Showdown: Blizzard Beach VS Typhoon Lagoon

[WinnipegDisneyFanatic]

Alright it has been 8 years since I've done Typhoon Lagoon, and 10 years since I've done Blizzard Beach...the ultimate question to help us decide what to do....drum roll...


Blizzard Beach
VS
Typhoon Lagoon

Pros? Cons? Why one over the other? ..or Both?

All opinions are welcome!

Chris :hatter:

[Crow]

ok ill b watching this, as in all my trips ive never been to the water parks.
havent been swimming for yrs....

[wdwfamily531]

Both waterparks are awesome, but personally I'd pick Typhoon Lagoon. You can't beat the wave pool!:mickey:

[DisneyOtaku]

I perfer Typhoon Lagoon. BB is much more "extream" water slides, and that's not me. TL has the awesome wave pool, the swiming with the sharks, and plenty of slides if that is your style!

[mttafire]

Both waterparks are awesome, but personally I'd pick Typhoon Lagoon. You can't beat the wave pool!:mickey:

agreed 100% The wave pool IS the reason we like T.L. best. It actually has REALLY nice slides too. B.B. is good "one of the best" BUT to us...T.L. is a step better...Thank you Wave Pool!!!:mickey:

[Dawnya]

Typhoon Lagoon for me too. You just can't beat that wave pool! If Blizzard Beach had a wave pool, it would be a different story though.

[Figgyluv03]

TL all the way! I've been going to BB on my last few trips, and I'm ready to take on TL again!

[TIdoubleGR]

Haven't been to BB yet, as I typically try to get down to FL to get *away* from the idea of snow and ice...but that's just me. I love Crush N' Gusher too-- it's awesome!

[McGeorge]

I'm going to have to buck the trend here and recommend BB. As a footnote, don't get me wrong - I love both parks. As mentioned, the wave pool in TL is really great, and if you want to experience that, then go with TL. But I think overall, the rides are better and more exciting at BB. Plus I really like the theme. But whichever park you choose, you'll have a great time.

[Tynkerbelle]

Another vote for TL - the wave pool is awesome indeed! Plus there's Crush 'N Gusher. The snorkling experience is pretty unique, too. And personally, I like the tropical theme better.

BB is fun - the rides at BB are more thrilling, but there's a lot of hills (of course you can take the ski lift). The one thing that I do like about BB though is that you can take a mini-golf break - I love the Winter Summerland/Summer Winterland courses!!

[sunlyon]

I'll have to vote for TL also. More shade, great landscaping. Love the lazy river here and the wave pool. I'm not into the slides, etc.

[mickey98]

We have to vote for T.L. too.. since it is our only choice.. we go in November and B.B. is closed that month for refurb.. so either we go to T.L. or we don't go to a water park at all ... :mickey:

[maizey05]

2 votes for BB here. (DH and I) Love the theme. Love the mix of caribbean, surf, christmas tunes and bavarian music. Their lazy river is the best I've ever been on. I think it's a mile long! Love the teamboat springs and the toboggan ride.

[biodtl]

I've been trying to decide which one to visit on my next trip, since the only Disney waterpark I visited (except mini-golf at BB) was River Country. I like thrill ride stuff, but I don't like the tube-less speed water slides (for reasons too gross to disgust, but I'm sure some of you get) and I'll have 2 kids - then 11 and 3, so it sounds like TL is for me.

One question - in either park, do you have to get out of the "lazy river" and get back in a line, or is it like the awesome LR in Dollywood, where you can just keep on floating?

[Piglet822]

The lazy river has many entrances and you can enter and exit as you please. At busier times you might have to wait for a tube to float in but you don't even need it. You can swim or walk throught the river but I admit having the tube is so much more relaxing :)

[Nekochan]

I like BB better - the slides just seem 'smoother' as you go down them. Plus, there is the 'pre-teen' area that my son is just crazy about.

But, TL's wave pool is better. BB's is a bobbing pool, not a wave pool.

[Maleficent's Dad]

TL

Smaller in size & easier to manage
Outstanding wave pool
Shark reef snorkling
Incredible theme
Water roller coaster (Crush & Gusher)

BB

Many more slides
Larger kid area
Teen area
Very high, very fast slides
Much longer lazy river

You can't go wrong at either. BB was built after TL, so convential wisdom will tell you that Disney learned from TL and built BB; however, TL does have some things BB still does not!

BB was built for speed and thrills - younger crowd.
TL was built to be relaxing.

Why not do what we're doing in August? Go to both!!! :thumbsup:

[WinnipegDisneyFanatic]

The lazy river has many entrances and you can enter and exit as you please. At busier times you might have to wait for a tube to float in but you don't even need it. You can swim or walk throught the river but I admit having the tube is so much more relaxing :)

You're allowed to just swim in it?! AWESOME! I remember my sister and I used to go up to the jets, then take a step forward in front of them and get pushed forEVER along the river! Good to know you can still do that, I'll be there in less than 3 weeks! :D

Chris :hatter:

[MinnieMommie]

Typhoon Lagoon - Love the theming, wave pool, lazy tube ride, swimming with sharks and surfing. :thumbsup:

[psychotekkie]

I've been trying to decide which one to visit on my next trip, since the only Disney waterpark I visited (except mini-golf at BB) was River Country. I like thrill ride stuff, but I don't like the tube-less speed water slides (for reasons too gross to disgust, but I'm sure some of you get) and I'll have 2 kids - then 11 and 3, so it sounds like TL is for me.

One question - in either park, do you have to get out of the "lazy river" and get back in a line, or is it like the awesome LR in Dollywood, where you can just keep on floating?


Be VERY careful with your 3-yr old. I went to TL last summer with my 2-going-on-3. They had a very small kids area with some slides and things. At the base of most of the slides they had some old scratchy rundown cork material that the kids inevitably slide onto, and after only one slide, my son's back had a huge abbrasion. The last thing you want is for your small kids to get all scraped up. Way to take the fun out of the day.

But a few days later we were at Blizzard Beach. Though it was not our fav. for the adults, the kids area was WAY better. Nice smooth rubber surfaces everywhere, nowhere to get scratched up, plus it seemed bigger and had the little "snow castle fountain" area that the kids went berzerk over!

For me, the happier my kids are, the more I enjoy myself!

[biodtl]

Be VERY careful with your 3-yr old. I went to TL last summer with my 2-going-on-3. They had a very small kids area with some slides and things. At the base of most of the slides they had some old scratchy rundown cork material that the kids inevitably slide onto, and after only one slide, my son's back had a huge abbrasion. The last thing you want is for your small kids to get all scraped up. Way to take the fun out of the day.

But a few days later we were at Blizzard Beach. Though it was not our fav. for the adults, the kids area was WAY better. Nice smooth rubber surfaces everywhere, nowhere to get scratched up, plus it seemed bigger and had the little "snow castle fountain" area that the kids went berzerk over!


Thanks for the info - I'll have to think about t some more - it's good to knwo that stuff in advance.

[WEDTOPIA]

We alternate between the 2 parks every time , and I can honestly say I like them both equally.

However, there are significant differences.

The winners in each category....

Best wave pool - TL , no contest here.
Best lazy river - TL by a slim margin
Best family raft ride - BB, Teamboat Springs ,one of the best rides in WDW ,period !
Best park for kids - BB , seperate areas for toddlers and pre-teens.
Best eating options - BB , several kiosks
Best asst. of slides - BB , racing slides
Best " bonus attraction " - TL , Shark Lagoon
Best comedic theming - BB
Easiest park for walking around - TL
Only park with a water coaster - TL
Only park with a ski lift ride - BB
Coolest design element - TL , the Miss Tilly ship on top of Mt. Mayday ,which blows water every hour on the hour.
Most shady areas - TL
Best shop - TL

This will either help you or confuse the heck out of you. :D

:mickey:

[smartinez1]

Ok, I am having the same problem here. I haven't been to either of them before, but this time my husband wants to do one. We only have the time for one of them otherwise I would do both. What is the water coaster you speak of? What does that mean? Also, my husband is a realy excited about going on the slides, for me, as long as there are a few slides to go on, that is fine with me, because I really enjoy the lazy river. How many slides do you think each park has? I am trying to find more info on what each park has. Disney's website only has a few attractions listed for them. Thanks for the info!

[mickeys_princess]

If Blizzard Beach had a wave pool, it would be a different story though.

No wave pool at Blizzard Beach? :confused:

[Piglet822]

It's more like a "bobbing" pool. It's nowhere near as big as the wave pool and TL.

[Cinderelley]

Ok, I am having the same problem here. I haven't been to either of them before, but this time my husband wants to do one. We only have the time for one of them otherwise I would do both. What is the water coaster you speak of? What does that mean? Also, my husband is a realy excited about going on the slides, for me, as long as there are a few slides to go on, that is fine with me, because I really enjoy the lazy river. How many slides do you think each park has? I am trying to find more info on what each park has. Disney's website only has a few attractions listed for them. Thanks for the info!

It sounds like your DH would like BB better, and it has a lazy river for you too. Click on the Theme Parks tab near the top of the screen and scroll down to the Water Park section. When you read about each park, you'll see what it has.

[pook@wdw]

Both are great! They both have a slow tube ride around the perimeter of the park, they both have good beach areas, they both have a good variety of tube rides, slides, and eating areas. So what separates them? Typhoon lagoon has the better wave pool and Shark Reef (a must do), but Blzzard Beach has Summit Plummet which has no equal! So I guess you'll....just...have to do both!!!:thumbsup:

[psychotekkie]

What is the water coaster you speak of? What does that mean?

The Crush n Gusher is the water coaster. It is different from other tube water slides in that they use jets of water to propel you along so you actually travel uphill as well as downhill! REALLY cool ride. Not extreme like land coasters like Expedition Everest, but still a really awesome sensation.

I would not miss it since you are unlikely to find one anywhere else. (I know that others exist but they are few and far between).

[PirateLover]

We just did Typhoon Lagoon this time around. The wave pool isn't as impressive for me because I go in the real ocean all the time (although we did still have tons of fun in it). The only other advantage to Typhoon Lagoon would be Crush N Gusher. That was a lot of fun.
As far as the rest of the slides go, I think BB is way better. I found TL slides to be rougher and just not as fun as BB. The lazy rivers are about equal. But TL was definitely less crowded (although we did get there before 10am on an EMH morning)