EVERYTHING You Need to Know Before You Visit Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Disney World is a world-class travel destination, and its water parks are no exception! Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is 1 of 2 Disney water parks on the property. It is one of the best ways to beat the Orlando Heat on your Walt Disney World vacation. Here you will escape reality and enter Disney’s tropical paradise. This water park is home to it’s world-famous wave pool, wild water slides, and dreamy lazy river.
Like any Orlando Theme Park, planning is essential for you to soak up all the fun at the park! As a former Disney cast member and now an Orlando local, I will answer everything you need to know about Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. This includes my best strategies on how to make the most of your day!
Typhoon Lagoon Basics
In the summer of 1989 Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park opened to the public and has been helping families stay cool year round for over 35 years! Guests visiting Typhoon Lagoon are treated to the biggest wave pool in America. Let me tell you it is SO MUCH FUN!
Like every Disney park, Typhoon Lagoon has its own special Disney story! Knowing the background knowledge of a Disney park will enhance your trip and make it all the more magical. You’ll begin to notice all the details and no small detail is forgotten at Disney!
The story goes, that a typhoon blew through and devastated a once beautiful tropical oasis, leaving abandoned ships, fishing nets, surfboards, and more on the island. These storm remnants can be found all over the water park. One of the most notable is the park’s icon, Miss Tilly. Miss Tilly is perched on top of a mountain (Mount Mayday) and is seen everywhere in the park! She will occasionally whistle, and leak water just before the mountain wants to erupt.
On your trip to Typhoon Lagoon watch out for all the remnants around the parks and see how many you can spot. You may even find a hidden mickey or two!
Typhoon Lagoon Rides
It’s easy to spend a half day or a full day in Typhoon Lagoon! Although Typhoon Lagoon, in my opinion, isn’t home to the best water rides in Orlando (see Aquatica guide), Typhoon Lagoon shines in originality and has that extra touch of Disney magic. Take a ride on the relaxing Lazy River, ride the huge waves of the largest Wave pool in America, or have a wild ride on one of Typhoon Lagoon’s many waterslides (including a water coaster!).
WATER SLIDES
Typhoon Lagoon is home to some of the most unique waterslides in Orlando, Mayday Falls, and Keelhaul Falls, Mayday Falls being the tallest and fastest waterslide in the water park! Unlike a typical waterslide, these two slides are built using Mount Maydays rock formations. Additionally, Typhoon Lagoon is home to 3 water coaster slides, the Banana Blaster one being the most intense of the three.
I can go on and on about water slides, but Disney’s website lays out the water slides really well including height requirements and other fun facts.
WAVE POOL
What Typhoon Lagoon does best is its absolutely insane Wave pool, I mean I could spend hours in this thing it’s that much fun! The wave pool holds approximately 3 million gallons of water and spans 2.5 acres! This makes for gnarly 6-foot waves every 90 seconds! These waves are the biggest in America and make for a super fun time. The waves begin at 6-feet tall in 6.5 feet of water, this is recommended for advanced swimmers, and the waves are fun and forceful even in the shallow end. If you have small children, you might want to hold their hand!
Typhoon Lagoon even offers surfing lessons for those wanting to take on an extra challenge.
LAZY RIVER
A classic staple of any good water park is it’s lazy river. Typhoon Lagoon is home to 1 lazy river that is a slow-moving river with inner tubes available for guests to use. The lazy river will take you on a journey around the outer edge of the water park, foraging through tunnels, dodging water blasters, and seeing some of the most beautiful views in the park. This lazy river spans over 2,000 feet (1/3 rd of a mile) and will take you on a slow-moving 20 minutes to complete the loop.
Pro-tip: During your ride, cast members will frequently stand on bridges and play Disney trivia with guests as they float by! Just another example of the Disney difference.
Typhoon Lagoon for Little Ones
Similar to everywhere else in Disney, Typhoon Lagoon is catered towards families and this includes your little ones! Typhoon Lagoon is home to Ketchakiddee Creek, the splash pad for kids under 4 feet tall. While the kid’s area is not as good as its sister water park, Blizzard Beach, it is still a great place to let your little one splash in some water.
Ketchakiddee Creek hosts the Bay Slides, which are 2 beginner body water slides. These slides are located at the left entrance to the wave pool. If you continue down the left side of the water park you will reach the play area themed using rocks and sand, complete with small water slides, water features, and a small pool.
Where to Eat in Typhoon Lagoon
The Disney Parks have fun and flavorful snacks as well as above-average theme park food – and Typhoon Lagoon is no exception. It’s changing menu rotates between old classics and new creations, but one snack always prevails – the famous Mini Donuts. Read about them here!
Typhoon Lagoon is famous for its Mini Donuts, located in a small blue cart near the parks front entrance. The 6 pack is going for 5.99 each – almost $1 for one mini donut!
While staying on the topic of snacks, Typhoon Lagoon is also home to many fun ice cream flavors with Instagram worthy designs. The most popular spot to buy ice cream is Snack Shack, due to its large amounts of flavors. During my visit they had a Moana Soft Serve Cone and Hei Hei Soft Serve Cone available. It is such a cute treat during your break from the water.
Hungry yet?
Let’s talk about lunch.
There are two major quick-service restaurants in Typhoon Lagoon – the bigger being Leaning Palms. Leaning Palms is located to the left of the gift shop/lockers near the main entrance (if you are facing the wave pool). Leaning Palms will offer a variety of Disney food including sea food, chicken, hamburgers, and plenty of vegan options.
During my visit I ate the Grilled Tofu Rice Bowl – delicious!
Tilly’s is the second quick service location, it has a smaller menu, and is home to mostly sea food. This is the best spot to get sea food in the park! If you are traveling with a picky eater or a vegetarian/vegan, Tilly’s might not be the best option for your group.
What to Pack for Typhoon Lagoon
Your water park bag might look bigger than your parks bag, and thats for good reason! During your trip be sure to pack the following items in your bag for a smooth sailing day.
What to Bring
- Sunscreen: Orlando is HOT! Pack sunscreen and be sure to reapply throughout the day! You don’t want to remember your Disney trip by an awful tan or burn.
- Towel: Towels are not provided at the parks, so you must being your own. You can also purchase towels at the park but they do not come cheap.
- Goggles: If your kids like to swim, consider bringing your own set of goggles, it will enhance your day!
- Sunglasses: It goes without saying that the sun is very strong in Florida, so pack your sunglasses! You will get use out of them.
- Waterproof phone case or camera: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon lets you bring your phone or camera on every water slide! Snap your own photos or videos as you rush down the water slide, play in the wave pool, or glide down the lazy river.
- Sandals or Opened-Toed Shoes: There is a lot of sand in Typhoon Lagoon, so do yourself a favor and leave the socks behind. There is nothing worse than putting on a tennis shoes with a foot full of sand!
What to leave at home
- Floaties/inflatables: Typhoon Lagoon provides life jackets for small children as well as inner tubes as you float. Leave yours at the door!
Protip: note that there are paid lockers available at the front of the park next to the gift shop.
How do you get to Typhoon Lagoon?
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park is across the street from Disney Springs.
If driving by car, they get off at the Disney Springs exit on i-4 and follow the signs accordingly. Typhoon Lagoon offers FREE parking (unlike the 4 theme parks).
If you are staying at a Disney Resort Hotel, your hotel will provide transportation to Typhoon Lagoon. These buses should run about every 20 minutes. Be sure to check your app for more updated times.
How to Spend Your Day at Typhoon Lagoon
Arrive at Park Opening
Typhoon Lagoon Opens at 10am most days, be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before it’s opening time to ensure you have enough time to park and walk to the front. The water parks are much less crowded than the theme parks (on most days), so arriving a few minutes before opening should do the trick.
Pro-Tip: Arrive early to be crowned the “Big Kahuna” of the day! The Big Kahuna is chosen by cast members before the park opens. They choose one family to scan in early and help open the park up! The child (or adult) writes their name on a big chalk board at the front of the park and is then escorted to a special private cabin!
Where to Sit
Most of Typhoon Lagoons chairs are just in front of the wave pool. These chairs have some under shade but most of them are in the sun. You can grab one of these chairs to have the most central and convenient spot in the park, but there are other spots a bit quiter with more shade.
One of my favorite spots to sit is near the Storm Slides entrance. Upon entering the park, walk to the right. You will pass the lockers, gift shop, more food, and then see a big photo op with a sharks mouth. Straight ahead from there you will find lots of empty beach chairs and plenty of shaded picnic tables.
What Rides to do First
The first hour in typhoon lagoon it is important to do the rides, as they will only get longer from this point forward. Here is my recommendation for water slides, in this order:
- Miss Adventure falls: Family style raft ride, the newest ride in the park! It gets long lines.
- Crush n’ Gusher Water Coaster: The water coaster is a must do! The Banana Blaster is the most thrilling, followed by the Coconut Crusher and then the Pinnapple Plunger.
- Head to MayDay Falls: Single Tube Raft Ride located to the left of the wave pool
- Keelhaul Falls: Do this after Mayday Falls, because it is located right next to it
- Gangplank Falls: This family style raft ride gets long lines so do it early.
From here, enjoy Humunga Kowabunga, storm slides, or whatever else you prefer. I find the body slides in Typhoon Lagoon are a bit old, thus hurt your back while riding quite a bit, compared to the newer Orlando water parks.
Be sure to check the wave pool hours too and enjoy the famous 6-foot wave!
Typhoon Lagoon is an amazing way to spend your time in Disney World to beat the heat! With its world-class wave pool, unique water slides, sweet treats and more, its easy to see why people visit. I hope this guide helps you make the most out of your day at Typhoon Lagoon!
