Humunga Kowabunga Likely Getting New Slides After Disney Files Permit

Walt Disney World has filed a Notice of Commencement permit for work at Humunga Kowabunga, a trio of body slides at Typhoon Lagoon. ProSlide Technology, Inc. is tasked with “general construction,” which is a funny way to describe anything involving 214-foot-tall water park attractions. Translation: this almost certainly means new slides.

Update (January 15, 2026): Humunga Kowabunga will close for refurbishment beginning January 20, ahead of Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon’s routine seasonal closure on February 15, 2026.

ProSlides supplied many of Typhoon Lagoon’s attractions when it opened in 1989. It last updated the Humunga Kowabunga slides in 1998.

The permit filing comes after Humunga Kowabunga drew legal scrutiny in recent years. The attraction gained notoriety in 2023 when Emma and Edward McGuinness filed a lawsuit against Disney. Emma allegedly suffered lacerations and internal organ damage after a particularly rough ride in 2019. The trial was set to begin on January 5, 2026, but was voluntarily dismissed just days before.

In 2024, Laura Reyes-Merino filed a separate lawsuit, alleging she sustained a brain injury while riding the same attraction. That case was also voluntarily dismissed in March 2025.

The timing of the permit and the latest case dismissal matters. Modifications to an attraction that’s the subject of active litigation can complicate a defense and invite arguments that changes imply fault. With the lawsuit dismissed, Disney is now free to move forward without those worries.

ProSlide will likely be on hand when Typhoon Lagoon closes on February 15 for its seasonal refurbishment. The park is expected to reopen by summer, just in time to handle Disney’s Water Park Benefit-fueled crowds.

Image courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort