Disney’s Blizzard Beach is Open

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After ten months of being closed for renovations, Disney’s Blizzard Beach in Orlando, FL, is finally open again! We were invited to an exclusive event on opening day, November 13th, and given a tour of the newest area, Tikes Peak. It was our first time at Blizzard Beach, but it won’t be our last.

Blizzard Beach has everything you’d expect from a water park, with a sprinkle of magic that only Disney can bring. From the music to the food, there is no mistaking that you are in a Disney park.

Before you head to Blizzard Beach, let’s talk about what you can expect and what you shouldn’t miss.

Meet Santa

Now through December 31, 2022, you can celebrate the holidays at Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park—featuring a flurry of festivities, including your chance to meet Santa Claus! He’s dressed for a day of tropical fun.

When you walk in the gates, just toward the left, you will see Santa’s sleigh and be greeted by “snow” fall. You’ll meet Santa Claus dressed in his best Florida gear. Let Santa know what you’d like this year. We asked him what kind of cookies were his favorite and let him know about our plan to create something special this year.

By the way, he said you can never go wrong with chocolate chip.

See Your Favorite Disney Characters

We were excited to see Goofy just moments after walking in. Goofy was waiting for us at Lottawotta Lodge (while we ate the most delicious Disney-themed breakfast). Falynn had the opportunity to give him a big hug and let him know that he is her favorite (shhh! don’t tell Mickey).

While we didn’t see any other characters during our visit, you can expect to see some of your favorite Disney characters — and a few are even in unique costumes, during your visit to Disney’s Blizzard Beach.

Lockers, Life Jacket and Towel Rental

Before you head into the water park, stop by and rent a locker to put your belongings. They have plenty of dressing rooms so you can get your swimsuit on and lock up your valuables. If you want to take your phone with you but don’t want to get it wet, stop at the Beach Haus shop and pick up a waterproof phone pouch (it’s an excellent investment).

If you forgot your towels at home, there is no need to worry. Blizzard Beach offers towel rental at Frostbite Freddy’s. Life jackets are available free of charge for guests.

All New Tike’s Peak at Blizzard Beach

Blizzard Beach’s Tike’s Peak is a newly renovated area designed for preschoolers and kids under 48 inches tall. This watery winter wonderland is inspired by the Disney animated film Frozen—with scaled-down thrills to delight younger kids! 

There is so much to love about Tike’s Peak. Your little ones will enjoy wading pools with Olaf and his Snowgie pals, Anna and Elsa’s igloo fortress with pop-up water jets, miniature snow-banked slides, side-by-side downhill slides, a junior inner-tube ride, and snow chutes. While the little kids have their Frozen adventure, the rest of the family can relax on the soft, sandy beach and listen to a background track with songs from both Frozen films.

While my youngest daughter is a little too big for Tike’s Peak, she loved seeing her favorite Frozen characters.

Chair Lifts

Every ski resort has a chairlift to ferry guests up the mountain, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park is no exception! This slow-moving experience is an effortless way to access the entrance to attractions like:

• Summit Plummet – The most thrilling waterslide at Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park, with a 120-foot long, 12-story drop.
• Slush Gusher – A tamer, 90-foot-long waterslide for those not quite ready to take the “big plunge.”
• Teamboat Springs – A family-style whitewater raft ride that fits up to 6 Guests per inner tube.

When I saw where the chair lift was leading my daughters, I was sure they would come right back down, but my girls are daredevils. While they weren’t ready for Summit’s Plummet’s 12-story drop, they went straight to Slush Gusher and loved every second of it. They would have headed back up for a second round if it had not started raining.

Speaking of rain, you should know that everything shuts down as soon as it starts raining. It’s for safety, of course. Luckily, Florida’s weather is as predictable as it is unpredictable. It could be raining one minute and hot and sunny the next. So don’t let the rain chase you away.

Cross Country Creek

Grab an inner tube and paddle gently down the stream as you glide through mysterious caves and illuminated grottoes, under bridges, and past a lush green forest. Bask in the refreshing spring water that’s made its way down Mount Gushmore—and look out for bubbling geysers, waterfalls, and leaky pipes along the way.

Cross Country Creek is a 3,000-foot-long lazy river through a polar-themed paradise, and my girls loved every second of it. They couldn’t stop talking about the “huge mountain” they had gone through. It’s the perfect area for people of all ages. The festive tubes were a great twist for the holidays.

Blizzard Beach Dining

There are several quick service food and drink options at Blizzard Beach, depending on what you are craving. If you are hoping to sit and eat, Lottawatta Lodge is the large restaurant in the entrance of the water park. You can place a mobile order or order at the registers. Lottawatta Lodge offers a number of options, including burgers, salads, and flatbreads. Don’t forget to try the new Wattamelon-Passionfruit Lemonade. It is delicious!

Of course, in true Disney fashion, there are snack options all around the water park, including frozen treats, donuts, and funnel cakes. There is even a pub for adults!

If Disney’s Blizzard Beach sounds like something your family would enjoy and you are going to be in Orlando, FL soon, you can check pricing and availability here:

If you need a place to stay during your next Disney Trip, read about our stay at Grand Floridian Resort, the ultimate Disney resort.

Have you ever visited Disney’s Blizzard Beach? If so, what do you think? If not, does it look like a place you and your family would enjoy? Comment below and let us know! Contact us if you have any questions; we’d happily answer them.

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Special thanks to Disney for inviting us to a special grand re-opening event and providing our family with an experience at Blizzard Beach that we will never forget.

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