Orlando is the home of the water park as we know it today. George
D. Millay, a former SeaWorld official, started it all in 1977 with the opening of Wet ’n Wild. Since then, the concept has been copied, most noticeably by Disney, whose nearby complex has two water-themed parks — Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach — both beautifully designed in the Disney tradition.
Despite its deep pockets and design talent, Disney hasn’t buried the competition. Wet ’n Wild is still going strong and, to the west, the folks at Busch have built Adventure Island, right next to Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa. Both of these water parks offer plenty of thrills at a competitive price. And SeaWorld is planning its own water park for 2008.
An often overlooked selling point of these non-Disney water parks is that they all have numerous hotels and motels just a short drive away. Wet ’n Wild has many hotels within walking distance. This makes them especially easy to visit. If you are staying near one of these parks, there is little need, in my opinion, to trek all the way to Disney for a water park experience.
Like any self-respecting theme park, a water park has rides. But the rides here don’t rely on mechanical wonders or ingenious special effects. Indeed they are the essence of simplicity: You walk up and then, with a little help from gravity and a stream of water, you come down. The fun comes from the many variations the designers work on this simple theme.
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