DisneyMom
Now a Disney Grandma!!
- Joined
- Aug 24, 1999
- Messages
- 314
Not sure if I should put this here or on the trip report board, but hadn't seen anything much on the surfing lessons offered by WDW at Typhoon Lagoon and thought someone else might like to have info on our experience. So I'll post it both places - moderators - please adjust if necessary. Thanks.
Scheduled surfing lessons for my 3 teens the morning of our last day 7/31 (when I booked, it was only done on Tuesday mornings, it's so popular, it's now done Tuesdays and Fridays). My teens are DD - 16, DS - 18 and FS (foster son), who turned 18 while at WDW.
We had to be there EARLY!!! 5:45 am! And you have to have your own transportation because WDW transportation isn't running yet. We got there at 5:45 sharp and others trickled in over the next 15 min. They opened the gates at 6:00 and walked us back to the wave pool. They only schedule 14 surfers, but there were other parents like myself who wanted to watch/take pictures.
The instructors are from the Cocoa Beach Surf School - there were 2. They were great! They had all the surfers practice pop ups and standing on the boards while they were on the ground. They explained all the safety rules and the procedure - 2 surfers road the wave at a time, surfer one would start at instructor #1's position, ride, paddle back to start to instructor #2, ride and then go to end of pool and walk back with board. So you got to ride 2 times in a row, then wait in line for your next turn.
They were surfing by 6:40. Waves came about every 90 seconds. It was great - everybody got up at least once and some of the surfers took to it really well - my daughter only wiped out twice. FS caught on about half way - DS didn't get to actually ride a wave until almost the end. Said that once they stayed up and rode the wave, they figured it out and it was easier after that. They surfed until 8:45 so they got to surf about 10 times each - 2 rides each time for about 20 waves each. There were all ages there - from a 9 year old to a couple grandpa's! Most were teens and early 20's.
Boy were they tired afterward - it wasn't the surfing, it was all the paddling that wore them out! The instructors were great about giving each surfer tips and pointers the whole time, even the proper way to paddle, carry the board, etc.
The lessons were $125 each - with annual pass, I paid $100 each. Booked last May and paid at the time of the lessons. There were 4 life guards there - one on each side of the wave pool in the lifeguard chairs and two treading in the water.
Speaking of treading - boy were the instructors amazing - they treaded water and worked with the surfers for the entire 2+ hours!!! I was impressed.
This was kind of expensive but was a special treat for FS's birthday and the kids really loved it! I got lots of pictures (picking up tonight from developing) and I think most of them are wipe outs but hoping for a couple of good ones!
They did walk us back out the gate in a group after the surfing was completed and if you wanted to go back into TL (it opened at 9:00 am), you had to have or buy a pass - surfing does not include admission to the park once it opens.
Scheduled surfing lessons for my 3 teens the morning of our last day 7/31 (when I booked, it was only done on Tuesday mornings, it's so popular, it's now done Tuesdays and Fridays). My teens are DD - 16, DS - 18 and FS (foster son), who turned 18 while at WDW.
We had to be there EARLY!!! 5:45 am! And you have to have your own transportation because WDW transportation isn't running yet. We got there at 5:45 sharp and others trickled in over the next 15 min. They opened the gates at 6:00 and walked us back to the wave pool. They only schedule 14 surfers, but there were other parents like myself who wanted to watch/take pictures.
The instructors are from the Cocoa Beach Surf School - there were 2. They were great! They had all the surfers practice pop ups and standing on the boards while they were on the ground. They explained all the safety rules and the procedure - 2 surfers road the wave at a time, surfer one would start at instructor #1's position, ride, paddle back to start to instructor #2, ride and then go to end of pool and walk back with board. So you got to ride 2 times in a row, then wait in line for your next turn.
They were surfing by 6:40. Waves came about every 90 seconds. It was great - everybody got up at least once and some of the surfers took to it really well - my daughter only wiped out twice. FS caught on about half way - DS didn't get to actually ride a wave until almost the end. Said that once they stayed up and rode the wave, they figured it out and it was easier after that. They surfed until 8:45 so they got to surf about 10 times each - 2 rides each time for about 20 waves each. There were all ages there - from a 9 year old to a couple grandpa's! Most were teens and early 20's.
Boy were they tired afterward - it wasn't the surfing, it was all the paddling that wore them out! The instructors were great about giving each surfer tips and pointers the whole time, even the proper way to paddle, carry the board, etc.
The lessons were $125 each - with annual pass, I paid $100 each. Booked last May and paid at the time of the lessons. There were 4 life guards there - one on each side of the wave pool in the lifeguard chairs and two treading in the water.
Speaking of treading - boy were the instructors amazing - they treaded water and worked with the surfers for the entire 2+ hours!!! I was impressed.
This was kind of expensive but was a special treat for FS's birthday and the kids really loved it! I got lots of pictures (picking up tonight from developing) and I think most of them are wipe outs but hoping for a couple of good ones!
They did walk us back out the gate in a group after the surfing was completed and if you wanted to go back into TL (it opened at 9:00 am), you had to have or buy a pass - surfing does not include admission to the park once it opens.
