Splash into Summer!

Are you worried about the heat at Walt Disney World during the summer? Well... there are plenty of ways to cool off in addition to the Regal Sun Resort's Aquatic Playground and pools. The hotel is located in the Walt Disney World Resort, right accross the street from Downtown Disney in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

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Walt Disney World has two amazingly-themed water parks in Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach that just happen to be the two most-attended water parks in the world, according to the most recent attendance report from the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM Economics. In fact, they’ve been in the top two spots for a very long time, for very good reasons.

The two parks, in addition to having a tremendous capacity and a location right in the heart of Walt Disney World, have great theming, thrilling water slides, relaxing wave pools and lazy rivers, good food and more.

Typhoon Lagoon, the mythology goes, was created when Hurricane Connie blew through Walt Disney World decades ago, tossing the shrimp boat Miss Tilly, out of Safen Sound, Florida, onto the top of Mt. Mayday. More wreckage was strewn about the area, decorating the area around the “ramshackle shacks” that make up the dining and merchandise locations for the park. Water continues to pour down the sides of Mt. Mayday, where the streams have been repurposed into water slides.

From the straight-drop slides of the Humunga Kowabunga to the Storm Slide body slides called the Jib Jammer, Stern Burner and Rudder Buster to the single-rider raft rides of Mayday Falls and Keelhaul Falls and family raft ride Gangplank Falls, thrills are definitely not lacking at Typhoon Lagoon. And the recent addition of the Crush ‘n’ Gusher water coaster lets you experience the excitement of a roller coaster with the splash of a raft ride.

If you’d like something a little more relaxing, Castaway Creek is a lazy river that winds its way around the park with multiple entrances that let you use the river to get around the park. The 2.5-acre Typhoon Lagoon wave pool periodically alternates between gentle bobbing waves and body surfing waves, with Miss Tilly’s stack whistling to warn you of the change. Of course, the little ones can enjoy Ketchakiddie Creek’s kid-sized water slides, fountains and more.

Still not enough? Wander over to Hammerhead Fred’s where you can borrow snorkeling gear and swim through Shark Reef along with butterfly fish, tangs, groupers, French angels, and – oh yeah – nurse sharks. But don’t worry, the gentle nurse sharks are well-fed so that they will have no interest in you. Not up for getting in the 362,000 gallon salt-water tank with the sharks? You can walk through the keel of a “wrecked” ship and look out at the swimmers, fish and sharks in the tank through portholes.

A slightly more thrilling adventure awaits at Blizzard Beach. Also supposedly created by a weather cataclysm, the park started when a freak winter storm dropped a huge amount of snow in the area. Work quickly began on Florida’s first ski resort. However, plans were abandoned when the snow began melting. When a resort operator spotted “Ice Gator” sliding down a ski run, the plans were hastily changed to create a ski-themed water park. Ice Gator remains a park mascot.

The ski jump down Mt. Gushmore was turned into the Summit Plummet water slide, where you’ll go up to 55 mph on your way down. Adjacent to that is the Slush Gusher, which takes a slightly slower plunge down the mountain. But there are so many other different ways to race down the mountain.

Three Snow Stormer body slides let you race down the mountain, while you can head down in an inner tube on the three Runoff Rapids slides. Families can take a six-passenger raft down Teamboat Springs, the world’s longest family raft ride at 1,200 feet. Wanna race? The 8-lane Toboggan Racer and the 2-lane Downhill Double Dipper let you race your friends down Mt. Gushmore’s slopes.

Getting too tired to climb back to the top? What good ski resort doesn’t have its own chair lift? Take a pleasant ride up to the peak on a bench seat under an umbrella. Want something even calmer? Blizzard Beach’s lazy river is called, appropriately enough, Cross Country Creek. Again, you can use it to travel around the park in addition to just riding it around. The 1-acre wave pool of Melt-Away Bay has only gentle bobbing waves, none of Typhoon Lagoon’s surfing waves.

Wee ones can enjoy Tike’s Peak, with tiny-sized water slides, spray cannons and more water fun. For the slightly older crowd, there’s Ski Patrol Training Camp, which has bigger slides, a T-bar drop, and even a walk across mini-“ice floes” with a cargo net overhead to help keep your balance.

Both parks also feature several eateries and merchandise locations, lockers, and shady spots with lounge chairs and tables. To get the prime spots, though, you need to get there when the parks open first thing in the morning. If you’d rather not wait and would prefer to pay for a premium spot with amenities, you can rent one of six Polar Patios at Blizzard Beach or one of six Beachcomber Shacks at Typhoon Lagoon. Those spots include upgraded furniture, towels, a private locker, all-day drink mugs, a cooler with ice and bottled water, and a private waiting who will go to the food locations for you and bring back your order. Pricing varies by date and time, please visit here Tickets for pricing.

-Blog excerpt from Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotels