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The largest pool at WDW Resort is The Big Blue Pool , inspired by Disney • Pixar ’ s Finding Nemo . This zero-entry pool at the Art of Animation Resort contains an astonishing 308,527 gallons of water . Righteous !
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The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival is back in action in 2021 , running through July 5th . During this festival , intricate topiaries of your favorite Disney characters spring up throughout the park . Given these topiaries ’ massive size , they cannot be hand-watered . Instead , Disney gardeners mimicked the irrigation system used to water the natural flora of the parks year-round . Each topiary has a network of tubes and spouts , often broken out into zones ( arms , legs , ears , etc .) that regulate just how much water each section of the topiary receives every day .
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You can get to your favorite Disney Parks via watercraft . Water taxis travel to and from Magic Kingdom , launching from Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground , Grand Floridian Resort & Spa , Polynesian Villas & Bungalows , and Wilderness Lodge , while ferryboats can get you to and from the Transportation and Ticket Center . You can access EPCOT and Disney ’ s Hollywood Studios via boat from the Swan and Dolphin Hotels , Yacht Club Resort , Beach Club Villas , and BoardWalk Villas .
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Disney ’ s first major closure ( for more than a full day ) happened way back in 1999 in response to Hurricane Floyd . In the years since , Disney has shut down for at least a day due to Hurricanes Charley , Frances , Jeanne , Matthew , and Irma . But one hurricane that ’ s always welcome at WDW ? Hurricane Hanna ’ s , a bar and grill at Stormalong Bay , where adults 21 + should most definitely sample a ruminfused Piña CoLAVA .
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Feeling thirsty
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but saving your snack credits
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Splash Mountain , WDW ’ s famous log flume ride , contains 965,000 gallons of water and boasts a 52.5-foot plunge , during which you ’ ll reach speeds exceeding 40 mph . If your expert eyes have already spotted the plethora of hidden Mickeys on the ride , bust out those glasses for another look : The ride is due for a retheming to The Princess and the Frog , which means a whole new collection of hidden Mickeys to find !
for a tasty Peter Pan Float ? A wise choice , as you can get free cups of ice water at any Quick-Service dining establishment that sells fountain soda . I repeat : Do not ever use precious snack credits on bottled water when free ice water is always just around the riverbend … er … corner .
The software geniuses at Disney developed a program called Splash while working on Moana . The program simulated how water on an actual ocean surface would interact with objects , such as a boat ; this ultimately made animators ’ jobs easier , automating how water moved in each shot . ( The software team developed a similar system called Matterhorn to simulate snow for , you guessed it , Frozen .) Software team to animators : “ What can I say except you ’ re welcome ?”
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Ever noticed that Disney ’ s water-based rides , like Pirates of the Caribbean and “ it ’ s a small world ,” smell different ? That ’ s not just your nose ; there ’ s an actual science to why . While most pools are kept clean with chlorine , Disney treats its waterbased activities with bromine , which is less harsh yet cleans better . One side effect ? Disney ’ s signature “ water ride smell .”
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Blizzard Beach houses one of the world ’ s tallest ( 120 feet ) and fastest ( 55 mph ) free-fall body slides , Summit Plummet . In for a chiller experience ? Relax for all 3,000 feet of Blizzard Beach ’ s lazy river , Cross Country Creek , which has seven entry and exit points along the bending route .
Non-Florida natives may picture WDW as a sunny retreat from less-favorable climates , but in reality , the resort gets plenty of rainfall each year . Walt Disney World averages 112 days of rainfall and 49.2 inches of precipitation total . Unsurprisingly , more than half of that falls from June through September , during the height of hurricane season .