Do you love lazy rivers, water slides, or swimming? If so, then you’ll want to add a day at one of the Disney World water parks, Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon, to your next Disney World vacation! With the warm temperatures in Florida almost year round, you can enjoy Disney World’s water parks during almost any vacation.
Here are seven reasons to spend a day at Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park:
1.Blizzard Beach has a special story all its own
Photo: Disney
A ski resort in Florida? You heard that right! As the story goes, a legendary snowstorm in Florida prompted local opportunists to build a ski resort. When Florida’s climate returned to normal temperatures and the snow began to melt, Blizzard Beach was born.
2. Blizzard Beach is home to one of the fastest waterslides in the world
Photo: Disney
The ultimate water park thrill ride, Summit Plummet, is a 120-foot-tall waterslide with a near-vertical drop. Guests accelerate up to 65 mph on the slide, making it one of the fastest attractions at Walt Disney World.
3. There’s no shortage of tasty treats
Photo: Disney
From churros to Mickey ice cream bars, you can discover many of your favorite snacks at the Disney Water Parks. There are plenty of menu options to choose from, including these loaded nachos from Frostbite Freddy’s Frozen Freshments.
4. The first chairlift in Florida was built at Blizzard Beach
Photo: Disney
Want to know a Disney secret? This colorful chairlift, built to ferry guests to the top of Mount Gushmore, was the first of its kind in the state of Florida. The chairlift offers a scenic bird’s-eye view of Blizzard Beach and easy access to Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher and Teamboat Springs.
5. There’s a full-service beach bar serving Blizzard Beach-inspired cocktails
Photo: Disney
Piña CoLAVA anyone? How about a Blue Blizzard Margarita? The Polar Pub serves as Blizzard Beach’s own full-service beach bar and offers specialty cocktails inspired by the park’s stories.
6. Cross Country Creek is one of the longest lazy rivers in the U.S.A.
Photo: Disney
At 3,000 feet, Cross Country Creek ranks among the longest lazy rivers in the country. It takes between 20 and 30 minutes to complete one journey around the waterway – depending, of course, on how lazy you want to be!
7. Teamboat Springs is one of the world’s longest family whitewater raft ride
Photo: Disney
One of the world’s longest family whitewater raft ride is none other than Teamboat Springs at Blizzard Beach. Along the winding rapids of Teamboat Springs, guests encounter remnants of the fabled snowstorm in the form of snowshoes, snow shovels, melting icicles and a snow mobile.
Central Florida is warm almost year round so it’s the perfect place to plan a water park visit! Whether you call central Florida home or are vacationing at one of their world class theme parks, you can always cool off at these Orlando water parks.
Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resort
Volcano Bay is Universal Orlando Resort’s water theme park. Volcano Bay is probably unlike any water park that you’ve ever visited. At the center of the park you’ll find Krakatau volcano, which also houses the Krakatau Aqua Coaster. You can enjoy body slides, drop slides, tube slides, raft rides, lazy river, and so much more. Your kids will love the Puka Uli Lagoon, featuring playful, interactive elements like bongo drums and spraying jets of water.
Volcano Bay uses TapuTapu wearable technology for guests to take advantage of virtual lines, make cashless payment,s, and more. When you arrive at Volcano Bay™, you’ll receive a complimentary TapuTapu™ to wear on your wrist throughout your visit. It’s your key to having an amazing day—you’ll use it to ride most of the attractions, activate interactive surprises, open rental lockers, make cash-free payments and more.
You can visit Volcano Bay or add it to your Universal Orlando Resort vacation with a three park ticket. Plus, now through August 13, 2020, you will receive two days FREE at Universal with the purchase of a two day ticket. These tickets must be used by December 18, 2020 and do not have any blockout dates.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park at Walt Disney World Resort
Typhoon Lagoon is home to the Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, North America’s largest wave pool. The kids will love Bay Slides, twin body slides designed just for them and explore the Ketchakiddee Creek water play area. Thrill seekers can plunge down one of 3 Storm Slides; brave Mayday Falls, the highest and longest waterslide at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon; shoot the chute on Crush ‘n’ Gusher, the coaster-like raft ride; or race down Mount Mayday at a 60-degree angle on Humunga Kowabunga body slides. The whole family can float around the park in the Castaway Creek lazy river; enjoy a thrilling, whitewater voyage aboard a 4-person raft on Miss Adventure Falls; or enjoy a swift, scenic ride down Mount Mayday on Keelhaul Falls or the winding course of Gangplank Falls.
You can enjoy surfing at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park! They offer two options for surfing in the park. You can ride the wild surf in a private surf session (for up to 25 guests) or catch the stoke with a lesson for $199 per person, right in their safe, state-of-the-art wave pool.
You can purchase a one day water park ticket or add the Water Park and Sports option or Park Hopper Plus option to theme park tickets, if you are visiting the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks.
Blizzard Beach at Walt Disney World Resort
Can you imagine a ski resort in central Florida? Blizzard Beach will make you feel like you’re ready to hit the slopes! From a chairlift to the ski patrol training camp and summit plummet, you’ll find the ski and “snow” theme all around.
You can float around the park in the 3,000 foot Cross Country Creek lazy river. Or, get the best view of the park from atop Summit Plummet before you plunge 12 stories, almost straight down. The kids will love Ski Patrol Training Camp play area, Snow Stormers water slides, and Tike’s Peak water play area. The whole family can tackle a whitewater journey down the “mountain” on Teamboat Springs. You can always splash around Melt-Away Bay, a one acre wave pool. There’s also the Downhill Double Dipper high-speed slides, 90-foot Slush Gusher water slide, Runoff Rapids tube slides, and Toboggan Racers, an 8-lane downhill slalom-style waterslide.
You can purchase a one day water park ticket or add the Water Park and Sports option or Park Hopper Plus option to theme park tickets, if you are visiting the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks.
Island H2O Live! Water Park at Margaritaville Resort Orlando
Located at Margaritaville Resort Orlando, Island H2O Live! Water Park is Orlando’s newest water park. There is something for everyone to enjoy here. Island H2O Live! has racing slides, tube slides, body slides, water playground for kids, wave pool, adults only pool, lazy river, and so much more.
Island H2O Live! Water Park offers an interactive experience with the H2O Live app. You will find games and experiences that let you earn points to use toward food and merchandise discounts, plus the ability to control a streaming playlist to play on select slides and attractions! Don’t forget to stop by the selfie shacks scattered throughout the park to capture some of your memories.
Tip: You can download the H2O Live app from your mobile App Store before your visit. This free app will help you plan your day, display wait times, find family and friends, and earn points.
Aquatica Orlando at Sea World Orlando
Aquatica Orlando was recently rated the Nation’s Best Outdoor Waterpark by USA Today. You can relax and unwind, race down a water slide, and let the kids splash and play at Aquatica Orlando. They offer a lazy river, wave pools, raft rides, tube slides, water play areas for kids, the the steepest multi-drop slide in Orlando, and more.
Aquatica Orlando is the first water park in the world to be designated as a Certified Autism Center through The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. Aquatica Orlando Ambassadors have received specialized training to ensure they have the requisite knowledge, skills, temperament, and expertise to cater to all children, including those with special needs.
You can just visit Aquatica or add time at Sea World Orlando and/or Discovery Cove Orlando with a multi-park ticket. You can even receive unlimited admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica with select Discovery Cove admissions.
