View source for Seven Seas Lagoon

The '''Seven Seas Lagoon''' is a man-made lake at [[Walt Disney World]] in Bay Lake, Florida. It lies directly south of the [[Magic Kingdom]], separating the park from its parking lot at the Transportation and Ticket Center, and was created as part of the resort's original construction for its opening in 1971. The lagoon reaches a depth of about 14 feet (4.3 m) and is connected to the adjacent natural Bay Lake by a canal crossed by a water bridge.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas">"Seven Seas Lagoon." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Seas_Lagoon</ref> Published figures for its surface area vary; it is commonly described as roughly 170 to 200 acres.

== History ==

The site chosen for the Magic Kingdom was low, swampy ground unsuitable for building. Disney's engineers addressed this in two linked moves: they excavated a lagoon from the wetlands south of the park site, and used the excavated earth — more than seven million cubic yards — to raise the Magic Kingdom site, allowing the park to be built above its ground-level Utilidor service tunnels.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" /><ref name="mouseplanet">"History of the World, Part V." MousePlanet. https://mouseplanet.com/history-of-the-world-part-v/799/</ref> White sand uncovered when neighbouring Bay Lake was drained and cleaned was used to create the beaches around the new lagoon.<ref name="mouseplanet" />

The lagoon opened with Walt Disney World on 1 October 1971. In its early years it was promoted as a recreational lake for swimming, sailing and water skiing. An artificial wave machine, installed to create surf at the beach of Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, began operating in 1971 but was soon shut down after the waves caused severe beach erosion.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" />

== Geography and features ==

Three islands lie in the lagoon: Blackbeard Island, Castaway Cay and Beachcomber Island.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" /> Around its shores stand three of the original Magic Kingdom-area resorts: [[Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa]] and Disney's Polynesian Village Resort on the western and southern shores, and [[Disney's Contemporary Resort]], which sits between the lagoon and Bay Lake to the east. The [[Walt Disney World]] Monorail System's Magic Kingdom loop crosses and follows the lagoon's shores, linking those resorts with the park and the Transportation and Ticket Center.

== Transportation and recreation ==

The lagoon is crossed daily by the [[Magic Kingdom Ferryboats]], large Disney Transport ferries carrying guests between the Transportation and Ticket Center and the Magic Kingdom entrance, and by smaller resort launches serving the lagoon and Bay Lake resorts.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" /> Recreational boating and guided fishing excursions also operate on the water; fishing, planned from the resort's early years, was not permitted in the lagoon until the mid-1990s.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" />

Each evening, weather permitting, the [[Electrical Water Pageant]] — a procession of illuminated floating displays accompanied by music, first presented in October 1971 — makes its circuit of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, passing the lagoon resorts and the Magic Kingdom shoreline.<ref name="imaginerding">"Daily Figment 110 — Seven Seas Lagoon." Imaginerding. http://www.imaginerding.com/2007/11/22/daily-figment-110-seven-seas-lagoon/</ref>

== Swimming and shoreline safety ==

Swimming was originally allowed in the lagoon but has long since been prohibited; sources attribute the ban to safety considerations including boat traffic and the presence of the amoeba ''Naegleria fowleri'' in Florida freshwater.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" /> Although artificial, the lagoon is home to native Florida wildlife, including alligators, snakes and turtles.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" />

On 14 June 2016, a two-year-old boy wading at the shoreline of [[Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa]] was fatally attacked by an alligator.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" /> Following the incident, Disney installed fencing, rockwork, roped barriers and warning signage along the lagoon's beaches and shorelines, and swimming and wading remain prohibited.<ref name="wiki-sevenseas" /><ref name="disneytips-2016">"Disney Guest Jumps into Seven Seas Lagoon." Disney Tips, 18 May 2023. https://disneytips.com/disney-guest-jumps-into-seven-seas-lagoon-sw1/</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Bay Lake]]
* [[Magic Kingdom]]
* [[Magic Kingdom Ferryboats]]
* [[Electrical Water Pageant]]
* [[Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa]]

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:Walt Disney World]]
[[Category:Artificial lakes]]