MORNING THROUGH MIDAFTERNOON: BLIZZARD BEACH
Blizzard Beach, Disney's newest water park, resembles a melting ski lodge, complete with sleds, slalom runs and chair lifts. Arrive early, claim your lounge chair with a beach towel (available for rent or bring your own) and head up Mount Gushmore for the superfun white-water raft ride, Teamboat Springs.Blizzard Beach's thrills range from the kiddie slides in Tike's Peak to Summit Plummet, which at 120 feet is the longest flume ride in the world. In between, there are the Toboggan Racers, where you slide down the mountain on a foam-rubber sled, and the highly addictive tube ride, Runoff Rapids. (Warning: It's 157 steps to the top of this sucker.)
Travel Tip: If time is short and your kids are under age six, you may want to skip the water parks and focus on the major theme parks. But if your kids are over age seven or good swimmers, a stop at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon just might be the highlight of the entire trip.
AFTERNOON: TAKE A BREAK
Water parks wear out my family more than the other parks, so when Blizzard Beach gets crowded, we always head back to the hotel for a nap.EVENING: DOWNTOWN DISNEY MARKETPLACE, PLEASURE ISLAND, DINNER SHOWS
Younger kids will enjoy the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness, a down-home dinner show that's been packing 'em in for years. But kids ages 10 and up will enjoy Pleasure Island equally well.Pleasure Island is a Disney version of a nightclub complex, that is, wholesome. Leigh's favorite stop is the Comedy Warehouse, where the show is improvised. (If you want to be part of the act, sit by the telephone on the right-hand wall.)
In the mood to dance? Check out the retro 8-TRAX disco or learn a country line dance at the Wildhorse Saloon, both in Disney's Boardwalk. Bizarre entertainment takes place all night in the streets, where you can watch women bodybuilders strike their poses.
Across the bridge at the Downtown Disney Marketplace, there are tons of cool places to eat. Our favorite spots are the Rainforest Café (check out the zebra and flamingo legs on those bar stools), Ghirardelli(R) Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop, Cap'n Jack's Oyster Bar and the Portobello Yacht Club.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated June 2005.
