Orlando Water Parks

Beat the heat this summer and cool off at one of the Orlando area’s state-of-the-art water parks, where you can barrel down a thrilling waterslide, take a whitewater rafting adventure, snorkel through a colorful reef full of exotic fish, body surf in one of the world’s largest wave pools and interact with dolphins, sharks and stingrays.

Billed as the “ Coolest Water Park in Central Florida,” Disney’s Blizzard Beach boasts nearly two dozen waterslides – all centered around 220-foot-tall Mount Gushmore! Highlights of Disney’s Blizzard Beach include the twisting flumes of the Runoff Rapids tube run, Snow Stormers racing slides, Cross Country Creek river ride, Melt-Away Bay wave pool, Downhill Double Dipper racing slides, Summit Plummet free-fall slide, Teamboat Springs raft ride, Mount Gushmore Chair Lift, Tike’s Peak children’s water play area and Ski Patrol Training Camp.

According to Disney World legend, a freak storm dumped a ship high atop Mount Mayday and created Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon in the process! In addition to a Shark Reef, Surf Pool and Humunga Kowabunga speed slides, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon features the Ketchakiddee Creek children’s water play area; Storm Slides; Keelhaul Falls, Gangplank Falls and Mayday Falls tube runs; Castaway Creek lazy river ride; and a Sandy White Beach, the perfect spot to enjoy some relaxation in the sun.

From thrilling waterslides to relaxing river rides to children’s water play areas, Wet ‘n Wild Water Park has something for everyone! Nestled in the heart of world-famous International Drive, Wet ‘n Wild is known as “ America’s most exhilarating water park.” The truly adventurous will want to experience Wet ‘n Wild’s “extreme slides” such as “The Blast,” “Der Stuka” and “The Storm,” as well as “Brain Wash” (which features a 53-foot vertical drop) and the Disco H20 raft adventure.

Spend a day in a tropical paradise at Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando’s sister theme park, which allows visitors to interact with bottlenose dolphins, sharks, barracuda and stingrays, as well as snorkel through a colorful reef full of exotic fish. Float down a river through waterfalls and lush landscaping, feed hundreds of tropical birds and relax on a white-sand beach overlooking the beautiful lagoon. Attendance at Discovery Cove is limited to 1,000 guests a day, so it is never crowded. Note: Reservations are required for Discovery Cove.

SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica, Orlando’s newest water park, opened along International Drive in the spring of 2008. The sister theme park of SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Aquatica boasts 36 thrilling waterslides, side-by-side wave pools, raft rides, more than 80,000 square feet of white-sand beach, and six rivers and lagoons. SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica’s signature attraction is the 300-foot-long waterslide, which features a clear tube that will plunge riders down a 42-foot drop and through a crystal-clear lagoon full of black-and-white Commerson’s Dolphins.

With state-of-the-art water parks and world-class theme parks, Orlando is the ideal destination for family vacations this summer. And if you are seeking great deals on comfortable accommodations that provide convenient access to world-class theme parks and attractions, check out Westgate Resorts, which offers a variety of Orlando area properties, including Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa, Westgate Vacation Villas, Westgate Palace, Westgate Towers, Westgate Palace, Westgate Town Center and Westgate Leisure Resort. For more information about villa rentals at Westgate Resorts, call 800-620-1459 or visit www.orlando-florida.net/hotels.