Which Water Park Will Disney Ditch First — Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon?

in Walt Disney World

Side-by-side images of Disney water parks: the left shows Blizzard Beach with snow-themed slides and a colorful gondola ride; the right features Typhoon Lagoon’s large wave pool, rocky landscape, trees, and a shipwreck atop a mountain.

Credit: Disney / edited by Inside the Magic

Disney World is famous for its four theme parks, but longtime fans know its water parks are just as much a part of the story. For decades, guests have split their sunny days between two themed escapes, floating along lazy rivers or plunging down some of the fastest slides in Florida.

Yet whispers are getting louder: one of Disney’s water parks may not have a future. Fans can’t help but wonder—if Disney makes a cut, which water park would it be?

Before we discuss the speculation, let’s examine what each park offers and why the debate has so many guests on edge.

The top of Summit Plummet at Disney's Blizzard Beach
Credit: Disney

Typhoon Lagoon: Tropical Chaos Turned Paradise

Typhoon Lagoon opened in 1989, bringing a unique storyline about a tropical paradise devastated by a massive storm. Details reinforce that theme everywhere you look: boats tossed onto mountainsides, surfboards jammed into trees, and the iconic Miss Tilly ship perched on Mount Mayday. You’ve stumbled into a shipwrecked island that somehow became the ultimate playground.

The centerpiece is the massive wave pool, one of the largest in the world, where six-foot swells keep body surfers entertained all day. Crush ‘n’ Gusher is another favorite, a water coaster that shoots guests through twists and drops.

Families can drift along Castaway Creek, while kids splash in Ketchakiddee Creek. Typhoon Lagoon is also famous for its surf lessons—an experience that makes it stand out from traditional water parks.

This mix of relaxation, thrills, and tropical theming has kept Typhoon Lagoon popular for decades, but it hasn’t been immune to downtime and lengthy closures in recent years.

A woman surfing in the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon.
Credit: Disney

Blizzard Beach: A Ski Resort Meltdown

Blizzard Beach opened in 1995 with a quirky concept: a ski resort that melted under Florida’s hot sun. The result is a winter wonderland where chairlifts, snowy peaks, and toboggan slides are reimagined as water rides. The creativity here is undeniable—not every day you see snowmen and icicles in the middle of Orlando.

The star attraction is Summit Plummet, one of the world’s tallest and fastest free-fall body slides. It’s the kind of ride with thrill-seekers shaking before stepping onto the platform. Blizzard Beach also caters heavily to families, with Teamboat Springs, one of the longest family raft rides anywhere, and a massive kids’ area themed as a snow fort.

The park balances a unique atmosphere with serious thrills, but like Typhoon Lagoon, it has faced its share of closures and refurbishments. Fans love its creative theme, yet some wonder if it has enough staying power compared to its tropical counterpart.

blizzard-beach
Credit: Disney

Why Typhoon Lagoon Could Be Next

Regarding speculation, Typhoon Lagoon often lands in the hot seat. One big reason is its age. It’s now more than 35 years old, and while the tropical theming still feels immersive, parts of the park show their wear and tear.

Unlike Blizzard Beach’s icy ski resort theme, Typhoon Lagoon has more competition from other water parks across Florida that also lean into beachy, tropical aesthetics.

Another factor is downtime. In recent years, Typhoon Lagoon has seen extended seasonal closures and long refurbishments. That’s raised eyebrows among fans who fear Disney could quietly prepare to shut it down for good. While it’s still beloved, the argument goes that Typhoon Lagoon doesn’t stand out as sharply as Blizzard Beach does with its snowy Florida gimmick.

Finally, attendance patterns may play a role. While Disney doesn’t publish exact numbers, chatter suggests that Typhoon Lagoon has had more uneven crowds than its icy rival. If Disney had to choose, some believe the tropical park might have been the easier cut.

Guests enjoying the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon
Credit: Disney

Why Blizzard Beach Could Be Next

On the other side, Blizzard Beach has its vulnerabilities, too. Its unique theme is also its challenge: the snow-and-ski concept is incredibly creative but has always been a little odd for central Florida. While fans admire the originality, it doesn’t consistently deliver the escapist “vacation in paradise” vibe many guests crave in a water park.

Blizzard Beach has also dealt with significant closures, sometimes being offline for over a year at a stretch. Guests have noticed how often Disney favors reopening Typhoon Lagoon first, which has fueled rumors that Blizzard Beach is quietly sliding down the priority list.

A man goes down the slide at Blizzard Beach
Credit: Disney

The maintenance demands of its large slides and ski-lift-style transport system add another wrinkle. Summit Plummet is iconic, but it requires constant upkeep. If Disney wants to cut costs and streamline operations, Blizzard Beach could be the park they deem too expensive to maintain.

And while its family-friendly attractions are great, they don’t carry the same “wow factor” for casual tourists that Typhoon Lagoon’s wave pool or surf lessons do. That raises the possibility that Blizzard Beach, despite its originality, might be the one to lose out.

Pluto, Goofy, Minnie, and Mickey by the water at Blizzard Beach at Walt Disney World with Disney World parks.
Credit: Disney

The Bigger Picture

Disney has been making tough calls recently, retiring attractions and adjusting offerings based on costs, popularity, and long-term vision. With competition from Universal and regional water parks heating up, it’s possible that Disney could eventually decide two water parks are too many.

Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have strengths that make them worth keeping, but they also have weaknesses that put them at risk. Fans are left in limbo, speculating on social media and debating which water park Disney might decide to part with first.

Guests on Miss Adventure Falls at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Credit: Disney

A Splash of Uncertainty

So, which water park will Disney ditch first—Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon? The truth is, only Disney knows, and for now, both parks remain part of the resort’s lineup. Still, the ongoing closures and uncertainty have left fans nervous.

Typhoon Lagoon brings tropical thrills and that massive wave pool, while Blizzard Beach offers a wintery twist with jaw-dropping slides. Both are uniquely Disney, and both have devoted followings. Yet in a time when every park must prove its worth, the question lingers: when Disney decides to trim down, which splash will be the last?

For now, fans will keep enjoying both while they can—just in case the day comes when one of these iconic water parks is washed away from the Disney map.

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