Sure, you’re already well aware that Walt Disney World Resort is home to some of the world’s most popular theme parks. But did you know it’s also home to the most popular water park? That’s right: One of Disney’s two water parks is so beloved by guests that it frequently claims the title of world’s best. And that park is none other than Typhoon Lagoon.

The second-ever water park to open at Walt Disney World (the first being the shuttered River Country), Typhoon Lagoon has been wowing guests with splashy fun and thrilling slides since 1989. Its theming, which tells the story of a typhoon that wrecked a once-perfect tropical lagoon, sets attractions against ships, fishing equipment, and surfboards. 

Of course, you can’t miss the towering water slides – or Miss Tilly, the can’t-miss shrimp boat that’s impaled atop Mount Mayday – at Typhoon Lagoon. When you’re ready to take a day off from Disney World’s traditional theme parks and cool down, there’s really no better place to enjoy whole family fun than this standout water park.

Explore Typhoon Lagoon

• When is Typhoon Lagoon Open?
• Typhoon Lagoon Attractions
• Typhoon Lagoon Dining
• Typhoon Lagoon Shopping
• Typhoon Lagoon Transportation

When is Typhoon Lagoon Open?

Sure, Florida is home to some wonderfully warm weather year-round. However, the state – and the Orlando area – still sees winter each year, which can bring some surprisingly cold temperatures. And those conditions aren’t exactly the best for heading to one of Disney World’s water parks. So, understandably, Disney will typically close down its water parks for refurbishment during the colder months each year.

However, barring any cold snaps or particularly freezing weather, Disney World tends to keep at least one of its two water parks open year-round. The water is heated at both parks, which makes for a pleasant visit if you are visiting during a more frigid time of the year.

Just note that especially freezing temps can lead both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach to close temporarily. So, it’s always a good idea to check the weather before you head to the airport so you can adjust your plans if needed.

If you’re hoping to avoid refurbishment season, it’s kind of impossible to do. Since the 2020 closures, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon usually alternate during the year. One water park closes during the summer, and the other closes during the winter. 

While this means you can’t fit both water parks into one visit (unless you happen to plan your visit so the closure of one and opening of the other are happening!), it does ensure there’s always one water park guests can check out.

Typhoon Lagoon Attractions

Photo by Laurie Sapp

Like any Disney World theme park, Typhoon Lagoon is home to numerous attractions designed to suit guests of every age and interest. There are slides for thrillseeker teens and adults as well as places to play for little ones who aren’t yet ready for slides. 

Typhoon Lagoon’s attractions are kind of organized into different lands, or areas within the larger waterpark. Each of these areas has its own tropically-inspired, typhoon-touched theming. Here’s a look at the attractions you’ll find in each area.

Mount Mayday

You can’t miss Mount Mayday – after all, it’s the giant man-made mountain set in the middle of the water park, with Miss Tilly crowning its peak. To visit this area of Typhoon Lagoon, you’ll head behind the wave pool. Here, you’ll find many of the most exciting high-speed slides and attractions, including:

• Humunga Kowabunga, a series of three enclosed speed slide flumes that drop guests down five stories at a top speed of 39 miles per hour
• Storm Slides, three-story-tall body slides with a series of twists and turns
• Gang Plank Falls, a family raft ride for four in giant inner tubes
• Mayday Falls, a tube slide that mimics a ride through rough and unpredictable rapids
• Keelhaul Falls, another tube slide (but with a smoother ride) that takes guests downwards through a waterfall and into a cave
• Forgotten Grotto, a walkable attraction that takes you into a cave through Mount Mayday
• Overlook Pass, a walkway that takes guests past small waterfalls on a trek across Mount Mayday’s slope

Hideaway Bay

If it’s sandy beaches you love, head to Hideaway Bay at Typhoon Lagoon. Here, you’ll feel like you truly are in the namesake lagoon and a tropical paradise. It’s also home to the following attractions:

• Crush ‘n’ Gusher, a water coaster with rafts propelled around hairpin turns and surprise drop-offs via water jets, with three paths (or slides) to choose from
• Miss Adventure Falls, a family raft ride down a twisting flume path that’s filled with surprises to spot along the way
• Sandy White Beach, a sprawling beach area filled with chairs for lounging and a wading pool area for guests of all ages

Typhoon Lagoon

Hideaway Bay might feel like a hidden lagoon, but this water park does actually have an area that features the very lagoon in its name! The Typhoon Lagoon area is the largest section within the water park, and it’s home to the following attractions:

• Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, a classic wave pool with a twist – 6-foot-tall waves every 90 seconds
• Bay Slides, a beginner water slide with gentle slopes that’s just for toddlers
• Blustery Bay, a zero depth entry tidal pool that’s surrounded by sandy beachfront
• Whitecap Cove, another zero depth entry tidal pool with sandy beach at its edges
• Learn to Surf, a 2.5-hour surf lesson that takes place in the Surf Pool before the water park opens

Castaway Creek

Castaway Creek is Typhoon Lagoon’s spin on the classic lazy river. It encircles the entire water park, covering 2,100 feet and flowing continuously as guests grab inner tubes and relax. There are five landings, or entry points, into the creek and plenty to see along the journey. You’ll encounter everything from waterfalls to lush rainforests to overhead rope bridges to mist screens.

Ketchakiddiee Creek

The littlest guests will want to hang out at Ketchakiddiee Creek, a play area devoted to kids under 4 feet (48 inches) tall. This area features small, kid-friendly water slides, fountains, and plenty of water features, including a water cannon-firing tugboat and some playful squirting seals. There’s even a small sandy beach nearby perfect for relaxing (although if we’re honest, your kids will have you on your feet the whole time!).

Typhoon Lagoon Dining

Photo by Laurie Sapp

Typhoon Lagoon offers a variety of dining options to suit different tastes and dining preferences. However, it’s worth noting that because of its nature as a water park, most of the dining options and restaurants here are casual. 

You can choose from:

• Quick-service restaurants, which offer speedy, time-saving meals you can order and carry to a table of your choosing (or enjoy on the go)
• Snack carts and stands located throughout the park, including popcorn and churro carts

Typhoon Lagoon Quick-Service Restaurants

Leaning Palms is one of the two quick-service restaurants at Typhoon Lagoon. With a literally leaning tower out front, this beach-inspired restaurant offers counter service, meaning guests can order food, pick it up, and bring it to any one of the tables within the covered outdoor seating area. 

Typhoon Tilly’s is the second quick-service restaurant within the water park. Here, along the banks of Castaway Creek, you’ll find a similar counter service setup with kiosks for ordering. Smaller in size and with a slightly slimmer menu than Leaning Palms, Typhoon Tilly’s offers a mix of seafood dishes.

If you’re looking for a true meal during your day at Typhoon Lagoon, these are the two places you’ll want to head. All of the other dining establishments within the water park feature lighter bites and drinks versus complete meals. At Leaning Palms and Typhoon Tilly’s, however, you’ll find everything from burgers and hot dogs to rice bowls and wraps.

Typhoon Lagoon Snack Spots, Carts, and More

When you’re ready for a snack or a light meal, you can head to one of the six different snack spots or bars located within Typhoon Lagoon:

• Happy Landings Ice Cream, which serves ice cream
• Let’s Go Slurpin’, a bar that serves drinks
• Low Tide Lou’s, which offers light bites and drinks
• Surf Doggies, which offers hot dogs, pretzels, and bratwurst
• Snack Shack, which offers light bites and drinks

There are also two designated picnic areas within Typhoon Lagoon, if you’d prefer to pack a meal and save some money: Getaway Glenn (behind Happy Landings) and Hideaway Bay (near Crush ‘n’ Gusher). However, you can technically enjoy a picnic anywhere within the park, if you’d like.

Typhoon Lagoon Shopping

Photo by Laurie Sapp

If you’re hoping to rent some gear – like towels – for your day at Typhoon Lagoon or pick up some essentials and souvenirs, there’s just one shop within the water park. Singapore Sal’s is its name, and here you’ll find everything from apparel and accessories (including swimsuits) to home goods and gifts.

Typhoon Lagoon Transportation

Typhoon Lagoon is right next to Disney Springs and a number of Walt Disney World Resort hotels. If you’re staying at a nearby spot, like one of the Disney Springs hotels or Disney’s Old Key West Resort, it’ll only be a quick drive away. However, you do also have the option to take advantage of Disney’s own transportation system if you’d like.

There are two primary ways you can get to Typhoon Lagoon: via Disney bus or by car.

Bus Transportation

Anyone who’s staying in a Disney hotel on-property can use the complimentary bus transportation available to get to and from Typhoon Lagoon. However, it’s a bit trickier to get to this water park than other locations throughout Disney World.

None of the Disney World Resort hotels offer a direct bus route to and from Typhoon Lagoon. Instead, you’ll need to take a bus to Disney Springs, get off, and then transfer onto a bus to Typhoon Lagoon. This can add some time and additional waiting to your journey to and from the park (and means you’ll likely want to dry off and change before heading back to your resort!).

Make sure to check the bus schedule and routes at your hotel when you check in, and you can figure out when and where to pick up the bus that’ll ferry you over to the water park. 

Driving and Parking

If you aren’t staying at a Disney World Resort hotel – or even if you are and choose to use a rental car instead of Disney transportation – you’ll find parking at Typhoon Lagoon easily. Parking is free at both Disney World water parks, though it can fill up quickly during the peak summer months.