If you could have one of these Disney Water Parks all to yourself for a whole fun-filled, sun-filled day, which would you choose?
My immediate response is Typhoon Lagoon because if I were choosing to spend the day at one of the water parks it would be there without question. Over the years I've visited Typhoon Lagoon a lot more than Blizzard Beach, but this past summer I did a day at both and was reminded yet again that I prefer Typhoon Lagoon. Most of the attractions are comparable, but I tend to prefer the Typhoon Lagoon versions. Plus Typhoon Lagoon has the Crush 'n' Gusher, a water coaster that is definitely lacking from Blizzard Beach. The real winner though for me is Castaway Creek, the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon which unlike Cross Country Creek at Blizzard Beach doesn't dump ice cold water on you unexpectedly, just slightly cold water.
Then I thought a little further on the subject and realized that while I prefer to spend my time at Typhoon Lagoon, I like the story idea behind Blizzard Beach better. Typhoon Lagoon's "narrative" involves a typhoon that swept over a tropical paradise leaving boats like the park's centerpiece the Miss Tilly atop Mount Mayday. Typhoon Lagoon does feel like a discombobulated tropical island paradise, but for the most part the story doesn't really come through in the attractions that strongly. It's just a nicely themed park with some great attractions.
Blizzard Beach's background story is clear in all of that park's attractions. The "legend" of Blizzard Beach involves a freak snow storm in Florida (with presumably more snow than the marathon weekend two years ago!) that led to the building of a ski resort, which needless to say was on the verge of closing when someone spotted the "Ice Gator" sliding on the ski runs and thus the idea for the water park was born. Each of the slides is themed around the idea of an old ski resort, from the Toboggan Racers to the family raft ride that appears to be on a bobsled track. You can get to the top of "Mount Gushmore" by taking a ski lift which leads you to the various slides including Summit Plummet, the parks fastest ride that looks like it's a ski jump. In each piece of Blizzard Beach, from the cross country skiing track that makes the lazy river to the ski trails that are the body slides to the food and souvenier vendors this story can be seen and appreciated.
So while I would still rather spend my water park time at Typhoon Lagoon (mostly divided between the wave pool and Castaway Creek after early morning slides) and I appreciate the more subtle theming of that park, I also have an appreciation for the detail and connection that Blizzard Beach was constructed with in relation to its Disney narrative.
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