Labor Day and autumn may be right around the corner, but there’s one place where it’s (almost) always SUMMER… TYPHOON LAGOON!

SURF’S UP!

And if you’re spending all day slidin’, splishin’, and splashin’, then you’re gonna need some of THIS…

… so you don’t end up feeling like THIS:

And that’s where Typhoon Tilly’s and the Snack Shack — along with Typhoon Lagoon’s other Counter Service and snack kiosks — come in!

You’ll find all sorts of options around the park, lining Castaway Creek and the Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, including Lowtide Lou’s, Let’s Go Slurpin’, and Leaning Palms.

But Typhoon Tilly’s and the Snack Shack are in an especially popular area of the park, as they’re not too terribly far from the still-new Miss Adventure Falls attraction.

These two separate counters are housed side by side in one shared structure, but you’ll want to stop by both areas to check out the different offerings.

Typhoon Tilly’s focus is on full meals, with a couple of desserts thrown in for good measure (or to round out your Disney Dining Plan Quick Service credit).

In keeping with the whole nautical theme of the area, seafood features more prominently than your typical Counter Service spot, with Fish and Shrimp Baskets (or a combo of both) listed alongside a Chicken Wrap, Turkey Sandwich, and Pork Sandwich.

The Snack Shack next door has a couple of entrees of its own, too.

These include the Shrimp Wrecked Salad, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, and Tuna Sandwich.

And the Everything-on-a-Waffle craze has hit Snack Shake, too.

But the main difference is that the Snack Shack also carries a couple of cocktails (perfectly beachy Pina Coladas and Strawberry Margaritas) and plenty of ICE CREAM, including the Disney Water Park ice cream staple: the Sand Pail, which we’ll be checking out shortly!

But first, a bite from Typhoon Tilly’s. Maybe it was the seafaring vibe of the area where Typhoon Tilly’s sits, but we couldn’t resist the Fish Basket.

It comes with two battered fish pieces and french fries. Of course, the Fish Basket features your typical Counter Service thin cut fries, which are fine, but keeps it out of the realm of being a more traditional, proper fish & chips dish. (To be fair, they don’t call it that, so I guess I can’t be too picky 😉 ).

But the fish pieces are are nicely battered to a crisp, golden brown, and though they’re on the smaller side compared to the fish pieces at Epcot’s Yorkshire County Fish Shop, the portion is still solid, and the fish is really tasty.

Not much more to say other than it’s just one of those hit-the-spot meals, especially when you work up a swim-induced hunger.

My friend and I shared the meal, though, because we knew we needed to save some SERIOUS room. That’s because we simply had to try to tackle the SAND PAIL from the Snack Shack.

The Sand Pail is the Disney Water Parks take on a shareable sundae — not as large as the famous Kitchen Sink, but memorable in its own right due to the size, the mix-ins and the fact that it’s served in — what else? — a Sand Pail, complete with a “spoon” shovel!

At Blizzard Beach, you’ll find it at Lottawatta Lodge and I.C. Expeditions, and you can also find it at Happy Landings in Typhoon Lagoon. The Sand Pail is packed with chocolate and vanilla soft-serve ice cream, waffle cone pieces, oreo cookie pieces, hot fudge and caramel sauce all topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry.

The entire top is whipped cream, which is good because even in August heat this helped the whole thing make it to the table without melting immediately.

But, since the Sand Pail is filled with soft-serve ice cream instead of hard-scooped, the melting game is STRONG once you dig in. We were still able to discover oodles of waffle cone bits and chocolate cookie pieces inside.

But the whole thing became Ice Cream Soup pretty quickly!

Still, all the fun and flavor of a traditional ice cream sundae was there. But it really was WAY too much for the two of us — at first glance, it doesn’t seem too huge, but there is a LOT packed in there. If your goal is finishing, I think I recommend a group of four (at the very least three) to take it on. That said, it was definitely fun to take part in a Disney Water Parks tradition!

If you decide to catch a wave or two yourself, here’s hoping you have a great time on your trip to Typhoon Lagoon!

What dish do you like to grab during a day in the Disney Water Parks? Please let us know with a comment!