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Blizzard Beach? Typhoon Lagoon? How Do You Choose Which One?

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Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are the two water parks at Walt Disney World and when having to choose one over the other, lots of people have a hard time making a decision. Well, if it’ll help any, here’s my advice…

TYPHOON LAGOON


Typhoon Lagoon opened in 1989 but it’s not showing its age even one little bit. In fact, as of 2016, it was the second most visited water park worldwide, boasting an attendance of roughly 2.5 million visitors that year.

The theme of Typhoon Lagoon is the “Disney legend” (read: it didn’t really happen. Disney made it up) of a typhoon that wreaked havoc on a formerly pristine tropical paradise. Ships, fishing gear and surfboards are strewn about wherever the storm flung them. The park’s centerpiece is “Miss Tilly,” a shrimp boat impaled on a mountain named “Mount Mayday,” that erupts a 50-foot geyser of water every half hour. Typhoon Lagoon is chock full of palm trees and tropical plants and all the water for the attractions is heated to 75-80 degrees year-round.

Typhoon Lagoon’s attractions include:

BLIZZARD BEACH


When it was built, Blizzard Beach was WDW’s 3rd water park (the resort’s first water park, River Country, closed in 2001) and was ranked the third-most visited water park in the world in 2016.

According to Disney “legend,” a freak snowstorm in the area led to the development of Florida’s first ski resort. Naturally, the snow did not last long. This left behind a collection of waterlogged yet snow-less ski jumps and chair lifts. The operators were preparing to cut their losses and walk away. However, they were interrupted by an echoing “YAHHOOO!!!” coming from the mountain of melting snow. They looked up to see a blue alligator, wearing a red scarf and gold innertube, careening down the mountain at top speed. Ice Gator, the mascot, then landed in a pool of melted snow at the base of the mountain with a thunderous splash. The ski resort operators suddenly saw the park’s potential, and the mountain of snow became Blizzard Beach, “the most slushy, slippery, exhilarating water park anywhere!” (thank-you, Wikipedia).


The majority of Blizzard Beach’s major attractions at the park are hosted on Mount Gushmore, an artificial hill with an elevation of 90 feet. Mount Gushmore is split into three colored slopes to aid guests navigating around the park: Green, Red and Purple (see below for details of each area).

GROUND LEVEL:

GREEN SLOPES:

PURPLE SLOPES:

RED SLOPES

NOTES FOR BOTH PARKS:
* = Must transfer to standard wheelchair
** = Must transfer from wheelchair/ECV
*** = Must be ambulatory
+ = A gondola is also provided for disabled guests to access the top of Mount Gushmore.
++ = For safety you should be in good health and free from heart conditions, back or neck problems, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

Both parks have their share of merchandise and counter service food and beverage (including alcohol) locations, as well as restrooms, towel rentals, companion restrooms, a First Aid station, AEDs, Guest Services, service animal relief areas, smoking locations, ATMs, lockers, etc.

WHICH WATER PARK SHOULD YOU PICK?

Both water parks have a wide variety of attractions for guests of all ages and abilities. If you’re looking at specifics, they really do keep most things relatively equal:

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either. If you’re looking for more family oriented attractions, Typhoon Lagoon has the edge. If you’re looking for more excitement, Blizzard Beach might be more for you. And to have lots of shade or not to have lots of shade…that is the question. 😉

But either way, you’re going to have a GREAT day!

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