Blizzard Beach: A Photo Tour of Disney’s Best-Themed Water Park

On April 1. 1995 the slopes of Blizzard Beach opened to help take some of the pressure off of River Country (now closed) and Typhoon Lagoon, Walt Disney World's other two water parks at that time. According to Disney legend, a freak snowstorm in the area led to the development of Florida's first ski resort. Naturally, the snow did not last long. This left behind a collection of waterlogged but snow-less ski jumps and chair lifts. The operators were preparing to cut their losses and walk away. However, they were interrupted by an echoing "YAHHOOO!!!" coming from the mountain of melting snow. They looked up to see a blue alligator, wearing a red scarf and gold innertube careening down the mountain at top speed. Ice Gator, the mascot, then landed in a pool of melted snow at the base of the mountain with a thunderous splash. The ski resort operators suddenly saw the park's potential, and the mountain of snow became Blizzard Beach, "the most slushy, slippery, exhilarating water park anywhere!" This highly-themed water park features slide and play areas is for kids of all ages and heights, from the Summit Plummet "ski jump" slide down to the Tike's Peak play area for the littlest of guests.From the moment you walk in the gates, the "ski resort" theme is all around you from the details of The Beach Haus main shop to the Lottawatta Lodge counter service food location and many details all around the park.

But, theming aside, the slides and water play areas are of course the main reason for guests to visit. There are four areas for guests to enjoy, starting on the ground level with the little visitors there is Tike's Peak. This area is designed for the children under 48 inches to enjoy and cool off with fun water jets and shallow water play areas.For the "not quite ready for the big slides" kids, there is the Ski Patrol Training Camp. This area has a few different attractions including a zip line and less intense water slides to help build up the courage of those not sure how high up Mt. Gushmore they want to climb. No water park would be complete without two signature attractions: a wave pool and lazy river. At Blizzard Beach, Melt-Away Bay (wave pool) catches all the run off from the mountain and provides a nice small wave effect.Of course, if Melt-Away Bay may be a bit too stressful for you, there is always Cross Country Creek. This 3,000 foot slow moving river circles most of the mountain, giving you a great view of the slides and some fun interactions along the way with different water effects.

Head to the next page to start your climb up Mt. Gushmore.On the backside of Mt. Gushmore, we have the one Red Slope attraction, Runoff Rapids.  This is actually three different slides you pick that take you down the mountain. Just remember to pick up your inner tube at the bottom before you walk up or it is a lot of backtracking.The Purple Slope attractions are a bit more for the thrill seeker. The Downhill Double Dipper is a tube racing slide just you and your inner tube vs. the person next to you. The Snow Stormers is a mat slide, set up to be much like a ski slalom course. Another water park standard attraction, that really fits the theme here, is the Toboggan Racers. This eight lane mat slide really gives families, friends, or just complete strangers the chance to see who really is the fastest down the "slopes."Now if the slides so far seem tame to you, it's time to head up to the Green Slope slides at the top of Mt. Gushmore!**FUN FACT - Mt. Gushmore at 90 feet is the third highest point in all of Florida** But, instead of climbing all the way up the winding paths, Disney thought of everything and what better way to get up a ski slope than in a chairlift? The Chairlift provides a one-way trip to the top for up to three guests per chair and also gives you a great view as you go.Now that guests have reached the top of Mt. Gushmore, they have three slide options to get back down. The tamest of the three is also one of the longest waterslides in the world, at 1,400 feet this family raft ride provides lots of fun for up to six (more like four adults) with a great photo spot at the splashdown. Now to move on to the slides, you often hear people just say "nope" to when they see them.

First we have the 90 foot tall Slush and Gusher, on this body slide you can achieve speeds up to 35 MPH and actually catch air coming off the drops.For the final slide of Blizzard Beach, we have Summit Plummet. At 120 feet tall and with speeds up to 60 mph this is one of the fastest and tallest slides in all of the world and sure to give any soul brave enough to ride it a "water wedgie" they won't soon forget.

While the slides are the reason everyone visits the park, the theming is just amazing as I pointed out at the start of this article.

Aside from the amazing slides and great theming, Blizzard Beach offers some of the best views of Walt Disney World you can find. If I can offer one piece of advice, get to the park early! During the busy and hot summer season, the park can fill up very quickly and, while they to have lots of lounge chairs, it may be a challenge to find enough as the midday heat hits.Oh and don't forget your sunscreen and waterproof camera/phone case for all the great pictures!