Disney's Teamboat Springs!

Plus the Magic welcomes back guest contributor Amy Simpson Swiss. Today she tells us about her favorite Disney attraction...

As a Disney World die-hard, with countless trips under my belt, I've tried every ride and attraction at each of the Parks at least once. There are many, many rides I absolutely love – but there is just one ride that stands out as my hands-down favorite in all the parks.  And it may surprise you. 

Is it the thrilling Expedition Everest? The fun and feel-good Splash Mountain? The beloved classic, Pirates of the Caribbean?  I love all of those attractions but my favorite, by far, is Teamboat Springs at Disney's Blizzard Beach.

For those of you who may be thinking right now ”…but I’m not really a water-park person…”  - I beg you, STOP right there! Just for a moment, let go of all your preconceived ideas about water parks…and remember that these are DISNEY water parks. These are the most magical water parks in the world! Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are amazingly fun places, with much to do and see. If you have not tried them, you are missing out on a huge part of the Disney Magic. So – please! Do yourself a favor. Make a vow that you’ll visit one of these parks the next time you’re in Disney. And when you do… make Teamboat Springs your first stop!

So, why do I love it? And more importantly, why should you try Teamboat Springs just as soon as you possibly can?

• It's a family affair – the WHOLE family!  Teamboat Springs seats up to six people in one giant raft and heads down a long, twisty, water gushing slide. I love that six can fit on this raft. There aren't many rides where my whole family can actually sit together. 

• Face time!  Not only can everyone ride in one raft, but the huge round blue raft lets your whole family face each other.  That means you get to see your son screaming, your daughter laughing, your husband getting drenched, and everyone having a blast – together, on the same ride. 

• Fun for everyone- Not only CAN everyone fit on one raft, everyone will have fun.  Whether your kids are 7 or 17… or 47… they will love this ride.  It’s not too rough, but really, really a great time.

• It keeps going… and going… and going. This is one heck of a long ride.  It is billed as one of the longest group raft rides in the world, and that’s not hard to believe.  It really seems to keep going and going….and when your whole family is having this much fun, that is a wonderful thing. 

• Getting there is half the fun -  Teamboat Springs is located at the top of Mount Gushmore, one of the highest “peaks” in the park, and you have a choice about how you want to get there.  If you want to get to the top as quickly as possible, you can hike to the top, using the staircase just behind the Ski Patrol Training camp. Or, if you’d rather not walk, you can ride up on the Chairlift. The chairlift is exactly what it sounds like – a ride that looks exactly like a chairlift on a ski mountain, that takes you to the top of the mountain. Depending upon your family, this can be part of the fun, and a welcome relief from the stairs.   

• Photo ops – As someone who makes full use of both the Photopass photographers and also my own camera, I welcome any photo opportunities that come my way. I've found that there is almost always a Photopass photographer stationed at the bottom of this ride, ready to take a picture of your whole family in front of the largest hidden mickey I have ever spotted!  Not only that, this ride is perfectly suited for taking your own camera on.  It’s not so rough that you need to be afraid of dropping the camera, and you’re guaranteed some super-fun action shots. 

Have I convinced you yet?  I hope to catch you soon at Teamboat Springs!