Hi everyone!  I’ve been fielding a lot of calls and messages from wonderful friends who are heading down to Florida for spring break and summer asking what they should check out.   Disney is such a fantastic place but as anyone who has been there can tell you, while the parks are absolutely amazing they can also be exhausting!!!  I’m a firm believer that if you are going to spend your hard earned money and valuable free time, you should make sure to budget yourself some relaxation time as well!  Blizzard Beach, one of Disney’s two waterparks, is just such an option for you.

Blizzard Beach is typically open 7 days a week with hours varying per season.  As with other Disney parks, you can bring in your own food and drinks (woot!) though you might want to bring in a small amount of cash for a delicious snack later in the day.  Let’s take a look at the park by age group. For the little guys, you would enter the park and head to your right.  This is going to take you past the locker/restroom area and also the LOST CHILDREN stand.  Soooo important to know where this is!  Any wild guesses how many kids get lost?  On a slow day in mid-winter the answer is one or two.  Summer time ranges between 30 and 40.  HOLY COW! So have confidence that if you do get separated from your wee ones, the park is extremely well run with reconnecting families.

Here’s the Lost Children area.  They have games and such so the kids are totally relaxed while waiting to be reunited.  This picture is at the end of the day hence the worn out people.  Usually it’s staffed by a cheery looking cast member. Litte guys head to Tike’s Peak where there are baby water slides, young school age waterslides and a play pool.There are several additional water slides by the blue umbrella seen below for the younger folks to head down! Adjacent to Tike’s Peak is the Ski Patrol Training Camp area.  For kids ages 5-12 I might give the advantage to Blizzard Beach over Disney’s other waterpark Typhoon Lagoon.  Between the ropes courses, hanger, and slides, kids stay busy for hours while challenging themselves.Just a note here, I’ve noticed that the lifeguards are EXTREMELY conservative with kids who may be in danger of drowning.  If there is any question you hear that whistle go off immediately.  Which I like…safety first!From this point the entire family can check out the Melt Away Bay wave pool or the Cross Country Creek aka lazy river.  I love the girl straight chillin on her back in the picture below. Teamboat Springs is an amazing family raft ride for the whole family (minus infants).  If you do have an infant with you, one adult can wait down at the exit area where the little one can splash around for a few minutes.  The raft exit area also has a fun picture spot!There are multiple slide areas to pick from such as the Toboggan Racers (shown below), Snow Stormers, and Downhill Double Dipper.  If you are curious about age requirements, my just turned 3 year old was allowed on the Racers and Stormers.  As long as they are comfortable riding alone, they can go!Once everyone is exhausted from swimming, it’s a great time to get a Sand Pail full of deliciousness.  Filled with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, waffle pieces, sprinkles, whipped cream and much more, we can easily split this between our family of 6….well at least until the boys get bigger haha.One other perk to think about when the park closes….Blizzard Beach is directly next to Disney’s putt-putt course, Winter Summerland…they share the same parking lot/resort buses.   So while the park does close as dusk arrives, you can always change in the locker rooms and continue the fun just a few steps away!  Definitely a great way to break up days spent at amusement parks with a lot less waiting in line.So come to Blizzard Beach and make sure you add some relaxation to your vacation!