Blizzard Beach opened on April 1, 1995. It was the third water park at Walt Disney World Resort after Typhoon Lagoon and the now defunct River Country. The park really shows Disney's creativity and theme-ing. The premise behind the park is a "Disney Legend" of a freak snowstorm in the area which lead to the construction of Florida's first ski resort. The snow didn't last long though and a collection of waterlogged but snowless ski jumps and chair lifts were left. The resort was in the process of closing 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 and the alligator, Ice Gator, was named as mascot.
Most of the parks attractions are atop of Mount Gushmore, an artificial hill with an elevation of 90 feet, making it the fifth highest point in Florida. All the water areas of the park are heated with the exception of the "melting snow" in the cave of Cross Country Creek. Mount Gushmore is split into three colored sloped to help guests navigate around the park: Green, Red and Purple.
Phone: 407-824-4321