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Wet ’n Wild is a compact and tightly packed park that somehow avoids feeling cramped. For the purposes of describing its attractions I have divided the park into three slices. I will start on the left-hand side of the park (as you enter the front gate), then proceed to the center section, and finally describe the slides and such on the right-hand side.
Kid’s Park
This delightful, multi-level water play area is a sort of Wet ’n Wild in miniature for the kiddie set, those 48 inches and shorter. At the top, there are some twisting water slides that can be negotiated with or without tiny inner tubes. On the other side is a mini-version of the Surf Lagoon wave pool surrounded by a Lilliputian Lazy River. In between are shallow pools with fountains, showers, water cannons, and a variety of other interactive play areas, all watched over by vigilant lifeguards. Looming overhead is a gigantic bucket that slowly fills with water and periodically tips over, sending a cascade of water onto the squealing kids below. Surrounding the Kid’s Park is a seating area filled with shaded tables and chairs where Mom and Dad can take their ease while junior wears himself out nearby.
Mach 5
The massive tower that houses Mach 5 and two other rides looks like a giant pasta factory after a nasty explosion; flumes twist every which way. At the entrance, you grab a blue toboggan-like mat; the front end curves up and over two hand holds. Then there is a very long climb to the top where you will find three flumes labeled A, B, and C. They all seem to offer pretty much the same experience, but you’ll probably want to try all three anyway. I sure did. You ride belly down on your mat and take a few gently corkscrewing turns. But then there is a quick drop followed by a sharp turn followed by another drop and so on until you zip into and across the splashdown pool. Keeping your feet raised will decrease the coefficient of drag and give you a slightly zippier ride.
The Blast
This two-passenger tube ride is one of Wet ‘n Wild’s two “themed” rides. It whisks you through a multi-colored and fanciful landscape that is part psychedelic daydream and part factory floor. As you whish past funny looking machines, pipes and chutes blast you with water at unexpected moments, usually when you’ve just been disoriented by another twist or turn in the chute. The real fun, however, is saved for last, with an exhilarating waterfall plunge into the pool that marks the ride’s end.
The Flyer
This newer ride also shares the Mach 5 tower and, while it starts at about the same height as Raging Rapids, it’s a much faster, scarier ride. This time there’s nothing to drag to the top with you; your vehicle awaits at the launching area. It’s a bright green two-, three-, or four-person raft (no single riders), with built-in hand grips. Hang on tight because the turns are sharp and the raft gets thrown high up the curved side walls as you zoom quickly to the bottom. This is a justifiably popular ride with a lot of repeat riders.
The Surge
The Surge shares a tower with Disco H2O, Wet ‘n Wild’s newest ride. The lines for both attractions are parallel, and can get quite lengthy, so be sure to get in the correct line at the beginning, lest you end up at the wrong attraction when you get to the top! For The Surge, riders board rafts, large four-person circular affairs. You sit in the bottom of the raft, facing toward the center, and grab hand holds on the floor. Then the attendant gives the raft a good spin as he sends you on your way down the first fall. The flumes are larger versions of those at Mach 5 and the descent seems somewhat slower. The turns, however, are deceptive. Depending on where you’re sitting as the raft enters a turn, you can find yourself sliding high on the curved walls, and when you hit one of the frequents drops backwards you’ll feel your tummy do a little flip.
Disco H20
Missed the disco era? Well, hustle on over to this ride and climb aboard one of the four-person rafts for a plunge down a time warp that takes you back to the groovy seventies. There, in a darkened circular chamber, you’ll spin round and round a watery disco dance hall filled with funky music and fun light effects as you are drawn ever closer to a hole that sucks you back to the well-lit present. It’s almost enough to make me like disco. Almost.
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