Ground Floor | Disney's Blizzard Beach
No doubt about it, you’ll have a blast on Mount Gushmore at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park. But before you hit the “slopes,” there are many fun activities at the base of the mountain as well. These activities include:
Cross Country Creek: This 3,000-foot attraction may be familiar to you as a “lazy river” slow-moving water attraction. This one travels around the perimeter of the water park as it carries guests floating on inner tubes through an ice cave. Riders will feel cool water dropping from overhead to simulate melting ice. There are plenty places throughout Blizzard Beach where guests can hop in and back out of Cross Country Creek. To make it all the way around the course takes about a half hour or so.
Melt-Away Bay is a gigantic, one-acre wave pool directly at the base of Mount Gushmore. It is fed by waterfalls of “melting snow” which create short wave.
Tikes Peak is a spot where the smallest children can play just like the big kids. There are tot-sized waterslides resembling smaller versions of some of Blizzard Beach’s most popular attraction. There’s a snow-castle play area with water jets for this attraction designed for kids under 48 inches.
Ski Patrol is a place especially for pre-teen kids. It includes a pool with “icebergs” for kids 12 and under to walk across, a rope drop which drops guests under five feet tall into eight and a half feet of water, an open slide, and a short body slide.
Of course the ground floor is where you’ll find the Chairlift, which is a one way ride carrying guests up Mount Gushmore. This chairlift is pretty much like the ones you’ll find at a ski resort. The chairs are constructed of wood and are shaded from the sun by umbrellas. While you can hoof it up Mount Gushmore to the attractions on the mountain, the chairlift is a great way to save your energy for all the rides you’ll find on the mountain.
Ground Floor is also the place to find food and merchandise. There are food vendors by the wave pool and the Chairlift, along with several other eating establishments. Frostbite Freddie’s offers adult beverages, and I.C. Expeditions serves ice cream, desserts, and other refreshments. Unlike many water parks, Blizzard Beach allows guests to bring their own food as well. If you’ve forgotten anything from sunscreen to bathing suits and even footwear, you’ll find places to purchase those items and more.
