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Credit: Inside the MagicIn a shocking turn of events, there have been multiple fires reported at Walt Disney World Resort over the past few hours, and the most recent one could mean severe damage to an entire theme park.
While fires at Disney are not common, they do happen from time to time. A few years ago, Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, U.S.A. turned from a fake road in a turn of the century American town that usually donned parade floats, to a read road that had firetrucks blazing down the runway. When this happened, it was because Cinderella Castle was reportedly on fire.
This caused all guests at Cinderella’s Royal Table to evacuate, but in the end, it appeared that the fire that caused the alarm was due to a lit cigarette starting a small fire in one of the shrubs next to the castle. It should be noted that smoking in a Disney World theme park is prohibited for reasons exactly like this.
According to guests, the alarm began to sound, and they were told to evacuate due to a fire. Guests even traveled as far as 16 flights of stairs to safely exit the hotel, as elevators would be a poor choice to use during a fire.
Now, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park is in danger after a fire broke out next to it.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon opened on June 1, 1989, and it is built around the intriguing legend of “Miss Tilly,” a shrimp boat that was driven inland by a massive storm. The park boasts a variety of attractions, including Crush ‘n’ Gusher, Storm Slides, Gangplank Falls, Mayday Falls, Keelhaul Falls, Ketchakiddee Creek, and the renowned Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool.
These attractions provide guests with a wide range of water-based experiences, making Typhoon Lagoon a favorite destination within the Walt Disney World Resort.
Right now, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is the only water park that is currently in operation, as Disney has not yet allowed for two water parks to be open at the same time. Since the pandemic, the ongoing schedule has been that of Disney’s Blizzard Beach, operating during the fall and winter, with Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon operating in the spring and summer.
At the moment, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is also hosting their after hours event H2O Glow Nights on select evenings, making the water park a hit spot for guests.
Ice Gator confirmed that the fire was next to the entrance of Typhoon Lagoon, which is located across from Disney Springs. It appears that the fire was caused by a lightning strike, which then sent emergency responders to the scene.
A lightning strike, I believe. Large Smoky smell/aroma and a giant orange glow with a giant cloud of smoke filling the air.
Forgot to capture the image as I drove by to quick but it’s there. Emergency vehicles are on sight.
The fire was discovered when one person posted, “fire at Disney Springs?” on X.
A lightning strike, I believe. Large Smoky smell/aroma and a giant orange glow with a giant cloud of smoke filling the air.
Forgot to capture the image as I drove by to quick but it’s there. Emergency vehicles are on sight.
— Ice Gator (@BlizzardArchive) July 28, 2024
User Ashley was driving by and shared a photo of the fire.
Like a lot pic.twitter.com/jraSjaIp7b
— Ashley Marie 💕 (@craftyashley_) July 28, 2024
There is now a firetruck at the scene.
Right now, Fox news has shared that Orange County is in a flood advisory, as the ongoing storm continues to make its way through the Disney bubble.
The publication noted:
“The highest coverage of showers and storms across Central Florida we have had in a while. Numerous storms will fire after about 2-3PM and move southwards across the area. The atmosphere is quite unstable today, so even for FL standards, tremendous lightning will occur from any storms, some small hailstones, torrential downpours, and a few isolated stronger gusts to 50 MPH and possibly minor flooding. Organized severe weather, damaging winds, and/or tornadoes are not forecasted nor expected this afternoon. Leftover rain and general thunder could linger as late as 9-10 p.m. Sunday evening.”
As Fox noted, the conditions in Orlando are unstable today, and excessive lightning is expected in the area.
Luis Perez shared a video of the fire from afar.
Typhoon Lagoon appears to be on fire…
Typhoon Lagoon appears to be on fire… pic.twitter.com/KaVe2H5T1Z
— Luis Perez (@1uisper3z) July 28, 2024
Just a few days ago, 4 teenagers were struck by lightning in Florida, leaving one of the kids in critical condition. This, while tragic, is not too shocking as
although Florida is famously known as the Sunshine State, it is also notorious for its frequent thunderstorms, lightning strikes, and associated fatalities.
According to a recent 10-year study by Vaisala, Florida experiences an average of 3,500 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes per day, totaling approximately 1.2 million flashes annually.
Today, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park is open until 8:00 p.m., and it appears that the park is still operational, despite the fire. It should be noted, that if you do plan to go to the park today, you will likely be met with a lot of rejection as none of the water attractions and activities will be open while lightning or thunder is present.
Ironically, today is indeed National Water Park Day…
Have you ever noticed a fire break out at Disney or any other theme park?