Disney Blizzard Beach Review from a Multi-Year Annual Passholder
This is a 100% honest, unbiased Blizzard Beach water park review. Dadtography was not compensated in any way for this post.
Waterpark competition in Orlando is tough.
There's so much fun stuff to do in Orlando during the summer and year-round (because of our awesome weather). Water parks are a great way to beat the summer heat, when it can easily climb to 95 degrees (35 celsius) plus humidity - it's like a sauna here in the summer!
There are a TON of waterparks to choose from in Orlando. How do you decide where to go?
Related: Complete Orlando Waterpark Rankings
We've been annual pass holders for quite a few years. With water park passes, you can enjoy access to world-class parks year round and that's exactly what we decided to do! This post is a review of Disney's Blizzard Beach water park from an annual pass holder (Orlando resident) perspective.
Complete water park rankings in Orlando.
See the full list of our favorite Orlando area water parks.
So be honest, are the rides at Blizzard Beach lame?
In a word: no.
I love most of the rides and attractions at Blizzard Beach! Even though many of them have been around since the park opened in 1995, the rides and slides at Blizzard Beach are awesome - especially for younger children (10 and under).
There's a ton of stuff for kids to do, from single person slides, to multi-person family rides. One of my 6 year old's favorite thing to do is the zip line slide, for example (that's him in this video).
There aren't quite as many "thrilling" rides and slides for older kids and adults. The Slush Gusher slide is the fastest in the park, but check the status of this ride as it can be closed for maintenance at times.
Disney Water Park Annual Pass and Florida Resident After 2pm Value
A regular Disney water park annual pass will run you $115 (plus tax) per year. When you consider a single day's admission is $60, that's already a pretty good deal! The annual pass allows you to get into both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon anytime, all year, and let me tell ya, there have been a few times we've even gone in December!
My family and I have been Disney "silver" annual pass holders for two years and last year decided to add the "after 2pm" water park option to our tickets as well. It costs $69 per person, plus tax and is valid for a full year.
In addition to your own discounts, annual pass holders receive discounted water park passes for themselves and up to three guests per visit to the water parks, so it's great having this option if you have visitors coming for spring or summer break.
Isn't the Blizzard Beach after 2pm pass too restrictive?
You have to go after 2pm, but when you live so close like we do, a few times a month from 2pm - 5pm is perfect. The water parks often close at 5pm, but are open a few days a year until 7pm (like Memorial Day weekend, for example).
In fact, we added our "after 2pm" passes after attempting to get into one of the other popular waterparks in Orlando that we have annual passes to. The other water park was at capacity and turned us away, so we drove over to Blizzard Beach, added the water park tickets and walked right in!
It's important to know that, even if your regular parks annual pass has black out dates, your after 2pm Florida resident water park pass doesn't. You can get in after 2pm any day of the year.
Do we use the after 2pm pass enough to be worth it?
We live approximately 30 minutes from the Walt Disney World park, so we have a distinct advantage of being close. That said, during the warmer months in Florida (approximately March through October), we head to the water parks at least 3 or 4 times per month. We're at the parks even more frequently in the summer months, when it is almost too hot to go to a "regular" park.
The only down side to after 2pm passes are the afternoon showers that frequent the area. These showers often pop up around 3pm, so they can put a serious damper on your after 2pm plans. If the showers include lightening (and they often do), everyone is required to get out of the water for a period of 30 minutes of lightening-free weather. Staying flexible during the rainy season is key to this pass, for sure!
But isn't eating at the water parks expensive, too?
We love Disney especially in this regard. Yes, the food at all parks is rather pricey, especially if you're trying to feed a family of four. However, Disney's water parks are very flexible on what they allow you to bring in with you.
We bring a cooler every time we go, with the following items:
- Sliced deli meat
- Beef Jerky
- Crackers
- Cheese
- Fruit
- Granola bars
- Trail mix
- Water
- Juice (straws are okay at Disney parks)
As you can see, we bring quite a lot with us, so there's really no need to spend money on a meal at the park. We sometimes treat ourselves to ice cream when we go, but bringing a cooler of your own food is a great way to keep costs down. If you're looking for a full list of items that Disney doesn't allow in their parks, click here.
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park Photo Gallery
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
Pros
- Great water park for smaller kids especially (under 10).
- Florida resident annual pass options are a great value.
- Lots of repeat visit opportunities.
- No black-out dates for Florida resident passes.
- Be sure to bring your own food!
Cons
- Florida summer rain showers.
- Park closes at 5pm most days.
- Can be very busy during holidays.
