Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon’s Transportation Options (How to Get To and From)
If you plan to visit Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, you will probably want to know the best route to the water park. The options will vary depending on whether you’re visiting from off-site or as a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel guest. Below, we’ll discuss your transportation options to and from Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon so you’ll know which option works best for you.
How Disney Water Parks Operate
It’s important to note that Disney’s water parks operate on a rotational schedule. Blizzard Beach is typically open between early November and March, and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is open between March and November. You’ll want to check the exact hours and availability for your visit.
Disney Resorts to Typhoon Lagoon
Disney Resorts offer complimentary bus transportation to and from Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. However, in most instances, you will have to take a transfer bus. Previously, direct bus transportation was offered to Typhoon Lagoon from the resorts with the same return service. However, that option is rare these days.
When you reach your resort’s bus stop, you will see a sign that indicates the wait times for the next bus. Typically, for Typhoon Lagoon, the sign says, “Must Transfer to Disney Springs.” So you will board the next bus to Disney Springs. When you exit the bus at the Disney Springs drop-off point, you’ll stay to the left and walk to the first bus stop, which is the one for Typhoon Lagoon. You will be able to see it. The bus drivers are good about pointing guests in the right direction, especially early morning when guests are headed to the water park.
*If the resorts are running direct buses, you’ll encounter signage indicating which bus stop will get you back to your resort. These signs are from a few years ago when buses routed guests directly back to their resorts at the end of the day. We hope to see this return when the new resort water park benefit goes into effect. However, at this time of this update, there haven’t been any announcements.
While we don’t have much of an issue when taking the transfer bus from the resort to Typhoon Lagoon, we think it’s a bit of a hassle on the return trip. When the bus drops you off at Typhoon Lagoon at the end of the day, you’ll need to locate your resort’s bus stop, which will be a further walk, depending on where you’re staying. Then, you might encounter a long line of guests leaving Disney Springs to return to the same resort. I don’t know about you, but I’m usually a mess when I leave a water park. My hair is still damp, and even though we bring a change of clothes, we carry a decent-sized bag of wet swimsuits and usually a small cooler.
So, taking a bus to Disney Springs, finding the bus stop for your resort, and waiting for the next bus is a headache. You might consider transferring to Typhoon Lagoon but ordering a Lyft, Uber, or Minnie Van on the return trip to the resort. Of course, some guests travel light and may enjoy having dinner or walking around Disney Springs after leaving the water park. (We do this sometimes when we leave Typhoon Lagoon and have our car. However, in that instance, we can leave our wet suits in the car until we return home.)
Special Mention for Disney Springs Area Resort Guests ONLY
If you are staying at a resort hotel in the Disney Springs area (Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, French Quarter, Treehouse Villas, and Old Key West), you might encounter a confusing situation at the resort bus stop. A sign at your resort’s bus stop might indicate you should take a boat from the resort to Disney Springs. If you’re headed to Typhoon Lagoon, you want to wait for the bus…do not take the boat. Even though the sign says “take a boat,” you can rest assured that the buses for Disney Springs are running during operating hours.
Someone told us that a cast member at the resort told them they needed to take a boat. They found out later that was not the case. The boat dock at Disney Springs is a considerable distance from the bus stop at Town Center, where the transfer bus picks up. You would have to walk through the Marketplace and halfway through Town Center to get to the bus stop. It’s a long walk! You would also need to know where you are going. Disney Springs is a massive place, and you could easily get turned around.
Depending on your pace, it could take 15-20 minutes to get from the Marketplace boat dock to the bus stop. Your best option is to wait for a bus from your resort’s bus stop to Disney Springs. Below is an example of how the bus signage at Old Key West tells guests to “use watercraft” for Disney Springs. Many guests see this sign and turn around to find the boat dock. If you stay here, the bus will come, and it will drop you off near the bus stop for Typhoon Lagoon.
Parking at Typhoon Lagoon
Thankfully, there is no charge for parking at Typhoon Lagoon. So whether you are a resort guest or visiting from off-property, you can park at the water park for free.
If you visit first thing on a weekend or holiday, cast members direct guests where to park. For those who visit later in the day, I recommend driving to the front of the lot and finding a spot where someone has left early. Many passholders visit the park for a couple of hours at a time. So it’s common to find parking closer to the front of the park after lunchtime.
Related: Parking at Walt Disney World
Final Thoughts
Before we wrap things up, here is a quick recap of your options:
- Unless direct resort-to-park transportation is offered, guests must take a transfer bus from their resort to Typhoon Lagoon via Disney Springs and return the same way.
- There is no charge to park at Typhoon Lagoon.
- You cannot walk from Disney Springs to Typhoon Lagoon.
You might also enjoy some of these other planning articles:
- Height Requirements at Typhoon Lagoon
- One-Day Touring Itinerary for Typhoon Lagoon
- Locker Rentals at Typhoon Lagoon
- Beachcomber Shacks (Cabanas at Typhoon Lagoon)
- Typhoon Lagoon Dining Options
Or you might like to read our entire Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Guide.
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Disney World vacations have many hidden costs. If you haven’t created a plan to spend your money wisely, check out our free budgeting course below.
In the Comments
Which transportation option will you choose for Typhoon Lagoon? Do you have any other questions this article didn’t answer? Let us know in the comments.