Top 10 Florida Waterpark attractions

      While this blog will mainly be focused on movies, I do have other interests I want to blog about, so I'm still going to talk about them, One of my other major ones being water parks. My dad have a long running youtube account dedicated to water parks, which you can check out by following this link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TechnologyMAN1245?feature=mhee
   
     Anyways, my dad and I have been to all of the major Florida waterparks, and a few of the minor ones, so I decided to compile a list of the top ten water slides in Florida parks. Here we go...

10. Old Yellar- Rapids Water Park

     With a tame look, this seems like an unthreatening ride. However, hiding in the gentle hill and flower painted tunnels is a thrilling ride that sends you up the walls and off your mat. Some slides are tamer then others, but basically, they all have sharp hairpin turns, especially in the final seconds, that are much more exciting then you'd suspect. Due to all four slides being carved into a sloping hill, it's impossible to see what's ahead, adding another layer of excitement. A small problem you could find is it's hard to stay on the mat, but by the time you build up enough energy, you won't need it.

                                                                              
9. Crush-n-Gusher- Typhoon Lagoon

     This is great use of fairly new slide technology, with a mix of lifts drops, and curves. The three slides are truly enjoyable for all ages, inventive, tame enough for kids, but still wild enough for adults. I know that doesn't really make sense, but I think you get what I mean. It's not as thrilling as the first ride to use this technology, Schlitterbahn's "Master Blaster", wince this has smaller drops and lifts, but as a stand alone slide, it's pretty great.

8. Storm- Wet-n-Wild
      I think the fog in the bowl is what puts this ride over the top. Other then that, it's a solid slide, a swooping, curved drop that shoots you at almost a 90 degree angle around the wall of a bowl, continually spinning you around and around, before falling into a hole and into the pool below. That's all a fine ride, but the fog that blocks your vision in front of you and of the outside completely immerses you in confusion of where you are and what's going to happen next.




7. Everglides- Adventure Island

      One of the most original water slides Iv'e ever been on. The question is "How do you make a basic drop fresh and memorable?" This is the answer. Not only do you get one long, plummeting drop, but you also get  about 30 feet where you get to skid and jump across the water. There's not much to say, but it's a thrill. Your heart plummets as you do, and jumps as you go across the water, and on top of that, you get to race somebody.












6. Shark Reef- Typhoon Lagoon

     Shark Reef is a realistic, immersive experience. Get mere inches away from tropical fish and ground dwelling sharks. The cleanliness and safety of Disney World, with the color and beauty of the wild. There's no complicated rules or certificate's needed, it's just a snorkel and life vest. The simplicity makes it even better. This is a tranquil break from the fast paced water slides, where you can move at your own pace through the reef. The fish swim around and above you, with the surprise of mini sharks to excite you.

5. Boomerango- Coco Key Water Resort

      This is a simple, but nonetheless fantastic slide in a small, minor water park. A steep drop rockets you up a wall of water, before you fall yet again  down another almost vertical drop, this time backwards. You end by speeding over a bump and through a thick waterfall.  It's quick, short, but packs a powerful punch from it's strong G-Forces. The heart- plunging drops and lifts make a remarkable ride that will feel way too  short, and make you want to ride it again... and again... and again.









  
                                                                              
4. Disco H2O- Wet-n-Wild

                                                                   
      A large, colorful group slide that is so memorable because of an actual disco party that occurs in the indoor bowl. You start slowly, with some lights fading between colors. Then, there's a sudden drop in the dark, making you build up speed before you hit the bowl.   As you quickly spin around, closer to the center, you get a fantastic trip back in time. Retro disco music blares over the sound of gushing water,  chains of lights flash different colors and a giant disco ball spins. Then, you drop again through a waterfall and back into the open. It's exciting, but not the most so. The reason it lies so high on the list is the great special effects that really give a nostalgic feel of disco.








3. Surf Pool- Typhoon Lagoon

      Most water parks have a wave pool. It's usually not a main attraction. While they can provide some fun, they're all the same. Every few minutes,  a surge of medium sized waves go through a pool, and it usually doesn't provide many thrills. Typhoon Lagoon, however, is not content with that. So they make a pool where every 90 seconds, a powerful, 6 foot wave sweeps through the massive pool, slamming anything in its path below the water. This is truly a wave pool you can stay in forever without getting bored. The simple action of getting swept under the water, or trying to ride the wave from it's beginning, is a repeatedly breathtaking experience.



2. Roa's Rapids- Aquatica

      This is no ordinary lazy river. This endless, looping ride is fast and exciting, constantly moving you through it's rapids, under fountains, and around atmospheric plants and rock formations. The water churns out at just the right speed, quickly enough to make it exciting, but still not enough to slam you into the sides of the ride. There's no tube or anything like that to slow you down, just you and the current. For an even better experience, I suggest staying near the edges where the jets are, so they can propel you even faster, also wearing a life vest. Not just for the safety, but for speed too, and so the lifeguard every 40 feet or so don't yell at you. But it's not just a great deal of speed that lands this at position 2. The greatest part about this attraction is there's no wait. You can feel free to get in at any time you want, and ride it for as long as you want.







And before No. 1, honorable mentions:
       
Black Thunder- Rapids Water Park       Black Hole- Wet-n-Wild      Taumata Racer- Aquatica        

And number 1 is:

Brainwash- Wet-n-Wild

The best water slide in Florida comes from what is probably the most inventive park in the state. First, the basics. This is a great funnel ride. A speedy drop that launches you into a dark funnel. You fly up the side, fall, then fly up again. One of the main problems I've found in some funnel rides is that they're not smooth. When your'e in the funnel in some of these rides, the water collects at the bottom, causing your raft to bump over it and for it to slow down. Here, however, you gracefully splash through each time, barely losing speed. But that's just a good funnel ride, so what makes this No. 1? Well for one, it's the fantastic use of lights and effects. Even before you go  into the main part, you get a strange, glowing brain, and a surreal tunnel with flashing rings of different colored lights. In the funnel itself, you get those same lights that flash on and off, allowing you to barely see the thrills that await you, before darkness takes over again. There's also a large, circular screen on the inside that shows random, strange imagery, adding another level of re-ridability, to see all of the different images that show up. The final element that pushes this to the top is that it has a musical theme. I don't think I've ever been on a slide with it's own music, especially one with music that matches the surreal theme of the ride so well. The music is simple, polished, a little bizarre, and a little ominous, really making this more then a ride, but a true experience. This is, without a doubt in my mind, my favorite water slide in Florida, and arguably the best.