Typhoon Lagoon

Typhoon Lagoon, there was a hurricane in Central Florida. Could the ship from Pirates of the Caribbean be blown far enough inland to reach Walt Disney World?

Of course it's a silly question, and of course, it's silly to think of hurricanes blowing shrimp boats this far inland. But it's still a great story for a water park.

Typhoon Lagoon is Dad's Favorite water park. PERIOD. Anywhere, anytime.

Where else can you spend a day body surfing in a lagoon or swimming (safely) with sharks? Yes, I mean the ones with fins.

Check it out!

Mount Mayday

Typhoon Lagoon is a Disney park so there has to be a mountain. And this park has one too. It's the center of the parks activities. Everything revolves around Mt. Mayday. From the surf pool to Summit Plummet Mt. Gushmore is the center of the universe.

Miss Tilly

Miss Tilly is the name of the boat at the top of Mount Mayday. It's a shrimp boat, so the legend goes. Miss Tilly was caught in the freak storm and hurled to the top of the Mount Mayday. Now every 15 minutes, Miss Tilly toots her horn and spouts a stream of water that lands on unsuspecting guests everywhere.

Silly Miss Tilly, (I just made that up, like it?) is officially (or not) registered as being from Safen Sound Florida. Silly Miss Tilly from Safen Sound, Florida.

Sometimes Disney is too cute.

Surf Pool

The Surf Pool. Hey Disney, can't you come up with a better name? The Surf Pool. Yes, I know that guests actually surf in the Surf Pool, but the name is too bland. Shouldn't it be Pipeline Bay or Crash 'n' Burn Shoals or something cute like that. Everything in this park has a silly name. Oh, well.

The Surf Pool is Typhoon Lagoons' wave pool. And dude let me tell you, there are some big waves. (Not Tsunami big, but knock you down and undertow you in big.)

The Surf Pool is the biggest wave pool in the world. It measures almost 2.5 acres and holds almost 3 million gallons of water. Every 90 seconds a 5 to 6 foot wave is released. Smaller "bobbing" waves keep the water moving between the big ones.

CAUTION: When Mlss Tilly's whistle blows - "Take small children (and large adults too) by the hand and hold on tight".

Surf Lessons

Want to learn to surf? (Isn't that a Beach Boys song? No?) Disney has branched out and gone into the surfing business.

On selected days, before Typhoon Lagoon opens you can attend Surf School. Oddly enough Disney calls the program "Learn to Surf". It's taught by instructors from the Craig Carroll's Cocoa Beach Surf School.

There are 30 minutes of instruction followed by 2 hours of surfing. That's lots of waves when you consider there's a new one every 90 seconds. Only 12 students are allowed, and there are 2 instructors. Surf boards are provided.

The cost is $140.00. You can get more information by calling (407) WDW-SURF (cool phone number).

Shark Reef

Did you ever have a desire to swim with sharks? (Are you crazy?)

Disney's Official Shark Reef web page says -

"Enter a captivating underwater world and see some incredible saltwater sea life up-close. Swim freely with leopard and bonnethead sharks, stingrays and schools of colorful tropical fish in this fascinating coral reef environment." - Shark Reef

Makes you want to jump right in. Doesn't it?

The Shark Reef is a place to swim with real live sea life. Snorkle actually. Disney actually even provides you a mask, snorkle and lifejacket.

The reef, like all good reefs is built around a sunken ship. For all of us less adventurous, you can see the sea creatures by looking through the windows of the sunken ship.

The Shark Reef is tons of fun and you can say you went swimming with the sharks. You don't have to tell anyone they were only 3 feet long.

The Lazy River

Typhoon Lagoon's Castaway Creek is the perfect lazy river (in Dad's opinion, and Dad is always right). It meanders aimlessly through the park at the perfect speed on it's 2100 foot journey. There are 5 entrances and exits where you can get in and out of Castaway Creek. It takes about 30 minutes to make the complete circut.

The 3 to 4 foot deep Creek flows through waterfalls and cooling mists. The themeing and foilage around Castaway Creek is incredible. It's a great way to relax. (That's why it's called a Lazy River.)

The Sandy White Beach

Tucked back in a remote area of the park is a tropical oasis. Disney calls this area White Sandy Beach (very creative). The Sandy White Beach is filled with palm trees and white sand beaches. There are hammocks and lawn chairs all around. This is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the park.

The Sandy White Beach area is not a good place to set up shop for active families. It's not close most of the action, which makes it perfect for an afternoon nap on the beach (Dad's favorite beach activity.)

Water Slides

Water slides are the main attractions at most water parks and Typhoon Lagoon has some great slides. There are thrill slides and family slides. The thrill slides are for older kids and adults.

• Crush 'n' Gusher - Crush 'n' Gusher is a roller coaster like raft slide. There are three different slides, Banana Blaster, Coconut Crusher, and Pineapple Plunger. Each slide has hair-pin turns, steep drops and uphill climbs.
• Humanga Kowabunga - This is the Granddaddy of super-fast water slides. Drop 5 stories almost straight down on this 214 foot thrill ride. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention it's in the dark. There are 3 side-by-side slides where families or friends can race to the bottom. (If they have the guts.)
• Storm Slides - The Storm Slides are a trio of fast paced body slides the wind through caves and waterfalls. There are 3 different slides, Jib Jammer, Stern Burner, and Rudder Buster. Try them out.
• Gang Plank Falls - is a family inner-tube slide for up to 4 people. The slide is located near the Keelhaul and Mayday Falls slides on Mount Mayday.
• Keelhaul Falls - A whitewater innertube ride down the scenic, palm-lined part of Mount Mayday. This is a single rider slide.
• Mayday Falls - Mayday Falls is the wildest of the Falls slides. It's also the longest slide in the park. Hold on to your hats.

For the Smaller Guests

Ketchakiddie Creek (who thinks up these names), is the watery playground for younger set. Guests here must be under 48 inches tall or be accompanied by someone who is. There are 10 different activites for the younger set which includes slides, waterfalls, and a mini-rapids ride.

Ketchakiddie Creek is the prefect area for little ones. There are plenty of things to keep them busy all day long.

You can hear cheerful music playing as the kiddo's enjoy splashing around.

Food and Stuff

If you need something while your at Typhoon Lagoon, Disney probably has a shop where you can buy it. There are lockers for rent, there are towels for rent, there are 3 shops where you can buy all kinds of swim paraphenalia and much more. There is even a flower shop.

Fast-food and ice cream are available at various locations around the park.

Dad's Bottom Line

Typhoon Lagoon is Dad's favorite water park anywhere. It's the perfect mix of thrill and laziness. Just don't throw me in the shark tank.

Tell us about your Typhoon Lagoon experiences

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