Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, one of 2 Water Parks in Walt Disney World Resort, features one of the world's tallest and fastest free-falling waterslides, as well as slides and rides for the whole family-like a kid-sized, snow-castle fountain play area with scaled-down versions of the more thrilling attractions.
It's easy to be cool while having fun in the sun at Disney's Blizzard Beach water park! While the park looks like a frosty ski resort-complete with a functioning Chair Lift, it's actually an action-packed water wonderland with exciting waterslides and attractions for the whole family.
Disney's Blizzard Beach features a diverse flurry of attractions-including thrill rides, chill rides, family-style raft rides, areas for little squirts and plenty of cool lounging for grownups. Race on Toboggan Racers, float down Cross Country Creek, plunge down raft rides like Runoff Rapids, discover the Tike's Peak children's play area, play in a one-acre wave pool and experience the thrill of one of the tallest and fastest waterslides in the country, Summit Plummet!
The Story - After a freak snow storm blanketed Florida in white, a ski resort sprang up with slalom courses, toboggan slides and iceberg walkways. When the weather shifted back to hot, the whole resort started to melt. An enterprising alligator saw an opportunity. Clad in a scarf and hat, the gator slid down the ski jump, shouting "Yahoooo!" all the way. With a big splash he landed in a pool of melted snow below the mountain, and the slushy, slippery slopes became an exhilarating water park like no other in the world.
Ground level
- Melt-Away Bay: A 1-acre wave pool nestled against the base of Mount Gushmore. This attraction is constantly fed by "melting snow" waterfalls creating "bobbing" (short) waves.
- The Cross Country Creek: A 3,000-foot slow-moving water attraction commonly known as a "lazy river," that travels around the perimeter of the water park. The attraction carries floating guests (in inner tubes) through a bone-chilling ice cave. Once inside the mysterious cave, guests will be splashed with the "melting" ice from overhead. There are 7 entrances and exits located throughout the park for this attraction, and any of these locations guests may pick up tubes and leave them as they exit the creek.
- Ski Patrol: An area for pre-teenage children.
- Tike's Peak: Features gentle slides designed to resemble scaled down versions of attractions at Blizzard Beach. Also included is a snow-castle fountain play area with pop (water) jets. Picnic benches also provided.
- The Chairlift: A "one-way" ride which carries up to 3 guests over the craggy face of Mount Gushmore, from its base at the beach, to its summit. The chairs carrying guests feature wooden-bench seats, colorful overhead umbrellas and snow skis on their underside. This is the most recognized means of transport to the summit, where many of the rides are located (Guests can also climb a staircase to the top).
Green Slope
The Green Slope attractions (all are single track water slides, and as such are not meant for racing,) are found at the uppermost point of Mount Gushmore. They can be accessed by foot, or by chairlift. The chairlift is a one-way ride, except for guests with disabilities.
- Summit Plummet: The flagship attraction at 120 feet tall, and speeds 60 miles per hour. It's the second tallest and fastest free fall slide in the world. There is a minimum height requirement of 48.
- Teamboat Springs: The world's longest "family white-water raft ride" at 1,400 feet long. This attraction sends guests down a twisting series of rushing waterfalls. Water Park guests sit in large blue rubber rafts, which can hold a minimum of 4 and maximum of six people, equipped with handles to hold on while the gushing water takes you down the slide.
- Slush Gusher: A 90-foot-tall, 250-foot-long snow-banked mountain gully body slide attraction that reaches speeds up to 35 miles per hour. It has two places where it almost levels off, only to drop back down again. As such, it is one of only a few water slides where "air time" is achieved. If you want to reach maximum air, raise your crossed-legs just before you reach the second hump and keep straight.
Purple Slope
Access to the Purple Slope attractions (all of which have at least two nearly identical tracks, and as such are designed for racing,) is from a pathway next to the catch pool of Downhill Double Dipper.
- Downhill Double Dipper: One of the world's only side-by-side racing slides. It is located next to Snow Stormers on Mount Gushmore. This adrenaline pumping attraction's slides are 50 feet high and are 230 feet long. Guests travel up to speeds of 25 mph on these twin inner tube runs as they race past internationally recognized ski racing graphic elements and flags. Time clocks count-off each downhill heat and the runs are outfitted with automated audio equipment that signals the start of each race.
- Snow Stormers: A "mat slide" consisting of three flumes that are 350 feet (106.7 m) long. This attraction sits between Downhill Double Dipper and Toboggan Racers on Mount Gushmore. The attraction descends from the top of the mountain and follows a switchback course through ski-type slalom gates. Guests lay on their stomach on the toboggan style mat as they ride down the flumes. Mat pickup at the top of attraction (Shares Mat Conveyor with Toboggan Racers).
- Toboggan Racers: An 8-lane, 250-foot water slide next to Snow Stormers on Mount Gushmore. The attraction sends guests racing over exhilarating dips as they descend the "snow" slope along the side of Mount Gushmore. Guests lay on their stomach on the toboggan style mat as they race to the finish line. Mat pickup at the top (Shares mat conveyor with Snow Stormers).
Red Slope
The Red Slope is found at the very rear of the park, containing only one attraction (a multi-slide attraction, but not designed for racing, due to the slides being so different).
- Runoff Rapids: A 600-foot inner tube run featuring two open and one enclosed tube slides. This attraction careens guests down twisting, turning flumes, passing through corrugated steel pipes.