Disney World Typhoon Lagoon

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Disney World Magic Kingdom Ride Guide
Disney World Animal Kingdom Ride Guide
Disney World Hollywood Studios Ride Guide
Disney World Epcot Ride Guide
Disney World Blizzard Beach Ride Guide

More to come!

Image by Flickr Member MPR529

This is the centrepiece of Typhoon Lagoon and is home to most of its great rides. It's the part that's furthest away from the entrance but you can't miss it! Head to this section for Gang Plank Falls - the family raft ride, one of the best I think.

Humunga Kowabunga

This is a great 'speed slide' race, with three people racing side by side. It's 214 feet long and it takes a matter of seconds to get from the top to the bottom! This ride is great for those who don't mind going fast but it will be quite scary for smaller children, even if they are tall enough to ride.

Height requirement 122cm (48")

Storm Slides

This is a set of three body slides called 'Jib Jammer', 'Stern Burner' and 'Rudder Buster'. They twist and turn their way down three storeys into a splash pool at the bottom. They're good fun and children should be fine on them, they're not too fast or scary.

Gang Plank Falls

This is a great family ride where you can ride in 4-person inflatable rafts. It's great for all the family and is suitable for small children. Twists and turns take you from the top to the bottom; it goes at a fair pace but not so fast as to be scary for the kids. You'll get very wet, with lots of splashes but isn't that the point at a water park?

Mayday Falls

This is a one-person tube ride which is like a white water rapid, with high speed twists and turns. It is great fun and you go pretty fast - prepare to topple your tube as you come out at the bottom - I've never managed to stay on mine! This goes pretty fast and may be a bit too much for the smaller children; there is a smoother ride to be had on Keelhaul Falls so perhaps go for that instead.

Keelhaul Falls

This is a milder version of Mayday Falls and is more suited to children and weaker swimmers. It's still a one-person tube ride but it spirals through a waterfall and cave - a much more sedate and picturesque ride!

Mountain Trail

This is a picturesque walkway with lots of greenery. It's good to slow the pace and take a walk around and there are some great photo opportunities here.

Image by Flickr Member auntie rain

Hideaway Bay can be found behind the dressing rooms and is a sandy beach area previously called 'Out of the Way Cay'. It is quite well hidden but not to be missed - it is home to the newest ride Crush 'n' Gusher, an awesome water coaster!

Crush 'n' Gusher

This is a water coaster where 2 or 3 person rafts are propelled by water jets through hairpin bends and both down and up! It's great fun and you can choose one of three slides called 'Banana Blaster', 'Coconut Crusher' and Pineapple Plunger'. It is quite fast and it's a bumpy ride, so children who are just above the height requirements may find it a little scary. The best thing to do is take a look at it and see what you think. It's certainly a very different ride to any of the others at Typhoon Lagoon.

Height Requirement 122cm (48")

Sandy White Beach

This is a beach area with a wading pool and loungers next to Crush 'n' Gusher - it's an ideal place to hang around if you're waiting for family members who are riding the water coaster.

It's easy to get carried away at Disney and spend ridiculous amounts of money on your perfect holiday. However, with a few helpful hints you can save some serious cash so here's a few of mine:

• Take water in with you - the stuff in the park is pretty expensive


• Buy a cheap fan before you arrive - the heat will tempt you to buy one of those overpriced spray fans which aren't worth the money and you won't fit in your suitcase to take home!


• Check out the local Disney outlet stores and even Wal-Mart for merchandise as it's generally cheaper than in the parks - they're especially good for t-shirts.


• Hunt around for the best deals on park entrance tickets - you can even get them in Wal-Mart! If you're travelling form the UK then check out the new Ultimate tickets - they give you unlimited access for 2 or 3 weeks and are only available to UK guests.


• Don't link your credit card to your room key - you'll end up spending way more money!


• Think carefully about purchases, that huge plush toy of Buzz Lightyear may seem perfect for your youngest's bedroom but have you got the space (or the baggage allowance) to get it home?


• Generally, food in the parks is quite expensive so have a big breakfast, perhaps at one of the many all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets then you won't need so much for lunch.


• Take your own towels - you can hire them but they are pretty small and you'll end up buying one - at high park prices of course!

Also, one thing I would definitely recommend for hundreds of money-saving tips is Beth Haworth's Ultimate Disney world Savings Guide. She's a former cast member and she gives some great money saving advice. Just some of the things you can expect to find in her guide are:

• Get a 10 night stay at a 5* Disney Resort Hotel for $1,100 (RRP $3,100)


• Save up to $500 just on entrance tickets and tips on where and when to buy them


• Ideas for rainy days


• How to beat the queues


• Hidden entrances


• Comparing hotels to see which one suits you best


• Where to shop for souvenirs


• The best Downtown Disney attraction


• The best places to eat

There's much, much more than that (it's over 100 pages) and you also get a lifetime of updates - it's updated regularly and you are entitled to receive those updates forever. I would definitely recommend this guide - it makes that Disney dream a little more possible - especially if you're strapped for cash!

Click the image below for more information.

There are loads of great rides at Typhoon Lagoon but these are the three I'd recommend for all those seeking a bit of a scream!

1. Crush 'n' Gusher - That coaster feel is hard to beat!

2. Mayday Falls - intense white water rapids.

3. Humunga Kowabunga - it's fast, it's a race, what more do you want?!

Try to get on all the rides but definitely don't miss these three!

Image by Flickr Member Aim and shoot

This features the title ride and is the biggest area of the park. It also has lots of shady beaches with places to relax, if you get there early try to make a base camp here as it does fill up and all the good spots will get taken quickly!

Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool

This is one of the world's largest wave pools and is great fun for body surfing. A wave is formed every 90 seconds and the pool is on a cycle with surf waves (6 foot) for 90 minutes and then smaller 'bobbing' waves for 30 minutes. The surf waves are big, and I mean big, so make sure you watch children and always adhere to the signs. Weak swimmers beware, and never go further than the signs allow. It is easy to get out of your depth and with the big waves it can be quite scary. I would advise having a go with the smaller wave session first and see how it goes.

The shallow end is fine for the family though with the Blustery Bay and Whitecap Cove; just make sure you watch the littler kids.

Bay Slides

These are slides designed for toddlers and they send you down a gentle slope into a secluded corner of the surf pool. Great for the little ones!

Height Requirement BELOW 152cm (60")

Blustery Bay

This is a part of the surf pool really. It's a zero-entry pool surrounded by white sandy beaches and it's great for little ones to paddle around whilst bigger people go in the big waves!

Whitecap Cove

This is a part of the surf pool as well, but it's on the other side to Blustery Bay. It's a zero-entry pool surrounded by white sandy beaches and it's great for little ones to paddle around whilst bigger people go in the big waves!

Learn to Surf

This is a two and a half hour surf lesson before the park opens and it's hosted by 'Craig Carroll's Cocoa Beach Surf School'. They provide all the surfing stuff that you need but it does cost extra and you need to book in advance.

Water Park Single Day Tickets

This ticket gives you admission to a water park for one day. They're useful if you don't want to fork out for Water Park Fun and More on your Magic Your Way ticket but do want to go to a water park.

Ticket Type

Adult Price (10 yrs)

Child Price (3-9yrs)

Blizzard Beach Ticket

$39

$33

Typhoon Lagoon Ticket

$39

$33

Water Park Fun & More

You can also access Typhoon Lagoon as park of a general Disney World Ticket if you choose the Water Park Fun & More option.

This option gives admission to other Disney World attractions including the Water Parks, Disney Quest and Disney's Wide World of Sports. The number of admissions you get depends on the number of days you purchase. This is an essential if you want to make the most of the water parks and other attractions (although if you just want to go to one water park once, it may be better to just buy a day admission for that park).

No. of Days

Adult Price(10 yrs)

Child Price(3-9yrs)

1

$121

$110

2

$189

$167

3

$253

$221

4

$262

$228

5

$265

$229

6

$267

$231

7

$269

$232

8

$271

$235

9

$273

$236

10

$275

$237

The fast rides are not for everyone, so here's my top 3 rides for the faint-hearted, try to get on all of them.

1. Gang Plank Falls - Family raft ride.

2. Shark Reef - Swim with marine life!

3. Keelhaul Falls - A milder version of Mayday Falls.

There's nothing wrong with appreciating the slower rides - it's a great chance to take in the scenery!

Image by Flickr Member Miss shari

This is two saltwater reefs which allow you to get a taste of Caribbean Sea life. They are separated by a sunken tanker which you can go inside to have a look at the underwater environment. You can swim with real life sharks and other marine life here!

Shark Reef

In this attraction you can snorkel through a saltwater reef alongside marine life such as stingrays, tropical fish and leopard sharks. It is unheated so it may be colder than you expect and under 10s must be accompanied by an adult. All equipment is provided free of charge. I would recommend this - it's a taste of what you can get at somewhere like Discovery Cove, SeaWorld. Be careful about taking very young children in, they may be afraid - especially of the bigger things like stingrays - take them to have a look in the Sunken Tanker first.

Under 10s must be accompanied by an adult

Sunken Tanker

This is an underwater viewing area for the saltwater reefs - somewhere to take a look if you don't want to actually swim with the marine life.

S.A.S. Adventure

This is a 30-minute surface air snorkelling experience but it needs to be booked in advance and it carries additional costs. Guests use a pony tank and a small regulator to experience the saltwater reefs in a different way.

Guests must be over 5 years of age to participate

Image by Flickr Member Aim and shoot

Castaway Creek

This is a 2100 foot (650m) lazy river ride which circles the entire park. It passes through gentle waterfalls and mist, and the scenery varies from rainforests to Mount Mayday! There are some tubes floating around for general use and you can use it as a sort of taxi - it's much more fun for getting to a different part of the park than walking! Great for all the family!

Ketchakiddee Creek

This is a play area for young children with small slides and water fountains. There is a small sandy beach and cool things to play on and around like tug boats and whales. The toddlers love it and it's somewhere a bit safer for them to play.

Height Requirements Below 122cm (48")

There's something for everything at Typhoon Lagoon and that includes the kids. These are my top 3 rides for children.

1. Ketchakiddee Creek - Great for the littlest ones.

2. Bay Slides - Some great "proper slodes" for toddlers.

3. Gang Plank Falls - Great for the whole family to do together.

The big kids are probably braver than their parents so check out the top 3 thrill rides!

Image by Flickr Member Auntie rain

Lockers

Lockers can be found next to the main dressing rooms and outside the Shark Reef Dive Shop. They cost:

Large Locker $8
Small Locker $6

You can get a $2 refund or a souvenir mug on returning your locker key.

Towels

You can rent towels for $2 but I would advise bringing your own. Bring more than one per person and stake out your place on some loungers when you first arrive.

Life Vests

You have to use Typhoon Lagoon life vests - you cannot bring your own. They are available for free, although you have to leave a deposit, and are available from High 'n' Dry Towels near to the main dressing room.

Other Info

• You can bring food and drinks in coolers but there is not alcohol allowed and you can't have glass containers for obvious reasons - OUCH!
  
• Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult
  
• Swim wear with buckles or exposed metal is not allowed on the attractions.

Polaroid Image by Flickr Member Aim and shoot