Typhoon Lagoon 2024 Reopening Date & Details
Walt Disney World has announced that Typhoon Lagoon Water Park will reopen later in Spring 2024 following its routine winter closure for refurbishment. This post covers what to expect from the return, including the likelihood
Walt Disney World has announced that Typhoon Lagoon Water Park will reopen later in Spring 2024 following its routine winter closure for refurbishment. This post covers what to expect from the return, including the likelihood of Blizzard Beach also being open this summer and return of H2O Glow After Hours.
With this announcement, Walt Disney World has revealed that Typhoon Lagoon will reopen to guests on March 17, 2024. That’s within a couple days of when it reopened last year. Notably, it’s also the start of spring break at Walt Disney World, which means one thing: crowds.
Both Osceola and Orange County, Florida are scheduled to have their Spring Breaks March 15-24, 2024. That alone will make that week-plus pretty busy–there’s a reason this made the worst side of our List of the 10 Best & 10 Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2024 & 2025.
The bad news is that both water parks will not operate simultaneously for Spring Break 2024. Walt Disney World is continuing its post-pandemic practice of only operating one of the two water parks at a time. Consequently, Blizzard Beach will remain open now through March 16, 2024–and will close for refurbishment beginning March 17, 2024.
Disappointing as that might be, it’s not a huge surprise. Last fall, Walt Disney World released the new Disney Water Park Seasonal Pass. This not-annual pass allows guests to visit Disney Water Parks again and again now through May 24, 2024 for $79 plus tax. The seasonal pass has no block out dates and no reservations are required. The verbiage of that pass indicated it’s valid at whichever of the two water parks is operating.
The big question is whether both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon will operate simultaneously in 2024 for the first time in 5 years. It’s safe to assume this won’t happen before Summer 2024 at the earliest. For one thing, there isn’t enough demand until around Memorial Day. For another, the above-mentioned ticket deal implies that only one water park or the other will operate until May 24, 2024.
Staffing both parks is expensive and Walt Disney World did fine with only one water park even during the period of pent-up demand and high heat during the last couple of summers. It’s possible that Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando plus an assortment of hotels with bona fide mini water parks have cut into Walt Disney World’s water park business, and they no longer need both. (I’m skeptical of this and doubt it’s the case.) Another possibility is that the cost of lifeguards and other labor has increased to the point that it doesn’t make sense to run both. It could be a mix of the above considerations.
Conversely, it’s possible that both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are viable, especially with a full assortment of Annual Passes and special ticket promotions (like the above!) for Florida residents. That Walt Disney World was working to scale up operations across the board, and allocating resources and Cast Members to both water parks just didn’t make sense given ongoing staffing shortages the last few years, but will in the future with the College Program and more back to normal.
My money is on this, but that still doesn’t mean both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach will be open at the same time in Summer 2024. Personally, I think it would be the smart move, especially after how brutally hot last summer was. Walt Disney World having the capacity to push more people towards the water parks would be a welcome reprieve from the high heat and humidity–and probably help with guest satisfaction.
So stay tuned! If we haven’t heard anything within the next couple of months, it’s safe to assume it won’t happen–June through August are really the months where it’s needed.
In the last few years, Walt Disney World has announced the reopening of Typhoon Lagoon simultaneous with dates and details about the specially-ticketed event, H2O Glow After Hours. Last year, tickets for H2O Glow After Hours at Typhoon Lagoon went on sale starting the day after the news broke (granted, the news came almost a month later last year) and the event itself started on May 20.
Walt Disney World has not yet announced anything about the 2024 H2O Glow After Hours, or whether they’ll happen at all. (Watch a press release drop ~10 minutes after this post goes live.) Nevertheless, our expectation is that they happen, and fairly consistent with last year’s schedule. After Hours is expanding, not contracting, so it’d be a surprise to see fewer options.
See our Guide to H2O Glow After Hours at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon: Dates, Details, Tips & Review for relevant details from last year–expect ~90% of them to be accurate for 2024. For those unfamiliar with it, H2O Glow After Hours allows families to spend time at Typhoon Lagoon for several hours after it closes, with short waits at popular attractions throughout the illuminated park. This special event also features an electric DJ dance party, complimentary ice cream treats, popcorn and select beverages, a ‘glow’-rious atmosphere and beyond.
Typhoon Lagoon features family fun, thrilling water rides and slides. But more than anything, this water park is beloved among fans of theme park design for its immersive storytelling, attention to detail, and thematic cohesion.
Typhoon Lagoon tells the tale of a rogue storm and its ensuing tidal wave that wreaked havoc on a formerly pristine waterside paradise. From topsy-turvy architecture and storm-strewn nautical gear to the stranded shrimping ship, Miss Tilly, impaled upon the summit of Mount Mayday, each detail brings the legend to life.
Popular attractions and features including the following fan favorites:
- Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, America’s largest outdoor wave pool where guests can “hang 10’’ while bodying surfing on the perfect wave every time.
- Miss Adventure Falls, a fast-paced family raft attraction created, as the story goes, when Captain Mary Oceaneer — a seafaring treasure hunter — got her haul caught years ago in a rogue typhoon, scattering her treasure across this tropical paradise.
- Crush ‘n’ Gusher, a thrilling water coaster featuring three 400-foot-long tube slides named for the various fruits they once transported.
- Castaway Creek, a scenic lazy river encircling the entire water park, offering gentle passage past shady grottoes, gushing waterfalls, overhead rope bridges and lush rainforest landscapes.
- Humunga Kowabunga, offering a choice of three adrenaline-filled body slides set against the steep inclines of Mount Mayday.
Ultimately, we are excited for the reopening of Typhoon Lagoon and highly recommend that you visit this water park during a “down day” in your 2024 Walt Disney World vacation. For more reasons to love it–and strategy for making the most of your day–see our Ultimate Guide to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.
I’ve gushed about it over the years, imploring Walt Disney World fans to give Typhoon Lagoon a chance, as it’s criminally underrated. On the surface, Typhoon Lagoon seems like a pretty “safe” concept for a water park. It’s tropical, laid back and is conducive to sitting on the beach, swimming, and other water activities. That’s true. 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. Everything about it is exceptional, from the atmosphere to the details to its underutilized mascot, Lagoona Gator. As a result, Typhoon Lagoon has a great sense of place, and it’s great to just be there.
This is far and away the biggest reason why I think Typhoon Lagoon is a must-do for Walt Disney World fans. It’s a masterclass of cohesive design and one of the few parks at Walt Disney World that maintains full thematic integrity so long after its opening. Typhoon Lagoon actually is what so many fans wanted World Celebration at EPCOT to be (or still pretend that it is). 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, Typhoon Lagoon is a great place to waste a morning…or evening…at Walt Disney World!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you pleased with the March 17, 2024 reopening date for Typhoon Lagoon water park? Cautiously optimistic that Summer 2024 will mark a turning point for Walt Disney World with both water parks open simultaneously? Eager to return to Typhoon Lagoon, or are you not a water park person? Will you be doing H2O Glow After Hours if offered at Typhoon Lagoon in 2024? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
