Walt Disney World offers two outstanding water parks for guests who want something more than their resort’s pool. If you’re visiting in the off season, you may find only one of the two parks open, but if you’re at Disney during the peak or summer or spring break season, you can take your pick. How to choose? Check out this showdown.

Spots for tots

Splashing down the tot-friendly slides.
Image: Steven & Courtney Johnson & Horwitz , Flickr (license)

Blizzard Beach: Tike’s Peak is a polar playland where kids can splash through shallow pools with faux snow sculptures spraying water. Three side-by-side mini waterslides let you race along with your friends, while the tot-sized inner-tube offers plenty of excitement for independent littles who want to brave a ride alone.

Typhoon Lagoon: Ketchakiddee Creek is a laid-back play area featuring pint-size slides, mini inner-tube rapids, a cave concealed by a playful waterfall, giant faux sand sculptures to climb, and animal-shaped fountains. The warm, shallow pools are perfect for even the smallest visitors to relax.

Typhoon Lagoon also features the Bay Slides. This pair of mini-water slides is exclusively for children 60” or shorter. They splash into the shallows of the Surf Pool.

The Winner: For tots, Typhoon Lagoon edges ahead with slightly more to offer. The tot areas for both parks are exclusive to children 48” and under.

Kid-friendly experiences

The Ice Gator is where it's at for pre-teens
Image: Michael Welsing, Flickr (license)

Blizzard Beach: Ski Patrol Training Camp is ideal for kids and preteens who want something active and challenging. This watery obstacle course will have you jumping across ice flows, zip lining over the pool, and taking on body slides and inner tube slides.

The Winner: Blizzard Beach wins by a landslide. Typhoon Lagoon doesn’t have anything comparable that’s exclusive for kids in this age range.