Why You Need to Visit the Walt Disney World Water Parks in 2025

If you've never visited Disney World's two amazing water parks and are considering a trip for 2025, now is definitely the time! Not only is Disney World offering an incredible deal to visit the water parks for resort guests in 2025, but these water parks are easily two of the best water parks in the country! Disney World's water parks offer a perfect mix of thrills, relaxation, and unique themes that are great for guests of all ages. Whether you're looking to cool off, experience some of the best water attractions in the world, or enjoy unique Disney theming, these water parks provide a fantastic way to enhance your Disney World vacation.

Although some Disney World guests skip the water parks and head to the theme parks or Disney Springs, it can often lead to heat exhaustion and tiredness, especially during Florida's brutal summer months. Others assume that Disney World's water parks are too expensive or similar to those they already have near their hometowns, however in true Disney fashion they are anything but ordinary. You can experience the same Disney magic while keeping cool at one of two incredible water parks.

I highly recommend taking a day in your Disney World vacation to experience a water park, especially in 2025. As a Disney World passholder with the water park add-on, I can attest to the guaranteed thrills and fun at these two water parks. Read more to learn why you need to visit the Walt Disney World water parks in 2025, including an incredible deal Disney is offering this year for resort guests!

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Disney World Water Park Deal for Resort Guests in 2025

typhoon lagoon ship from afar

If you have a Disney World resort reservation in 2025, regardless of which resort or the number of nights you are staying, you can have FREE access to a Disney water park on your day of check-in! This deal was announced last year and many were unsurprisingly very excited to take advantage of this perk. We also recently learned of Disney World's other huge summer 2025 discounts which can make this deal even sweeter! Many resorts are offering up to 30% stays, which brings in even more savings on top of the ability to visit a Disney water park free of charge.

Disney World is home to two amazing and unique water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Since the COVID pandemic, only one water park has ever open at one time, while the other is under refurbishment. However, Disney's announcement of this water park perk suggested that the two may start to be open at the same time sometime this year. As of last November, Blizzard Beach is currently the only water park open right now. Although it's hard to choose which one is better than the other, both have unique theming and waterslides with varying thrill levels.

Heading to a water park on your first day can be a great start to the vacation, especially if you didn't have any other plans besides settling into your resort. Especially during Florida's brutal summer months, it's a nice way to cool off and add more magic to your day. Although some may think the water parks will be more crowded because of this offer, I don't think it will be too bad considering it's only valid on check-in days. Additionally, even if it is too busy for some people, at least no money was wasted! I love that this offer allows guests a chance to see how much fun the water parks are without having to spend any more money on their Disney World vacation.

How to Take Advantage of The Water Park Perk

screenshot of resort reservation and water park access

If you have a resort reservation, you should be able to see a message indicating you have access to a water park under the “Future Plans” section of the Disney World website or mobile app. On this day, all guests listed on the resort reservation can use their Magic Band or Disney World MagicMobile pass to scan into the water park. Disney makes it super easy, especially because you don't even need to check into your resort before getting to the water park. If you need to store any luggage, I recommend dropping it off at your resort's Luggage Services before heading to the water park. You are able to drop off your luggage at the resort even if your room isn't ready yet, as long as you are checking in on that same day. Otherwise, both water parks also have lockers you can rent to store any luggage or bags.

If you're staying at multiple resorts during your Disney World trip, also known as a “split stay,” you won't necessarily receive this perk each time you check into a new hotel. This perk is available for the first day of check-in on back to back days with no breaks in between. However, if you do have breaks in between any Disney resort stays, you will be able to access a water park for free on each day of check-in.

If you aren't bringing or renting a car, you are able to take Disney World's free transportation to any of the water parks from your resort. Disney World buses typically run every 10-15 minutes, and there are always buses running between both Disney World water parks and each Disney resort. The buses do not run between the water parks and the theme parks, however, theme park buses also run between all Disney World resorts.

READ MORE- These Are Our Go-To Rides and Activities when Visiting Disney World with Young Kids

Are the Disney World Water Parks Worth It?

typhoon lagoon lazy river

Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach offer an upgraded experience from your hometown waterpark. Not only do they offer incredible attractions for everyone in the family, but there are also several great restaurants that offer a variety of cuisine that meets the gold Disney standard. You can even find classic Disney snack food inside the water parks including churros, DOLE Whips, Mickey-shaped pretzels, and frozen lemonade.

As a Disney World passholder with the water park add-on, I can personally tell you that the Disney World water parks are definitely worth checking out! At first, the main reason why it took me several years to visit the water parks was due to the high cost compared to my hometown water parks. For example, a one-day ticket to Blizzard Beach is currently priced at $74 per adult and $68 per child, which seems pretty steep, even for a Disney World park. However, after becoming an Annual Passholder and continuously hearing about how fun the water parks are, I decided to give them a try, and I was so surprised by how much the experience exceeded my expectations.

When comparing the Disney World water parks to your hometown water parks, just think bigger and better. Bigger and faster waterslides, bigger wavepools that offer surfing experiences, better themes, and even bigger and more unique lazy rivers for those who like a more calm water park experience. Based on what you probably know about Disney World's world class theme park attractions, you can expect the same level of quality at their water parks.

I'll talk about what makes the Disney World water parks unique below. However, if you've never visited the water parks and have an upcoming reservation in 2025, I definitely recommend taking advantage of this deal to see why they are worth your time during any Disney World vacation.

Blizzard Beach

Blizzard Beach water park

I can guarantee with high probability that your hometown water park does not have a chairlift to take you to the top of a waterslide! One of my least favorite parts of going to a water park is lugging an inner tube up multiple flights of stairs to get to the slide. Blizzard Beach's chairlift is an iconic way of transporting guests up to “Mount Gushmore,” where guests can have a unique viewpoint of the park in order to access some of the more popular waterslides including Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher, and Teamboat Springs.

Blizzard Beach's unique ski resort theme makes it one of the coolest-looking water parks I've ever seen. The backstory behind the theme includes a freak snowstorm which blanketed Florida, leading to the creation of Florida's first ski resort which is now starting to thaw. This quirky storyline creates a setting where visitors can slide down snowy slopes and navigate icy lagoons.

The most intense attraction at Blizzard Beach, and maybe in all of Disney World, is the Summit Plummet waterslide. Standing at an impressive 120 feet tall, it is located at the top of Mount Gushmore. Summit Plummet is a near-vertical, free-fall body slide that plunges riders almost straight down at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour! From the top, riders get a breathtaking view of the entire park and even some of the surrounding areas of Disney World before they take the heart-racing plunge. It is one of the tallest and most intense waterslides in the entire world.

For a more relaxed vibe, I love the Cross Country Creek Lazy River at Blizzard Beach. What makes this lazy river different is it's length, which stretches over 3,000 feet in length and can take 30 minutes to make one loop around. It also keeps with the fun ski resort theme with icy caves and melting snowbanks with several water features.

Typhoon Lagoon

typhoon lagoon water park entrance sign

Typhoon Lagoon was the first ever Disney World water park I visited and I was so surprised at the size and amount of waterslide attractions it offers. Similarly to Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon has a really cool theme resembling a tropical paradise that was dramatically transformed by a fictional typhoon, leaving shipwrecks, overturned boats, and surfboards scattered throughout the park. Typhoon Lagoon even has a giant water geyser, Mount Mayday, which erupts every 30 minutes!

The park's most famous feature is the Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, one of the largest wave pools in the world. It generates massive six-foot waves that guests can ride or swim in, simulating a true ocean surf experience. For a few hours before the park opens and after it closes, guests can book an open surf experience where you can share the pool with other surfers and spend a few hours riding perfect waves. Or, you can host your own private surf exclusive to you and your travel party! Typhoon Lagoon is the only water park I know that offers a true surfing experience in a wave pool.

Besides the incredible wave pool, Typhoon is home to many waterslides including a water coaster called Crush ‘n' Gusher, where riders will experience multiple launches, uphill climbs, sharp turns, dips, and sudden drops using powerful water jets. It's one of Typhoon Lagoon's most popular and unique attractions!

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About Ann Marie Scott

Ann Marie is a Disney World Annual Passholder, Disney Vacation Club Member, and Universal Orlando Annual Passholder. She lives just over an hour away from the Orlando area and visits the parks frequently. Ann Marie's favorite theme park activities include runDisney events, EPCOT festivals, and Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. Ann Marie loves planning theme park trips for friends and family as well as bringing her park knowledge to Mickey Visit readers.

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