H2O Glow Party
Maggie Ballantyne9.3.19Until my last trip to Disney, I had not been to Typhoon Lagoon since I was 9. I remembered loving spending time in the wave pool with my dad and brother, tall slides I was scared of, and a shallow pool for my sister who was three at the time. Fast forward 16 years… I just revisited Typhoon Lagoon for a special event on my last trip down to Walt Disney World in Florida. In the summer of 2018, Disney introduced the H2O Glow Parties at Typhoon Lagoon and brought them back again this year. These are special ticketed events after hours for a select number of guests. After 16 years of not visiting this water park, I am so happy I did for this event!The night starts with early check-in to the water park. The official party start time was 8 pm, but we were able to get in as early as 6. The party continues until 11 pm allowing for plenty of time to enjoy all of the attractions. We received our event wristbands and event glow bracelets. This was just the start of all things “glow.” There were specialty drinks for kids and adults with glow cubes, the slides were lit up with different colors, and the stage area had neon lights and a few fireworks that could be seen across the park.I suggest bringing your own towel if you do not want to rent one. We did this knowing we would also have to pay to rent a locker. The crowds were there, but manageable as Typhoon Lagoon did not close until 7 that night to the general public. We went to the Surf Pool (wave pool) first. This is the largest wave pool in North America and is known or the sound of a crashing boom and followed by the rise of a six-foot wave! I LOVE the big wave, but for little ones, this might be too much. There are shallow areas where they can still enjoy the after effects of the wave, without getting knocked around.I want to preface this next part with my opinion of water slides. Up until this event, I hated water slides. I hate walking up the tall staircases most waterparks have and waiting in lines on elevated platforms wayyyyy high up. It freaks me out. At Typhoon Lagoon, this is not the case for the inner tube slides and I LOVED them. We started small with Keelhaul Falls. The walk up is easy with beautiful scenery, the ride is smooth, and it is the perfect first slide. People of ALL ages were enjoying it. Our second water slide of the night was Mayday Falls and this one was a longer and higher, but the walk was so gradual and enjoyable I didn’t even notice. This one was great too! Keep in mind, that this was in the evening and we knocked both of these slides out in about 15 minutes.
After our first two slides, we went to find dinner. We were a little discouraged because the special food for the event was not scheduled to come out until 8 pm, and the quick service locations closed at 7 pm because they were following normal park hours. So we did the next best thing and ordered ice cream! At Happy Landings Ice Cream, there are so many fun options. I got the Ice Cream Sand Pail and came nowhere near finishing it as it is really meant for a family to share, but I had to try it. It is literally served in a sand pail with a shovel. Mixed in with the soft serve ice cream are pieces of waffle cones, Oreos, and hot fudge. YUM. My friend had a sundae with cookie dough that was also very good.
Next up was Miss Adventure Falls. This was by far my favorite slide and part of the night. You and your party share a large tube and get pushed onto a conveyer belt that brings you to the top of the slide and then off you go! This was so fun especially in the dark with all of the different colored lights in the tunnels. I think over the course of the night we rode it at least five times. By the time we got in line for Miss Adventure Falls, it was around 7:45 or 8, the general public was gone from what I could tell, and we never waited more than 5 minutes between the end of the slide and getting on the conveyer belt to go again. Like I said, I love an event with minimal crowds! The lines never stopped us from enjoying an attraction!My friend also convinced me to go on the Crush ‘n’ Gusher, the water slide rollercoaster. There are three different slides to choose from and we went on the Coconut Crusher. The tubes are made for two people each, or you can ride solo, and you do carry your tube up some stairs. I was hesitant, but so glad I did this. The Coconut Crusher has two drops and really does feel like a rollercoaster!There are many more slides open throughout the night for guests to enjoy. The Banana Blaster and the Pineapple Plunger were also open as part of the Crush ‘n’ Gusher, but going down the Coconut Slide once was enough for me. The Humunga Kowabunga was open for partygoers. For those who do not know, these are three side-by-side body slides that take you down a five-story drop. Storm Slides is another set of three side-by-side body slides full of twists and turns. All three, Jib Jammer, Stern Burner or Rudder Buster, were open. For the younger kids, the Bay Slides, were open so even the little ones could give a body slide a shot!We spent the rest of the night getting more food, like cheese quesadillas and fried shrimp baskets, floating down the lazy river known as Castaway Creek, and meeting characters! Unlike other parties on Disney property, food at Typhoon Lagoon was not complimentary; however, I did find it much more affordable. I was pleasantly surprised that my quesadilla meal was only $6.99!
The theme this year, as it was last year, was Toy Story. We took a fun photo with Forky and the Pixar Ball and as Annual Passholders, we also had the chance to meet Bo Peep. Buzz, Jesse, and Woody were also available for character meet-and-greets. Meeting Jesse and Woody together is now a rare opportunity as they do not meet together in Hollywood Studios anymore.Families who attend this party can also enjoy a DJ, dancing on the beach, trivia, competitions, and giveaways! If your kids are old enough to go off on their own, there is even an adults-only section with a great selection of drinks both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Admission to the adults-only section, The Wharf, does come with your party ticket, but drinks are not included.
For the price of $62, we both felt like we really got our money’s worth. The crowds were sparse and being able to do at least ten rides on slides, character meet-and-greets, enjoy food and drinks, and spend time in the pool and lazy river in just a few hours was WELL WORTH IT. The night was fun, the weather was perfect, and more memories in Disney were made. This was my friend’s third time at the event and while it was only my first, I really hope to go again next summer.If you are interested in special ticketed events like H2O Glow or others around the property, please contact me at maggie@wishesfamilytravel.com or follow my Facebook page www.facebook.com/wishesfamilytravelmaggie