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.[1] 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.[1][2] White sand uncovered when neighbouring Bay Lake was drained and cleaned was used to create the beaches around the new lagoon.[2]
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.[1]
Geography and features
Three islands lie in the lagoon: Blackbeard Island, Castaway Cay and Beachcomber Island.[1] 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.[1] 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.[1]
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.[3]
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.[1] Although artificial, the lagoon is home to native Florida wildlife, including alligators, snakes and turtles.[1]
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.[1] 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.[1][4]
See also
- Bay Lake
- Magic Kingdom
- Magic Kingdom Ferryboats
- Electrical Water Pageant
- Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 "Seven Seas Lagoon." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Seas_Lagoon
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "History of the World, Part V." MousePlanet. https://mouseplanet.com/history-of-the-world-part-v/799/
- ↑ "Daily Figment 110 — Seven Seas Lagoon." Imaginerding. http://www.imaginerding.com/2007/11/22/daily-figment-110-seven-seas-lagoon/
- ↑ "Disney Guest Jumps into Seven Seas Lagoon." Disney Tips, 18 May 2023. https://disneytips.com/disney-guest-jumps-into-seven-seas-lagoon-sw1/