By Mark Whichard 

Central Florida gets hot in the summer. You can expect temperatures in the mid 80’s, but if you are in Orlando and vicinity there are a number of water parks where you can cool off and have a lot of fun at the same time.  Let’s take a look at some of the best water parks in the Orlando area. 

Wet ‘n Wild Orlando is the most visited water park in the USA according to “Amusement Business” magazine, and its world-class rides and slides are the reason behind its popularity. 

The park features multi-million dollar rides, the newest of which is the Brain Wash^TM  in which you climb the walls of the six-story extreme tube ride with a 53-foot vertical drop into the 65-foot domed funnel. Guests are “brain washed” with lights, sounds and video as they swirl back and forth through mind altering thrills before threading the needle-nose funnel to a refreshing escape. 

Other rides at Wet’n Wild include The Surge, Bubba Tub, Black Hole, Disco H2O™ and The Blast!  Guests can also drift under rope bridges and past breathtaking waterfalls on the Lazy River™ and roll to four-foot high waves in the Surf Lagoon.

Located on International Drive, one block east of I-4 at exit 75A, Wet ‘n Wild offers extended operating hours during the summer. The park is open year-round with heated pools in the cooler months. For additional information, call (407) 351-1800 or (800) 992-9453 

Disney operates two water parks at their Walt Disney World Resort, and both of them have highly creative themes.  Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park is a mountain themed park in which you can ride a chair lift to the top of Mt. Gushmore, a 90 foot snow capped mountain. When you are at the top you have a choice of a way down: you can opt for the Summit Plummet in which you will experience a 55 mph straight down plunge or ride the Slush Gusher speed slide down the mountain. 

There is also a scaled down version of the mountain, called Tike’s Peak which is perfect for young children. It is only 48 inches high. 

The other Disney water park is the tropical themed Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. This park is centered on a shrimp boat named the Miss Tilly. According to the story, this boat was picked up by a typhoon and deposited a top a 95 ft. Mt Mayday. There is also a fruit packing plant which is the scene of flash flooding that propels guests on rafts down the Crush ‘n’ Gusher, a water coaster.   

Besides the usual slides and tube rides, the park also features a snorkel adventure at Shark Reef, a 362,000 gallon saltwater pool. You can also body surf in a 2.25 million gallon wave pool. 

And the kids are not left out of the fun either. Ketchakiddee Creek has geysers, fountains, slide and child-sized white-water rafting rides that are sure to delight the youngest members of your family.  Both parks are open year-round. Single day admission to either park is $39 for adults and $33 for children ages 3 to 9. 

So, don’t worry about the Florida heat, it provides a great excuse to get wet, get loose and have fun at the water parks in Orlando. 

Mark Whichard and his wife Susan are the proprietors of Quality Orlando Villa Rentals and are experts in the field of Orlando Florida vacation rentals with experience dating to 1998. Visit their website: www.qualityvillarentals.com  for more information about renting a villa in Orlando. Give them a call toll free 877-357-3685 or 626-305-9089