Make a splash at top water theme parks in Florida, where excitement and relaxation meet!
Florida is known for long coastline, canals, and islands. The state is surrounded by sea on all three sides.
- Atlantic Ocean
- Straits of Florida
- Gulf of Mexico
We are all aware of a congregation of amusement parks in Florida. These include exclusive water theme parks that are in fact essential for the state because of hot and humid climate.
Some of the water-based adventure parks are large and offer numerous unique activities for all age groups.
8 Must-Visit Water Theme Parks in Florida for Endless Fun!
In this, post, I have covered the best 8 water theme parks in Florida.
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Universal’s Volcano Park
Wow! I am opening with a bang. I am sure, the majority of you have not heard about this park. In fact, now you must be wondering what a volcano has got to do in a water amusement park.
The full name of the place is Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park. It is located within Universal World Resort, Orlando city.
This 27 acre amusement is developed in a Polynesia Theme. The park’s earlier name was Wet ’n Wild.
Here is the artificially created volcano like mountain.
It offers several rides, including a water coaster! I know what you are thinking now. Water Coaster is totally new to you and so to thousands of us.
Similar to roller coaster, a rider slides through tubes, open slides and so on. You go through the winding coaster for a little more than a minute!
I am sure, the water coaster is the first of its kind in the United States. The coaster ride starts from the top of Krakatau volcano.
At night, the volcano is lit with color lights. You can see the volcano spews water instead of lava. It is a jaw-dropping sight!
Terrific-eh?
Other fun water themed activities include, wave pool, lazy river floating, vertical plunge from 125 feet height, and several body slides.
The water park’s rides and slides are so thrilling that, long queues are found in front of every attraction. So, you better be an early bird.
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Big Kahuna’s Water Amusement Park
The location is Destin City, facing the Fort Walton Beach, northwest Florida. The Fort Walton Beach is on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
As many 40 activities engage you for a whole day. Just don’t brush aside this advice, mate. The attractions are too good to ignore based on experience.
For example, have you ever heard of, ‘FlowBoarding’, a water-based adventure? It is a mixture of surfing bodyboarding, skating, and above all, wakeboarding adventures.
Do you think it is your cup of tea? The flowboarding adventure has caught up the fancy of some water theme parks across the United States.
One more attraction that will have you screaming at the top of your voice is Sky Coaster ride.
It is not a water-based adventure but still it is a terrific adventure. I am sure, it is not for all.
Doesn’t it remind you of bungee jumping?
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Tidal Cove Waterpark
Did you see a man who was seen riding backwards, and then automatically moved forward? It is called, ‘boomerango’ which implies the slide fetches you back to the starting point automatically.
The video reveals most of the adventure attractions that include the water Coaster and the Flowboarding.
Oh, yes, the inevitable Lazy River is also offered.
Several cabanas are installed that provide shelter, resting place, and to unpack your picnic delicacies.
One more water adventure is called, “Aqua Drop”. You stand against a vertical board and a glass door encloses you as if you are now in a see-through capsule. At the press of a button by the park staff, you suddenly disappear, get sucked into a void.
After several seconds, you emerge, landing in a pool.
OMG! This is very scary.
The “Whizzard” is also a similar slide. Grasping a small body board to your chest, you disappear into a box that looks like a ‘post box’.
These water slides are getting truly innovative. The competition is tough in this field-right?
Kids Cove is a miniature slide meant for the children.
Tidal Cove Waterpark is in Miami, Florida.
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Rapids Water Park
We now move to the Atlantic Ocean Coast. The exact location of this Floridian water theme park is West Palm Beach City.
The adventures are developed in a sprawling 30 acre land. The total number of fun activities in the water is 42.
You enjoy the usual wave pool, lazy river, and raft slides. What is unique among the attractions is a slide for toddlers! I think, it is the first one to engage toddlers in the country.
What is new in Rapids Water Theme Park?
ProSilde Tornado is definitely an innovative slide.
Three people are seated together in an inflatable. It goes through a tunnel, then revolves around the rim of a large funnel before you get sucked into a tornado funnel, and emerge safely in a pool.
Raging Rapids is also a new, in the sense, participants are grouped together instead of solo slide. The tunnel slide is designed to pick up speed as the slide progresses.
Flowboarding is also available for daredevils. Brain Drain involves a drop from seven floor height,
Dual Water Coaster
Yes, there is a water coaster in which two slides are placed adjacent to each other. It looks like two lane slide. Again, each inflatable seat can accommodate two people.
I like this water adventure. It seems to be a lengthy slide, involving more than a minute! It covers 875 feet long distance.
Furthermore, it takes a lot of time if you want to experience all the slides. If you are a family of four including two children, then, you have to allocate more time.
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Daytona Lagoon
The name says it all. The water theme park is named Daytona Lagoon and is located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The much popular Jacksonville sits about 135 km north of Daytona Beach.
There are not too many attractions, but the water park is well visited because of the lovely Daytona Beach.
Of course the usual winding tunnel-based rides, the lazy river that is called Pelican’s Drift, can be enjoyed.
The unique slide is called “Castaway Bay”. I saw the video but could not tag it unique.
When you have had enough of staying in the water, you can enjoy a 18 hole mini golf. I enjoyed it once in Monte Blanc, Canada.
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Shipwreck Island Water Amusement Park
This water sports complex is in Panama City. Panama City is in Northwest Florida.
Trace your finger in the map, starting from Destin towards the southeast direction to locate Panama City. There is no island in that name, but the water park only carries the Shipwreck Island name.
The water theme park is located just off a few hundred meters from the Gulf of Mexico.
Attractions include:
- Wave Pool
- Lazy River
- Raging Rapids
- Pirates Plunge (it has three bumps)
- Shipwreck (you slide over a metal rope for some distance over a pool, and drop yourself into the water
- Tipping Bucket
This is a different fun in which there is no sliding at all. The video below is self-explanatory.
It is nice to see the huge wooden bucket tilts automatically when it is filled up with water.
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Sun Splash
Cape Coral city is where, this water park is located. This beach city is one of the highly visited cities on the west coast of Florida.
The popular winding tube slide, lazy river, and some slides for kids are available. I did not find anything that is offbeat.
If by chance you have finished with your fun in the water park and still left with time to kill, the city’s wildlife will engage you a couple of hours.
There are some trails that lure you with the promise of bird sighting.
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Legoland Waterpark
Legoland is a popular brand in amusement park industry. People go there without reading any reviews.
In Florida state, Legoland has set up a water theme park in the city of Winter Haven. Both Tampa and Orlando are located at equal distance (45 minutes drive) from Winter Haven.
Very wisely chosen strategic location because, visitors to both the prominent cities can come over here for a day trip.
14 sliding activities include:
- Wavepool
- Lazy River
- Splash Out
This seems to be a thrilling slide. The steep vertical drop has only one bump.
Aquazone wave racer
This is a new attraction. It’s a gentle merry-go-round.
You stay dry in this fun ride.
With such exclusive water-based adventure park, land-based amusement parks, numerous cruises, picturesque Florida Keys, and wonderful national parks, Florida attracts more tourists than any other states in the U.S.
