Blizzard Beach
| |
| Disney's Blizzard Beach | |
|---|---|
| Resort | Magnolia Bend Disneyland Resort |
| Opening Day | April 1, 2006 |
| Theme | "Melting" ski resort |
| Website | Blizzard Beach Homepage |
| Operator | Lafayette Incorporated |
Blizzard Beach is a water park located at the Magnolia Bend Disneyland Resort.
The park opened on April 1, 2006 on the eleventh anniversary of the opening of its sister park in Florida. The theme of the park is the "Disney legend" of a freak snowstorm in the area, leading to the construction of Louisiana's first ski resort. Naturally, the snow didn't last long, leaving behind a collection of waterlogged but snow-less ski jumps and chair lifts. The failed resort was in the process of closing for good when an alligator was seen sliding down a flume and splashing into a pool of water, screaming "Yahoo!" Thus the "ski resort" was reborn as a water park, with the alligator named, "Ice Gator", as mascot.
In 2008, the park hosted approximately 2.25 million guests, ranking it the most visited water park in the world.
The majority of the major attractions at the park are hosted atop of Mount Gushmore, an artificial hill with an elevation of 100 feet (39 m). Mount Gushmore is split into three colored slopes to aid guests navigating around the park: Green, Red and Purple. The "mountain" also serves to hide the park's pipes.
All water areas are heated (at approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit) with the exception of the melting snow in the ice cave of Cross Country Creek.
The park received large media attention in December of 2008 for both an actual freak snowstorm which hit the area, and the death of Gregory Harris.
Contents
Park history
2008 snowstorm
Gregory Harris
Green Slope
The Green Slope attractions are found at the uppermost point of Mount Gushmore. All are single track water slides, and as such are not meant for racing. They can be accessed by foot, or by chairlift. The chairlift is a one-way ride, except for guests with disabilities.
Everest Falls is the flagship attraction at 145 feet tall, with speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. It it the tallest and fastest free fall slide in the world. There is a minimum height requirement of 48 inches (120 cm).
Everest Falls is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the highest and fastest, beating Insano—130 ft tall, with speeds of 65 mph—at Beach Park in Brazil.[1]
