For the first time since 2019, both Disney World water parks will be open at the same time this summer. Here’s an excerpt from the announcement:
Cool Kid Summer at Walt Disney World is about to get even cooler! In honor of the 30th anniversary of Blizzard Beach today, we’d like to seas the day and announce that Blizzard Beach water park will also be open for guests this summer in addition to Typhoon Lagoon. And this is no April Fools’ Day joke!
For the first time since 2019, Disney World will have all 6 of our parks—all 4 theme parks and 2 water parks—open at the same time. From May 21 through September 7, Disney World guests can enjoy the tropical shipwreck oasis of Typhoon Lagoon and the frosty fun of Blizzard Beach water park.
Before the summer fun can begin, Blizzard Beach will need a little melt away time and will temporarily close between May 1 and May 20. Source.
Analysis
While I welcome this news with open arms, the timing strikes me as a bit curious. The big thing happening in summer 2025 is the debut of Universal’s Epic Universe theme park. While the rising tide will lift all boats some amount, this particular summer should mostly go to Epic Universe. (As an aside, I think it’s clear that demand for Epic Universe’s debut summer is not as high as you might expect, and maybe that’s worth keeping in mind throughout any analysis of summer 2025).
Disney wants to capture some of the increased demand for central Florida tourism, and they’ve already announced the debut of two new shows in May, plus several new deals.
Then there’s this “return to the bubble” thing. Like most every blogger who writes about Disney, I’ve written before that Disney should refocus on maintaining its bubble, and we’re seeing Disney take small steps that direction with things like the pilot return of resort airline check-in.
But even in pursuit of these twin aims, operating a second water park feels like it could be a step too far. While it’s not as if the second water park is zero-cost when it sits closed, I don’t think operating it is a small marginal operational cost—otherwise I suspect Disney would have returned the second water park much sooner. In other words, if this doesn’t move the needle on demand, I don’t think it makes much sense. And will it? Well, two things about summer 2025 stand out.
First, as I already mentioned, Epic Universe is debuting. If I have an extra day of a trip to central Florida, I’m not spending it at Blizzard Beach, I’m spending it at Epic Universe. If I’m unsure whether I should base myself in Universal or Disney World for a trip to central Florida theme parks, a second water park at Disney World would factor exactly zero into the equation.
Second, water parks are not typically a part of a 3-day / 4-night trip. When you get to four full days, maybe you consider a water park. At 5 days, I’d still probably focus on theme parks, though at least repeat guests will see a lot more value in water parks at that point. But it’s the long trips when water parks really come into play. And who books long trips? International guests. And how does international demand for travel to the US look these days? Not great, Bob!
But I hope I’m wrong. Specifically, however important those two goals are, I hope that this update also pursues a third goal—reinvigorating the Walt Disney World brand.
Big picture, I don’t see Disney World’s challenge as simply “costing too much” or even costing too much for what it offers. I think the first thing they need to correct is the impression that they’re continually both raising prices (that’s just the direction prices go) and cutting value (that’s a choice they’re making to excess).
Everyone saw this with Genie+ / Lightning Lanes—Disney replaced a free product with a paid product that was harder to use. A lot of people saw this with Magical Express—Disney shrunk its bubble, forcing hotel guests to pay for some alternative transport to the parks.
But I’ve seen it in smaller places, too. I’ve seen it in dessert parties, which used to have savory items and some sweet range, and now are reduced to just small-bite desserts worth a few bucks, even at Disney prices. I’ve seen it in Club Level offerings, where the midday snack buffet is basically always bags of chips and some fruit. And I don’t even know where to start about the replacement of daily housekeeping with random room invasions.
None of these items is worth complaining about on its own. Heck, even I want to roll my eyes just seeing such petty issues listed next to one another. But, just like only operating one of your water parks because that’s what makes immediate sense on the books, all of these things chip away at brand value.
And brand value is going to matter a lot more in the coming years than it did the last few years. Epic Universe makes Universal a bigger competitor of Disney than before. And frankly, I’ve had enough good trips to Universal these last few years to know what Disney is up against. New lands and rides will help, but they’ll have to justify the costs of those expenses, too. Maybe this is a step in the right direction—bring back the whole of the Disney World experience, even if you can’t completely justify it on the books today.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
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