Recently in my hometown, it has been HOT, which has been making me dream of cooling down at Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon. One of the most fun ways to do that is at the H2O Glow After Hours Party hosted at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, every Saturday night during the summer months. Here is my review of the H2O Glow Party we just recently attended for the first time.
After Hours Parties are one of the newest events that Disney is offering, and I am a HUGE fan of them. These are "parties" hosted at different parks across Disney World that begin after the park has closed and require a separate ticket to enter. The seperate ticket really decreases crowd size, meaning almost zero waits for rides and less people to share the park with. On top of that, all After Hours Parties include free soda, popcorn, and ice cream!
My First Ever H2O Glow Party
While I have been to other After Hours Events in the past, this was my first H2O Glow Party. I arranged to do this party on the evening of our arrival at Disney World, which worked out perfectly. We arrived at the Orlando airport in the early afternoon the day of the party, which gave us plenty of time to check into our resort and get over to the party by the time the gates opened at 6pm. It really is a perfect thing to do your first night, so that you get to have some park time at night but don't waste a park ticket on less than half of a day.
We got to enter Typhoon Lagoon at 6pm, but the party did not officially start until 8pm. I actually really liked that for a few reasons:
1) We got to grab a bite for dinner without wasting party time eating. It was just the "normal" Typhoon Lagoon during those 2 hours, so we didn't have to fear missing out on any of the special moments of the party while eating.
2) It seemed like the crowds didn't really show up until the official start of the party, which gave us 2 hours to ride the waterslides. It was amazing being able to just walk on ride after ride with no wait longer than 5 minutes. It was almost too efficient as we got through nearly all of the rides before the party even began!
A lot of the rides were similar, since there aren't too many ways to add variation to water rides. This made it feel a little repetitive and did make me decide I probably wouldn't want to spend a whole day at Typhoon Lagoon.
After eating we were able to walk around and explore the park in the daylight, which was neat since neither I nor my boyfriend had ever been to Typhoon Lagoon. We also hit up most of the rides (some more than once) and both decided that Crush 'N' Gusher was our favorite water ride at the park.
My favorite moment of the night overall was the lazy river, particularly after dark. We were the only ones on it around 10pm, and even though the water was chilly by that hour of the night, it was a special memory floating down the deserted river surrounded by lit up palm trees.
We knew when the party officially began, as a DJ started blasting music throughout the park. It was classic party music, like the electric slide and cupid shuffle. We had been anxiously waiting for the party to begin because that meant unlimited free soda, popcorn, and ice cream. We immediately set out for a free treats stand, which was conveniently marked by giant light up inflatables. The popcorn was delicious and the soda was self-serve, so you could get as much or as little as you wanted.
The most fun part of the event was down on the beach with the DJ. Every 30 minutes or so, Chip & Dale, Goofy, Captain Hook, and Smee would come out and dance with the crowd. They came right down on the sand and were quite literally dancing right next to us. It was hilarious to see them dancing to current pop music and really brought out the kid in me, wanting to dance with Goofy whenever he walked by.
Some Considerations
We had a blast at H2O Glow After Hours, but here are a few considerations when deciding whether or not to go. I will say that while I had a fun time, I am not sure I would consider it a must do. I would probably only do it once every few years if it fit into our schedule.
1) The Hours and Price
The H2O Glow Party ran from 8pm- 11pm with technical entrance at 6pm. That is 5 total hours in the park. The price of the ticket was $75 per adult. Even though the ticket to the H2O Glow party was more money than a single day ticket to Typhoon Lagoon (that will cost you $69 per adult), compared to other After Hours Events, I thought the price was extremely reasonable. With the smaller crowds, you are able to get just as much done, if not more, than you would be able to during the normal Typhoon Lagoon hours. It is also much more enjoyable with less crowds and the price includes all you can eat soda, popcorn, and ice cream. Finally, I am a fan of the nighttime hours, as it means you can attend the Event after going to the other Parks during the day, or it can be your main activity for that day after relaxing at the Resort during the day.
2) Party Time
After it got dark, the park really did feel like a party. There were lights up all over the park and I felt like I was on a deserted tropical island. The rides were illuminated with colorful lights and the DJ had some strobe lights going on the beach dance floor. It was also fun that the DJ music could be heard playing throughout the park. However, I do think Disney dropped the ball a bit with the "glow" aspect of this party. It left a little to be desired and left me questioning why they called the party "H2O Glow."
3) Repetitive
As I alluded to earlier in this Post, the Event did end up feeling repetitive. The rides are all very similar and since we got through almost all of them before the official party began at 8pm, we were left wondering what to do. Also, while the DJ was fun, it was the same characters and act everytime they came out on the dancefloor. I wish they mixed it up with some different characters or different ways to interact with the characters. Simply put, there just wasn't enough to do to fill up the full 5 hours of Park time. We ended up leaving around 10pm feeling fully satisfied that we had done everything. It ended up being for the best that we could leave an hour early, since we had an early morning rope drop at Magic Kingdom the next day.
4) Ice Cream Disappointment
The free ice cream offered at the Party is Mickey Ice Cream bars and Ice Cream sandwiches. I am sure most people like those, but I personally do not really like that type of ice cream. I'm an ice cream cone kind of gal. For me, it was disappointing that that was the only type of ice cream included.
5) Transportation
This one is not necessarily a con for the H2O Glow Party itself, but is an important consideration when planning to attend this After-Hours Event. The Disney provided transportation to and from Typhoon Lagoon is frustrating and time consuming. The only way to reach Typhoon Lagoon, utilizing the free Disney provided transportation, is by way of bus with a transfer at Disney Springs. That means that you will need to catch the bus from your resort to Disney Springs, then take a different connecting bus to Typhoon Lagoon. Then, in order to return to your resort at the end of the night you will have to take the bus to Disney Springs and then take a connecting bus from there to your Resort. I personally found that to be a pain and wish that Disney would at least provide direct transportation back to the resorts at the end of the night. This frustrating transporation issue would exist whether you were going to Typhoon Lagoon during the day time or for this After Hours Event. However, it is not an issue if you plan to drive yourself and park at Typhoon Lagoon or if you plan to uber to and from the park.
6) Cons of Typhoon Lagoon
One last thing worth noting has nothing to do with the H2O Glow party but instead is my own opinion of Typhoon Lagoon. This Park did not feel "Disney-ish" to me and instead felt like I was at a Six Flags or a comparable park. I did not like that there were so many alcohol stands throughout the park, without any attempt to hide them. At some points it was hard to find a drink that wasn't alcohol. Isn't this waterpark intended mostly for children and families?
Also, there was no hint of Disney in the decoration or layout of the park. It would have been nice if some of the water rides had a Disney theme or even the dining options. It just didn't have the Disney feel of the 4 main parks at Disney World. However, I did like that the H2O Glow party brought in a bit of Disney having the characters partake in the dance party on the beach.
Would I recommend H2O Glow After Hours Party?
Yes I would! This was a fun event for the summer months and adds some variety to your Disney trip. Just don't go in expecting too much, it is just as the Party name describes: a nighttime party at Typhoon Lagoon which is lit up with colorful lights. I did appreciate the efforts made to make the Party more "Disneyish" by having the character appearances and the price is decent to be able to thoroughly explore Typhoon Lagoon without the extreme heat and crowds that the daytime hours would bring. It is not something I would do multiple times on one trip, nor even on every trip to Disney World, but I had a good time and would likely go back in a couple of summers. I would say go for it, it you're looking for a nighttime activity at Disney and a way to cool down from the Florida heat.
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