10 Things We Love About Typhoon Lagoon
I haven’t been shy about my love for Walt Disney World’s water parks on the blog, and in our full Guide to Typhoon Lagoon I make the case for why people should visit, in addition to offering other tips. In this post, we’ll cover why Typhoon Lagoon is worth your time even if you’re not into water parks. (Updated May 23, 2020.)
That’s 100% serious. It’s a shame that so many Walt Disney World fans have never experienced Typhoon Lagoon. I’d go as far as to say it’s some of Imagineering’s best work, and well-worth your vacation time. If you’re a fan of themed design, fun details, backstory, and just beautiful environments, Typhoon Lagoon is for you!
Seriously, it’s entirely possible to spend a morning or afternoon just walking around, soaking up the atmosphere and exploring Typhoon Lagoon. We always make time for the lazy river, but there have been plenty of visits to Typhoon Lagoon where we don’t do a single slide or ride. Here’s what we love so much about the water park…
The good news is that this year might be the Summer of Typhoon Lagoon. If Universal Orlando’s official reopening policies are a sign of what’s to come for Walt Disney World (and we think that’s highly likely), then water parks are the one place where face masks will be recommended rather than required.
As you can read in Universal’s FAQ, social distancing is being emphasized at Volcano Bay, which is due to masks being unsafe and impractical in the water. Assuming Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach reopen this summer, we would anticipate similar policies at those water parks.
We want to emphasize that nothing is official yet–Walt Disney World has made zero announcements one way or the other. However, if they follow Universal’s lead, this could make a lot of people who previously overlooked the water parks give more serious consideration to Typhoon Lagoon. With that in mind, here’s why we think Typhoon Lagoon is Walt Disney World’s best water park…
10. The Reveal – I rarely hear this talked up, but it’s one of the things I really appreciate about Typhoon Lagoon’s design. Approaching Typhoon Lagoon, the park is rather unassuming. The main entrance is small, compact, and immediately behind that, it appears lush. Based upon that first impression, you’re sort of expecting a hole-in-the-wall type place that will be lush, but probably not expansive.
Then, you wind around a narrow path that has details foreshadowing the park’s backstory, and then suddenly, the wide lagoon and surf pool come into view. It’s not quite the same as taking the ferry into Magic Kingdom or monorail into Epcot, but it’s thoughtfully done and cool, nonetheless.
9. Background Music – The background music loop at Typhoon Lagoon is one of the rare ones that has songs with lyrics. Heavy on The Beach Boys, it also features Jimmy Buffett and The Surfaris. It’s a great (long) loop that really gets you in the mood to…lounge around and do nothing.
8. Mountain Trail – This walking path starts near the queue entrance for Humunga Kowabunga, and meanders around the base of Mount Mayday, with the highlight being an elevated foot bridge high above Castaway Creek and up-close views of the Miss Tilly.
Later in the day, there’s seldom anyone up here (and it’s mostly confused guests who thought they were getting in line for a slide–I routinely see people double-back once realizing that’s not the case), but it’s a great way to get a bird’s eye view of the park, and take in some of its exquisite theming.
7. The “Rides” – I don’t mean the water slides. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of water slides, and most of my love of Typhoon Lagoon is derived from its brilliant theme, the subtle details, and relaxing ambiance.
However, I do really enjoy Crush ‘N’ Gusher for offering something more akin to a traditional attraction. I also really enjoy Teamboat Springs at Blizzard Beach, which is leads me to believe I’ll like Miss Adventure Falls, the new family raft ride at Typhoon Lagoon.
6. Unique Food – One of the biggest misconceptions about the Walt Disney World water parks is that their food is boring. To be sure, the main restaurants are heavy on standard theme park fare, and a lot of people end up getting sandwiches and hot dogs.
However, there’s so much more. Most notably, the delicious mini donuts and ice cream pails (even if you want to play it safe, the Island Burger is a pretty solid option). We have a whole article on what to eat at Typhoon Lagoon, but think it’s worth reiterating that there are some great food options at Typhoon Lagoon.
5. Miss Tilly – As far as park icons go, Miss Tilly, a wrecked shrimp boat, that is precariously perched atop Mount Mayday, is pretty tough to beat.
Not only is this boat wrecked on top of a mountain due to the huge storm…but the mountain’s geyser still erupts through the impaled Miss Tilly every half hour. It’s cool to wander the park checking out the ship from various angles (it’s visible pretty much everywhere), and also fun to get up close to it.
4. Lagoona Gator – As the kids would say, “Lagoona Gator is everything.” When Blizzard Beach opened, its Ice Gator mascot was a huge hit. Accordingly, Walt Disney World made enhancements to Typhoon Lagoon to give it a mascot: Lagoona Gator. When I said he’s everything above, I meant it.
Not only is he the mascot and resident surf ace of Typhoon Lagoon, but he’s also a movie star, rock star, artist, and (probably) more. He even used to be a meet & greet character in the park, but was long ago retired. The nods to him throughout the park are cool and well done, and he ranks a rung below Figment & Dreamfinder (right up there with Sonny Eclipse) as my favorite theme park character.
3. The Surf Pool I’m a total sucker for Typhoon Lagoon’s wave pool– Along with #2, this is where I spend the vast majority of my time at Typhoon Lagoon. , and there’s something about it that is just fun and addictive.
My adrenaline rushes every time I hear the giant wave start up, and it’s a blast to find new ways to “survive” the big wave. I know, it sounds dorky.
2. Castaway Creek – “Look at all the lazy people in the lazy river.” Sorry, I cannot mention the Typhoon Lagoon lazy river without that famous Stacey quote from the Top 7 coming to mind. On any given day at Typhoon Lagoon, half of my time is spent in the lazy river.
I love to float around, looking straight up at the foliage, sun, and blue sky above. It’s such a relaxing, serene experience (when we did the Disney Vacation Club Beach Bash, I actually fell asleep doing this while gazing up at the stars–don’t tell Sarah!). The only part I don’t like is the various points that spray you with water (get off my lawn!), but perhaps that’s to wake up the sleepers like me. 😉
1. Theme – On the surface, Typhoon Lagoon seems like a pretty “safe” concept for a water park: something tropical and laid back that is conducive to sitting on the beach, swimming, and other water activities. And, that’s true. This is part of the appeal; Blizzard Beach is also incredibly well-themed, but the juxtaposition of winter and swimming just doesn’t feel right. But, there’s more to it than that…
Once you get beyond the beach vibe, there is rich theming throughout Typhoon Lagoon, and the Imagineered tropical environment has the added elements of a tropical resort and the huge storm that decimated it layered on top. This is all easily conveyed through the park’s details, and it coalesces really well. As a result, Typhoon Lagoon has a great sense of place, and it’s great to just be there.
In the end, this is far and away the biggest reason why I think Typhoon Lagoon is a must-do for Walt Disney World fans. Don’t let the fact that it’s a water park discourage you–even if you don’t care about water slides or anything else, it’s a great place to waste a morning.
In terms of where else you should go at Walt Disney World, what else you should do, or other comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Have you been to Typhoon Lagoon? Do you agree or disagree with my take on Typhoon Lagoon and its theme? What’s your favorite thing to do at this Walt Disney World water park? Any favorite slides, snacks or other things worth mentioning–or that should make the top 10? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
The first time we went to Disney in 2014 we decided on a water day. Because we stayed on property we thought we’ll visit whichever bus arrives first which thankfully was Typhoon Lagoon. It’s definitely our favourite waterpark. On our subsequent two visits it just gets better and the queues for rides are never long. We love the lazy river and the sand pail!
Tom, your line “I actually fell asleep doing this while gazing up at the stars—don’t tell Sarah!” sounded just like it was spoken by John from Carousel of Progress!
Love that! Good call!!!!0
Could not agree more – Typhoon Lagoon is my fav. I miss the snorkel area with the sharks but cusher gusher is great substitute. The beach and the wave pool are incredible. Saving up to take the surfing lessons sometime.
Disney nailed it with the theming. Like it better than Blizzard theme.
My favorite Disney parks are the water parks. In the past I’ve bought annual passes for my family of 5. Not sure what the pricing is now but if you go 3-4 times in a trip it’s less money than buying daily admission. I’ve bought them when we planned more than one Disney trip in a year. A yearly pass for the water park cost me less than a pass for one day at the Magic Kingdom!! Most trips we don’t visit any theme parks and spend our trip alternating between the two water parks.
The biggest reason we love the water parks is that at the times we’ve gone we’ve experienced minimal waits for the rides. This is great when you have kids. We don’t like the extreme slides (summit plummet once was enough) but the family rafts, lazy rivers and children’s areas at both of the parks are fun for the whole family.
The mini donuts are a must buy snack!! I’m not sure they are available in any other place in Disney.
Make sure to bring your own towels otherwise you’ll have to pay to get them at the park.
Hey guys! We’re going this Sep, and like many others, we’ve visited Disney before and never given the water parks any thought….reading reviews like this have really wetted (Pun totally intended!) my appetite.
We LOVE Discovery Cove for the lazy river, but (ironically) one of my favourite things to do is swim around it a ton, really wears me out after the 20th lap…is the lazy river here the same deal? Ring if you want, but feel free to walk/swim round? Anyone know how it compares to Discovery Cove’s in length?
Thanks all! 🙂
This makes me so happy I can’t see straight!!! I take my kids to Disney every summer for a week of water parks and we spend most days at TL. I love every thing about it, but especially the theme. In fact we have a new(ish) pool at home and we’re slowly theming it after TL. Thanks for the great review — of this and all of WDW. I’ve spent all day on your blog reading and it’s been a wonderful way to occupy my Sunday. @ally_trout
My family loves and has many fond memories from Typhoon Lagoon. On our last trip, after flying a red eye from Oregon, we slept for two hours and got up and headed to Typhoon Lagoon for our first day. We were awaiting the arrival of my sister and her family before heading to the main parks. All was worth it, when my five year old got picked to be the Big Kahuna for the day. We got to a “backlot” tour where all the employees were lined along the walkways greeting us, a little park opening ceremony where she wrote her name on the Big Kahuna chalkboard sign, and then we got a special roped off sandy beach area right in from the wave pool. It was a magical day … even though we all collapsed from exhaustion by 3:00pm.
Does anyone know the time frames that each water park closes for refurbishment? We’re going the second week of November and wanted to know which park would be open
During our upcoming July visit, we plan on taking the 5 grandkids, ages 7-11, to one of the waterparks for their first time, but can’t decide which one. Their parents went to Typhoon Lagoon MANY years ago and my husband and i Visited BlizzardBeach when it first opened. Do you think one is more kid friendly then the other? These are kids that have spent a lot of summer time since birth at the Jersey Shore and they love being in the water.
I think that Typhoon Lagoon would be a better choice for those ages. The slides are a little less daunting than some at Blizzard Beach, and as mentioned in the article Crush n Gusher and the new Miss Adventure Falls seem really awesome. Plus I feel that it just has a more manageable feel to it as a water park.
We (family of five) have been to WDW three times – the one thing we never get to is the water parks (too exhausted from the four main parks!). This August, we are spending a few days at WDW prior to our first-ever Disney cruise, and will *only* do the water parks. As much as the kids love the main parks, they are really excited to finally hit the water parks – can’t wait!
Miss Adventure Falls is fantastic!! We were so lucky to be in Disney for opening day! It fits in perfectly and is a great family ride!
Miss Adventure Falls is fantastic!!! We were the lucky firsts to enjoy the new attraction! The theme is perfect and blends in well! Love the blog!
My husband and I love Typhoon Lagoon! We did the surfing lessons a few years back and they were a lot of fun- and very tiring!
Been to Disney several times and never even a thought to do water parks. Why waste a day away from the parks if you have a decent deluxe hotel pool (especially Stormalong Bay). Maybe I’ll check it out this year as my morning excursion before the Halloween Party.
In the ‘where would you live?’ game this is where I would live,.. maybe you and Guy are the Skipper and Gilligan? Sarah is definitely Mary Ann,..
You don’t get an entire park–that’s not how the game works! You could have the room in the Clock Tower. The pro of this location is that it’s Lagoona Gator’s bedroom. The con is that in front of this, there’s a stage where a DJ sometimes plays and there are dance parties in the summer, so it can get loud. Still interested? 🙂
I was thinking more toward a houseboat on Castaway Creek with a cowcatcher on the front to nudge aside the inflatables, an extendable arm that telescopes out a tray with an indentation custom fitted for the Sand Pail,.. and I can’t think of anything else except maybe a foghorn for singing back to Miss Tilly.
We visited WDW many times without even considering the waterparks…they weren’t even on my radar. Why go to a waterpark when there are 4 theme parks to go to?! What a waste of time I thought. After reading your rave review of Typhoon Lagoon, I decided to work a couple Typhoon Lagoon days into our summer trip. We loved it SO much that we went to TL multiple times on our trip the following summer….I’m talking almost every day! Theme park in the morning, Typhoon Lagoon in the afternoon!
That’s awesome to hear. Now with that schedule, don’t you wish Typhoon Lagoon offered Extra Magic Hours again? I’m still hoping that maybe if Miss Adventure Falls is really popular, they will offer EMH some nights this summer.
We used your Typhoon Lagoon suggestions 2 years ago and had an awesome day there – and I hate water parks! Was hoping to try Blizzard Beach this June. . .
We love typhoon lagoon. We love it with tons more enthusiasm than castaway cay and we feel the cay resembles it so much you might as well stay in TL.
Funny, last time we were at Castaway Cay, I was commenting to Sarah how it reminded me of Typhoon Lagoon, but not nearly as fleshed out. Castaway Cay has the (huge) strength of natural beauty, but it could definitely use a bit more on the Imagineered front.
Hi Tom, I revisited both water parks over the summer for the first time in about 6 years.
Blizzard Beach was just okay to me. The theme was solid, and I love the family raft ride. However, I was really really really annoyed and put off about the two kids areas that adults can’t do anything in. There’s an 8 foot deep pool with a zip line that only kids can use and I’d say once every 5-10 minutes the lifeguard has to “save” a kid who didn’t realize the pool was so deep. I also waited 25 minutes in a line to cross the icebergs just to be told when I was the next one up I was too old to participate. Serious problem with the park.
Meanwhile I thought typhoon lagoon was incredible. The wave pool is a 10/10 attraction for me, and crush & gusher and the shark reef were super nice changes of pace to just regular slides. I actually think it’s of more value to spend a day at typhoon lagoon over Hollywood studios in 2017 and I wish more guests would to see such a great park.
I wish there were more Disney water parks outside of Orlando. I know they aren’t as profitable as theme parks but I’d love to see what Disney could come up with. I’ve always thought adding one to the San Antonio area of Texas could be a strong move. The area has a few amusement parks and a water park that gets over 1 million visitors a year. It could stay open all year and I’m sure it’d be a success. Maybe if Disney hits another giant growth spurt :p
Looking to do both water parks this August with kids 11 and 7. Not rushing, how long does it take to experience each park? Which would you do first( different days)? Thanks