Ask Tink: Which water park would you choose?

"I have enough time to visit one water park with my family. Which one should I pick?"

     I love that question! Thanks to the Tinker who submitted it. Disney has two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Typhoon Lagoon is the older of the two parks, having been around since 1989. Blizzard Beach opened a few years later, in 1995. Each park has their own, unique theming and backstory, as all good Disney attractions do. While Typhoon Lagoon has a more beachy and tropical feel to it, Blizzard Beach, (as one would expect from the name), looks like a melting ski resort, complete with white "snow" everywhere. So which one do you pick? 

     Well, before I share with you MY opinion, let me give you a few ways to make a decision. The most important thing is to first make sure both parks are in fact open. In the winter months, each park closes for a lengthy rehab. For this upcoming season, Blizzard Beach will be closed from October 4th, 2015 to January 2nd, 2016. Typhoon Lagoon will then close from January 3rd, 2016 to March 12th, 2016. 

     Assuming both parks are open and are an option for you, next you'll want to consider the attractions. If you're a thrill-seeker, Blizzard Beach offers Disney's tallest, (and in my opinion, most terrifying), water slide, Summit Plummet. 12 stories, straight down. This scream-inducing, bikini top-removing, wedgie-giving slide is a fan favorite for adrenaline junkies. Typhoon Lagoon does also have some scary slides, but nothing as high or as vertical. Both parks have a lazy river lapping their park, and are pretty similar to one another. Both parks have a "wave pool", however, Blizzard Beach's pool is significantly smaller and only does "bobbing" waves, which are on the small side. Typhoon Lagoon has an incredible wave pool, which alternates bobbing waves and huge, 6-7" high surf waves! In fact, you can even purchase surf lessons which take place before the park opens on certain mornings. Typhoon's waves are more impressive and more fun, but also more intimidating and more dangerous for those who are not strong swimmers. Then there's the two attractions that Typhoon Lagoon has that Blizzard Beach has nothing comparable to: Crushin' Gusher and Shark Reef. Crushin' Gusher is a series of three water-coasters, which use high powered jets to propel 2-3 person tubes not only down hill, but UP hill, as well. It was one of the very first slides of it's kind in the industry and is wildly popular. Shark Reef offers Guests the chance to snorkel in a live salt water reef, among beautiful tropical fish, sting rays, and, yep, sharks. Now, we're not talking Jaws here... just some smaller leopard and bonnethead sharks, and they DO tend to stay to the bottom, but it's still live, fully toothed sharks. I did it once. Let's just say I didn't swim nearly as slowly as they want you to. I crossed that reef pretty quickly and got my butt outta there, while sending a telepathic message to the sharks that Tink is a friend, NOT food. The only attraction that Blizzard Beach has that Typhoon does not have something similar to is the Chair Lift. If you want something to do that is out of the water, you can ride the chair lift up to the top of Mount Gushmore to get to some of the slides. (You don't have to ride a slide down if you don't want to.) 

     Traveling with kids in your party? Both parks offer kid-friendly areas, with little splash pads, mini-slides and more, the difference is that Blizzard Beach has a second kids area, Ski Patrol Training Camp. It is meant for those kids that are too old for the toddler-friendly splash pads, but too small for most of the slides. Here those older kids was swing from a zip line and splash down into a pool, and more. Typhoon Lagoon's kiddie area is meant for a pretty young set and there is nothing offered for those inbetweeners. 

     So what would I pick??? I always take Typhoon Lagoon over Blizzard Beach. I'll tell you why. 1.) Though the snow theming is fun and whimsical, I prefer feeling like I'm in a tropical paradise when I'm at a water park, no in a New England blizzard.  2.) All of that fake snow is actually hazardous to your health. The white surfaces reflect the sunlight and can cause you to burn more quickly. I don't have any scientific data to prove that this is true, but I can tell you that if you look at the number of lobster-people leaving Blizzard Beach at the end of the day vs. the ones leaving Typhoon Lagoon, you'll see that I'm right. It also has to do with the fact that Typhoon Lagoon seems to have less open spaces and more shade.  3.) I am not a water slide person, so I love the wave pool and lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon, plus the bottom of Crushin' Gusher has a huge landing pool, which can be used as a standard, zero entry swimming pool as well.  4.) Nostalgia. I remember going to Typhoon Lagoon with my dad and I have some great memories there, so it's my preferred park. I never went to Blizzard Beach as a kid. I know this is a reason very specific to myself. You probably didn't go there with my dad, so you probably won't care as much about that. 

     I hope that helps! Hey, Tinkers, what's YOUR favorite water park and why????