Florida

Slidin’ with Skyline

itemprop="discussionURL"0

Aquatica Orlando

Reef Plunge

Right at the entrance to the water park is the entrance to the first highlight: Reef Plunge. This classic bodyslide offers a fairly long slide over numerous bends and several smaller jumps and towards the end offers a ride through a larger water basin in a transparent tube. Here you have a few seconds to watch the Commerson’s dolphins, leopard sharks, sardines and other cold-water fish above and beside you before you reach the exit of the slide. Thanks to this feature, Reef Plunge is a unique experience and should definitely be tried once, provided the slide is open.

Loggerhead Lane and Tassie’s Twister

The Lazy River Loggerhead Lane serves as a cozy entry point for the double funnel slide Tassie’s Twister. After drifting for a few minutes, you can make your way up to the entrance. After a quick start, you then do a few laps in the funnel before leaving it comfortably through the outlet and being led back into the lazy river.

Riptide Race

Riptide Race was still the newest water slide in the park when I visited. The double racing slide offers several sections along its course where you can meet your competitors in the other lane. Despite its numerous jumps, the slide is a little too gentle, at least for a single person.

Walhalla Wave and Ray Rush

At the time of my visit, the Ray Rush slide was under construction. I would have loved to go for a ride on the Family Blaster ride built by Whitewater with the large Manta element, but I would have just as loved to go down the Valhalla Wave slide. Both slides promise to be a lot of fun, which is why I would love to return at some point.

Walkabout Waters and Taumata Racer

After this small disappointment, we now make our way through the Walkabout Waters play structure, where we refresh ourselves a little with the water from the huge overturning bucket, towards the Taumata Racer mat slide. This eight-lane slide not only has an incredibly high capacity, but also encourages you to race against your family or friends. The Taumata Racer is by no means a classic mat slide, because before it goes into the big shoot ride, you first pick up a lot of speed in a high-pressure helix. Wonderful!

Roa’s Rapids, Big Surf Shores and Cutback Cove

Aquatica Orlando is home to the pretty fast and really exciting Lazy River Roa’s Rapids. For a large part of the course, you can simply let yourself be carried along by the current without paying too much attention, and in between there are the absolutely brilliant rapid sections. It’s great fun. The nearby wave pools Big Surf Shores and Cutback Cove are perfect for letting yourself drift a little on the waves after a round or two in Roa’s Rapids.

Ihu’s Breakaway Falls

The four turbo slides of the Ihu’s Breakaway Falls tower are located directly next to the two wave pools Big Surf Shores and Cutback Cove. While the blue, green and orange tubes have a trapdoor start, the purple tube offers a classic entry followed by a very steep gradient before it turns into a curve-dominated slide, just like the other tubes. As always with very high waterslides, the tension increases with every meter of height. Here at Aquatica Orlando, it is even forbidden to wear swimming trunks that are too tight, as you would probably be going too fast. At some point, you reach the top and are spoiled for choice between the four lanes.

While the two of the three trapdoor start lanes immediately turn left and, after a short bend to the right, offer a longer straight section with the third in the group following the same course in the other direction, the purple slide gets off to an incredibly fast start with a fairly high drop. This is followed by a powerful downward helix, which leads into another high drop for the finale. Meanwhile, the three other lanes also set off on their final spurt and elegantly lead you into the exit after another high-pressure left or right turn.

All four lanes of Ihu’s Breakaway Falls are really good slides, with the purple lane definitely being the wildest of the four. Those who like turbo slides will get their money’s worth here, because Orlando’s highest water slide is really not for hot showers and/or water park newbies and is therefore a real test of courage!

Kare Kare Curl

Let’s now move on to the last huge standalone slide in the park and my personal highlight: Kare Kare Curl. As I was traveling alone and a group of three happened to need another person to slide with them, I was able to take a seat in one of the four-person boats in no time at all. After a short slide at a lofty height, there is a tight helix before the big drop into the Tornado Wave begins. In this wave, you speed up rapidly before drifting sideways and hurtling downwards. After two quick swings along the slide wall, you are slowly slowed down before plunging into a tunnel and being guided leisurely to the end of the slide.

Kare Kare Curl is an absolutely magnificent slide, which for me also serves as a symbol for Aquatica Orlando.

Whanau Way und Omaka Rocka

Nearby is the ascent to the fast tube slides Whanau Way and Omaka Rocka. While the former scores points with its rapid double drop finale after a winding start, Omaka Rocka impresses with its wild pendulum passages in the small funnels on the way down.

Pictures Aquatica Orlando

Conclusion Aquatica Orlando

Just like back then in San Antonio, I was once again quite happy to have bought the ticket for the water park. The visit to Aquatica Orlando was my highlight of the day and one of the best water parks I’ve visited so far. Despite the many closed slides, I liked the park even better than its sister park in San Antonio. There are a lot of really good water slides here and the design of the park is also extremely sublime, which is why I can highly recommend a visit. With a visit to the main park next door, you really have a lot to experience here.

What is your opinion on the Aquatica Orlando water park? Simply write them in the comments field below the report or visit our social media channels:

          

Aquatica Orlando

A wooden flash

itemprop="discussionURL"0

Fun Spot America Orlando

Unlike its sister park in Kissimmee, the park in Orlando is gated and a security check is performed at both entrances. Tickets for the rides and attractions can be bought within the park. Like Fun Spot America Kissimmee, there is an evening wristband option, which I used during my visit.

Sea Serpent

The smallest roller coaster in the park is Sea Serpent. The ride by E&F Miler Industries is in the small kiddie ride section of the park and offers an oval layout, which is refined by many waves. The ride is enjoyable and a lot of fun for the youngest park guest.

Freedom Flyer

The Freedom Flyer on the other hand is a ride which satisfy basically everyone. Once we board the suspended family coaster, the ride starts with a short curve towards the lift hill. At the top we immediately fall in a wide left turn towards the ground. Far above the paths, we then climb up again in a similar way. A straight hilltop follows. With momentum, we now pass through a short dip, whereupon a labyrinth of narrow helices follows. Alternating right and left helices, we get faster and faster before we rush into the station at top speed. There we are gently slowed down and then come to a stop.

The Freedom Flyer is a top-class ride. The layout is fun, especially the young park guests. As the first big roller coaster I can hardly imagine a better ride. The pacing and the ride characteristics of this modern family roller coaster classic are very convincing.

White Lightning

Fun Spot Orlando’s star attraction is the GCI wooden coaster White Lightning. The ride runs along the Northern and Western boundary of park and serves as a nice background to most of the rides.

In a short dip we leave the station, whereupon the lift hill of the ride is climbed. Once the maximum height of 22m reached, we immediately plunge down the curvy first drop. Close to the ground, we are now swerving from one side of the ride to the other in a wild s-curve manoeuvre. This is followed by a double-up element with a double-down element ensuing. Back on the ground level we immediately shoot up into a turnaround where the banking of the track increases steadily before we fall to the ground. Rushing over hill and dale the track is now running parallel with the already experienced one.

After two high hills follows a slightly twisted S-curve hill, which flows into a small double-down. We now whiz over a very, very small hump before we are pushed to the right side of the train in a small curve. This is followed quickly by another very flat hill, before approaching in a short left-right corner combination the break run of the ride. 

Well, how should I judge the roller coaster?! After my first rides with Heidi – The ride at Plopsaland De Panne, which has a very similar layout, I was truly underwhelmed, but White Lightning has proven me wrong. This ride is fantastic! It is an overall very well paced coaster which is just fun to do one lap after the other.

Go-Kart Tracks

If you are looking to spend a bit of time on a go-kart track, Fun Spot got you covered. The four tracks named Commander, Quad Helix, Trasher and Conquest are pure fun. While the Trasher is a rapid track close to the ground, the other three are all multi-level tracks, featuring a bunch of helices, hills, steep drops, and tight curves. As the tracks are overlaying each other, you can hardly follow the layouts, which makes a ride on all of them a very challenging activity.

Miscellaneous

Fun Spot America Orlando offers a very solid selection of classic American flat rides, as well as some more exclusive rides, as the Enterprise or a star flyer variant featuring a new kind of flying sensation. As its sister park in nearby Kissimmee, the park also features a large Sky Coaster, which is also one of the largest of its kind.

Together with Gatorland – the alligator capital of the world –, Fun Spot America Orlando features Gator Spot – a small zoo housing Florida’s famous reptiles. Although it’s just a small attraction at Fun Spot, it is one you should not miss.

Pictures Fun Spot America Orlando

Conclusion Fun Spot America Orlando

Orlando’s Fun Spot America is a very solid amusement park, which offers a nice alternative to the picture-perfect theme parks by Universal and Disney. You don’t need to spend a lot of time (or money) to have a good time at the park.

Fun Spot America Orlando

Going down the Summit Plummit

itemprop="discussionURL"0

Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Opened in 1995, Blizzard Beach is the newest water park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The theme of the park is based on a Disney legend. After a heavy snowstorm in the area, a businessman wanted to open Florida’s first ski resort. However, the snow did not last long. What remained was a mountain with water-filled ski jumps and a chairlift. The ride was about to close when an alligator was seen sliding down a ski jump and landing in a pool of water. The ski area was then reopened as a water park.

Melt Away Bay, Cross Country Creek, Tike’s Peak and Sky Patrol Training Camp

At the base of Mount Gushmore, we can find most of the family friendly offering. The toddler pool Tike’s Peak is slightly off the mountain and hence a good area to let your kids play safely. The Sky Patrol Training Camp on the other hand snugs neatly onto the mountain and offers a variety of fun activities for older kids. Surrounding the mountain is the Cross Country Creek offering a relaxing journey throughout the park. Finally, the family can come together to experience Melt Away Bay, the park’s large wave pool.  

Downhill Double Dipper

Probably the most fun slide at Disney’s Blizzard Beach is the Downhill Double Dipper tube slide. Here we race down a series of steep drops and experience a very fine airtime on the crest of the second downwards chute. It is also a very good slide to race against friends and family.  

Snow Stormers and Toboggan Racers

Snow Stormers and Toboggan Racers are the two mat slides of Disney’s Blizzard Beach. While Toboggan Racers is a mat racer slide, where you race against your fellow sliders down a chute with multiple waves, Snow Stormers is a more classic slide guiding us through seven serpentines on our way down.

Runoff Rapids 

Runoff Rapids are the park’s classic tube slides located at the back of the artificial mountain. While two of the slides offer a very chilling slide down a course with multiple serpentines and a few jumps, the third of the pack does it in pitch blackness.  

Slush Gusher and Summit Plummit

Slush Gusher and Summit Plummit are the park’s two kamikaze style bodyslides. While Slush Gusher offers a pleasant slide down multiple hills next to the ski jump tower, Summit Plummit takes it one step further and lets you go down the sky jump. These huge kamikaze slides always require a lot of courage and Summit Plummit – although you are not actually taking the jump – is a very breathtaking experience. Thankfully, you don’t have to walk all the way back up to go again, as the run off ends nearby the park’s chairlift.  

Teamboat Springs

Teamboat Springs is the large family raft slide and starts on top of the mountain. The slide goes down a very gentle slope at the back of the back. The slide consists of alternating left and right turns, sparkled with an occasional jump in between and topped off with a nice double drop finale. It is a very family friendly ride, but a very fine experience too.  

Pictures Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Conclusion Disney’s Blizzard Beach

I had a blast at Disney’s Blizzard Beach. Due to the “cold” weather – at least for the locals –, there was basically no one else in the water park, hence I could experience all of the slides in a very timely matter. I truly love the theme this water park is going for and I’m quite excited to come back one day.

What is your opinion about the water park Disney’s Blizzard Beach?  Just write it in the comment field below the report or visit our social media channels:

          

Disney's Blizzard Beach