Walt Disney World Water Parks Both Open for Summer 2026: Dates Announced

By WDWMAGIC Staff · Monday January 5, 2026 11:25am ET · "Typhoon Lagoon"

Disney announced today that both Walt Disney World water parks will operate simultaneously from May 26 to September 8, 2026. The extended schedule aligns with Cool Kids' Summer and the resort hotel water park benefit.


Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach will both be open during the same period for only the second time since 2019. Disney typically operates one water park at a time while the other undergoes refurbishment, but changed this last year for the debut of Cool Kids' Summer.

The dual operation gives you more options during your visit. Resort hotel guests using the free check-in day water park benefit can choose between both parks instead of being limited to whichever one is open.

Disney has not indicated how long both water parks will stay open past September 8, 2026. One park will likely close for annual refurbishment after the summer season ends.

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Disney has announced dates in 2026 for the water park admission perk on check-in day - May 26 to September 8, 2026:

Start your stay with a water park day! Disney Resorts Collection hotel Guests can enjoy water park admission on check-in day—included with your stay—for arrivals from May 26 to September 8, 2026.
↩ replying to DCBaker
Have they officially announced when typhoon reopens after closing in Feb? If not I think we can assume right on or immediately around may 26th.
A "perk" for 3.5 months out of a possible 12 months. Ridiculous.
And both water parks are now open all summer??! Isn't the summer season the new slowest season?
Let’s get both water parks open for Feb, March, April, you know when the parks are packed. Or again in Oct, Nov. Both time periods with heavy crowds and nice weather.
↩ replying to surfsupdon
All true except just due to weather, even though the theme parks are not as busy in summer as they used to be, there is still higher demand for the water parks in June July and August then Feb March and April.
Well I don’t travel to WDW during that time. If it truely is only Memorial Day-Labor Day both parks are open looks like I’m going to save $109 on my next AP purchase. I don’t think $36 a visit is worth it, especially since this comes at the expense of theme park time, I’ll just stick to the theme parks. I miss when both parks were open spring break-Halloween. If they brought that back I would upgrade ($18 a day is much more palatable.)
↩ replying to Touchdown
For sure, if you only go three times a year and it takes away from your theme park day, it doesn’t make sense to purchase the water park add on. Unless you absolutely love mini golf or something!

Selfishly I am happy that the perk will not be in place over spring break so that I can actually use my AP at the waterparks. I know that it is controversial, especially on this forum, but Disney seems to rarely make changes to improve the AP experience, and this is a significant improvement for us (though I do wish both parks were open for longer of course).
↩ replying to Disone
There was never a period where TL was the “only” water park. Before BB, River Country was still open. In fact all three parks existed at once for a few years.
↩ replying to doctornick
And all three were open at once believe it or not.
Disney has confirmed that free water park admission on check-in day will return in Summer 2027.

Note that next year, stays at the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort are excluded from the benefit:

This benefit will also be available for Guests staying at an eligible Disney Resorts Collection hotel in summer 2027, excluding the Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. Stay tuned for more information and dates.
↩ replying to DCBaker
I wonder why they are excluding campsite guests. Seems gross…
↩ replying to Fox&Hound
Could be seeing this as a loophole where you can add 8 people to an $80 campsite reservation instead of paying to go to the water park per person. Back in the day I remember people saying they would make campsite reservations for 10 so they could get the on site fastpass reservation window while staying somewhere else.
Wonder if could have something to do with trying to reduce congestion and stop times for the internal bus loop. It’s pretty brutal from what I’ve heard from friends who use the camp ground.
↩ replying to Fox&Hound
Because people were booking campsites for less than $100 and getting 8 people in to a waterpark for free and then not even using the campsites. People figured out that even just a family of three would be better off buying a campsite they didn’t need than buying waterpark tickets.
↩ replying to peter11435
Oh wow. That is wild. I guess that makes sense then…