So again, I’ve tried my hardest to avoid the theme parks in this section but this being Orlando it’s a bit difficult! Each resort (WDW, Universal, Sea World, Legoland) has a it’s own water park on the resort (actually WDW has 2!) and there is also the independent H2O Live! water park on Hwy192 not far from WDW.
Typhoon Lagoon at WDW is without doubt our favourite water park since our kids love splashing around and jumping the huge waves in what Disney claim is North America’s largest wave pool. Being Disney both of their water parks have many slides with no height restrictions so the whole family can ride together. It’s in the east of WDW over near to Disney Springs.
Blizzard Beach is the second of the two WDW water parks and has a snowy, winter theme. It features many water slides including Summit Plummet – an almost vertical slide which can be reached from a small cable car system. See more about both Disney water parks on the WDW pages here.
Volcono Bay is Universal’s water park. You can’t miss the volcano as you head north up the I-4. It has all the usual water park features like a wave pool. It has 2 lazy river attractions one a traditional slow and relaxing ring ride, the other a fast and frantic blast around a river. Another brilliant feature of this water park is the Krakatau water coaster which propels you up and down in a 4 person raft. And of course the best slides are up and around the volcano. Worth noting though is that many of the attractions at Volcano Bay have a minimum height of 42″ (106 cm) so little ones may be a bit disappointed. Also, you’ll need to park at the main Universal car parks and get a shuttle bus to the entrance. This water park is very popular in the summer months and can often reach capacity so getting there early is a must.
Aquatica is the water park from Sea World. Here you’ll find not one but two wave pools and a water slide which goes through a dolphin tank. Like Volcano at Universal many of the slides have a 42″ height restriction but little ones will enjoy the walk through of the dolphin tank or the lazy river which has a tropical underwater section. Visit aquatica.com/orlando for more info.
Legoland Water Park is great for little ones. The lazy river has large floating Lego bricks where you can make a small raft to cling to as you drift round. Located next to the Legoland Florida theme park at Cypress Gardens just south of Haines City about a 1 hour drive from the Disney area.
Island H2O Live! is southern Orlando’s newest water park and opened in 2019. It is part of the new Sunset Walk and Margaritaville resort which has a a couple of hotels and The Promenade – a shopping, restaurant and nightlife area. Situated just south of WDW along Hwy 192 it is right in the heart of the Disney area. Check out margaritavilleresorts.com and sunsetwalk.com for more details. Be aware if you’re visiting in the winter months the water park is closed most of the time and only opens for certain weekends like around Halloween and Thanksgiving. However the rest of the resort remains open as usual at these times and in December and early January they have a great drive through Christmas lights and music show set up in the car park.
Take Me To ORLANDO! 