Translation by Otávio Bernardi
Some people believe that within the Disney complex, there has only been two water park in its history, but they are very mistaken.
Before I tell you more about the history of the Typhoon Lagoon, let’s talk about the first Disney water park.
Disney’s River Country was inaugurated in 1976, with the “old school swimming hole” theme, with natural beauties. However, in 2001, the park was closed and Disney only announced its permanent ending in 2005. There hasn’t been an official reason, therefore, many speculated that there were changes in regulations, that prohibited the use of the river waters to fill the water park, or that there were harmful bacteria in the waters of the River Country, that could lead to disease and death. In 2018, Disney announced that a new hotel, the Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, would be built on the site of the abandoned water park, to be delivered in 2019.
Now let’s get to the good part… Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon inaugurated in July 1st, 1989, placed next to the Disney Springs. The story behind this park, is that a typhoon struck this tropical paradise, causing severe damage to the town. With this setup, the aesthetics of the park is full of abandoned buildings and ruins, with rusty turned-over boats, fishnets and broken surfboards spread all over the place.
The main symbol of this water park is the fishing boat Miss Tilly, that has shipwrecked on the top of Mount Mayday. Besides being a landmark, it is also a water geyser capable of 50 feet high eruptions, that goes off every 30 minutes, right after the sound of the ship’s bell. The park still has a mascot, an alligator called Lagoona Gator.
Typhoon Lagoon is well known for its giant waves' pool, considered the biggest outside wave pool in the world, that allows actual surfing. The park follows the structure of a normal theme park, with different attractions, some being for the whole family, and others being more radical.
This park is divided in 4 regions: Mount Mayday – In the back of the park, has the most attractions of the park; Hideaway Bay – Most hidden area, there is a peaceful beach here; Typhoon Lagoon – Main and central part of the park, where the beach has soft white sand; Castaway Creek – Area dedicated to the fun for kids, with a slow tide river.
Stay tuned for the next posts here, Let’s Travel the World!!
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