Typhoon Lagoon is a water amusement park located at the Walt Disney Resort at Lake Buena Vista in Florida.
The amusement park opened in 1989 and, in 2008 alone, attracted over 2 million visitors which made it the world’s most visited water amusement park.
The theme of the amusement park is based upon a Disney legend of a tropical paradise which was once struck by a devastating typhoon which wreaked havoc. In replicating this at the amusement park, you’ll see ships, fishing tackle and surfboards which have been apparently ‘strewn’
throughout the amusement park. The central focal point of this is ‘Miss Tilly’ – a boat which has been impaled upon the top of Mount Mayday where you are able to witness a geyser which erupts a 50 foot jet of water high into the air every half hour followed by the eerie sounding of the bells of the watch upon Miss Tilly.
There are several extreme thrill rides at the amusement park. Jib Jammer, Rudder Buster and Stern Burner are three body slides that propel riders downwards from a height of three storeys down twisting slides to the splash pool at the bottom. The amusement park’s Humunga Kowabunga slide, at five storeys high, is the park’s fastest ride in which three enclosed speed slides hurtle riders downwards in seconds.
The amusement park also features other slightly less scary rides such as its Gang Plank Falls, Keelhaul Falls and Mayday Falls and you can also take a walk through Forgotten Grotto which is a walkway through a cave on Mount Mayday. Overlook Pass lets you walk over the slope on Mount Mayday and also features a number of small waterfalls.
For those who simply want to take some time out from the rides, there are also a number of manmade white sandy beaches at the amusement park upon which you can relax and recuperate from the physical exertions of the rides.
The amusement park has its own mascot ‘Lagoona Gator’ which is ‘related’ to ‘Ice Gator’ – the mascot at its sister resort ‘Blizzard Beach’.
See also:
Amusement Parks: Gatorland - a Potted History
Amusement Parks: Epcot - a Potted History
Amusement Parks: Disney Quest - a Potted History
Amusement Parks: Discovery Cove - a Potted History