Snowcat Ridge is returning to Dade City, Florida on November 13th, bringing back snow tubing, ice skating, snowballs and a winter experience in the sunshine state. Tickets are on sale now, discounted 10% with code SNOWSBACK10. Snowcat Ridge is a family-friendly destination with thrills built for anyone in the group, including mini-slides for the toddlers. With daytime and nighttime operations, guests can visit every day in December and most weekend slots November, January and February.
Should you visit Snowcat Ridge during the day or at night?
Snowcat Ridge’s hours do vary, but most weekends (and all of December) the destination is open for around 12 hours. That is plenty of time to do it all. But, do you visit right at opening, towards the end of the day or right in the middle? All are good choices for their own reasons.
Early operations tend to be less busy and offer cheaper tickets. This means less time waiting to slide, more open seating and faster access to the Christmas food. But, with Florida’s ever-changing heat, it could also mean a much warmer day, which doesn’t always feel as “Christmas-y.” Nighttime operations can give you that chill, on cooler days, and the mountain comes alive with music and lights. Lines can be shorter if you pick the last few hours of operations, but you may also run out of time with the multitude of activities.
My top choice is also the most popular and expensive, but it has its advantages. If you can time it right, visiting Snowcat Ridge an hour before sunset while the winter sky slowly turns to black is an amazing experience. You get the sunshine for nicer photos, the sunset for a gorgeous sky and then the dark skies for an evening of ice skating or roasting marshmallows. It is the best of both worlds, but it can come with longer lines and a price increase for the timing.
What can you experience at Florida’s Snowcat Ridge?
Snowcat Ridge brings the snow mountain adventures of Pennsylvania, Colorado and Utah to Central Florida, with a twist. Florida obviously doesn’t get the cold temperatures or tall mountains of the Rockies. The Snowcat Ridge team compensated for that and built their own 60 feet tall “mountain,” complete with a 400 foot slide area that gets you moving surprisingly fast. No need to climb, the Snowy Slopes come with their own lift and three types of slides.
But, snow tubing isn’t the only option. Guests can also go ice skating, outdoors, on real ice, in the Florida sunshine (I don’t want to guess what their cooling bill is). For a truly cold visit, there is the Arctic Igloo, which is kept around 30º Fahrenheit. Food and drinks, plus s’mores, can be bought and enjoyed in the Alpine Village. Then, Santa and Mrs. Claus can be seen at Santa’s Christmas Lane, with a meet with Santa included with each park admission ticket.
Discounted tickets for Snowcat Ridge experiences
Guests can receive 10% off of their purchase through November by purchasing online and using code SNOWSBACK10. Snowcat Ridge’s operations begin November 14 and continue, with select operating dates, through February 28. During my personal visits, I have felt that visiting Sunday through Thursday significantly helps with crowds, with Saturday being noticeably busier all day. For those who expect to visit during a very busy period, the VIP Fast Pass may be worth the additional fee, especially if choosing the 2 hour package.
If you own ice skates, you can save $11.25 by bringing your own set. But know that Snowcat Ridge is prepped to rent ice skates of all sizes if you don’t own a pair. The ice skating also has kid assist equipment to help those new to the ice. In my personal opinion, the standard parking is just fine for a visit but Preferred Parking is an option for those who don’t want to travel as far from the car park to the fun.
