Comparing the Walt Disney World Water Parks
River Country
- Opened:
- June 1976
- Admission
- River Country is included in the price of a LOS, 6 or 7 day All-In-One, and the Premium Annual Pass. If you don't have one of these tickets you can purchase a one day pass for Adult: $16.91, w/ MKC $15.48 Child: $13.25, w/ MKC $11.52
- Restaurants:
- Pop's Palace
Waterin' Hole - Lockers:
- There are a set of lockers located in both the men and women's changing area. Cost for a small locker is $5 ($2 refundable), cost for a large locker is $7 ($2 refundable) .
- Story
- The Ole Swimmin' Hole from Mark Twain's Mississippi River wilderness.
- My thoughts
- For a park that is 20 years old, this park is awesome. There are fewer slides here than at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon, but I think you go faster on these slides than at the other parks. Normally I ride lying down, but on these slides I rode sitting up, and I was still tossed around and was lucky to exit the slide in the same position I started.
The raft ride has a few sections where you are doused with cold water, and if you time it just right, you can get stuck under one of these cold water spouts. BRRRRRR!
Be aware that the slides at River Country, dump you into a swimmin' hole that is very deep. You need to be a good swimmer, and kids should have a parent close by at all times. In the 4 hours we were in the park, we saw the lifeguards "rescue" several people. Both kids and adults. So guys, if you are visiting with your girlfriend....make sure they are comfortable in deep water.
Typhoon Lagoon
Leaning Palms Ice Cream
Typhoon Tilly's
Let's Go Slurpin'
Low Tide Lou's
Catching ships in its path,
helpless to flee
Instead of a certain and watery doom
The winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon"
For as long as anyone could remember, the quaint thatch-roofed village had nestled along the shores of the sparkling lagoon, in the shadows of a great volcanic mountain. Then came the 20th century with its cruise ships, and tourists and the Placid Palms Resort...a special little place for lucky vacationers each year.
The great storm, however, changed everything...a furious, unrelenting typhoon catching a small fleet of ships by surprise, and tossing them about like toy boats for one terrifying hour. But in the storm's wake was left a remarkable scene.
A surfboard had penetrated completely through a huge tree. A small boat had blown through the roof of one building. A great buoy had crashed through the roof of still another. The Placid Palms Resort was now the Leaning Palms, almost ready to topple over at any moment. A small harbor had been cut off from the sea, trapping an overturned boat and thousands of colorful fish, uh...plus a few sharks along the way.
Nothing, however, topped the sight of the shrimp boat, "Miss Tilly," impaled precariously on the peak of the great volcanic mountain. To this day, the mountain tries vainly to dislodge its unwelcome burden with an enormous geyser of water every half hour.
Well, what nature has done is a little redecorating. The inhabitants were left with the most extraordinary assortment of waterfalls, rapids, pool, surf and all around wetness the world had ever seen. The once sleepy resort had been turned into Typhoon Lagoon.
There are several slides, but I prefer my slides longer and steeper. If you have a child that has never experienced a water park, this would be a good place to start them off. Anyone who is not a "thrill" person would also find TL more their speed.
The wave pool is awesome, as long as it's not crowded. Once it fills up, it's hard to enjoy because you are always being pushed into someone else. If you have glasses, take them off or hold onto them when the waves hit. Jason didn't hold on to his and they flew off. A nice gentleman 30 feet away from us, found them and held them up in the air. If you are a strong swimmer, get as close to the wave generator as possible, it will be less crowded and you will be able to ride the wave easier and better. At my local water park, there is also a wave pool, and they rent things that are large kicking boards, I wish Disney had those, because then I could go out farther to ride the waves a little longer without getting tired.
Shark Reef is okay, but the CM's kind of herd you through, and you don't get a chance to get a good look around. It is salt water and you will need to use a snorkel, so make sure everyone is aware. The CM will also give a practice session to teach everyone how to breathe with the snorkel.
- Opened:
- April 1, 1995
- Admission
- Admission to Blizzard Beach is included with a LOS, 6 & 7 day All-in-One, and the Premium Annual Pass (PAP). If you do not have one of these passes you can buy a one day pass for Adult: $27.51, w/ MKC $26.13 Child: $21.73, w/ MKC $20.65
- Restaurants
- Lottawatta Lodge
Avalunch
Frostbite Freddie's Frozen Refreshments
The Warming Hut
- Lockers
- The locker rental booth is located at Snowless Joe's rentals. When you reach the fork in the road, turn to the right and it is just past the columns of lockers. There is also a section of lockers past Avalunch by the pre-teen area. You can rent a small locker for $5 ($2 refundable), and a large locker is $7 ($2 refundable).
- Story Reproduced from the "Disney's Blizzard Beach Guide Map." Reproduced without permission from The Walt Disney Company.
- The Blizzard Beach Legend
It was a meteorological phenomenon of the strangest order. One balmy day, a freak winter storm developed over the western end of Walt Disney World and covered the area with a thick blanket of powdery white snow. Before you could say "hot cocoa," plans were underway for Florida's first ski resort.
Ski lifts were put up, toboggan runs were laid down and an entire resort area blossomed around the mountain of snow. Yet before the first skier could strap on a pair of boots and stick their poles into the snow, the temperatures returned to their normal Florida levels and the powdery snow quickly turned into slippery slush. The ski resort operators saw their dream melting down the hillside. Yet, that's not all they saw.
As the slush began cascading down and pools of water began to form, an echoing "yahoo" was heard from the summit of the mountain. Everyone looked up to see a playful alligator careening down the melting hillside. He slid to the base of the mountain and landed in a pool of water with a thunderous splash. They knew at once that they were back in business.
Slalom courses, bobsled and toboggan runs became downhill waterslides. The creek of melted snow that formed at the base of the mountain became a relaxing tube ride. The chairlift carried swimmers instead of skiers. The ski jump became the tallest and fastest water slide in the world. The ski resort became known as Blizzard Beach, the most slushy, slippery, exhilarating water park anywhere!
- My Thoughts
- Blizzard Beach is my favorite of the three water parks. During my visit in 1995, BB was the only park I was able to visit, and on our return trip in 1997, we visited it last.
I have heard complaints that 1. There isn't enough shade like Typhoon Lagoon, and 2. The wave pool isn't as good. My response is that Blizzard Beach is 6 years younger than Typhoon Lagoon, and the foliage hasn't reached maturity yet. We noticed a BIG difference between our first and second visits, so give it another year or two. The wave pool at BB is different than at TL, not better or worse. It is listed by Disney as "a bobbing wave pool" NOT a "surfing wave pool", so don't assume that they are the same. As much as I like the surfing waves, I eventually get tired of ending up underneath a crashing wave, but Melt Away Bay was always relaxing.
The slides at Blizzard Beach are taller than Typhoon Lagoon, which means a longer ride, but it also means a longer walk. At least here at Blizzard Beach, you do not have to carry the rafts for the family ride(Teamboat Springs); they are transported on a conveyor belt to the top. Unfortunately, the conveyor belt malfunctions from time to time, putting the ride out of commision.
One neat thing is that a Disney photographer will take your family's picture before you exit Teamboat Springs. Later in the day they will be developed and the picture will be inside of a viewer. I believe the cost of these viewers is $6 but I can't find my receipt to check.
Don't be scared of Summit Plummit, yes it is tall and steep, your behind will hurt afterwards but the ride is over in a couple seconds. Be very afraid of the Slush Gusher. It is shorter than Summit Plummit, but there are a couple of humps along the way. You will go airborne off the third hump.
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Page last updated January 13,1999