With the announcement of Miss Fortune Falls this week, it seemed as though the capacity of Typhoon Lagoon was being increased with a new attraction. Well, it seems the addition is to distract guests from a classic element of the second Disney water park…
According to management at Typhoon Lagoon, Shark Reef will be closing in September. Shark Reef allows guests to snorkel through an unheated, saltwater reef populated with stingrays, bonnethead sharks, leopard sharks and colorful tropical fish and has been a staple of the park since it opened back in 1989.
Our sources at the water park report it is the rather hefty maintenance and upkeep cost of the exhibit which is why Disney is finally looking to close it. The exhibit has been rumored to close for several years now, but with a new, large investment coming into the park, now seems like the opportune moment for Disney to do so.
No replacement for the Shark Reef attraction has been talked about yet, and of course this is not 100% official until addressed by Walt Disney World.
Maybe a pirates themed water attraction or a water play area.
Sorry to see this one go.
Will the man-made snorkeling reef at Aulani Resort in Hawaii go too?
lol
Define “soon”… I’m going in 3 weeks and my son is looking forward to this attraction.
Article says September so you should be good
Wow, I didn’t even see that. Thanks!
Wasn’t Typhoon Lagoon the first Disney water park (not the second)?
The first was Disney’s River Country which opened in 1976 and closed in 2001.
Nope, it was the second. River Country was first, then Typhoon Lagoon, then Blizzard Beach.
Sad :( I always talked so highly about the Shark Reef. It was just an amazing experience for me.
Ahh yes!
Why then does Shark Reef still have operating hours listed until Dec. 24, 2016?
Costs money. Of course it will be cut. Soon will be stores and wave pool and characters selling photos. And a lot of unpicked up trash. Burgers for $20 that aren’t as good as dollar menu at McD. Sad. But true.
As a international tourist that has visited many times I feel very disappointed it Disney were to close this experience. It’s a high light and at the moment WDW seem to constantly be cutting back. Cut too much and tourists will just say 18 hours on a plane ? Low currency exchange is it really worth going?
Such a step backward. The whole point about Disney Word is that it offers a level of experience no other theme parks in the world can. The extra attention to detail and $ spent to immerse guests. Losing Shark Reef makes Typhoon Lagoon no different to so many other water parks globally. Everytime Disney cuts costs on unique themed experiences, they allow competitors to catch up because they are no longer so far superior
Disney Theme Park division is not what it was, or even close to it. They have ZERO interest in being a top theme park or ‘unique experiences” as you mentioned. Their ONLY interest is in sales, profit, advertising their media, and are transparent that they care about efficiency over a guests experience. They haven’t made an attraction that doesn’t have this in mind in years, and are removing anything that doesn’t define that goal. The Disney water parks in general days are numbered. Not enough profit.
You’re an idiot. They close a very a small capacity attraction and will replace it with a very NEW cool one, Miss Fortune Falls. I love Disney haters because once you stop coming at WDW, my family and I will enjoy less crowded parks! thank you
Did it once many years ago.
That was enough.
RIP
It is heated/cooled to 76 degrees!
This makes me so sad. I never in a million years would have thought that this attraction would have been removed. It has ALWAYS been the highlight of our Disney trips and I was hoping to have the same experience with my grandson. Guess we will have to give Discovery Cove a whirl :(
Thanks for posting this, I had added a water park option to our pass, but since this exhibit won’t be there anymore, I’m going to change our reservation.
Ummm this is false I have been to typhoon lagoon many times before this and Shark Reed has not shut down.
It has been closed ever since and has even been mostly removed now.