a week-long trip in hot weather, one water park day is a good rest from walking. See Orlando with kids for how to pace it.

Walt Disney World Orlando Water Park Tickets

Sale is final. One Disney water park is usually closed for refurbishment; check which is open on your date first.

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