Tips for Visiting a Disney World Water Park on Check-in Day

In 2025, you can get a visit to the Water Parks for free on check-in day at your Disney World Resort. Looking forward to tackling the slides at Blizzard Beach or the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon? There’s just one catch – you probably spent a good chunk of your arrival day on an airplane; with only a few hours for the parks, you want to make the most of them! We’ve got tips for everything from how to get to the parks to what to bring, plus answers to common questions, below.

Check the Park Hours Before You Leave Home

When checking water park hours before your trip, you need to know two things. The first is the closing time – water parks close earlier than theme parks, sometimes as early as 5 pm in the off-season. Knowing whether you have one hour or four will matter to your plans.

The second is which park is open. Disney has two water parks, but they take the year in shifts. Blizzard Beach is open during the winter and spring, and Typhoon Lagoon is open for the summer and fall. This year, Blizzard Beach will be open through April 30. Beginning on May 1, Typhoon Lagoon will be open for business – and Blizzard Beach will be closed.

Disney usually posts park hours about two months in advance. Find hours in the My Disney Experience app under Park Hours & Info. Tap the hamburger icon, select a date, and check back closer to your trip — hours may be extended on short notice!

Have a Transportation Plan

You don’t need to check in to get in; if you have a car you could head straight to a Disney World water park from the airport. And if you have a car, you should probably plan to drive. It will be by far the fastest method (usually 20 minutes or less), even if you stop by the hotel first. Your GPS will get you there, and parking is free.

Most guests will head to the hotel first. If you’re not driving, the bus is your option to reach Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon using Disney World transportation. For Blizzard Beach, direct buses run from the All-Stars and Coronado Springs. From all other resorts take a bus to Animal Kingdom, then transfer to Blizzard Beach. To get to Typhoon Lagoon using Disney buses, take a bus to Disney Springs and transfer there.

Travel times can be 45 minutes or more by bus; if time is short you might prefer to opt for a Minnie Van or rideshare. The Uber and Lyft drop-off at both Disney World water parks is conveniently near the gate.

Be Prepared to Tap In

You can use any of a MagicBand, Key to the World Card, or MagicMobile to enter Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. If you skip checking in at the front desk, make sure you have a MagicBand or MagicMobile ready to go. Also, make sure everyone is listed on your resort reservation. If you have a large party with some members staying offsite, they’ll need a water park ticket. Only guests of Disney World Resorts Collection hotels, including Disney Vacation Club resorts, are eligible for the free day.

You don’t need to have a theme park ticket to use the check-in day water park benefit. But if you did buy a ticket with the Water Park & Sports option, tapping into a water park on your arrival day should not use up one of your entitlements. If you’d like to confirm, check Tickets and Passes in My Disney Experience after entering the park, and see Guest Services if there’s an issue.

What to Bring to the Water Park

First things first: do not bring your luggage. Luggage isn’t allowed in the water parks, and you can’t bring it on the Disney buses either. If you’re driving straight to the water park from the airport, you can leave it in the trunk of your car. (But you’ll want to be wary about high temperatures and expensive electronics.) For most guests, the best move will be to leave your luggage at the Bell Services desk at your resort. Luggage storage is free, although a tip is expected. You can also head straight to your room and drop luggage if it’s ready when you arrive.

Plan ahead to have a quick turnaround when dropping luggage at the hotel. Pack swimwear and anything you’ll take to the parks in a single, separate bag. Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have lockers available to rent. Small lockers are 12.5″ x 10″ x 17″, big enough for a backpack and a few smaller items, and cost $10 per day. Large lockers are 15.5″ x 13″ x 17″, big enough for a couple of backpacks, at $15 per day.

So what should you pack in that bag? One thing you won’t need to bring to the water parks is towels; they’re complimentary for Disney World Resort guests. One thing you will need is appropriate footwear; water park pavement can be toasty. If you wore sneakers on the plane, swap for flip-flops or similar before leaving your bags behind. You’ll also want sunscreen, sunglasses, your swimwear or a change of clothes, and maybe a good book. For kiddos, you’ll find free life jackets available at the Disney World water parks (they come in adult sizes too).

Have a Food Plan

If you flew to Disney World, statistics say it’s unlikely that your airline fed you a meal on the plane. You can grab some food at the resort Quick Service, but that might interfere with a quick turnaround. The good news: you can use Mobile Order at a few locations in each Disney World water park. View menus in the app in advance so you can hunt and gather efficiently once you get there.

Both Disney water parks offer a refillable mug that you can use at either park. This is not the same as the Rapid Fill mug that you can buy at the resorts – and which you can only use at the resorts. The water park refillable mug is currently priced at $13.99, and you can reactivate it for a few dollars less on later visits. Fountain drinks are currently $4.79. So if you’ll fill the water parks mug more than twice, or you’ll be back later in your vacation, it could be a good value.

Be Prepared for Weather

Sometimes, the weather does not cooperate. Full-day closures (usually due to cold weather, but occasionally hurricanes or such) are announced at least 1 day in advance. You can check park hours to see them. Thunderstorms may cause temporary, day-of closures with very little notice. You won’t see these on the park calendar, although you may get a notification in the Disney World app.

If weather closes the water parks on your arrival day, check My Disney Experience. Disney doesn’t guarantee water park access other than on the day you check in. But we know of a few instances where guests affected by weather-related closures found a 1-day water park ticket added to their Tickets and Passes. Your mileage may vary.

Also worth knowing: if you’ve got a split stay, you’re eligible for the water park benefit on each of your check-in days to an eligible Disney World hotel. If the weather cancels your first day of vacation visit, you’ll have another chance on the day you switch resorts.

Too Long? Didn’t Read?

We get it, you’re in a hurry to get your packing done. Here is a quick list of what to remember when visiting Disney World’s water parks on your arrival day.

• Check the water park hours a few days ahead to confirm closing time and which park you’ll be heading to.
• If you’re skipping the front desk check-in, make sure MagicBands or MagicMobile are set up so you can tap in.
• A car or rideshare is the fastest way to the water parks from a Disney World resort. By bus, transfer at Animal Kingdom (Blizzard Beach) or Disney Springs (Typhoon Lagoon) and allow at least 45 minutes.
• Leave your luggage at the resort; rental lockers at the water parks will fit a backpack and a few small items.
• Towels are provided, but bring flip-flops, sunscreen, sunglasses, swimwear/change of clothes, and other essentials.
• You’ll probably want some food; Mobile Order in the My Disney Experience app can help get that done quickly.
• Weather closures happen. If it happens to you, check My Disney Experience to see if you find a 1-day water park ticket.

Are you planning to head to the water parks on your Disney World arrival day? Did you change your travel plans to make sure you could use the benefit? Let us know in the comments!