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How to get free water park tickets on your next Disney World vacation

Feb. 27, 2024
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3 min read
Totally Tropical Thrills Await Guests at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park Reopening
How to get free water park tickets on your next Disney World vacation
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Walt Disney World regularly offers discounts to help guests save money on their vacations, but it does not often give things away completely for free. However, for vacations in 2025, Disney is doing just that.

Guests arriving between Jan.1 and Dec. 31, 2025, can catch a wave at one of Disney's water parks — Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park or Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park — for free on their check-in day. Instead of waiting until the second day of your trip to start the fun, now you can start as soon as you arrive at Disney.

Disney's Blizzard Beach water park. WALT DISNEY WORLD

Tickets to Disney's water parks usually cost $74 plus tax for adults and $68 plus tax for kids ages 3 to 9. (Kids under 3 are free at all Disney World parks.) With this special offer, a visit to one of Disney's water parks is included in your stay.

This splashy perk is only available to guests staying at Disney Resort hotels, which includes all official Disney World hotels. However, the offer does not extend to third-party hotels like the Disney Springs hotels, the Marriott-operated Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels or Shades of Green.

Related: The secret way to skip the lines and get free snacks at Disney – H2O Glow at Typhoon Lagoon

Free water park admission is one of many benefits that Disney World's on-site hotel guests can enjoy next year.

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Disney Resort hotel guests can enter any of Disney's theme parks 30 minutes before the posted opening time each day. Plus, guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts can enjoy extra nighttime hours in a specific park on select nights with Disney's extended evening hours benefit. Disney confirmed that both of these perks will continue through 2025.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park. DISNEY

If this new perk sounds so good that you want to book your 2025 Disney World vacation today, you can: 2025 Disney World hotel bookings and theme park tickets are on sale now. You can book your stay directly through Disney's website or use one of our trusted authorized Disney vacation planners to ensure you get the best prices. They will help you take advantage of special offers like this one.

Disney will release more details later this year, and guests with a 2025 stay will receive more information on utilizing this benefit via email before their arrival. You can view the details currently available on Disney's website.

Related reading:

Featured image by DISNEY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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TPG Editor‘s Rating
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.