Guide to Disney World Blizzard Beach Water Park
Want to plunge down a water slide at 60mph? Or relax and drift around Disney World’s favorite water park in a raft? Whatever you prefer then you will find Blizzard Beach has something for everyone.
Disney Blizzard Beach legend has it that after a very savage winter when it snowed in Florida a savvy entrepreneur decided to open a ski resort. Of course, the snow melted in the sunshine state and all that was left of the resort was the mountain, the ski lifts, the slopes… The melted snow formed the Blizzard Beach lagoon which is fed by the mountain streams.
Just a story of course, but this is the idea behind the design of Disney World’s Blizzard Beach water park.
One of two Disney water parks, Blizzard Beach is the newest having opened on April 1st, 1995. A Disney World April Fool!
Here we will explore how to get the most out of your visit to Disney World’s Blizzard Beach.
What will you find at Blizzard Beach, what are the best times to visit, which water slides are the best, and how do you decide which ticket to buy?
Blizzard Beach Summit Plummet
The Biggest Slide at Blizzard Beach
What travels 13 stories downwards at up to 60mph and screams? You! When you dare to ride Disney’s Blizzard Beaches biggest water slide Summit Plummet.
This ultimate water slide is very popular – so arrive early unless you want to stand in line thinking about what you are about to do for a long time! Other advice? Ladies yes it is true that your 2 piece bathing suit may not all be with you when you get to the bottom of the slide.
There is a height requirement of 48″ for Summit Plummet.
Looking for a slightly smaller water slide? Try the Slush Gusher to reach speeds of up to 50mph.
Disney World Water Park Ticket
Should I buy a separate ticket?
You can buy your Disney Blizzard Beach Ticket in one of two ways.
1. As a separate Disney water park ticket. The current price of a single day Disney Blizzard Beach ticket purchased at the gate is $41.54 and a child ticket is $35.15. These prices include tax.
2. You can include the Water Park option as part of your Disney Magic Your Way ticket. The cost to add on this option is $53.25 – again including sales tax.
Therefore, if you are visiting the other main Disney World parks and also planning to visit a water park, or DisneyQuest more than once it may be worth purchasing a Disney Water Park and More option ticket.
What are the Opening Hours For Blizzard Beach?
Opening hours for Disney’s Blizzard Beach for January, February and March 2024 are 10am to 5pm. No Extra Magic Hours are scheduled.
April 2024 the usual opening hours are 10 am to 5pm with the exception that there will be extended opening hours from 10am to 7pm from 5th April to 18th April 2024. Extra Magic Hours are scheduled for 16th April.
In the low season months, one of the Disney Water Parks is closed for a 3 month period for refurbishment. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon is closed for refurbishment January, February and March 2024.
Blizzard Beach Ski Patrol Training Camp
What is there for children at Blizzard Beach? If your child just isn’t ready for those big slides and attractions then Ski Patrol Training Camp is the place for them
Ski Lift at Blizzard Beach
Every ski resort has to have a lift and of course, Blizzard Beach has one of its own! You can walk to the top of the water slides up the stairs or you can take the ski lift.. At busy times long lines do form though so you may want to use up some energy and use the stairs before you plummet down the slide!
Blizzard Beach Downhill Double Dipper
A Great Blizzard Beach Water Slide
Want to have a competition? Well, the Downhill Double Dipper is for you!
The Double Dipper has 2 side by side water slides where you can race against a fellow guest to see who reaches the bottom first. For this slide, you ride in an inner tube and can reach up to 25 mph. The height requirement is 48″.
Disney’s Blizzard Beach Essential Tips
The first thing to consider is of course safety. The Cast Member Life Guards are there to assist you and if you have any questions about safety make sure that you ask them. Be aware that when you ‘land’ in the water after some of the water slides you will be landing in deep water – so if you are not a strong swimmer then do always check just in case.
Free life vests are available. All you need to do is leave a $25 returnable deposit and they are free for you to use.
Where should you put your stuff when you are at Blizzard Beach? There are lockers available for rental. The lines to these do get pretty long so it is a good idea to assign one or two of your party to stand in line for the lockers while someone goes to find you a great spot to call your own for the day. There are lots of lounge chairs, and areas to sit, but the best places do fill up fast at busy times. It is a good idea to have a map beforehand so that you can have an idea of just where you are heading. The wave pool loungers are very popular and fill up quickly!
What should you bring to Blizzard Beach? As little as possible! Leave your valuables and that includes jewelry at home. You don’t want to have to ask a Cast Member to go search for your watch at the bottom of the pool!
Cross Country Creek
The Lazy River at Blizzard Beach
Want to float your cares away on a 30-minute journey around Blizzard Beach. I have to admit that this is one of my favorite things to do. You can either swim around and let the gentle current move you or grab an inner tube raft.
Yes, it can get crowded too – but usually, you can steer around those that want perhaps a less relaxing time than you do!
What Are the Best Times to Visit Blizzard Beach?
When are the least crowded times at the Disney Water Parks?
Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are very popular. So how do you make sure that you get on the slides that you want without a 60-minute wait? Disney Water Parks do not have a Fast Pass System – so you really do need to do some planning if you are going to cut down your wait time.
The secret? Arrive early. Get to Blizzard Beach around 45 minutes before the published opening time with your ticket in your hand or ready to use one of the automated ticket machines. Then you will get a head start on everyone else.
Disney will close their water parks when they reach capacity – they have to for safety reasons. So if you arrive too late you do run the risk at busy times of not even being able to enter the park.
Another idea? Arrive later in the afternoon. Those who arrive early tend to leave early too – so the park will be less crowded mid-afternoon.
Disney Water parks also close for safety reasons in a rainstorm. Storms and swimming just don’t mix. Often the storm passes and the park opens again. So if it looks as though the storm will pass then wait around for a little while – it may be worth it as most guests will leave and you could have a pretty empty park when it opens again.
Playing the weather game can sometimes not pay off though. Look at the weather forecast before a planned trip to Blizzard Beach. If you are in the park and it closes and you don’t go back there are no refunds on your tickets!
Another tip if you arrive early is to bypass the lockers. Just wear your swim gear undershorts and a shirt and wear flip flops or shoes you can wear in the water. The lines at the lockers can sometimes be as long and slow as for the slides so by the time you have secured your locker you have lost your early morning advantage!
If you are a Disney Resort guest then you can take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours at Blizzard Beach. This is a great time to visit as the park opens every morning one hour earlier than for non-Disney guests and also some days stays open for an extra 3 hours. Be sure to check the current Extra Magic Hours Schedule when you arrive at your resort.
Snow Stormers at Blizzard Beach
Snow Stormers are 3 water slides next to each other – you lay on your stomach on a mat and slide down one of the 350-foot long water flumes. This is one of my favorite things to do at Blizzard Beach. This slide is also great for children.
Want to Stay Near to Blizzard Beach?
Have you ever considered a vacation home for your next Disney World vacation? I have the very best resort homes available on Windsor Palms and Windsor Hills which are as close to Disney World as you can be.
Melt Away Bay
The Wave Pool at Blizzard Beach
The waves here are very gentle – if you want serious surfing waves then you can find those at Typhoon Lagoon! This is a great place to relax and swim around or just sail away in an inner tube raft. If you want a raft these are available free subject to availability.
Toboggan Racers at Blizzard Beach
Toboggan Racers is a mat slide – so you pick up your mat and head to the slopes! There are 8 lanes on this 250-foot long water slide.
Food At Blizzard Beach
Can you really bring your own food into Disney water parks?
It is fine to bring your own food into Blizzard Beach. The only restriction is that you cannot bring in any alcohol or glass containers. It is a great idea to bring your own food – pack things in a cooler and you will save yourself some dollars!
There are also a variety of fast food type eating places in Blizzard Beach. You will find turkey legs, hot dogs, and ice cream in Avalunch. The Cooling Hut for ice cream and popcorn. Stop by Frostbite Freddie’s for beer and frozen drink specialties. Frosting the Joe Man for coffee. Funnel Cakes for yes you guessed it funnel cakes and cotton candy. Polar Pub for frozen drinks and beer. Sled Dogs Expeditions serves ice cream sundaes. Mini Donuts serves just that! The Warming Hut serves hot dogs, turkey legs, and ice cream.
There is one counter service restaurant in Blizzard Beach and this is the Lottawotta Lodge. It has the usual fast-food favorites of burgers, pizza, sandwiches and salads.
Is Typhoon Lagoon the Better Choice?
Walt Disney World gives you another choice of water park – Typhoon Lagoon. Have a look at this guide to see which one if going to be the best choice for your family.