Remember the Lagoona Gator?
While most people are familiar with Blizzard Beach’s mascot the Ice Gator, his Typhoon Lagoon counterpart, Lagoona Gator, is often forgotten.
Before the fun loving gator slips further into obscurity, I wanted to take a look back at the character and talk about where you can find him today.
So here’s the story.
The Lagoona Gator is Born
The history of the Lagoona Gator actually began in 1995 when Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park opened.
When Disney’s third water park made its debut, Blizzard Beach featured the Ice Gator as the park’s official mascot. Disney’s newest character proved to be so popular, that the company decided to retroactively create a similar character for Typhoon Lagoon. With this, Lagoona Gator was born.
Photo Credit: DeviantArt.com
According to Lagoona Gator’s backstory, the friend alligator came to to Typhoon Lagoon after the hurricane transformed the sleepy Placid Palms resort into Typhoon Lagoon.
Since Lagoona Gator loved to surf, he fit right in the new water park, and took up residence at Typhoon Lagoon.
An artist rendering of Typhoon Lagoon. Photo: Disney
The gator came to live under the heavily damaged clock-tower along the lagoon’s shores and the “tourist-trade of the locals would make him the lagoon’s mascot”.
Decline
Although the Lagoona Gator remained prevalent throughout Typhoon Lagoon during the 1990s, as the new millennium approached the characters popularity wanted. Despite this, Lagoona Gator continued to be feature on merchandise and even do the occasional meet and greet.
Photo: Disney
Fans of the Lagoona Gator need not despair however. If you look closely around Typhoon Lagoon there are still plenty of references to the character today!
Where to Find Lagoona Today
The first place to find Lagoona Gator at Typhoon Lagoon is right inside the park’s entrance. Here, a “sand” sculpture of the surfing alligator can be found.
Further into the park, guests visiting the Surf Pool and will see a rundown clocktower. This tower is actually Lagoona Gator’s home. If you look inside you can see the gator’s hammock, kitchen and posters, as well as a painting of him overlooking the surf at Typhoon Lagoon.
Photo: DIsneyshaun
If you look closely inside Lagoona Gators house, you may notice that his favorite magazine is Surfin’ Reptile, and that he is the lead singer in a band named the Beach Gators (who had an exclusive engagement at Typhoon Lagoon!
In case you were wondering, the Lagoona gator has named his home the Board Room!
So next time you are in Typhoon Lagoon be sure to swing over to the Board Room and say hello! Lagoona Gator will be glad to know he’s remembered!
