5 Best Water Parks in Orlando

The concept at Disney's Blizzard Beach is rather wacky but undeniably fun; it’s built around the idea that it was once a ski resort which ‘melted into a watery wonderland’. The result is a juxtaposition of snow-capped mountains that you can slide your way down next to white-sand beaches for relaxing by the unusually warm ‘artic’ waters.

A highlight is Mount Gushmore – home to one of the world’s tallest and fastest waterslides. There are plenty of other, less hair-raising slides and attractions to keep the whole family occupied for the day.

Typhoon Lagoon has a good 10 or so water slides, including the 2-person rollercoaster raft-like Crush ‘n’ Gusher. There’s also the Humunga Kowabunga with 5 steep drops, as well as the Storm and Bay slides, which are both a little slower and geared more towards the younger children. Elsewhere, there is a sizeable rapids course looping around the park.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon goes a bit further than just slides though. Surfers will love the Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, which generates 6-foot swells from powerful underwater turbines. Ticket holders can also jump in and swim with sharks, stingray and tropical fish at Shark Reef – perhaps the park’s best-rated attraction.