Our Typhoon Lagoon experience

[bigsis1970]

Hi there I wanted to share our recent Typhoon Lagoon experience on April 20th. First I should say we stayed off site (Lake Suites Hotel an old MainStay Suites at mile marker 12) so we drove to TL arriving between 10 and 10:30 we rented a locker cause there was not ONE chair to be found and we were hot and wanted to get swimming! Our first spot was the Wave pool.. I had my underwater camera all set and ready – well let me just tell ya those are some Waves.. I was watching the my kids (DD age 12 and DS age 9) and getting ready for a picture well they turned and swam towards me when the wave hit them but I was too busy trying to get their photo to turn and well that wave knocked me right under backward water up my nose right under and it was so funny to the people watching me i am so sure.. I was helped up by my DD who laughing all hysterical like and so was I . Great start to the day oh and I bet I was only in about thigh high water (I am short 5 foot) so lesson learned unless you have great balance and strength better to have your back at those waves. Another thing we tried was Crush and Gusher – it was a long wait for a tube but the line went fairly quick – I would say we waited about total 20 minutes. I will say if you have a heavier butt then some – keep it up and out of the hole in the center of the tube – the rollers or jets hit that area of your backside and can hurt quite a bit. also there are 2 , 2 person slides and 1, 3 person slide. We also tried snorkeling in the shark reef. That again was about a 25 min wait unfortunately I freaked out and didn’t see much of anything. I wear contacts and have for the past 18 years of my life so I NEVER get to open my eyes under water and was thinking it was going to be soo cool to see things however when it was our turn to get in the pool I get my mask on and its all tight and pop in my snorkel and get ready to float across – I think I had my head down for about 30 seconds and freaked out completely!! I was gasping even thought I could feel all the air coming in my snorkel I had to pull my face out of the water immediately! I feel like such a baby but I couldn’t do it. My kids in the meantime are snorkeling away (they both open their eyes and wear face mask swimming) I guess I should have practiced in the hotel pool since I wasn’t used to it. I gave the camera to my DD and she got some fish and I just swam beside her across the reef.. I will try again the next time we go cause I do want to see all the wonders of life in the reef. We also tried the family raft ride -- RIP OFF we waited 45 mins for a 3 min or shorter ride.. we also did the other tube slides (for singles) and while i was watching I saw quite a few grown ups hit the pool backward and flip under, I was joking with my kids that it would happen to me and i would be so embarrassed.. Well wouldn't ya know IT DID.. they were laughing WITH me.. what a dork.. We brought our lunch and ate in our rental with the AC up on high . on the way out we brought a root beer float, a waffle cone sundae and a dozen mini donuts (OH MY so YUMMY) I thought these little tidbits might help some others or at least brighten your day with a chuckle! Michelle

Oh Yea I forgot we did wait for the Lazy river -- we only used 2 tubes for the 3 of us my DD & DS took turns on theirs.. I stayed on mine the whole time. we took 3 trips around the first time and then the last time - I let the kids go together speeding along and i just floated -- Lazily -- around .. they were waiting at our stop for me and said they went around 2 times vs my 1 ... they just didn't get the "Lazy" river part i guess..

 

[LukenDC]

It sounds like a great day! I will be making my first visit to Typhoon Lagoon in September and I am looking forward to it. The park looks beautiful and I really enjoy relaxing in a tropical themed atmosphere.

 

[shasess]

Oh, it sounds like you guys had a wonderful time. It makes me wish that I wasn't sitting behind a desk in my 70 degree office but rather out enjoying the Orlando sun, 95 degrees or not.

 

[idinagirl]

TL is my favourite park by far... yup over MK and Epcot and everything!

I like to get there first thing and set up... grab a drink and just wait for the song Margaritaville to come on... there is absolutely nothing better than lying in that sun, with that song, and one of those coconut head drinks- be it alcoholic or not.

OH well there is one thing better... those freakin' huge waves in the main pool. GLORIOUS! I have lost many a good pair of sunglasses that way... you'd think I would learn.

Glad you had a fun day, and yah, the family raft ride is pretty crudtacular.

 

[eeyoregirl]

As much as I love the fun of the wave pool at TL, give me the lazy river all day and I am one happy camper!

 

[sewer]

Same here I LOVE the place, and in July you can really appreciate it! Swimming with the fish is fantastic, you just have to ease yourself into the COLD water.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Glad you had fun. What's funny is I often here moms say Now stay here, the wave won't be as bad. Don't go out deeper. Of course they're right where it's at its worst. And when it hits, everything goes flying. They do have those areas way off to the side that relatively tame. Everyone seemed to want to be in the deep end but the wave is rather mild out there. You bob up a bit but no slam effect.

The family raft ride is a bit short. And you have to roll your raft up the stairs. We went with no wait though so it was ok. The one tube slide slammed us against the sides alot. I wasn't fond of that one. The other one would dump you if you're not carefull. If you're too far forward, you face plant. If you're too far backward, you flip off the back. But just right and you hydroplane across. The heavier one is, the harder it is to stay on the tube at the end.

The snorkeling was cool. It's exciting swimming with the sharks!!!. But the view from the boat was actually better.

Agree with keep the hind end up on the crush your butter.

My favorite slides were the twisty turny ones near Humunga Kawabunga.