What happens when a huge storm hits Walt Disney World? It creates a great water park, of course! According to the story, Typhoon Lagoon was created by a big storm that twisted trees, stranded boats, and created a huge body of water. And on top of that, it provides loads of fun in the Florida sun.

Right from the time you enter the park, you can get a sense of the theme. The ticket booths are constructed by some of the scraps that the storm left lying around. This sets the stage for what lies ahead, and also adds a touch of whimsy that is found throughout the park.

Once you get into the park, you can find an overview of the entire park. One of the first things noticeable is the ship, Miss Tilly, perched atop of Mount Mayday, left there by the storm. Below the mountain is the main attraction at the park, the huge lagoon, with waves coming every few minutes. Other attractions, such as the water slides, are found around the mountain and on either side of the lagoon.

The waves come about every 90 seconds. You can hear a big "whoosh" sound as the wave starts, followed by the delighted screams of guests. Some people begin running toward the waves, while others run in the opposite direction.

Here is another view of a wave as it approaches. The waves are strong enough to knock you over, unless you are in the shallowest of water. At several times during the day, the waves change to small bobbing waves, which make for a nice relaxing time of floating on the waves as they push you around.

Here is another look at a wave as it goes across the lagoon. The waves are up to six feet high, and you can see the height difference on the wall across the lagoon.

Castaway Creek circles the entire park, providing a lazy river for floating on. At one of the several stops, you just wade in and find a vacant tube to float on. You can stay in for as long or as short as you want. Castaway Creek is extremely popular in the early afternoon, right after lunch, so an empty tube gets to be hard to find. In addition to providing a relaxing time of floating, the river gives an overview of the entire park and its offerings.

Shark Reef offers guests the chance to snorkel across a lagoon filled with several varieties of ocean life, including sharks. In the middle of the lagoon is an overturned ship, left there by the big storm. Snorkeling equipment is available for use, free of charge.

If you decide not to snorkel across the lagoon, you can walk down inside the ship and look out the portholes at the different fish swimming by. You can also see some of the ship's controls an gauges, upside down, of course, since the ship is turned over.

All around the park are whimsical touches such as the Typhoon Boatworks location. The sign on the rotting boat reads, "Boat 4 Sale - needs work". The high level of detail and theme in a water park adds even more to its atmosphere and raises it above a typical water park with nothing more than slides.

Of course, the focal point for the park is Mount Mayday. After all, it isn't every day you see a ship perched on top of a mountain. The ship and mountain can be seen from most all areas of the park, and it helps you to keep your bearings as to where you are. This view is seen from one of the walking trails around the mountain.

Every half hour, the geyser inside the mountain erupts, shooting a stream of water through the ship's stack. It is quite a sight to see, and it causes everyone to stop and watch.

While many people rush to the wave lagoon or the water slides, which are all very fun, there are several picturesque views all around the park. It is a nice change from all the activity to take a leisurely walk around the park, just to see views like the one above. Like every good family park, Typhoon Lagoon offers something for everyone!

- Photos & Story by Steve Burns
Posted December 9, 2004

Steve is a three-time Disney Store National Trivia finalist and webmaster of BurnsLand, home of Steve's Disney Railroad Adventures.

E-mail Steve at steve@startedbyamouse.com, discuss this article in the StartedByAMouse.com Disney Discussion Forums or use the Talkback feature below.

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