Walt Disney World is home to two wonderfully fabulous water parks; Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Typhoon Lagoon is located near Downtown Disney and has a post typhoon theme where you will find surfboards in trees and boats laying at odd angles (think Gilligan’s Island meets Gidget). Blizzard Beach on the other hand is located near Animal Kingdom Park and is themed as a one time ski resort that began to melt leaving you with slushy slopes and white-sand beaches.
Both sound like they would be fun but which one is best for a toddler or child that does not swim? After taking our sons to both, I recommend Blizzard Beach to anyone that asks. Don’t get me wrong, I love Typhoon Lagoon but for toddlers Blizzard Beach is the place to be.
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Tike’s Peak – base camp for the little ones
Tike’s Peak is a pretty contained area that is just for the younger set. In fact height restrictions to ride two our of three slides are you need to be 48″ or shorter. So you can be confident they the little ones can play here without having to compete with the older kids.
The area is split up into a couple of areas and does mimic a small ski hill. The first thing you will notice upon entering Tyke’s Peak is the abundance of seating. And most of it is covered either by a permanent structure or by the large number of trees in the area. If you feel like you need to secure your area upfront you can also rent one of the two cabanas in this area. No matter what you should find enough space to let your little one take a nap if need by.
At the bottom of the slopes you will find the wading pool and the splash pad. The wading pool is zero entry and at the back wall is at most 6 inches deep. The diaper set will have no problem crawling around at the entry and will soon be crawling on the water spitting statues spread around the pool. In front of the wading pool is a large splash pad with three igloos that have multiple water jets to keep the kids running from side to side.
Heading up the hill you will find the ‘thrill’ rides. There are three water slides: one traditional slide, one tube slide, and one side-by-side racing slide. The first two you have to be 48″ or shorter while the side-by-side racing allows the parents to join in the fun.
At the tip top of the hill you will find one more slope. This slope is just for the toddlers and includes two slides. Both start in tunnels so the little ones may be tentative at first.
Most younger kids (5 and under) could make a day out of just this area. But there is more Blizzard Beach offers.
Ketchakiddie Creek at Typhoon Lagoon
The Ketchakiddie Creek area at Typhoon Lagoon is more like a (very large) splash pad. There is a grotto with waterfalls to run through and a boat to shoot water from but the slides are very small and even a toddler would get stuck going down them. This area is better suited for babies or toddlers that have a huge fear of slides. I did find out there is also a mini tube ride. To be honest I completely missed it as my kids quickly left this area.
There is a side-by-side slide for slightly older kids in the surf (wave) pool. Unfortunately when the waves are really going there is a pretty strong undertow at the exit of the slide that will easily knock a kid over. Parents must be vigilant and ready to grab their child if needed.
Ski Patrol Training Camp
Right next to Tyke’s Peak is an area that is targeted for the tweens. If your child is a bit more adventurous there are a couple of attractions here they could be interested in. The first is Snow Falls, it is a racing slide but the lanes are very close together. The lanes are close enough for a parent to be able to hold hands with a child in the other lane. I definitely recommend that the child wear a life jacket just in case as Disney does not allow you to wait at the bottom of a slide to catch your children or to ride tandem.
If the area is not busy you can also take the little ones over to the Thin Ice Training Course. This obstacle course includes ice shelves that are good for crawling on with a parent’s assistance. If there a lot of bigger kids there it may not be a good idea but early in the morning it would be a lot of fun.
Melt-Away Bay Wave Pool
Melt-Way Bay is much smaller than it’s equivalent Surf Pool at Typhoon Lagoon. Both have zero entry which is great for the little ones to play in but Melt-Way Bay has much gentler waves that are made more for leisurely floating on an inner tube or bobbing through the surf. These waves are small enough that kids can play at the edge of the water with no problems. A slight undertow is present but it just tips them over rather than the stronger currents at Typhoon Lagoon. Even though there are plenty of inner tubes to go around they can be hard to find while the wave machine is on since everyone wants to head out to the deep end where the waves are the larges.
Surf Pool at Typhoon Lagoon
Typhoon Lagoon can have up to 6-foot swells that are way to powerful for the toddlers. In between the large waves it is safe for the toddlers but the lifeguards are always reminding you to stay close so you can swoop them up if a big wave comes.
The other thing to be wary of for the little ones is that because there are larger waves there is also an undertow. It can be strong at time and can even knock an adult off their feet. In fact the last time we were there we saw the lifeguards in action assisting an adult that had been caught in the swirl of waves.
The good news here is that the lifeguards are fabulous! It was obvious they were well trained and even though they were addressing a situation in the pool there were plenty of eyes still on everyone else.
Cross Country Creek
The lazy river, Cross Country Creek, at Blizzard Beach is my favorite thing to do at the water park. Parents and kids can enjoy this 3,000-foot-long flowing river that covers the entire park. There are 7 entrances to the creek spread out across the park. This means you can make a quick exit if anyone gets scared or is in need of a restroom. (there is an entrance directly opposite one of the Tyke’s Peak exits)
Blizzard Beach offers three types of inner tubes to get you around the. The single rider, double rider and the kids tube that has no hole. This last inner tube is perfect for the little ones because there is no risk of them slipping through the center. But even if they do head into the water. The water is only 2.5 feet deep and there is a lifeguard always visible to assist if needed. The current and depth are also perfect to swim/wade alongside the inner tube (just in case you need to hang onto someone).
Don’t think this is just your average lazy river, Disney has added some wonderful touches to keep your attention and make children squeal with delight. You will pass through a polar cave that sprinkles cold (VERY COLD) water down upon you. Other elements (that all shoot water) include a snow machine with leaking pipes and the house of the Blizzard Beach mascot, Ice Gator. Just so you know, Ice Gator is not feeling well so watch out.
Lost Child Area
Disney is great with the kids and that goes double for any that may have misplaced their parents. At the front of the park you will find a covered area for lost children filled with games and coloring activities.
If you have lost a child all you need to do is approach any lifeguard notify them and they will know at once if they have been located.
Tip: Once a child has been found the lifeguard will contact all of the other lifeguards with a lost child notice, description/name of child and description/name of parents.
Funny thing is that this is not only for kids. I was actually lost one night. I could not find my family and I ended up in the lost child center. The same process happened for me but unfortunately my husband never contacted a lifeguard. (so I got some great coloring done instead)
First Aid Station
Hopefully your day goes as planned but if you should need it there is a First Aid Station at the front of the park next to the Beach Haus gift shop. I say it is always good to know where to find it.
Final Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed looking at all the photos and it has given you an idea of how the water park would be for a little one. As mentioned above, there is no real way to go wrong no matter what water park you choose. But I still think Blizzard Beach has more to offer the younger set. Enjoy your trip and let me know how it went.
I have always wanted to go to Disney. This makes me want to go even more.
I so have your blog pinned. We are going to Disney World in summer of 2015 and I know I can get lots of info from you. Thank you so much for all the wonderful info here.
Blizzard beach was our daughters number one pick! She loved all of the smaller slide options much more than typhoon lagoon. She just turned 5 in February:)
Looks like our kids are the same age. My son turned 5 in February too. It also looks like they have the same great taste in water parks. He lived on those smaller slides last trip.
Oh my gosh! My kids would LOVE that! Since my kids are older and all swimmers, would https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/typhoon-lagoon/ be a better option for us?
I think that my family should pack bags and go test this for ourselves. RIGHT NOW.
This looks like so much fun for the whole family, not just the little ones. I haven’t been to Disney World yet, but it is on my to-go list now.
Important information for all families Mary. I well remember the heart-in-my-mouth feeling when spending time in any water park. I’m so glad that Blizzard Bach was safe AND fun for you mama!!
Wow, that looks like such a great time! My son would even have a fantastic time there and he is a little older. I can’t wait to check this out!
I thought I had heard that Typhoon Lagoon was better for smaller kids – but looks like I’m mistaken! I haven’t done the water parks.. ever… I think we’ll try it on longer trips when the kids are older, but it definitely does look like fun!
Great advice! I don’t have kids yet, so I had never thought about which water park would be better for toddlers, but I have to agree. Blizzard Beach is probably the best choice.
I’ve been trying to decide which park would be best for my 5 and 2 year olds! This is great information. Thanks Mary!
Hey! Love this post! As a current lifeguard cast member at Blizzard Beach and former lifeguard at Typhoon Lagoon, it’s wonderful to see someone so enthusiastic about the park I truly love. I will say this, however: Lifeguards at Blizzard Beach do NOT allow you to wait at the bottom of any of the slides for your kids. The ONLY exception to this rule is Snow Falls. Typhoon Lagoon allows parents to catch, but, except for Snow Falls, Blizzard Beach does NOT. Lifeguards are told during training sessions that we must ask the parents to move immediately to the exit of the slides, as having someone wait at the bottom has proven to be dangerous. If your child needs help getting out of the tube or catch pool, the lifeguard on duty will quickly get in and do so. We do it all the time 🙂
LolliFranklin Actually, I would still recommend Blizzard Beach, as the “thrill rides” at this park are more enjoyable and thrilling than the ones at Typhoon Lagoon. **CM Tip: Try going later in the day if you go in the summer. Around 4:00pm, the park basically empties out, but it stays open until 8:00pm!**
Hi, I have little ones (2.5 yrs). I am a little apprehensive about your summary because they cant swim or float on their own yet. Is it still safe for them to go down the slides/will the life guards help them? Can we walk them to the top of the slide? They’ve been down slides before at a local park but we were able to be right at the bottom to get them, so I am just trying to get a better picture of what to expect 🙂
Hi Stacey – Completely understand. In the kids area I would not hesitate at all to let them go down by themselves. The slides actually go slow enough that they can stop themselves. As a parent you will be more worried and try to run alongside it as they go down (believe me – I did). The tube ride for the little kids may be too much but let your little ones decide. One time my 2.5 yo was scared to do it but 6 mo later loved it. There are life guards at the top and bottom of these slides to help. The little kids areas is quite contained and there are chairs for you to camp in.
The lazy river has floats that have the bottom so you can take them without worrying that they will fall through. Again, I was paranoid and never let go of their float for a moment but they had a blast! So I would easily do that with a 2.5 yo. The water is only 3.5 feet at the deepest (if I remember correctly) so you can walk along with them or you can use a float and just hold onto theirs. The wave pool there is also calmer then typhoon lagoon so the little ones could play there too without much worry. Both areas have lots of life guards keeping watch.
There is a slide we took our son on in the ‘tween’ area that you can ride in the slide next to him and hold their hands as they go down. With a death grip we were able to go down that one and he loved it. But it is deep at the end so this one is not for the faint of heart parent. Other than white knuckles on me there were no issues as it was easy to hold on to him the entire way. The life guards are there but only will help if there is trouble.
Those are the only ones I would take them on at the level you spoke of. But that is already more than I would do at typhoon lagoon. Even the kid slide empties into the wave pool and there is a strong undertow at times. Made me really uncomfortable. Blizzard beach wins hands down for the little ones.
No matter what water park you go to they do have life vests available at any time. Grab one if it makes you or your little ones more comfortable.
We had such a great time! they were fearless in the kids area! they also loved riding the ski lift up and riding the big family slide down (that was one of my favorites too!). we all enjoyed the lazy river and one of the other tube slides too! my son was in a raft in the shallow part of the wave pool (husband was holding him) and he fell asleep for nap time 🙂 overall it was a wonderful day. we got there at open and left at closed and the kids were so excited for everything! thanks for your recommendation!
whoops, sorry this is Stacey responding on our trip from January 🙂
I am so glad to hear this!! Thank you for coming back and telling me. Especially about the ski lift. We did not feel comfortable taking the kids on it but I glad to hear I should not have been afraid. We will try it next trip.
i am going there in 4 more days yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
This is great info! We have a four year old, and then three older kids (ages 9, 13, and 15) who are good swimmers and would enjoy the thrill rides. Can I stay with my toddler and let the other kids go off on their own (meeting at places at certain times?). My husband can’t join us until later so the only way this park would work well for us is for them to be able to go off on their own a bit.
This is a great idea! The toddler area is perfect for this. Get there early and set up camp in one of the shaded areas. Then have the kids come back at certain times. There is also an entrance to the lazy river pretty close to there too which is nice for everyone.
Sitting here deciding which park we will hit tomorrow with out toddlers and decided to google it – SO happy I did! Beautiful post!!! We are going to blizzard beach tomorrow 🙂 thank you! Ps do you have an intsagram?!
Hope you had fun!!! It is our favorite park with the smaller ones. I am not active at the moment on Instagram but you could fine me at https://www.instagram.com/capmagicalmem/.