I'm a surfer guy from NJ, and I knew this class was for "beginners," but I paid 135 bucks to give it a whirl. I have always dreamed about surfing at Typhoon Lagoon!IT WAS SO WORTH IT.The class had 3 instructors, one on land and 2 in the water. There were 8 students. Land instruction lasted about 40 minutes, and was very hands on and done properly. Then we were shown how to enter lagoon. Each time in, you were able to get 2 waves, one from the right side, then one from the left side. Then you had to exit and walk back to the top and await your turn. We were given 5 turns, so that was 10 waves, plus a single bonus wave at the end for whoever wanted it.Like I said, I am a surfer, and the instructor's teachings reiterated what I already knew, and their dedication towards the sport really showed. All students were able to stand and take a wave in, so everybody had success.Even better, having proven myself as capable, the instructors let me "do my own thing" and have fun with the waves, allowing me to carve and cut and work on some moves. (The others just rode into shore.) The experience was well worth it, the instructors were fantastic, and I was able to live a dream surfing at Typhoon Lagoon.For the record, the instructor's were NOT Disney "lifeguards." They were beach kids with salt water in their blood, so they knew what they were doing. And had a passion for their sport, and for your success.I would do this again, and plan to treat my dad as well. Obviously, I just wish I could have caught more waves!!
If you only can visit one water park make it this one. The waves in this gargantuan pool, more a kind of artificial lagoon, are the highest in any wave pool on the entire planet. Up to 6 feet and more they are what comes next to experiencing a real surf at the beaches. However there are a lot of beaches that only offer waves of this size during a storm and TL features them every day. A must!
Generally when people visit Disney World, the theme parks are the main focus of their trip. When my family visits Disney, that is not the case; Typhoon Lagoon is our favorite park, and is really the reason that we vacation in Disney World. The wave pool is the attraction that draws us to the park the most. Most "wave pools" have bobby waves that may be relaxing, but aren't much of a thrill; when you see a wave from Typhoon Lagoon coming towards you, you get the same feeling that you'd get on a roller coaster. I've been to several water parks around the country, and none of the wave pools come close to this one. A definite 10 out of 10.
My sons (12, 10, 8) and I love this pool. We could literally stay in it for hours. The waves are HUGE! Youngest son invented a cool game while in the pool: when the big wave is about to hit, dive down and grab the drain grates. See who can stay the most vertical as the wave hits. It's harder than you think.
This NEVER gets old! My family once did this for 2 1/2 hours straight with no break. The little kid area off to the side is not discussed enough and is well-designed. It allows younger Mouskateers to enjoy the waves, but they are light but the time they reach that far corner. Position yourself at a location in this pool (that produces waves up to 5 feet above the natural water level every 90 seconds!) where the water sits just above your waist during the rest periods. This will give you a chance to keep your head above water, but make it a challenge. The only negative thing about this enormous pool of ecstatic children and dedicated fathers is that the pool flooring is cottage cheese style so when you repeatedly fall on top of it, it can give you raspberries, deep cuts, and open sores. Because of this and other attractions at Typhoon Lagoon that remove swimsuits easily, wear a swimsuit that covers the most body mass it can.
I don't think the wave pool concept gets any better than this one. Its HUGE, has giant (and I mean GIANT) waves, beaches, tropical settings, and a wonderful back drop. The wave system in this pool is so powerful they even hold surfing lessons in here. The only downside to this wave pool is that the wave action may be to much for young kids and those are not strong swimmers.