Let's Recap!
1. Know Your Ticket Options
First of all, you’ll want to know what your options are as far as tickets go. Obviously, you can buy one-day tickets, but these are not nearly as cost effective as the Magic Your Way Park Hopper Plus ticket option. Therefore, I recommend purchasing Park Hopper Plus tickets and visiting more than once, especially if you’ll be vacationing in the hot summer months.
2. Make Sure It’s Open
In Florida, swimming happens year-round. That said, Disney does close its water parks one at a time each winter in order to do repairs and maintenance. Therefore, if you have your heart set on Blizzard Beach, make sure it’s going to be open before picking your dates.
3. Invite a Second Adult
While there are plenty of things for families and young children to enjoy in Blizzard Beach, there are also some slides that only older kids and adults can use. For this reason, if you’ll have young kids in tow, we highly recommend bringing a second adult along so you can trade off on childcare duty for those big slides.
4. Consider Investing in a Private Nook
While there are lots of chairs to use in Blizzard Beach, they tend to fill up quite quickly. For this reason, and in order to gain some level of privacy, you may want to consider reserving your own private nook in the park. The options consist of premium beach chairs and the more private and exclusive Polar Patios. Either one will guarantee seats for the day, and the patios include much more.
5. Protect Yourself From the Sun
It’s no secret that the Florida sun is hot and bright. Protect yourself by applying sunscreen at regular intervals throughout the day. You’ll also want to drink plenty of water. Luckily, you can obtain water for free at any counter-service location.
6. Take Advantage of Free Parking
Most Disney parks charge quite a bit for parking. Not so at the water parks! Give your wallet a break and spend the day at Blizzard Beach instead of one of the four main parks. Your bank account will thank you!
7. Arrive Early
Yes, free parking is nice. Unfortunately, everyone else thinks so as well, and this means it often fills up very quickly. To combat this and to take advantage of the lowest crowd levels of the day, arrive at opening. The park only gets more crowded as the day wears on, so even if you can't make opening, get there as early as possible.
8. Use the Ski Lift
Walking up stairs is one of the only bad things about water parks. This is where Blizzard Beach’s Chair Lift steps in. Not only is this addition a perfect fit for the park, it’s also a great way to get to the top of the slides—and a fun ride in and of itself!
9. BYO Stuff
While you can rent towels and purchase sunscreen in the park, trust us when we say you won’t want to. Everything is overpriced, and you’ll save an enormous amount of money by bringing everything you need from home. Not sure you’ll make it out the door with everything? Pack your bag the night before.
10. Pack Cheap Sunglasses
A great many sunglasses have been lost in Blizzard Beach park. Therefore, you definitely won’t want to pack your most expensive pair. Instead, head to the dollar store and pick up a pair of cheap glasses. These will get the job done, and losing them won’t be the end of the world.
11. Don Your Water Shoes
Water shoes might be the dorkiest footwear on the planet, but they’re also incredibly useful. Blizzard Beach is the perfect example of this. The pavement at this park gets super hot, meaning some sort of footwear is necessary, but keeping up with flip-flops is a pain. Water shoes can stay on your feet while you slide, meaning no tracking down shoes after each ride.
12. Bring a Camera
It might seem crazy to bring a camera to a water park. However, you absolutely will want one. The park offers tons of amazing photo opportunities, including some character meet-and-greets. If you’re worried about getting your camera wet, consider a waterproof disposable camera or a special waterproof case.
13. Decide on Storage
Of course, if you’re bringing all this stuff in, you’re going to need somewhere to put it. Blizzard Beach does offer locker rentals, which are a great options if you’re bringing a ton of stuff. However, those who only have a few things may prefer a secure, waterproof bag that can be locked shut and locked to your chair.
Photo Credit: Disney
