Stormalong Bay, Worth the Stay at the Yacht and Beach Club Resort

By Nick

My wife and I have been Disney Vacation Club members since 2007, when we bought a small resale contract, and have added on with small point purchases periodically since. We have a very small 30 point contract at the Beach Club Villas, which we acquired directly from Disney. I essentially added this small contract because of it's great pool, Stormalong Bay, which is only accessible for guests at the Yacht and Beach Club.

What makes Stormalong Bay such a great pool? Well, for one, it's more like a water park than just an ordinary pool. It's 3 acres consisting of 795,000 gallons of water and several different aquatic experiences which can be enjoyed by every member of the family.

The pools are sand bottomed, but, as the currents and people move the swirling silica around, it tends to bunch, so you may find clumps in one area, and none in others.
Speaking of swirling, one fun feature, located by the end of the massive water slide (more on that in a minute) is a whirlpool. Hop, well, float in, and throw your legs up, and jets will have you going in circles!

On to that slide. Climb to the top of the replica shipwreck, and take a ride down the 230 foot long slide, which is one of the highest on Walt Disney World property. Get there early, the lines get very long as the day wears on and the heat beats down!

My favorite part of Stormalong Bay is the lazy river. I can spend hours just floating around here, until my wife has to insist we leave due to excessive pruning! I've read that you can rent tubes. I'm not sure where from, as I have always just found tubes floating unattended at all hours of the day!

There are bridges that connect different areas of the complex, and it's a great place to view the surrounding area, offering great views of the entire Boardwalk area as well.

For kids, and kids of all ages, there are pool parties held each day. For young ones, there are sandy beaches for them to play on, with a gentle slope into a wading pool.

For grownups, looking for an adult beverage, Hurricane Hanna's Waterside Bar and Grill offers great views with your beer and signature cocktails and frozen beverages.

They also offer Bar Appetizers and Entress.

After a meal and drink or 3, you can soak in the quit and fairly hidden hot tub, or find a secluded spot under a waterfall.

As mentioned above, Stormalong Bay is accessible to Yacht and Beach Club guests only, and there is actually a Cast Member located at the entrance checking Magic Bands. Hours change depending on the season.

Also, as was the case on our recent trip, portions may be closed for refurbishment. Disney should notify you if this is the case.

Potions of this article was originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Diva and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.

Walt Disney Water Parks Buttons and Guides

by Nick

I haven’t been to the Disney water parks in years, since the mid 90′s, in fact, which is when these buttons and brochures are from.

The first button is from my favorite of the 2 parks, Typhoon Lagoon.

Opened in 1989, it is the home of the World’s largest outdoor wave pool, which is just awesome. The lazy river is also wonderful.

 

Another thing I love about Typhoon Lagoon is the back story. I feel that the stories that Imagineering came up with for it’s attractions in the late 80′s and early 90′s were very strong. This, of course, may just be nostalgia, as it coincides with my earliest visits.

As the story goes, the park was created by a typhoon that wreaked havoc upon a formerly pristine tropical paradise. Ships, fishing gear and surfboards are strewn about where the storm flung them. The centerpiece of the park is “Miss Tilly,” a shrimp boat impaled upon a mountain named “Mount Mayday” that erupts a 50 foot geyser of water every half hour.

I’ve actually been lucky enough to be directly under this when it went off, a thrilling experience.

 

There are also many slides, which aren’t really my thing.

 

I only went to Blizzard Beach once. It wasn’t a bad park, but it was more of a water slide park. So given the choice between the 2, Typhoon wins hands down.

Opened in 1995, Blizzard Beach also has a fun, although, in my opinion, a bit forced, back story.

It seems a freak snowstorm hit the area, leading to the construction of Florida’s first ski resort. Naturally, the snow didn’t last long, leaving behind a collection of waterlogged but snow-less ski jumps and chair lifts. The failed resort was in the process of closing for good when an alligator was seen sliding down a flume and splashing into a pool of water, screaming “Yahoo!” Thus the “ski resort” was reborn as a water park, with the alligator, named Ice Gator (maybe they could have come up with something a little more original than that?) as the mascot.

Doing this post has really made me want to get back to Typhoon Lagoon, and I will hopefully get there on one of my future trips!