I always UNcheck that mess like it's the plague!!!
Don't get me wrong, Walt Disney World is home to a couple of amazing looking water parks. In fact because they're Disney they blow away any water park I've ever seen, and I used to spend a lot of time in the Wisconsin Dells - the self-proclaimed water park capital of the world!
The quality and theme of both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach is unmatched.
Typhoon Lagoon, the older of the two presents what a beach resort might look like after a powerful typhoon rolled through. That's why along with some killer slides and water attractions, you'll notice amazing little details like surfboards through trees, displaced shipping gear and water equipment all about, and of course the icon of the park is the Miss Tilly, a shrimp boat (you eva been on a real shrimp boat?) forever perched at the top of a mountain in the center of the park.
For me, Blizzard Beach has always been the more intriguing of the Disney water parks.
The story goes that an uncharacteristic snow storm pounded down over Central Florida. Some enterprising (albeit perhaps misguided) entrepreneur got the bright idea to quickly erect a ski resort. But Florida being Florida, the sun soon returned all that snow began to melt rather rapidly. So, instead of a ski resort, it became Blizzard Beach - an arctic themed water park.
I haven't seen the numbers, so I can't say if this is the more popular of the two water parks, but the award for "Most Original" should certainly go to the Imagineer and team that dreamed this one up!
I am, perhaps by design, not a water park guy. I might fit in at Blizzard Beach, being built like a polar bear, but walking around in public displaying my beer belly in front of younger, thinner, banana-hammock sportin' Europeans, my arms loaded with bags, and sunscreen, and water, and towels, and blow-up's, and the kitchen sink (no . . . seriously! I'd make the driver swing by Beaches & Cream for a Kitchen Sink!) doesn't sound like a relaxing vacation activity to me.
Not too mention chasing my kids around all day, trying to keep track of which one is where. My little girls might be splashing playfully at Tike's Peak while my son will likely be hanging by his toes from The Chairlift mooning other guests!
Which is why when Disney recently announced this secret feature at Blizzard Beach, I started to rethink my stance on skipping the water parks.
Polar Patios at Blizzard Beach are an additional option for families who want a little space of their own. These private little party decks offer a locker, towels, refillable mugs for soft-drinks, a cooler stocked with ice & bottled water, and a private attendant for food orders (not included in the price of course.)
The announcement doesn't say whether you get to keep the mugs. It only says "same-day refillable mugs" so I'm assuming they're not keepers. Unless you're really sneaky!
I've been lucky enough to have private cabana space by the pool in Vegas and I will tell you that having your own private real estate in that type of environment is invaluable. People watch lounge chairs at poolside like vultures circling over a dehydrated hitchhiker. It's worth the price to know your spot is secure, and on top of it you won't have strangers encroaching too close to your territory.
In a busy water park members of your party might want to do different activities. Blizzard Beach is home to Summit Plummet, the second tallest & fastest free fall in the world (the first is of course Tom Petty's Free Fallin' . . . duh . . .) but you'd more likely find me at Cross Country Creek, BB's lazy river. So it's nice to have a central location to stow your stuff, reassemble, Avengers style, as a group at reappointed times, eat lunch together, and just . . . wait for it . . . chill out!
Yeah that's right . . . I not only made a pun . . .I made it blue.
For more information and couple more pics, check out the Disney Parks Blog:
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/06/enjoying-polar-patios-at-disneys-blizzard-beach-water-park/
p.s. Told you I'd bring a Kitchen Sink!
Yes, that's a sundae. No you can't have any!!!
Typhoon Lagoon for me, Crush 'N Gusher!!
ReplyDeleteI have done Summit Plummet at BB but didn't really like it, I love the water coasters way more.
Wow Really Nice water park. I want to share my blog Family Entertainment.
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