This summer, Disney World’s two water parks will be open simultaneously for the first time since 2019.
The change in water park operations will start on May 1, with Typhoon Lagoon reopening and Blizzard Beach going down for a short refurbishment before reopening on May 21 and staying open through Sept. 7.
Having both water parks open at the same time is such an unexpected announcement — shared on April Fools’ Day no less — that Disney had to explicitly say it was not a joke in a post on its official Disney Parks Blog.
If you’re confused as to why this change is so remarkable, let’s explain.
Ever since River Country — Disney World’s original water park — closed in 2001, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon alternated maintenance schedules so that one of the two is always open. Between 2017 and 2019, for example, Blizzard Beach would generally close between late October and early January, with Typhoon Lagoon subsequently going down between early January and mid-March.
But the COVID-19 pandemic changed that pattern. Both water parks were closed after the initial COVID shutdown of the resort until Blizzard Beach reopened in March 2021, while Typhoon Lagoon didn’t welcome back guests until Jan. 2, 2022 — the last of Disney’s parks to reopen during the pandemic. Ever since, Disney has operated only one of its water parks at a time.
The last day that the two were open on the same day was Sept. 7, 2019.
While Disney didn’t give any specific reason for the water park change, one potential factor could be a benefit introduced earlier this year. Guests at Disney World’s on-site hotels get free water park admission on the first day of their stay, so having both water parks open during the summer leaves extra room for Disney to take care of guests using the perk.