Kiddie slides at Typhoon Lagoon

If you're not too tall



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Aquatica Under Construction

From March, 2007, we have these photos of the park as seen from the street.

Typhoon Lagoon's kid slide

The big wave pool includes these small side by side slides for the kiddies. Maximum user height: 48 inches. They are short (one has a tiny, very brief tunnel), but they are fun for 45-48 inch tall kids (and possibly too much for kids under 35 inches, unless they swim well)




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Tike's Peak side by side slides

They don't look like much, and aren't really much in practice, but the kids slides are fun enough for your littlest kids (especially under four). Since there are three tracks, you can go simultaneously with your kid (holding hands?) or you can arrange a race!



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Tike's Peak overview

I'll have more on Tike's Peak soon. But here's an overview of this toddler area.

All that white "snow" could mean a ton of reflected sunlight, so you're best off if you hang out in the very shallow pool (adults will have to sit down to be in the water). But water means losing sunscreen. And remember all that reflected sunshine! This is the main place to remember to reapply.




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Tike's Peak

There are two kids areas in Blizzard Beach (well, three, if you count the one for older youths). The one for the littlest members of your family is called Tikes Peak. I'm not sure if everyone gets the pun with Pike's Peak, let alone the association with coldness as a result, but this is one of those great Disney detail moments where the little things add up subconsciously.

The ice gator is a big motif here, and there are slides for the little kids - more on those in a future post. For now, let's just head down the trail, letting the sprinklers wet our feet (that concrete gets HOT in summer!), and anticipating the slides to come....

Skull Island at Six Flags Over Georgia

Side trip from Orlando today. Skull Island is a free attachment to SFOG. Many amusement parks have this kind of "water playground" (not really enough to call a water park).

Skull Island minimizes rain and waterfalls, and most interactive toys, in favor of more slides. If you're into slides this is a great thing. Very young kids, though, have little here for them.





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Crush 'n Gusher: the look

Here's what you see if you gaze over the side of your raft just before starting your plunge down Crush 'n Gusher, at the very beginning of the ride. It looks forbidding, perhaps, but it's fun and not dangerous. The sensation in your stomach is not unlike "dropping in" onto a halfpipe, for those of you who have ever been skateboarders. The comparison is all the more apt because you bottom out and start climbing right away on this ride, courtesy of those jets which push you uphill (and get you 'inside' your swimsuit if you're sitting wrong, if you know what I mean).

Alpine Meadows

Who pays attention to landscaping at a water park? Well, Disney does. The average visitor may not notice (consciously), but Disney rightly knows that the details add up.

One small contribution is the foliage. The Beach Haus is meant to look like an Alpine hut, so it helps things along if there are Alpine flowers nearby. It's amazing how much forethought goes into everything!




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The 411 on 911s at Disney

When someone requests Central First Aid at a Disney park, the "Code-1" call goes out on the radio, letting everyone know that CFA has been dispatched. It's upgraded to a "Code-2" when the paramedics are called; obviously, things are more serious. Managers tend to come on the run when a Code-2 is put out. You don't want to see a Code-3. That's imminent danger of life, and paramedics come onstage.

I've seen all three in my time working for Disney, and launched a few Code-1's on behalf of someone at my restaurant. But this past weekend while at Blizzard Beach, my party initiated a Code-2. Someone in our party who is a little advanced in age had trouble after climbing up the main mountain, feeling both dizzy and nauseous. Just as the nurse was getting settled, she passed out completely, still sitting up (we propped her up).

The nurse moved her to lying down, while calling on the radio for upgrading the case (I didn't hear the exact wording, but four minutes later I heard the wail of the ambulance nearby). Meanwhile regular guest passers-by jumped in. They were obviously trained medical personnel of various kinds; they knew what to do and they didn't ask permission (nor did they apologize) for elbowing aside the family members. Good for them.

Water was used externally to cool her down, chemical ice packs were broken (some of them by the regular guests, who knew what to do). Good thing the nurse had a medical kit with her (pictured).

It turned out to be just dehydration and too much exertion. Color returned slowly to her skin. She was taken by wheelchair down the one gondola on the ski lift, and led to the ambulance (which was parked just backstage, near the Tyke's Peak kids area). There, she was given an EKG, vitals were checked, and so on.

She was fine. Disney, through it all, offered not just medical care but also drinks. While waiting for the ambulance tests, we were offered frozen lemonade too. Later, they kept handing drinks and Powerade to the affected member of our party. Needless to say, after the clean bill of health she just wanted to head home (she lives locally).

Disney did a tremendous job. I asked about payment - no payment is expected or due (or probably even possible). When Reedy Creek paramedics come out, Disney foots the bill apparently. Had she gone to the hospital, there would be costs, but otherwise everything was free. Presumably, they don't want lawsuits and thus err on the side of caution, which is wise.

While backstage near the ambulance, we saw the pumps for the water park, and giant nearby chlorine tanks. Not a sight you see every day!

Shark Reef fish

When you exit the snorkel adventure is when you're most likely to see this sign, which is probably the most useful time anyway, since the fish types you just saw are so fresh in your mind.

See? Those WERE harmless leopard sharks!







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Welcome to Typhoon Lagoon

The nautical flags at the entrance to TL spell out "Welcome to Typhoon Lagoon". There's a helpful key to decipher the flags nearby.














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Ketchakiddee Creek Cave

The children's play area of Typhoon Lagoon, Ketchakiddee Creek, has water cannons for squirting each other, and fanciful, geyser-inspired landscape to crawl around on. What makes it most unusual among water parks, though, is the cave in the back.

Sporting a waterfall on one side, and simple passage through in the back, the cave lets visitors go from one side of the play area to the other without braving the water cannons. Most water parks would just offer a passageway, or minimal theming at best. Not Disney. This is a fully-rendered cave that must have taken many man-hours (man-months?) to carve and sculpt.

Crush 'n Gusher's Skeleton

Here's a view from October, 2004, when Crush 'n Gusher was taking form.

Refill Stations at Disney

The resorts at WDW have a refillable mug option which works for "length of stay", but the refill stations at the Disney water parks are on their own system.

You can buy an all-day mug for $10, or if you want to bring a previous year's mug, they will sell you a barcode-for-today that you can stick onto your mug for a mere $6.50

Frankly, not a bad deal at all, especially for repeat visitors!

The Beach Haus

You might lump this one together with the (Pinocchio) Village Haus in Fantasyland - certainly the idea is the same. An alpine setting and a need to say "chalet" in a foreign language that is nonetheless comprehensible to English-speaking visitors will only yield so many possibilities.

Inside the Beach Haus is more theming, but we'll leave that for another day. This is the "Emporium" type shop at the entrance (and thus the exit) to Blizzard Beach. And... it's gloriously air-conditioned. Isn't that enough?

Water Playground at Aquatica

The riot of colors at Aquatica's water playground Walkabout Waters doesn't let up even when you're standing in the midst of the structure (no doubt being drenched by the buckets above, some of which controlled by fellow visitors). It's all in good fun. Kids could easily kill an hour here, and parents may enjoy the ensuing respite. The big buckets up top take turns dumping on the crowds below every few minutes.

 

Central Florida icicles

I'm not sure how many people are buying pearls while at Blizzard Beach, but it's comforting to know that Disney theming continues in full force. Those icicles on the roofline drip water, as if they were melting. It's this kind of detail - the sort of thing they could have omitted, but didn't - which makes a Disney park so special.




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Blizzard Beach wave pool

Personally, I prefer the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon. There, big waves descend upon the masses every few minutes, though I also have vague memories of "choppy" small waves in TL too.

At Blizzard Beach, the waves at Melt-Away Bay are always small and choppy. For many years, I considered them inferior, but tried them again recently with my three year old and found them satisfactory. They are oddly interesting with a toddler in a way I'd never considered when younger.




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Crush 'n Gusher

It's hard to overstate how important Crush 'n Gusher is to Typhoon Lagoon. It added three new slides, but more importantly, added a new dimension to slides: a powered water coaster.

These had been introduced at Schlitterbahn, to great effect, but it was new for Disney to get them. No other competitor in Central Florida has a water coaster. The lines here might be a little longer, but it's worth it.

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Typhoon Lagoon's famous vista

Here's the Miss Tilly, seen from a bridge over the lazy river. Some visitors never explore this mountain trail, which merely allows you to switch sides of the park, but offers some fun exploration. Don't miss it!




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The Taumata Timer

When Aquatica first opened, the colorful racer slides had no particular technology installed on them. Riders just (hopefully) waited until the attendant said "go" and then jumped in their tubes. The absence if a clock meant winners were mire likely decided by who traveled the farthest in the straight "slow down" section at the bottom.

At sone point before its first anniversary, however, a digital clock was added to the bottom. (meaning there must be sensors at the top, too, unless everyone just gets the same start time?) With the clock, now the competition is the race to the bottom, not the distance traveled. It's more exciting this way, though also a touch more stressful.




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Aquatica under construction

You couldn't see much when driving by - just skeletons of the staircase towers for what would turn out to be the racers and the family slides - but it was nonetheless interesting to drive alongside the Aquatica site. Even in Orlando, theme parks don't open every day!

Whanau Way, the old view

Here's something you can't see anymore. This view of Whanau Way from its tower is now blocked by Omaka Rocka, which was built atop these slides (and uses the same stairs/tower). Kudos to Aquatica for adding to its park so quickly!




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Ski lift? Why not?

Blizzard Beach sprang into existence after a freak snowstorm gave an entrepreneur an idea to make money, or so the fake backstory goes. That may seem a bit thin when you see the ski lift - could they realty build it that fast before the snow supposedly melts? But you'll quickly forget your theming doubts (dare I suggest they will "melt away"?) when you realize this chair saves you from having to climb the mountain for most of the slides.

The lines for the lift rival those if most slides, unfortunately. It's faster to walk. But riding is more fun, and you do get great views!




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Aquatica's color scheme

Let's be honest: Aquatica lacks the lush landscaping that the Disney water parks have (and while we are telling truths, we'd have to admit that Wet & Wild lacks such rich vegetation too, and it's much older, so this is not about allowing time for things to grow in).

But Wet & Wild feels just like a water park, with no particular theme or indeed even color scheme. Aquatica, by contrast, does have a color scheme, and thus an identity of sorts. It's all bright orange, yellow, and purple for Aquatica. That doesn't particularly scream "New Zealand" to me (more on that in a future update), but at least the patterns are consistent in the park, giving the place a look/feel of its own.




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Sno-Cat food cart

At Disney, everything has a theme. That includes food carts!

At Blizzard Beach, why not something appropriate for the snowy conditions? It may not fit with the theme of a single freak snowstorm (who would have a Sno-Cat handy in Florida?) but it's looks good here, and that's what counts.

Crush 'n Gusher under construction

When Crush 'n Gusher was under construction, things started as you might imagine with a skeleton of the building in place. But large pieces of the slide and support strucutres were stored elsewhere. This photo shows the hilltop "overflow" parking at Typhoon Lagoon, which gets used every summer day now.

Looks like a mighty big puzzle to assemble!






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Little blue gators

The mascots of Blizzard Beach appear to be liitle blue "dragons" usually dressed minimally in a cutesy item of clothing. But they aren't dragons. It turns out that these are alligators who have turned blue from the cold, called Ice Gators (they have a distant cousin at Typhoon Lagoon called Lagoona Gator).

The mascots aren't around everywhere, but just enough to look familiar the next time you see them.





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Avalunch, 2006 and 2010

Menus undergo periodic revision, of course, and sometimes get changed completely. Below I've typed out the 2010 menu at Avalunch and also pasted a photo of the same location from 2006. Looks like those four years brought not only new items, but also some price hikes!

Avalunch 2010
Blizzard Dog - $7.29
Pretzel Dog - $7.29
Chili Cheese Dog - $7.89
Chopped Chicken Salad - $8.29
Turkey Leg - $7.59

Image: Avalunch 2006

Vests of many colors

At the Disney water parks, vests are available for free but you have to ask for them. At Aquatica, they are just out and about, and in fact you'll find more than one location for them. Two of the more visible locations are next to the entrances for Roa's Rapids, since this experience is more enjoyable and relaxing if you're wearing a vest.

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Roa's Rapids

We call it the Crazy River because it's like a lazy river, but with actual rapids. Normally that would be a nonissue, but in this case it matters because you aren't in a raft. You're just floating along!

You could elect to rely on your swimming skills alone, but most visitors will grab one of the free floatation vests nearby.

With a vest, you get the odd sensation of both action (the rapids) and relaxation (since you don't have to work to stay afloat).

This is a point of view (POV) shot of one of the rapids sections.

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Basic body slides

Ah, the simple slide. No muss, no fuss, and no special features. Just you and a raft amid rather traditional twisting slides in the treetops.

I guess Blizzard Beach wanted to have some familar experiences!

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No drinking!

This sign at Aquatica, repeated in a few places, points out that sprinklers are using water you shouldn't try to drink.

Even though I've seen this sign plenty of times, I always misread the Spanish translation below as saying "no beer"!





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Aquatica's lazy river aquarium

Aquatica has a fast-moving lazy river (we call it the Crazy River), and then a more traditional sedate one called Loggerhead Lane.

The sedate one is small, mostly just circling the toilet bowl slide. But it has a picture window to the Comerson's dolphins ... Or you could take the branching path instead to this aquarium filled with colorful African cichlids. Not much moves here, but it's colorful at least.




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Summit Plummet

One if the scarier attractions Disney has ever created, Summit Plummet is a typical "dropout" ride with atypical (ie good) theming.

Riders pass under a bridge (that's where this pic was taken, standing on that bridge) and then still drop a looooong way!





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Unnecessary Theming!

This photo makes me want to blow my whistle, declare a stop to all play, and gesture like a football referee. "Foul! Unnecessary theming! 10 yards... first down!"

It's a simple staircase, yet Disney elected not to leave well enough alone. They added theming here that doesn't really serve any functional purpose (and in fact takes up valuable space) - but that's all the more reason to love it.

When you get right down to it, the entire mountain is unnecessary theming. 99% of water parks around the world just build plain-jane staircases and then unthemed slides and tubes. Disney conceals everything in the effort to transport you somewhere else--the mountain is a vital part of that. Little flourishes like this themed avalanche area wouldn't even have been necessary... but they are great, and they do add to the experience, don't they?