Blizzard Beach Backstory

As legend goes, it was a meteorological phenomenon of the strangest order. One balmy day, a freak winter storm developed over the western end of the Walt Disney World Resort and covered the area with a thick blanket of powdery white snow. Before you could say “hot cocoa,” plans were underway for Florida’s first ski resort.

Ski lifts were put up, toboggan runs were laid down and an entire resort area blossomed around the mountain of snow. Yet before the first skier could strap on a pair of boots and stick their poles into the snow, the temperatures returned to their normal Florida levels and the powdery snow quickly turned into slippery slush.

The ski resort operators saw their dream melting down the hillside. Yet, that’s not all they saw. As the slush began cascading down and pools of water began to form, an echoing “yahoo” was heard from the summit of the mountain. Everyone looked up to see a playful alligator careening down the melting hillside. He slid to the base of the mountain and landed in a pool of water with a thunderous splash. They knew at once that they were back in business.

Slalom courses, bobsled, and toboggan runs became downhill waterslides. The creek of melted snow that formed at the base of the mountain became a relaxing tube ride. The chairlift carried swimmers instead of skiers. The ski jump became the tallest and fastest water slide in the world.

The ski resort became known as Disney’s Blizzard Beach, the most slushy, slippery, exhilarating water park anywhere!