Fodor's Expert Review Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool
The heart of the park is this 2½-acre swimming area with almost 3 million gallons of clear, chlorinated water. It's scalloped by coves, bays, and inlets, all edged with beaches of white sand—that's spread over a base of white concrete, as bodysurfers discover when they try to slide onto the shore. Ouch! The waves are the draw. Twelve huge water-collection chambers hidden in Mount Mayday dump their load into trapdoors with a resounding whoosh to create 6-foot waves large enough for Typhoon Lagoon to host amateur and professional surfing championships.
A piercing double hoot from Miss Tilly (the boat that legend says was deposited on Mount Mayday's highest peak during a storm) signals the start and finish of the wave action. Ninety-minute periods generating bigger waves every 90 seconds are punctuated by 30-minute sessions of placid bobbing waves. Even during the big-wave periods, however, the waters in Blustery Bay and Whitecap Cove are protected.
On certain days,... READ MORE
The heart of the park is this 2½-acre swimming area with almost 3 million gallons of clear, chlorinated water. It's scalloped by coves, bays, and inlets, all edged with beaches of white sand—that's spread over a base of white concrete, as bodysurfers discover when they try to slide onto the shore. Ouch! The waves are the draw. Twelve huge water-collection chambers hidden in Mount Mayday dump their load into trapdoors with a resounding whoosh to create 6-foot waves large enough for Typhoon Lagoon to host amateur and professional surfing championships.
A piercing double hoot from Miss Tilly (the boat that legend says was deposited on Mount Mayday's highest peak during a storm) signals the start and finish of the wave action. Ninety-minute periods generating bigger waves every 90 seconds are punctuated by 30-minute sessions of placid bobbing waves. Even during the big-wave periods, however, the waters in Blustery Bay and Whitecap Cove are protected.
On certain days, skilled surfers and novices alike can enter the park before it opens for private sessions ( 407/939–7529 for reservations). Instruction and a soft-sided surfboard are included in the $199 cost, and the experience (ages 8 and older) lasts 2½–3 hours. For people with disabilities: Accessible for people using water-appropriate wheelchairs. See the chalkboard at beach's edge for the day's wave schedule.
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