Wet 'n Wild Orlando | |
---|---|
Slogan | "The Recognized Name in Family Water Fun!" |
Location | Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
Coordinates | 28°27′39″N81°27′53″W / 28.460943°N 81.464841°W |
Owner | NBCUniversal (Comcast) |
Opened | March 13, 1977 |
Closed | January 1, 2017 |
Previous names | Wet n' Wild FunPark |
Operating season | Open all year long (water heated in winter) |
Status | Defunct[[]] |
Area | 30 acres (120,000 m2) |
Pools | A single pool |
Water slides | 17 water slides |
Universal Orlando |
---|
Theme parks |
Water parks |
Resort hotels |
Entertainment district |
Wet 'n Wild Orlando was the flagship water park of Wet 'n Wild owned by NBC Universal, located on International Drive in Orlando, Florida. It was founded in 1977 by SeaWorld creator George Millay. [1] It closed on January 1, 2017.
While developing SeaWorld, George Millay realized the need for a water park, later recalling "being in Florida, with all its heat and hot sun, you naturally think about cooling off in water". In the mid-1970s, he directed his time and money towards the project. The idea stemmed from the splash pad at Ontario Place in Canada and the wave pool at Point Mallard Park in Alabama. His desire was to combine these two elements and build upon it in order to achieve a good return on investment. Due to his prior success with SeaWorld, he was able to form a team of investors to fund the project. [2]
The park opened in Orlando, Florida on March 13, 1977. Although it opened to rain and suffered a $600,000 loss in its first year of operation, Millay kept it open. He later claimed it "started making money the second year and never looked back". [2] The success of the park spawned several other Wet 'n Wild-branded parks across the Americas. [3] [4]
In 1998, Millay sold off his interests in his parks. The Orlando location was purchased by Universal Studios Recreation Group, who continued to lease the land on which it is located. [5] In mid-2013, Universal purchased the 50 acres (20 ha) of land for $30.9 million. [6]
In 1998, the Hydra Fighter was added to the park. [7] Riders were able to control their suspended gondola through the use of high-powered water guns. [8]
In 2000, the park renovated their Kids Park children's area. The original aviation theme was converted into a sandcastle theme. The renovation saw three ProSlide Technology "Kidz" slides added as well as a castle with a tipping bucket which dumped 250 US gallons (950 L; 210 imp gal) of water every three-and-a-half minutes. With the exception of the three slides, it was manufactured entirely by Integrity Attractions. [9] [10]
In 2001, the park began a multi-year expansion plan with Canadian manufacturer ProSlide Technology. [11] It added The Storm, a pair of ProBowls, in 2001; [12] [13] The Blast, an inline tube slide, in 2003; [14] Disco H2O, an enclosed Behemoth Bowl, in 2005; [15] [16] and Brain Wash, an enclosed Tornado, in 2008. [17] [18]
In 2011, the Kids Park was demolished and was replaced by Blastaway Beach, a larger children's water play area that opened in 2012, also themed around sandcastles. [17]
In 2014, the Bubba Tub was removed and replaced with the Aqua Drag Racer, a four-lane race slide.
On June 17, 2015, it was confirmed that the park would close on December 31, 2016, to be replaced by a new water park, Universal Volcano Bay, which opened across the site on May 25, 2017. [19] [20] [21] The park permanently closed on January 1, 2017, and was demolished in early 2017. [22] [23]
The former site of Wet N' Wild is currently occupied by Universal's Endless Summer Resort which opened in June 2019. [24]
The park was the most-attended water park in the United States until 1999, when Walt Disney World Resort's Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach surpassed it. [5] [25] At the time, it was averaging around 1.3 million visitors for several years. [3] [26]
Name | Type | Manufacturer | Opened | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aqua Drag Racer | Four racing mat slides | ProSlide | 2014 | Replaced the Bubba Tub. It only operated for two years when the park closed in 2016. | |
Black Hole | Two enclosed inline tube slides | WhiteWater West | 1990 | Replaced the original Corkscrew | [27] |
Blastaway Beach | Children's area | ProSlide | 2012 | Replaced the Kids Park. | [28] |
The Blast | Inline tube slide | ProSlide | 2003 | Replaced Raging Rapids. | [14] |
The Bomb Bay | Freefall body slide | WhiteWater West (base slide)/Universal Creative (trapdoor) | 2001 | [29] | |
Brain Wash | Enclosed Tornado | ProSlide | 2008 | Replaced the Hydra Fighter and Hydra-Maniac/Blue Niagara. | [17] [18] |
Der Stuka | Freefall body slide | WhiteWater West | 1984 | [30] | |
Disco H2O | Enclosed Behemoth Bowl | ProSlide | 2005 | [15] [16] | |
The Flyer (originally Fuji Flyer) | Two inline tube slides | ProSlide | 1996 | Replaced the original Mach 5 Beta. | [28] [31] |
Lazy River | Lazy river | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1984 | ||
Mach 5 | Three mat slides | Surf Coaster | 1986 | Formerly Mach 5 Alpha | [30] |
The Storm | ProBowls | ProSlide | 2001 | [12] [13] | |
The Surge | Mammoth | ProSlide | 1994 | [32] [33] | |
The Wake Zone | Water sports | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1977 | ||
Wave Pool Surf Lagoon | Wave pool | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1977 |
Name | Type | Manufacturer | Opened | Closed | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Banzai Boggan | Two sled slides | Bailey Rides, Inc. | 1977 | 1986 | Replaced by the Hydra Maniac | |
Blue Niagara | Two enclosed corkscrew slides | Waterfun Products | 1988 | 2007 | Replaced by Brain Wash. | [30] |
Bubba Tub | Family Raft Slide | Waterworld Products | 1992 | 2014 | Replaced by the Aqua Drag Racer. | [28] [34] |
Canadian Water Caper | Children's Area | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1977 | 1992 | Replaced by the Kids's Park | |
Corkscrew | Enclosed slide | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1977 | 1990 | Replaced by The Black Hole | |
Hydra Fighter | Suspended ride | Unknown | 1998 | 2007 | Replaced by Brain Wash. | [7] [8] |
Hydra Maniac | Two enclosed slides | WhiteWater West | 1986 | 1994 | Replaced by the Surge | |
Kamikaze | Freefall body slide | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1979 | 1992 | Replaced by the Bubba Tub | |
Kids Park | Children's area | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1992 | 2000 | Replaced by the new one of the same name (now Blastaway Beach). | [34] |
Kids Park | Children's area | ProSlide, Integrity Attractions | 2000 | 2011 | Replaced the original one of the same name, closed and replaced by Blastaway Beach. | [9] [10] [17] |
Mach 5 Alpha | Two inline tube slides | Surf Coaster | 1986 | 1995 | Replaced by The Flyer. | [30] |
Raging Rapids | Inline tube slide | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1982 | 2002 | Replaced by The Blast. | |
Whitewater Slideways | Two open body slides | Wet 'n Wild, Inc. | 1977 | 1986 | Replaced by the Mach 5 | |
The park was featured on Travel Channel's Extreme Waterparks and was also the setting for the music video for "Se a vida é", by the Pet Shop Boys.
The park was featured for Puerto Rican band Menudo for their video Nao Se Reprima in Portuguese.
A water park is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other barefoot environments. Modern water parks may also be equipped with some type of artificial surfing or bodyboarding environment, such as a wave pool or flowrider.
Universal Orlando Resort, often shortened to Universal Orlando, is a 1,291-acre (522 ha) theme park and entertainment resort complex located in Orlando, Florida. Following the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990, MCA moved forward with plans to expand from a single park into a large resort hoping to compete with Walt Disney World. In 1999, a second theme park, Universal Islands of Adventure, opened in addition to Universal CityWalk, a shopping promenade and nightlife district that incorporates a variety of themed hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. The first 30-acre (12 ha) water park, Universal Volcano Bay, was added in 2017. A third theme park, Universal Epic Universe, is scheduled to open in 2025.
Universal Destinations & Experiences (UDX), formerly Universal Parks & Resorts, is the theme park unit of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast.
Hurricane Harbor is a chain of water parks that are part of the Six Flags theme park chain. Although the parks are not identical, common features include a variety of body slides, speed slides, tube slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and shopping areas.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown is a water park located north of Houston in Spring, Texas, United States.
T2-3D: Battle Across Time was an attraction at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan. The version of the show in Hollywood had its final performance on December 31, 2012; the show then closed January 1, 2013. The version in Florida had its final performance on October 8, 2017; the show then closed October 9. The version in Osaka closed on September 14, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, making the show on September 13, 2020, the final performance.
Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast is a water park situated in Oxenford, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, owned and operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks. In 2019, the park received 1,120,000 visitors making it the most visited water park in Australia and the 19th most visited water park in the world. Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast is located adjacent to Warner Bros. Movie World, a movie-related park also owned by Village Roadshow Theme Parks. The park remains open all year with some seasonal ride closures and maintenance periods in winter. It is one of several water parks operating under the Wet'n'Wild brand globally.
Village Roadshow Theme Parks is a division of Village Roadshow Limited which operates theme parks and attractions in Australia. The Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd was formerly part of Village Roadshow Theme Parks; however, it was sold in 2011 to Merlin Entertainments.
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, also known as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – The Ride is a 3D motion simulator and dark ride located at Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man, it was originally built for Islands of Adventure's grand opening in 1999. A second version of the attraction also existed at Universal Studios Japan from 2004 to 2024. The attraction has a hybrid configuration that combines motion vehicles with 3D projection and elaborate physical sets.
George Millay was an American businessman and founder of SeaWorld and Wet 'n Wild water parks.
Wet ‘n Wild is a name used by various water parks across the United States, Brazil and Mexico, originally owned by SeaWorld creator George Millay. It is not to be confused with the Wet'n'Wild brand owned by Village Roadshow Theme Parks and CNL Lifestyle Properties or the stand-alone waterpark Wet N' Wild Waterworld in Anthony, Texas.
Big Splash is a waterpark in Canberra, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Macquarie and is the only waterpark in Canberra. It opened in 1969 as a public swimming pool, and has since become a private waterpark.
SeaWorld Ohio was a theme park and marine zoological park located in Aurora, Ohio. It was owned and operated by Busch Entertainment Corporation. The Ohio location was the second SeaWorld park to be built in the chain, following SeaWorld San Diego, which opened six years earlier. The park was developed by George Millay, founder of the SeaWorld brand. After being purchased by Six Flags, the park was merged with Six Flags Ohio, an adjacent amusement park, to create Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. Later, after the property was purchased by Cedar Fair, it was converted to a water park known as Wildwater Kingdom, which occupied the property until its closure in September 2016.
Raging Waters Sydney, formerly Wet'n'Wild Sydney, is a water park in the greater western Sydney suburb of Prospect, New South Wales, Australia, that opened on 12 December 2013. The park was announced on 11 September 2010 and was the third Wet'n'Wild water park operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks, after locations on the Gold Coast and Las Vegas. In 2018 the park was acquired by Parques Reunidos who renamed the park Raging Waters Sydney for the 2019 season. It is the only attraction outside the United States owned by Palace Entertainment.
Wet'n'Wild is a brand used for many water parks across the world owned by Village Roadshow Theme Parks and EPR Properties. It is distinct from the Wet 'n Wild brand originally owned by SeaWorld creator George Millay or Wet N' Wild Waterworld, a stand-alone water park in Anthony, Texas, US.
Palm Springs Surf Club is a surf club located in Palm Springs, California. The park operated under Cedar Fair's ownership as Knott's Soak City until 2013 when CNL Lifestyle Properties acquired it and changed the name to Wet'n'Wild Palm Springs. In 2019, the park was acquired by Pono Acquisition Partners I, LLC. The park opened in 2024.
Universal Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, or Volcano Bay, is a tropical-themed water park at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. It is owned by Universal Destinations & Experiences, Volcano Bay. Owned and operated by Universal Destinations & Experiences, Volcano Bay replaced Wet 'n Wild as Universal Orlando Resort's only water park, and it was the first water park constructed by Universal Creative.
The World Waterpark Association (WWA), which was started in 1982, is an international not-for-profit member-based trade association that serves waterparks, aquatic venues and spray parks. The WWA is focused on providing its 1200 members with the education and networking that they need to operate safely and effectively.
Fantasy Island was a waterpark once located at Sentosa, Singapore from 1994 to 2001, on the part of the present site of Universal Studios Singapore of the Resorts World Sentosa.