Top 10 water parks in Florida: Unique rides, crazy water slides, mermaid shows and LEGO rafts
Exciting theme parks draw a huge number of tourists to Florida, but its stunning water parks have just as much appeal to travelers in search of a stunning vacation. There are a huge number of them because they do a great job of not only having fun at leisure but also refresh yourself during the sultry summer days. No other US state can compete with Florida in the number of water parks, so many travelers, especially families with children make them destinations for their vacations. We have selected for you the top 10 best water parks in Florida that will allow you to enjoy your summer to the fullest.
Aquatica Orlando, Orlando
This is a great place for a family vacation in Florida as there is plenty of entertainment for water park enthusiasts of all ages. In addition to the traditional "lazy river" and water slides, Aquatica has unique attractions. For example, the Dolphin Plunge allows you to go down enclosed transparent tubes alongside real dolphins, and the Ihu's Breakaway Falls will test your nerves with a free fall into the water. Another top attraction, Roa's Rapids, takes you on a thrilling river ride filled with tides, gushing geysers and whirlpools, all at breakneck speeds.
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, Lake Buena Vista
Disney World doesn't change its habits, and when creating something, makes it as grandiose as possible. Blizzard Beach is proof of that. The water park is designed in the style of a ski resort: an elevator helps visitors get to the top of Mount Gushmore to ride down dizzying slides. The Summit Plummet, for example, is one of the fastest and tallest free-fall slides in the world: daredevils who want to conquer it will have to hurtle almost straight down from a height of 120 feet through a dark tunnel and big splashes of water down a 360-foot-long slide at speeds reaching 55 miles per hour. There are also less extreme areas for different ages, such as the toboggan water slides or "Tike's Peak," a playground with small slides and water activities for the little ones.
Adventure Island, Tampa
Another one of the list of coolest water parks in Florida is located across from Busch Gardens, and it also has something to amaze visitors of all ages. Its main attraction is the awesome Colossal Curl ride, a 70-foot-tall epic slide for the bravest of the brave that tosses raft passengers from side to side through a maze of twists, turns, swirls and dips, providing a feeling of weightlessness. Adrenaline levels can be lowered on medium-sized slides, a "lazy river," play areas and a huge wave pool. A new interactive area with over 100 different elements for all ages is scheduled to open in spring 2024, including giant tipping buckets, 4 new thrill slides, water curtains and more.
Buccaneer Bay, Weeki Wachee Springs, Spring Hill
About 35 miles from Tampa is the Weeki Wachee Spring State Park and Buccaneer Bay, but the region's magnet for outdoor enthusiasts is its aquatic "gem" Weeki Wachee. Among many of the most popular water parks in Florida, it's distinguished by its spring water, guaranteed year-round to maintain crystal clarity and a temperature of about 72 degrees. In addition to the standard "lazy river", exciting play area and water slides, there is a truly unique attraction that you won't find elsewhere. It's a mesmerizing mermaid show, where performers in beautiful costumes amaze the audience with their gracefulness while underwater and various tricks.
Big Kahuna's Water & Adventure Park, Destin
An amazing place for fun lovers is located in the heart of the Panhandle. Big Kahuna's is a water park and adventure park with over 40 rides, among which you're sure to find a few that will make you forget about everything. Like most cool water parks in Florida, it operates seasonally, with 2024 opening its new season in April. There are eight cool water slides here, but Kowabunga Racer is sure to get you excited: it's a 4-lane drag strip where you'll race down 300 feet on a "speed" mat down a slide that's about the length of a soccer field. There's also a surf simulator, wave pool, "lazy river" and various play areas for different ages.
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Lake Buena Vista
Another one of the Disney-owned water parks, Typhoon Lagoon attracts visitors from all over the world to Florida with its signature rides and amazing underwater explorations. In addition to surfing on 6-foot waves, thrilling slides and chutes with waterfalls and twists and turns, the 362,000-gallon saltwater reef is hugely popular with visitors. Here visitors can go snorkeling, see various exotic fish, Caribbean corals and even sharks and rays. Don't miss the opportunity to visit after sunset with a Disney H2O Glow After Hours ticket to see it illuminated at night, ride the rides with minimal lines (as tickets are limited), see your favorite Disney characters, and dance at the party.
LEGOLAND, Winter Haven
An addition to the main LEGOLAND attraction, but no less thrilling, this attraction will appeal most to families with young children. It features water slides and play areas, as well as a "lazy river". But the latter is not quite ordinary: unlike all the coolest water parks in Florida, here visitors do not just float on a boat on the waterway. First, they have to exercise their imagination and create their own raft out of giant LEGO pieces. This makes every journey original and as fun as possible. Then you can head to the wave pool or, for example, The Joker Soaker playground filled with fountains, sprayers, three levels of slides get a mega splash from a 300-gallon bucket.
Rapids Water Park, Riviera Beach
Just outside of West Palm Beach, this 30-acre amusement and thrill park is one of the craziest water parks in Florida. Rapids features 35 impressive slides and two absolute favorites for all daredevils: slides that are seven stories high. Thrill-seekers are sure to go on the Big Thunder ride: starting with tight turns in a dark tunnel, it turns into a 45° drop at 20 mph into a huge funnel with a high ride for raft passengers on the opposite side. Kids can explore Barefootin Bay, filled with sprayers, a tipping pineapple bucket, sprinklers and three slides.
Universal's Volcano Bay, Orlando
Universal Orlando Resort has expanded its offerings to include one of the best water parks in the state of Florida. Its water theme park offers visitors a ride down a raging river with sharp waves and churning rapids or the winding Kopiko Wai along hidden caves and tropical landscapes before embarking on thrilling slide adventures. Like the Ohyah & Ohno Drop Slides, with sharp turns ending six feet above the pool, or the Krakatau Aqua, where four ship passengers slide through the dark twists and turns of a volcano before diving into a sparkling waterfall. Swimming in the wave pool or relaxing on the measured beach is also worthwhile, and even the youngest kids can relax in the shallow waters of Tot Tiki Reef: slide down small slides, play with fountains and cute singing whales.
Sun Splash Family Waterpark, Cape Coral
One of the best family-friendly water parks in Florida is a great (and very affordable) option on how to escape the summer heat. The 14-acre facility houses a variety of rides for different ages. Toddlers will love Tot Spot with its mini slides and interactive toys. Older kids will appreciate Cape Fear with a 30-foot platform slide down a 215-foot darkened tunnel and Electric Slide & Power Surge, a double slide that drops 5 stories and plunges into a pool. And the most daring can test their nerves on the three dizzying fast slides Terror Tube, Thunder Bump & X-Cellerator. To relax after the thrill of the slides, you can float down the quarter-mile long "lazy river".
