Disney's Blizzard Beach is 1 of 2 water theme parks at the sprawling Walt Disney World® Resort, just a few miles southwest of central Orlando. The concept at this park is rather wacky but undeniably fun; it’s built around the idea that it was once a ski-resort which ‘melted into a watery wonderland’.

The result is a juxtaposition of snow-capped mountains that you can slide your way down next to white-sand beaches for relaxing by the unusually warm ‘arctic’ waters. A highlight is ‘Mount Gushmore’ – home to one of the world’s tallest and fastest waterslides. There are plenty of other, less hair-raising slides and attractions to keep the whole family occupied for the day.

Disney's Blizzard Beach - one of the highlights of 10 Best Things to Do in Disney World Florida and 5 Best Water Parks in Orlando (Read all about Orlando here)

There are around a dozen main attractions in total at Disney’s Blizzard Beach, most of which are centred on, in or around the huge Mount Gushmore. The 'Chairlift' takes you right up to the top, with slides including the exhilarating Downhill Double Dipper, Slush Gusher and the scariest of the lot, Summit Plummet, which sees riders drop down a flume from a near-vertical position.

For some more family-friendly fun at Disney’s Blizzard Beach, duel it out at Toboggan Racers, ride the rapids on the Teamboat Springs or float along the very tranquil Cross Country Creek in a rubber tube.

Although part of Walt Disney World®, tickets can be purchased separately for Disney’s Blizzard Beach, with day passes available (often half the price of some of their other parks!). You can also buy a ‘park-hopper’ ticket as part of Disney’s many flexible entry options.

There’s onsite parking as well as all the facilities you’d expect from a major Orlando theme park. This means heaps of restaurants, changing facilities, shops and covered spots for taking time out from the sun.

Disney's Blizzard Beach

Location: Walt Disney World Resort, 1534 Blizzard Beach Drive, Orlando, FL 32836, USA

Open: Daily from 10am to 5pm

Phone: +1 407-560-3400