Blizzard Beach
| |
| Disney's Blizzard Beach | |
|---|---|
| Resort | Magnolia Bend Disneyland Resort |
| Opening Day | April 1, 2006 |
| Theme | "Melting" ski resort |
| Website | Blizzard Beach Homepage |
| Operator | Lafayette Incorporated |
Blizzard Beach is a water park located at the Magnolia Bend Disneyland Resort.
The park opened on April 1, 2006 on the eleventh anniversary of the opening of its sister park in Florida. The theme of the park is the "Disney legend" of a freak snowstorm in the area, leading to the construction of Louisiana's first ski resort. Naturally, the snow didn't last long, leaving behind a collection of waterlogged but snow-less ski jumps and chair lifts. The failed resort was in the process of closing for good when an alligator was seen sliding down a flume and splashing into a pool of water, screaming "Yahoo!" Thus the "ski resort" was reborn as a water park, with the alligator named, "Ice Gator", as mascot.
In 2008, the park hosted approximately 2.25 million guests, ranking it the most visited water park in the world.
The majority of the major attractions at the park are hosted atop of Mount Gushmore, an artificial hill with an elevation of 100 feet. Mount Gushmore is split into three colored slopes to aid guests navigating around the park: Green, Red and Purple. The "mountain" also serves to hide the park's pipes.
All water areas are heated (at approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit) with the exception of the melting snow in the ice cave of Cross Country Creek.
The park received large media attention in December of 2008 for both an actual freak snowstorm which hit the area, and the death of Gregory Harris.
Contents
Park history
Actual snowstorms
Gregory Harris
Green Slope
The Green Slope attractions are found at the uppermost point of Mount Gushmore. All are single track water slides, and as such are not meant for racing. They can be accessed by foot, or by chairlift. The chairlift is a one-way ride, except for guests with disabilities.
Everest Falls is the flagship attraction at 145 feet tall, with speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. It it the tallest and fastest free fall slide in the world. There is a minimum height requirement of 48 inches (120 cm).
Everest Falls is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the highest and fastest water slide on Earth, beating Insano — 130 ft tall, with speeds of 65 mph — at Beach Park in Brazil,[1] and The Abyss — 137 ft tall, with an expected top speed of 67 to 70 mph — at nearby Crocodile Cove.[2]
Teamboat Springs is the world's longest "family white-water raft ride" at 1,500 feet long. This attraction sends guests down a twisting series of rushing waterfalls. Water park guests sit in large blue rubber rafts, which can hold a minimum of 4 and maximum of 6 persons, equipped with handles to hold on while the gushing water takes them down the slide. No infants or health restrictions are advised.
Frozen Funnel is the world's largest tornado slide at 85 feet tall. The funnel is set into the side of Mt. Gushmore, and guests sit in two or four person rafts, which can be picked up at the top of the ride. Riders are sent through a series of twists and turns before entering the open funnel, exiting the ride at the base of the mountain. Plans for a second slide are still under debate. If constructed, it would double the current capacity of the ride and would be enclosed for operation in colder weather.
Slush Gusher is a 90 foot tall, 250 foot long snow-banked mountain gully body slide attraction that reaches speeds up to 35 miles per hour. It has two places where it almost levels off, only to drop back down again. As such, it is one of only a few water slides where "air time" is achieved. For maximum air, guests should raise their crossed-legs just before reaching the second hump and keep straight.
Purple Slope
Red Slope
Ground level
Meltaway Bay is a 1-acre wave pool nestled against the base of Mount Gushmore. This attraction is constantly fed by "melting snow" waterfalls creating "bobbing" (short) waves.
The Cross Country Creek is a 3,000-foot slow-moving water attraction commonly known as a "lazy river," that travels around the perimeter of the water park. The attraction carries floating guests (in inner tubes) through a bone-chilling ice cave. Once inside the mysterious cave, guests will be splashed with the "melting" ice from overhead. There are 7 entrances and exits located throughout the park for this attraction, and any of these locations guests may pick up tubes and leave them as they exit the creek. The journey takes between twenty and thirty minutes to complete depending on crowd levels.
Ski Patrol is an area for pre-teenage children.
- Leisure Pool- The pool contain "icebergs" on which guests under 12 can walk across.
- Fahrenheit Drops - Commonly known as the "T-Bar", this attraction is a rope drop that deposits guests that are under five feet tall into eight and a half feet of water.
- Freezin' Pipe Springs - This attraction is a short body slide. It deposits guests in the same water area as Farenheight Drops, but has no height restriction.
- Cool Runners- a wide-open slide (inner tube) area created by rapidly melting snow mounds (moguls).
Tike's Peak features gentle slides designed to resemble scaled down versions of attractions at Blizzard Beach. Also included is a snow-castle fountain play area with pop (water) jets. Picnic benches also provided. Footwear is suggested due to hot pavement. The attraction is limited to children under 48 inches.
The Chairlift carries up to 3 guests over the craggy face of Mount Gushmore, from its base at the beach, to its summit. The chairs carrying guests feature wooden-bench seats, colorful overhead umbrellas and snow skis on their underside. The Chairlift was converted from ski-resort to beach-resort use after a freak snowstorm hit Florida and soon after melted forming the perfect site for a water park. This is a one-way ride to the top of Mount Gushmore providing access to most attractions depending on the number of guests present in the park. A Gondola is also provided for disabled guests to access the top of Mount Gushmore. There is a minimum height requirement of 32 inches to ride with another person, and 48 inches to ride alone.
Bering Bumper Boats features electric blaster boats by J&J Amusements and opened in July 2009, following Blizzard Beach's winter renovation.
Food and beverage
- Avalunch: Offers light snacks and refreshments. Located next to the entrance of the Chairlift.
- Frostbite Freddie's: Bar located adjacent to Snowless Joes in the Village.
- Lottawatta Lodge: Ski lodge providing outdoor covered seating and is the main counter service area.
- Polar Pub: Bar located on the beach by the wave pool.
- I. C. Expeditions: Offers ice cream, deserts and refreshments. Located near the Chairlift.
- The Cooling Hut: Offers light snacks and refreshments. Located in the Village
- The Warming Hut: Offers snacks, lunch and dinner. Located near the bottom of Downhill Double Dipper.
Coolers are allowed in the waterparks. The only restricted items are glass and alcohol.
Merchandise
- North Pearl: Jewelry store featuring pearls. Located in the Village across from the changing rooms.
- Snowless Joe's: Rental location offering locker and towel rentals and complimentary lifejackets. Located in the Village next to the changing rooms.
- The Beach Haus: Main merchandise store offering souvenirs, swimwear, footwear, etc. Located in the Village in-between the Main Entrance and Lottawatta Lodge.
