A trip to Walt Disney World isn’t complete without experiencing the magic beyond the four major theme parks. Often overlooked, but not to be missed are the water parks. They are the perfect way to add a splash of fun and relaxation to your vacation. Known for their sparkling clean facilities, imaginative theming, and a mix of thrilling slides and lazy rivers, Disney’s water parks offer something for every guest.
Whether you’re looking to cool off the day after a busy theme park visit, unwind in a tropical setting, or dive into family-friendly adventures, these aquatic escapes bring the same Disney charm and attention to detail that make every moment enjoyable. Plus, I will tell you how to enjoy these parks for FREE this year. Today, let’s take a trip to Blizzard Beach!
Blizzard Beach is a ski resort themed water park. Upon entering you can take your photo in a sleigh. You will see families of snowmen, melting away and enjoying the last few moments of the snowy season. There is a kitschy ski resort style shop that has some very unique Disney merch! You will find that an alligator has lost control of their skis and crashed through the side of the building!
We arrived right at opening, and the park was virtually empty. It was January 3rd after all, and it was only going to be a high of 65 degrees that day. Much to our delight, cast members were handing out free churro bites. I don’t know about you, but I am happy to start my day with a mini churro. Then we headed toward the center of the park to test the waters. And to our immense enjoyment on that cold January day, they were warm!
Rides
Blizzard Beach is set up with the central focus of the ski slope rides. In typical water park fashion, you will be climbing a lot of stairs to go on waterslides. But, for those not wanting to climb the stairs every time you want to ride a waterslide, you can take Florida’s only ski lift! We rode this at the start of the day to take it to the top of Mount Gushmore. From here we road Teamboat Springs. This is a group raft ride. This was on the gentle side and was great for the whole family to enjoy together. If you’ve been on a Disney Cruise, it is the Twist N Spout of this water park in terms of thrill level.
Right next to that ride are the body slides for adventure seekers. Summit Plummet and Slush Gusher are not for the faint of heart. Summit Plummet is one of the highest and fastest free fall body slides in the world! This ride scared me just from looking at it. I watched from below as my husband and brother-in-law, launched down the slide at a quick speed. While I didn’t ride it due to my extreme fear of heights, this ride had my favorite theming. It looks like a ski jump that will shoot you into the sky. But the slide continues under the faux jump. It is a very clever illusion when you watch from the side. There are a lot of viewing areas at the bottom of this slide for those that want to cheer on friends and family from below.
On the other side of the “mountain” you will find Runoff Rapids. These are 3 innertube slides in various sizes and darkness. All three were equally enjoyable! Those stairs were quite the hike though!
There are also toboggan rides where you go down the slides on your stomach, headfirst. I did not enjoy Snow Stormers. It is no fault of the ride. My lower back was not being my friend that day. This position going down twists and turns was rough. The Toboggan Racers was surprisingly easier to handle. I recommend that those with back or neck problems avoid toboggan style rides.
My favorite ride was Downhill Double Dipper. This was an innertube ride where you race side by side. It was short but so fast! For those wanting to ride any of these rides, mats and tubes are given to you in line.
Wave Pool and Lazy River
The center of the water park has Melt Away Bay. This is a giant and gentle wave pool. Being closer to shore will have little to no waves. The deeper you go in the waves get stronger. The waves are pretty gentle, even at their peak strength.
Surrounding the park is Cross County Creek. This lazy river is 3,000 feet in length. You will find plenty of places to enter and exit this ride. It took about 25 minutes to ride the entire circuit. I do think the current could be stronger. It was a tad slow, and we paddled ourselves a bit to speed up the process. I wanted to be carried away with a bit more oomph. There was lots of shade from the trees, and it was a relaxing experience.
The workers put tubes in the water for people to grab freely. But some entrances don’t have tubes readily available. At the entrance we got in, we kept waiting around until we all found inner tubes. But if we just floated/swam down to the next entrance nearby, we would have found them a lot faster. Now you know that when you enter if you can’t find tubes, just keep floating down until you arrive at the nearby tube station because it will save you so much time. They offer double tubes and single tubes.
Food and Facilities
The food was standard Disney quick service fair. All the hits are there. Churros, ice cream, chicken tenders, Mickey Pretzels, funnel cakes, burgers, hot dogs, cotton candy, etc. You will also find Joffrey’s Coffee and Frostbite Freddy’s which is a full-service bar.
Getting a locker is a must if you don’t want to have a person stay behind to watch your stuff since you can’t carry your bag/personal belongings onto water rides. We used one locker for 6 people. There are also showers and changing rooms available for use. All the facilities, including the bathrooms, were incredibly clean.
Water and Cleanliness
The cleanliness of this water park can’t be overstated. Even when we were floating down the lazy river, a worker was walking in the river with a skimmer cleaning out any leaves that had fallen in.
Remember when I mentioned we were there January 3rd? It was 60 degrees outside when we arrived, but the water was nice and warm! If you are visiting in the colder months, don’t think you can’t go and have some fun at the water park! By the time the afternoon hit, and it was 65. We were totally fine being in the warm water and sunshine even at a colder temperature.
I can’t speak on how busy this park gets in the peak warm months. But we were still at peak crowd levels due to the holidays at the parks. We were able to get every single ride done and enjoyed our time laying out and eating in about 3 and a half hours. Whether you enjoy a few hours here or the entire day, you are in for such a fun experience. that you must add on to your Disney World trip! And don’t miss this park while it is free with your hotel stay!
How to get in for Free:
This year, as a 2025 perk, you can visit one of the water parks for FREE on the day you check-in to a qualifying Disney World Resort hotel. In 2026, they will be bringing this perk back for the summer season!
You will be assigned a water park that you and everyone on your reservation can go and enjoy on check-in day. We were assigned Blizzard Beach during our Disney World Vacation in January.
No need to stop by your hotel first. You can head directly to the water park with your reservation number. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving bags in your car, go to your hotel first. Disney lets you drop off the bags early and they can hold them for you until you are ready to check-in in the afternoon.
When arriving to the water park you are assigned, just head to the ticket booth. You will give your reservation number for your hotel and will be issued tickets! It is that simple. Make sure every guest on your reservation if you want a ticket to the water park.
Enjoy your time at Blizzard Beach and go on Downhill Double Dipper for me!
