Florida Holiday Villa Rental near Disney

There is really no age to be a child once again. Apart from the Disneyland parks here are two major adventure attractions. This one is a perfect idea if you are a water baby. The Blizzard Beach and the Typhoon lagoon are full of fun filled adventure in water.

Blizzard Beach
The story behind the ideation of the Blizzard Beach is really interesting. Once upon a time, there was a freak snow storm in Disney World. Wanting to take advantage of the snow, Disney built the first ski resort in Florida. Sadly, the temperatures rose and it looked as if their new venture was melting away. An adventurous alligator decided to slide down the slippery slope into the pool that formed below. Realizing that the ski runs could be put to use, Blizzard Beach was born. This is also one of the reasons why the Blizzard Beach Mascot is called the Ice Gator.

The Blizzard Beach from every angle is an awesome water park, any way you look at it. The Disney World pools stay busy all summer long and the water parks stay even busier. It is very common for Blizzard Beach to close due to capacity during the busy times of the year. I suggest you get there as close to opening time as you can; otherwise you might have to wait until 2:00 pm when it reopens.

With great slides, come long lines. There are no Fast Passes at the Disney water parks, so a 60 minute wait means a 60 minute wait. The longest waits are Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher, Downhill Double Dipper and the Chair Lift. So as a suggestion you should do the popular slides first.

Summit Plummet is the big daddy and is one of the world's tallest and fastest free-falling slides. Standing 120 feet tall and 13 stories high, this is an adrenaline rush. Going 60 mph straight down a water slide is no joke. Children have to be 48" tall to ride.

The Chair Lift is also very popular. While you might think that you'll just walk on up and hop on, it's not an expressway. This is a real Chair Lift that provides a one way trip to the top of the mountain, with access to some slides (Summit, Slush, Teamboat Springs). The lines for Runoff Rapids and Snow Stormers tend to move faster.

If your child can't swim or is a weak swimmer, please get them a free life jacket at Snowless Joes. For the whole family, there's Teamboat Springs which sends you down a series of twisting and cascading waterfalls. This 1200 foot whitewater raft ride is the world's longest family white-water raft ride.

Typhoon Lagoon
This 56-acre water park would most likely be the choice of FISH if they could choose an amusement park, as Typhoon Lagoon features some of the wettest and wildest attractions at Walt Disney World. Before Blizzard Beach opened, Typhoon Lagoon was the largest water park on property. It is still immensely popular, with its twisting tides, roaring rapids, wonderful waterways and relaxing rivers. Typhoon Lagoon also features a special area where guests can snorkel among live sharks and other tropical fish. Excluding the snorkeling area, all water is heated to a toasty 75-80 degrees year-round.

Attractions
Castaway Creek - This 2100-foot continuous river raft ride lets guests aboard inner tubes meander through rain forests, caves, open grottos, waterfalls and a waterworks area. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Gangplank Falls - Huge inner tubes holding four guests careen down rapids and through special water effects and rock formations on this 300-foot family raft ride.

Humunga Kowabunga - Travel at speeds up to 30 mph as you are whisked down one of the triple enclosed slides and through caves on this 214-foot ride. Must be 48 inches to ride.

Fun Facts:
Each slide averages over 400 feet
One slide can fill a regular home pool in a minute
The Crush 'n' Gusher can fill the 2.7 million gallon wave pool in about 3 hours
The water jets put out 1350 gallons a minute
In addition to the "water coaster" there is an expanded beach area and wading pools at Hideaway Bay.

The Must Try:
Shark Reef - This coral-reef environment features an observation area, both above and under the water. This is your chance to snorkel with live sharks and other tropical fish. Equipment is available at no fee at Hammer Head Fred's Dive Shop. Guests may also use their own snorkeling equipment (tempered glass mask only, NO fins allowed). Life jackets are available at High & Dry Towel Rental (must leave driver's license for deposit).

Storm Slides - This series of body slides propels guests through caves, waterfalls, geysers and features a 36-foot drop into bubbling pools.

Wave Pools - Surfs up at this body-surfing wave pool with waves up to six feet tall. A continuous two-hour cycle begins when the park opens (subject to change) and features 90 minutes of surf waves, five minutes of calm, ten minutes of bobbing waves, five minutes of calm, ten minutes of bobbing waves and finally ten minutes of calm.

So what are you waiting for? Pack those bags and head for that special and watery vacation with your family.