In this post, we cover everything you need to know about Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, one of two Disney-operated water parks at Walt Disney World Resort. We start with some basics, including theme, if/when/how to visit, crowds, and weather.
From there, we get to the heart of things—our Typhoon Lagoon Rides Guide, Rides Ranking, and One-Day Itinerary. Then we cover food & drink and up-charges (including cabanas and surfing). We close with a lengthy discussion of prices and ticket options. We save that for last because it’s detailed, but really dry and not relevant to everyone.
Before we go on, you should know that much of this post is identical to our Blizzard Beach guide. Obviously things like rides, restaurants, and itineraries change, but our general planning tips are going to be the same for both water parks. If you’d like to see the parks compared, we have a post comparing Blizzard Beach vs. Typhoon Lagoon.
Water Park Schedule Update (2024) — Typhoon Lagoon to Reopen, Blizzard Beach to Close for Refurbishment
February 8, 2024 Update: Typhoon Lagoon will reopen on March 17, 2024. Blizzard Beach will begin its annual refurbishment closure on that same day.
Typhoon Lagoon Basics
Typhoon Lagoon is one of two Disney-operated water parks at Walt Disney World (the other is Blizzard Beach). It is located near Disney Springs. Typhoon Lagoon has twelve attractions, ten restaurants / snack stands / bars, and one store.
Water parks are not included as an option on standard 1 park per day tickets or Disney World park hopper tickets—those only work at the four theme parks. It is included on park hopper plus tickets. The water parks also sell one-day tickets (Adult - Adult - $78.81, Child - $72.42) that allow access to both parks. Water park annual passes are also available.
There is $70 ticket add-on called Water Park and Sports Option that allows you a limited number of visits to the water parks and a few other activities (like mini golf). Adding this to your theme park ticket for $70 will make more sense than buying a one-day ticket.
Water parks are no longer including with any Disney World annual passes. Instead, passholders can buy a separate package (“Water Parks and Sports”) for $99+tax.
We cover ticket options in detail at the very end of this post.
Additionally, there is a summer night event—H2O Glow Nights. We’ve never experienced this, but here’s a recent review.
Finally, beginning 2025, Disney resort guests get complimentary water park access on check-in day only.
Typhoon Lagoon Theming and Layout
The theme of Typhoon Lagoon is that the island was a tropical paradise that eventually developed into a small resort destination—Placid Palms Resort. One fateful day, a typhoon threw all manner of ships, surf boards, submarines, and everything else across the island. This “redecorating” transformed the resort island into Typhoon Lagoon.
The centerpiece of the park is the Miss Tilly ship, which sits atop Mount Mayday. Every 30 minutes, the mountain shoots a geyser straight through the ship (it’s a bit unremarkable).
While not quite as good as the theme parks, the theming is still worth taking in. A full lap around the park is about 1/2 a mile, or a 10-minute walk. Take thirty minutes to really soak in the detail.
Typhoon Lagoon has a simple circular layout. The center is the Surf Pool with its beaches, and around that is the lazy river, Castaway Creek.
Around most of the park, you can walk along an “inner” or “outer” path on either side of Castaway Creek, with six bridges connecting the paths. Around the outside of Castaway Creek are all the attractions and restaurants.
When you enter the water park, you have a short path before you reach Singapore Sal’s—the main store. That’s also where you’ll find lockers, changing rooms, and the ATM. From there, you can go left (clockwise) or right (counter-clockwise). We cover suggested itineraries later in this post.
Typhoon Lagoon Annual Refurbishment & Operational Dates
February 8, 2024 Update: Typhoon Lagoon will reopen on March 17, 2024. Blizzard Beach will begin its annual refurbishment closure on that same day.
Both of Disney World’s water parks operate on part-time schedules. Weather permitting, every day of the year has at least one park open. The water park schedule has been tough to predict the last few years. One water park has been open at a time, according to the following schedule:
Blizzard Beach reopened March 7, 2021
Typhoon Lagoon opens / Blizzard Beach closes January 2, 2022
Blizzard Beach opens / Typhoon Lagoon closes November 13, 2022
Typhoon Lagoon opens / Blizzard Beach closes March 19, 2023
Blizzard Beach opens / Typhoon Lagoon closes November 6, 2023
Typhoon Lagoon opens / Blizzard Beach closes March 17, 2024
We were a bit surprised to see that Disney has stuck with an imbalanced schedule, with Typhoon Lagoon being open for nearly 8 months and Blizzard Beach only 4 months each year. But without anything else to guide us, here’s our best guess of how it will shape up in the future:
We assume only one water park will be open at a time going forward.
Blizzard Beach was open for the holidays in 2022 and 2023, a trend we expect to continue.
We expect Typhoon Lagoon to be open from mid-March to early November
We expect Blizzard Beach to be open from early November to mid-March
Weather and Typhoon Lagoon
Because all attractions are outside, thunderstorms grind the entire operation to a halt. Conversely, rain slows nothing down and the park will operate in a downpour.
Disney’s water parks do shut down for cold weather. Usually “cold” means something like highs in the 50s or lower, but we’ve seen days in the low 70s get closures. This is usually only a problem from November through February, and it usually happens no more than a few days a year.
Typhoon Lagoon Hours
The water park hours at Disney World vary by season. During colder months, the standard is short days of 10AM to 5PM. Longer days of 10AM to 8PM happen during the summer months. We’ve heard of occasional early access for Disney resort guests in the past, but we haven’t seen that recently.
For the most part, hours and crowds level out so you won’t have high crowds and a short day to see everything. Memorial Day and Easter week are exceptions, when crowds might be high but hours still limited to seven or eight-hour days.
Should You Visit Typhoon Lagoon?
For most guests, we would say Typhoon Lagoon is a “bonus” or “extra day” activity, not a must-do. If you have park hopper plus tickets and want a day off from the grind of touring Disney’s theme parks, visiting a water park is a good option.
Arrive at open if you want to get on everything with no wait, arrive midday if you’re fine seeing whatever has no wait. Basically, it’s a good alternative to a no parks day.
If you’re a first-time visitor, don’t think about Typhoon Lagoon unless your trip is six days or more. We think five days are very well spent at the theme parks instead. Obviously, if you’re a water park enthusiast, you might want to make an exception. That said, if you’re such an enthusiast, you probably need to be looking at Universal’s nearby Volcano Bay as an alternative.
Do you need a full day at Typhoon Lagoon?
You definitely do not need a full day at Typhoon Lagoon if you just want to experience what it has to offer and take an hour or two to relax. You can easily experience the entire park in a few hours if you arrive at open.
If both water parks are open for, say, 10 hours, you can probably experience everything offered by both in a single day (the water park ticket covers both water parks when both are open) except on the busiest days.
Crowds at Typhoon Lagoon
We remind you first that we can’t predict the future of crowds. Moreso than the theme parks, crowds at the water parks are very weather-dependent. If the most beautiful day of a December week occurs on a Saturday, your crowds might be higher than anticipated.
If you’re looking for overall predictions of Disney World crowds, we have a post dedicated to Disney World crowd calendars. Crowds aren’t really something you need to plan around, except that you should just always plan to arrive at open to maximize your chance at getting a seat in the shade and getting your first trip on the rides done as quickly as possible.
Generally, crowds are worst from April through July. Waits of 15+ minutes happen during this period. Waits of 30+ minutes can happen, but are rare. The bigger problem with crowds is that they take all the best seats.
In any case, this isn’t like one of the main four theme parks. If you arrive early, you’ll have an easy time getting on every ride. If you arrive midday, you may need to wait a few minutes for the popular rides, but you’ll still get everything done.
Off-season crowds, particularly on cool days, are non-existent. On a visit in January, we were done with all the slides (not including every individual slide on rides with multiple slides) by 11AM following a 10AM open. Around 1PM, Cast Members told us there were only 300 people in the park.
Genie+ And Photopass At Typhoon Lagoon
We want to quickly note two Disney park features missing from Typhoon Lagoon. First, there is no Genie+ or Lightning Lanes—you’ll need to wait standby for any rides. Second, there are no ride photographs or Photopass photographers.
Beach Gear and Merchandise at Typhoon Lagoon
Just in case you forget any water park essentials, you can purchase them at Singapore Sal’s. We didn’t check the price of everything, but tiny bottles of sunscreen started around $12 and sand toys ranged from $7 to $15. Towels can be rented for $2 (complimentary for Disney hotel guests). Life jackets are complimentary for all guests. Here’s a gallery of some Singapore Sal’s merchandise:
Getting to Typhoon Lagoon
Guests at Disney hotels get the perk of Disney transport access. Unfortunately, Disney isn’t so big into getting guests directly to the water parks, especially during off-season. The water parks often require either a transfer or a shared bus. Getting to Typhoon Lagoon via Disney transport usually requires either a stop or transfer at Disney Springs, though direct buses are sometimes available.
Typhoon Lagoon does have free parking, so driving is a great option. Personally, with its limited hours, we’ll probably always take an Uber to Typhoon Lagoon unless the hotel concierge confirms a direct bus is operating (during summer). Don’t waste time with transfers and stops, just take an Uber (or, if you must, a Minnie Van).
In the past, Disney has tested a bus between the two water parks for water park hoppers (both are included on a single ticket). This service does not appear to be offered anymore, but it’s always worth checking with guest services. Disney could surely re-introduce the route on a moment’s notice.
Typhoon Lagoon Ride Guide and Rankings
Typhoon Lagoon has seven water slide rides, one kiddie slide, one child play area, a lazy river, a wave pool, and a small explorable trail.
In this section, we provide our reviews and (for some rides) ranking of the rides. In the following section, we have an itinerary / touring plan that tells you the order to get through them. For each ride, we also provide the type, height requirements, and other requirements.
We’re going to start with the main seven water slides. These are the only attractions we rank—not because they’re better than the remaining attractions, but because it’s silly to compare a water slide to a lazy river or wave pool. Then we cover the other three main attractions, followed by the two kiddie attractions.
1. Miss Adventure Falls
Type: Family Raft Ride
Requirements: Two to four people per raft
Miss Adventure Falls is the newest ride at Typhoon Lagoon (opened 2017) and widely considered the best ride. It’s a family raft ride through the artifact collection of Captain Mary Oceaneer (S.E.A. member).
2. Crush ’n’ Gusher
Type: One-to-Two-Person Tube Water Coaster; three total slides
Height Requirement: 48 inches / 122 cm
Other Requirements: Two of three slides require two people, one is appropriate for single riders
Crush ‘n’ Gusher comprises three separate (but very similar) “fruit chutes,” or slides. It’s a “water-coaster” meaning that in addition to sending riders down slopes, it also uses water to push them back up. It’s a fast ride with a fair amount of ups and downs, tight turns, and dark tunnels.
Each of the three slides are quite similar, and roughly the same length. The main difference is that two of the three require double riders, making it tough if you’re there solo or with an odd-numbered party. It’s really a great ride and deservingly one of the signature attractions at Typhoon Lagoon. It’s a thrilling, but comfortable water ride.
3. Keelhaul Falls
Type: Single-rider Tube Slide
No requirements
Keelhaul Falls is a simple, but really enjoyable tube slide. It’s really fast and super smooth, and even a little bit scary if you wind up backward for any portion of it.
It’s a simple water slide, but it does simple really well. There's no dark tunnels or scary drops, instead it relies solely on speed and comfort. You’ll love Keelhaul Falls whether you’re five or 85, which makes it the perfect ride for everyone.
4. Storm Slides
Type: Body Slide; three different slides
No requirements
One of the more extreme attractions is a trio of body slides known as Storm Slides. Lying flat on their backs, riders zip down three stories of sharp twists and turns.
There are three slides that are all equally winding, but the one in the middle was the only one that had a portion of a tunnel that was total darkness for a noticeable amount of time. Other than that, the three slides were not too different.
The slides are tall and fast, but they’re also kind of painful. Laying flat on the slide, you feel every bump and tube join along the way, and there are a lot. Though probably not a noticeable issue for a child, it’s not a pleasant experience for adult riders. There’s not quite enough payoff on this ride to make it worth riding multiple times.
5. Gangplank Falls
Type: Family Raft Ride
No height requirement
Other Requirements: Two to four people per raft
Gangplank Falls is the most mediocre ride at Typhoon Lagoon. It’s a family raft ride that seats between two and four riders. It’s a short and boring ride with barely any creative components.
The first annoying part is that you have to carry your own family-size raft up to the start of the ride. From there, it’s a sub-par rapid ride and riders just bump and bounce their way down a slight slope. It’s boring and certainly not worth any amount of wait, but it’s not necessary bad.
6. Humunga Kowabunga
Type: Body Slide; three identical slides
Height Requirement: 48 inches / 122 cm
Humunga Kowabunga is the most intense and thrilling attraction at Typhoon Lagoon. It’s an enclosed body slide that sends riders five stories down a near-vertical slope.
The drop part of the ride is fun, but the height of the drop kind of gets lost because the ride is enclosed. You can’t tell where you are or how far you’re falling, so it’s hard to tell what's going on.
At the end of the ride, you skid into the horizontal shoot and it is AWFUL. You come down incredibly fast and with such force that it almost bruises your bum. It’s nearly impossible for anyone in bikini bottoms to not wind up with a serious wedgie, so be sure to check yourself before standing up to exit.
7. Mayday Falls
Type: Single-rider Tube Slide
No requirements
Mayday Falls might be the highest and longest waterside at Typhoon Lagoon, but it’s also the worst. Every few feet, there’s a series of what feel like speed bumps that you fly over. This is supposed to be a fun experience, but the bumps are really sharp and it takes a lot of effort to hold onto the tube all the way down.
The tube for the ride is oddly shaped, rounded on one side and pointed on the other, and very clearly labeled front and back. This seems to imply that one should only go down in that direction, but with the bumps constantly cause turning, it’s difficult to stay forward.
Without the speed bumps, I think this would actually be a really fun ride, but with them, it’s just an annoyingly long excuse to get wet at the end.
Now that we’ve ranked the slides, let’s discuss the rest of the attractions.
Castaway Creek
Castaway Creek is the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon. It's a 21.5 (roughly) minute float that takes you around the Surf Pool, with entries at major spots throughout the park.
It’s not a particularly well-themed or interesting lazy river, but the plants and greenery throughout are quite nice. There’s a handful of water sprayers along the way, which can easily bypassed for those not looking to get wet. The most interesting segment is a misty fork near Ketchakiddee Creek.
Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool
At the heart of Typhoon Lagoon is the Surf Pool. It’s the visual centerpiece to the park, with a perfect view of the shipwrecked Miss Tilly. It is fantastically designed to resemble an actual beach, with several small coves and tide pools that come and go with the waves. (There is actual sand at the waterpark, but it’s at the very edge of the tide.)
The Surf Pool is as fun as it is beautiful. The waves alternate between small bobbing waves and large swells based on a schedule posted at the front of the park.
During the swells, a six-foot wave hits every 90 seconds. It is a serious wave that you can ride for 20-30 feet, but beware, it will easily knock you on your butt if you’re not paying attention. You can get injured in the Surf Pool—be careful.
The bobbing waves are less intense and better for young children, but if they keep their distance, the swells can be enjoyed, too. There’s a particularly good spot on the body-slides side of the Surf Pool, over by Let’s Go Slurpin’. There, the swells end at a perfect height for kids.
Mountain Trail
The only dry attraction at Typhoon Lagoon is Mountain Trail. It’s an elevated walkway from the Surf Pool, over Castaway Creek, past the entrance to Humunga Kowabunga and ending at Storm Slides. It’s a lovely walk that highlights everything beautiful at the park.
Even though it’s not a water ride, this is still one of the best attractions at Typhoon Lagoon. It’s a perfect way to see the park and get an up-close view of the shipwrecked Miss Tilly. The only flaw with Mountain Trail is that isn’t longer. It only takes about five minutes.
Ketchakiddee Creek
The bizarrely named Ketchakiddee Creek is a play area for children 48 inches (122 cm) and under. There are a few small slides, water jets, sand pits, and so on. It’s sort of a larger version of the play areas you’ll see at the moderate and deluxe resorts. The picture below is only of about 1/5 of the area.
Bay Slides
The Bay Slides are small body slides for children 60 inches (152 cm) and under. There’s nothing remarkable about them.
Typhoon Lagoon Itinerary
There’s really no situation where you can’t ride every Typhoon Lagoon ride in a single day. It might not be worth it to get every single slide (some rides have multiple slides), but visiting every attraction is easy.
Arrival and Rope Drop
If at all possible, we recommend arriving for open. Even on busy days, few people arrive for open, and you’ll have your run of the park for an hour.
Turnstiles to Typhoon Lagoon open 15 minutes to 30 minutes before scheduled open, and an inner rope at the bridge between Singapore Sal’s and the wave pool is dropped at open. We’re not familiar with peak season rope drop, but we assume it’s the same as water parks really never has morning crowds.
Don’t worry if you’re not arriving for rope drop. We know many people will be arriving midday, so this section offers alternative plans for you that mostly only matter during the busiest days. On ordinary days, you can follow the same plan as those who arrive at open.
First Step - Seats and Lockers
If you arrive in the morning, start by finding a spot that will be in the shade (i.e. has an umbrella or other coverage) to lay down your towels. If you have small children (under 48”), head left (when facing Mount Mayday) in the direction of Ketchakiddee Creek and the Bay Slides. If you don’t have small children, head right (when facing Mount Mayday) toward the Storm Slides. Or feel free just to grab a spot right on the shores of the wave pool—whatever works!
Then go grab a locker (if needed—around $10 to $20 for full day use) before you start getting through the ride (which we cover next). Alternatively, you can grab a locker if you get there with some time to spare before rope drop.
If you arrive midday in high season, you can either start by finding a seat or by grabbing a locker for all your stuff while you visit the different rides. This is obviously about balancing the availability of seats with the availability of lockers, but basically you’ll probably have a better seat selection once you’re done with all the rides. The tips board will tell you where to find available seats.
Typhoon Lagoon Ride Touring
Remember, you’re typically looking at 5 to 15 minute waits for rides. During midday on nice, summer days or spring break season, you’ll get up to 30 minutes. The most efficient way to visit the attractions is by proceeding counter-clockwise around the park and hitting them roughly in geographic order.
Here’s what the standard recommended order would look like:
Miss Adventure Falls
Crush ‘n’ Gusher
Storm Slides
Humunga Kowabunga
Gangplank Falls
Mayday Falls
Keelhaul Falls
But if you start your rides at the peak of the day from 11AM to 2PM, you may want to move the first two rides to the end. These are the most popular rides, so it’s better to catch them once morning people start leaving around 3PM than right at peak around 1PM.
You can visit the rides in reverse order to achieve this, but it’s probably always going to be worth going counter-clockwise so you can just peek at the waits on the top two rides. Crush ‘n’ Gusher in particular has three slides, so it usually keeps short waits even on busy days. After you’re done with the rides, sit back and enjoy the Surf Pool and Castaway Creek.
Food and Drink at Typhoon Lagoon
All the food options at Typhoon Lagoon are either quick service restaurants (one quick service credit each for those on a Disney dining plan) or smaller snack stands. There are no table service restaurants.
Several restaurants and bars are seasonal and will be closed outside of summer. We’ll refer to those that are not seasonal as “year-round” even though the park itself is not open year-round.
Altogether, there are ten food and beverage spots. Really this is two quick service restaurants, three bars, and five smaller snack stands. There are also two Joffrey’s Coffee stands. One is near the entrance across from High ‘N Dry. The other is next to Surf Doggies.
One final note, there are beverage refill stations throughout the park, but these do not work with Disney hotel mugs. Instead, you either need to (1) purchase a new mug for $11.99 (one day of use) or (2) reactivate an old mug for $8.50 (one day of use). The mugs work at both water parks and your one day covers use at both parks. We’ll start our overview of your food & beverage options with the year-round options.
Leaning Palms
Leaning Palms is the largest year-round option at Typhoon Lagoon and offers the largest menu at the park, with burgers, chicken, and pizza. It also has an extensive vegan menu. There is a good amount of seating. The full Leaning Palms menu can be found here.
Leaning Palms is located just to the left when entering the park and is accessible from Castaway Creek (the lazy river) and easily by bridge from the beach.
Happy Landings
Happy Landings is the year-round ice cream shop next to Leaning Palms. It is home to the famous “Sand Pail” ice cream sundae—which is a sundae in (and the size of) a child’s sand pail.
Surf Doggies
Surfy Doggies is a year-round snack stand selling hot dogs and other small snacks. It is located just to the right when entering the park. There is limited seating, shared with Let’s Go Slurpin’.
Let’s Go Slurpin’
Let’s Go Slurpin’ is the year-round bar. It offers cocktails and beers. There is limited seating, shared with Surf Doggies.
That wraps up the “year-round” options. Now, let’s talk about the seasonal options. These restaurants operate only during the busy months, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Typhoon Tilly’s
Typhoon Tilly’s is the main seasonal quick service restaurant at Typhoon Lagoon. Typhoon Tilly’s offers shrimp and pulled pork items. The full menu is available here.
Typhoon Tilly’s, the Snack Shack, and Hammer Head Fred’s Dive are all located over by Storm Slides and Humunga Kowabunga, past Crush ‘n’ Gusher and Miss Adventure Falls when turning right coming from the park entrance. With three establishments so close together, this is where you’ll find the most seating for a meal.
(Typhoon Tilly’s) Snack Shack
Usually just referred to as the “Snack Shack” this small seasonal quick service spot is attached to Typhoon Tilly’s. It’s not 100% clear why they have separate menus, but the Snack Shack does have different offerings, including chicken and waffles and the Sand Pail ice cream sundae. Like Tilly’s itself, the Snack Shack is seasonal.
Hammer Head Fred’s Dive
Rounding up the trio of options in this part of the park is Hammer Head Fred’s Dive. This is a straight-up bar, offering cocktails, beer, and wine. Like Tilly’s and the Snack Shack, it is seasonal. There’s even a television, a rarity in a Disney park.
Tropical Amity Outpost
Tropical Amity Outpost is a small, seasonal snack stand offering hot dogs, empanadas, churros, pretzels, and beer. It is located over by Crush ‘n’ Gusher and Miss Adventure Falls. There is no dedicated seating.
Lowtide Lou’s
Lowtide Lou’s is a seasonal snack stand selling cold sandwiches over by the “Falls” raft rides and Ketchakiddee Creek. There are a few tables of seating.
High ‘N Dry
Formerly “High ‘N Dry Rentals,” it looks like Disney decided this spot would be better off selling alcohol than miscellaneous water park gear. It’s right near the entrance, across from Singapore Sal’s (now the only merchandise spot). There is a good amount of seating.
Typhoon Lagoon Upcharges - Premium Seating and Surfing
If you want to spend some extra money, there are a few up-charges available. The first is premium seating. There are two types of premium seating. Getaway Glen Umbrellas cost under $100 and include “2 reserved loungers, 2 beach chairs, a drink table, a beach umbrella and towels.”
Beachcomber Shacks cost somewhere around $350. Here’s how Disney describes the shacks: Each reserved area accommodates up to 6 Guests and comes with a variety of premium amenities including towels, cushioned seating, a locker, refillable drink mugs and a cooler stocked with ice and bottled water. Plus, Attendants are on hand to help Beachcomber Shack Guests get the most out of the water park and to take food orders (separate dining charges apply).”
To inquire about these options, call (407) WDW-PLAY in advance (preferred) or visit Singapore Sal’s when you arrive. Honestly, there’s no way we’d ever recommend a first timer book these options. That’s not to say you shouldn’t—I’m not going to tell you how to spend your money. But if you arrive at open, you’ll have your choice of free seats.
The second set of upcharges are surfing experiences (unavailable as of this update). There are two of these at Typhoon Lagoon. The first is the Learn to Surf Like A Pro experience for $199 per person. This is a surf lesson that occurs before the park opens. The second is the Private Surf Session for around $1,300. At this session, which usually occurs before park open, you’ll get 100 waves over three hours for up to 25 people. Information on both activities can be found here or by calling (407) WDW-PLAY.
Buying Your Tickets to Typhoon Lagoon
We’re going to start by outlining the ticket and entry options before explaining how you should figure out which option is best for you.
Single-Day Tickets
The Disney World water parks both have standard pricing of one day tickets at: Adult - $78.81, Child - $72.42 (those prices include tax). You can sometimes get a $5 discount by purchasing a ticket with blockout dates. We recommend checking Orlando Fun Tickets and other discount Disney World ticket brokers to see if discounts are available.
Historically, when both water parks were open, single day water park tickets include access to both water parks on the same day.
Water Park and Sports Add On to Theme Park Tickets
If you are purchasing Disney World theme park tickets, there is a $70 “Water Park and Sports” add on that includes water park access.
The price for the add-on actually comes to $74.55 after tax, which is about the cost of a single water park visit. But that $74.55 is per ticket, not per day, and good for the entire length of the ticket.
Unlike the single-day tickets, this add-on allows you a fixed number of visits to included activities. You get one access for each day of your ticket length, but the visits don’t have to be one-per-day.
So a five-day ticket with the add on gets five visits to included activities, but you could use all five in one day or one each day or anything in between.
So, what activities are included? Well, always check the specific add-on terms when you purchase because they can change, but generally: Blizzard Beach water park, Typhoon Lagoon water park, Oak Trail golf course greens fees, Fantasia Gardens Mini-Golf after to 4PM, Winter Summerland Mini-Golf after to 4PM.
Water Park Annual Pass
In the past, Disney offered a water park annual pass for $148.04 (all ages 3+). That option was discontinued, though a seasonal pass, offering access outside of summer, is sometimes available for $77.75.
Park Hopper Plus
Park hopper plus is a ticket option at Disney World that includes park hopper (the add-on that allows you to visit multiple parks in a single day) and the Water Park and Sports Add On activities.
Park hopper plus costs $100 per ticket for 2-3 day tickets, and $110 per ticket for longer tickets. Those are per ticket, not per day, and cover the entire length of the ticket. As with the Water Park and Sports Add On, you get one special activity for each day of your visit, but you can use them whenever you want during your visit.
Which ticket option to use to visit the Water Parks?
If you’re planning a vacation at Walt Disney World, you’ll need to do a little math to figure out exactly what tickets to buy to get into the water parks. Keep in mind the following factors…
Theme park tickets typically come with “buffer days.” For example, a four-day ticket will usually be good for any four days in some six-day period. A four-day ticket that starts on May 21 usually won’t have to be used by May 24. Instead, you’ll be able to visit the theme parks any four days between, say, May 21 and May 26. This information should be spelled out when you buy your tickets, and it’s important because…
You don’t need to visit the theme parks on a day you’re visiting a water park. Of course you might have any number of reasons to visit a theme park and water park on the same day, but if you’re dedicating a full day to a water park, keep that in mind when calculating your ticket length. For example, if you’re planning to visit the theme parks on May 21, May 22, May 24, and May 25 and a water park on May 23, you only need a four-day theme park ticket, as long as it includes May 21 through May 25.
Keeping those points in mind, evaluate whether Water Park and Sports, Park Hopper Plus, or a single day water park ticket is the best option. Because the Water Park and Sports option is so reasonably priced and gives you additional flexibility, it will usually be the better option than a single day ticket. And if you’re park hopping and visiting water parks, Park Hopper Plus will be the best option.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.