Florida's first dueling racer water slide opens this weekend at Aquatica Orlando.
The new Riptide Race sends a pair of two-person rafts down side-by-side 650-foot slides in a "dash to the splash" through high-speed twists and tunnels. It's another record-setter for what was the eighth-most-visited water park in the world in 2019.
Half of those eight are in the Orlando area, however, which raises the question - what's your favorite water park in central Florida? With spring break in full swing and many fans potentially looking forward to getting back to water parks this summer, let's talk about which park fans should make their first choice for a water park on their next Florida vacation.
If you're ready to plan your spring and summer travel, our travel partner offers discounted tickets for these parks:
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Still enjoy Typhoon Lagoon for the theme and wave pool although the entire "snow motif" does give Blizzard Beach an edge.
For me it's a toss up between Typhoon Lagoon, Aquatica, and Volcano Bay. Typhoon Lagoon has some of the best theming and by far the best wave pool I've ever been in. However, they got rid of the snorkeling tank, which was one of the unique features that set the Disney water park apart from the rest. Aquatica has some unique slides and attractions, but as a whole, I think Volcano Bay wins by a nose.
Volcano Bay is excellent and has some amazing attractions and Tapu Tapu. I really enjoy Typhoon Lagoon's atmosphere and theming. The Typhoon Lagoon wave pool is really great and I love Crush n' Gusher and Miss Adventure Falls. I actually think that Blizzard Beach's attraction lineup is a little better than Typhoon Lagoon (especially Teamboat Springs) and while the theming is fun, hearing Christmas music gets kind of irritating after a while. Another thing is that when I'm at Typhoon Lagoon I don't feel as rushed to do everything like at Volcano Bay. Sometimes less is more.
So....yeah. Volcano Bay wins by a nose.
I'm still amazed that none of these water parks have tried to have any distinct theming on the rides like Wet n' Wild had (Black Hole, Disco H2O, Brain Wash, etc.).
Aquatica is the Best for me. That rapid lazy river is the Best of the Best.
But I will admit we never tried Volcano Bay.
Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are decent but nothing compared to Aquatica.
Discovery Cove is fantastic although not a water park - it has tons of water activities.
I have not had a chance to visit Volcano Bay, and I understand it's great, but it would be really very hard to beat Typhoon Lagoon in my mind. WDW did a promotion in the early 2000s where they offered AP holders a short term Water Park add on to their passes. I took the bait and never looked back. I never thought of myself as much of a Water Park person, but I fell deeply in love with Typhoon Lagoon. Working in the theme parks, the vibe at the water parks was different enough where I was really able to relax. I'd pack a lunch, or pick up a sub at Publix, take a book and my Ipod and chill out for the day. I really had no interest in the water slides. All I wanted to do was chill out, float around the park in Castaway Creek and pretend I was a thousand miles away from Orlando. Magically, Typhoon Lagoon provided that to me. I really miss it.
Out of the 3 I’ve visited it’s definitely Volcano Bay. Blizzard beach and Typhoon Lagoon feel a bit dated, which I guess isn’t a surprise given how much older they are.
I've only been to Aquatica, but to me that one seems better than the Disney World waterparks (at least in terms of attractions). Volcano Bay does look like the champion among Florida waterparks, and I intend to visit it on my next Florida trip.
@Brian Emery - I’ve never been to Aquatica, but Volcano Bay has a rapid lazy river that is amazing - my favorite thing at the park. So if that’s the sort of thing you like, definitely plan to give it a try. The slides and water coaster are great too.
I have not had chance to visit all the waterpark on this list, Volcano Bay is a nice place.
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Typhoon Lagoon. The wave pool is one of the best attractions in Central Florida.