4 Best Sights in Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida

Disney never leaves the little ones out of the fun, and this junior-size version of Blizzard Beach, set slightly apart from the rest of the park, has scaled-down elements of Mt. Gushmore, with sand, slides (including one with tubes), faux snow drifts, and igloolike tunnels. Parents can find sun or shade beneath lean-tos. Lifeguards are on hand. For people with disabilities: Guests using water-appropriate wheelchairs can enjoy the wading areas.  Stake out lounge chairs early, especially for a shady spot. If your tykes don't swim well, get them fitted with a free life vest, and pull your chair up to the water's edge.

The heart of the park is this 2½-acre swimming area with almost 3 million gallons of clear, chlorinated water. It's scalloped by coves, bays, and inlets, all edged with beaches of white sand—that's spread over a base of white concrete, as bodysurfers discover when they try to slide onto the shore. Ouch! The waves are the draw. Twelve huge water-collection chambers hidden in Mount Mayday dump their load into trapdoors with a resounding whoosh to create 6-foot waves large enough for Typhoon Lagoon to host amateur and professional surfing championships.

A piercing double hoot from Miss Tilly (the boat that legend says was deposited on Mount Mayday's highest peak during a storm) signals the start and finish of the wave action. Ninety-minute periods generating bigger waves every 90 seconds are punctuated by 30-minute sessions of placid bobbing waves. Even during the big-wave periods, however, the waters in Blustery Bay and Whitecap Cove are protected.

On certain days, skilled surfers and novices alike can enter the park before it opens for private sessions ( 407/939–7529 for reservations). Instruction and a soft-sided surfboard are included in the $199 cost, and the experience (ages 8 and older) lasts 2½–3 hours. For people with disabilities: Accessible for people using water-appropriate wheelchairs.  See the chalkboard at beach's edge for the day's wave schedule.

Grab an inner tube, hop on, and circle the entire park on a leisurely 25-minute float on this 3,000-foot-long creek. Along the way, you'll get doused with frigid water in an ice cave—wonderful on a steamy Florida day. Tubes are provided at seven launch sites, but they're not required. Kids soon discover that the fastest and most enjoyable way to get around the park is to glide with the current and hop off at whichever landing they wish. For people with disabilities: Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to inner tubes.  There are landings near most thrill rides, and moving through the park this way is oodles more fun than walking.

The park's main pool is a 1-acre oasis that's constantly fed by "melting snow" waterfalls. The man-made waves are positively oceanlike. If you're not a strong swimmer, stay away from the far end of the pool, where the waves originate. You can get temporarily stuck in a pocket even if your head is still above water. If you prefer to stay beached, there are plenty of recliner chairs around the bay. This is where moms and dads often relax and watch their kids swim in the lifeguard-protected waters. For people with disabilities: Guests using water-appropriate wheelchairs can enjoy shallow waters here.  Get an inner tube if you plan to venture to deeper waters, and arrive early if you want to find a shady spot (the giant umbrellas are limited).