Disney’s Blizzard Beach :: Orlando

Blizzard Beach is one of two water parks in the Walt Disney World Resort.  It is snow themed and features slides and rides for the whole family, as well as one of the world’s tallest and fastest free-falling waterslides.  Blizzard Beach is the second-most visited water park in the world, hosting approximately 1.89 million guests in 2008.  A large portion of the major attractions at Blizzard Beach are housed on top of Mount Gushmore, an artificial hill that is the fifth highest point in Florida.  Mount Gushmore not only allows the park to hide its pipe system, it also helps guests navigate throughout the park by using its 3 different colored slopes as landmarks.

One way to start your trip through the park is to take the Chair Lift, a ski resort style transport that takes you to the top of Mount Gushmore to access the attractions on the Green Slope. There is Summit Plummet, the 2nd tallest and fastest free-falling waterslide in the world.  You can take a ride on Teamboat Springs’ large rubber rafts that take 4-6 people down a twisting series of rushing waterfalls.  Slush Gusher, Summit Plummet’s neighbor, is a slightly tamer version with a 90-foot tall high-speed slide.

The Purple Slope is geared more towards racing, with each attraction having at least two nearly identical tracks.  You can access it taking a pathway next to the catch pool of Downhill Double Dipper, which is one of the world’s only side by side racing slides.  Downhill Double Dipper’s slides are 50 feet high and 230 feet long, taking guests on inner tubes at speeds of up to 25 mph.  Snow Stormers takes you on a toboggan-style mat speeding down the mountain.  It consists of three flumes that are 350 feet long, descending from the top of the mountain, following a switchback course through ski-type slalom gates and ending with a plunge into a refreshing pool.  There is also Toboggan Racers, which gives you an 8-lane, 250 foot, waterslide race on toboggan-style mats.

The Red Slope is at the very end of the park and only has one attraction, Runoff Rapids.  Runoff Rapids is a 600 foot inner tube run that features two open and one enclosed tube that takes guests careening down twisting, turning rides that end with a plunge into the pool at the bottom.  Each of the 3 slides are different so you want to try them all. The center slide is fully enclosed and accommodates 1 rider at a time and the two outer slides hold up to 2 people.  The Red Slope stairs are the only way to access this attraction.

There is quite a bit to do off of the mountain on the ground level.  Meltaway Bay is a 1 acre wave pool at the base of Mount Gushmore. It’s water is fed by “melting snow” waterfalls that create short waves.  The Cross Country Creek is a 3,000 foot slow-moving lazy river that travels around the perimeter of the park, taking guests through a bone-chilling ice cave.  Ski Patrol is an area for pre-teenage children; it has a variety of fun attractions like the Leisure Pool, Fahrenheit Drops, Freezin’ Pipe Springs and Cool Runners.  Tike’s Peak is another ride for the young children, it features gentle slides designed to resemble scaled down versions of the other attractions at Blizzard Beach.

Grabbing a bite to eat at Blizzard Beach is quick & easy.  Avalunch is a quick-service restaurant that serves lunch, dinner and snacks.  You can grab a snack at Blizzard Beach Mini Donuts.  The Lottawatta Lodge is designed to look like a ski lodge, offering light lunch and dinner entrees.  The Polar Pub is an outdoor pool bar/restaurant that serves light snacks, chilled tropical drinks and other refreshing beverages.  Snacks, ice cream, soft drinks and sweet treats are available at Sled Dog Expeditions.  The Warming Hut offers hot meals for lunch, dinner or a snack while the Cooling Hut offers beverages, light snacks, lunch and dinner, it’s also where you can purchase a souvenir mug that can be refilled throughout the day at most of the establishments mentioned..

Disney’s Blizzard Beach offers a wide variety of guest services.  They provide you with maps of the park as well as all the other Disney parks in the area.  Life vests are provided free of charge with a drivers license or credit card as deposit.  Towels can be rented for $2 a day at the Beach Haus & Snowless Joe’s.  Gifts, sunscreen, swimwear, hats, towels, disposable cameras and other odds and ends are also available at the Beach Haus & Snowless Joe’s.  The lockers available for rent are very useful for storing any items you don’t want to carry around or risk getting wet.

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