Summer is coming, and the family is getting anxious to get out and about. Well there is not a better time to head down to Orlando, Florida, for some fun in the sun. Orlando is the epicenter for fun, entertainment, theme parks, and the home of Disney! So, when it's this time of year, the air is very warm and the sun is hot, so you need a place to cool off; what you're thinking about is a water park! Orlando has many themed water parks, such as the well known Wet N? Wild, the two Disney parks of Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, and the famous Sea World's new water park, Aquatica, which opened in April of 2008. But if you're not looking for an entire water park to spend the entire day at, then there is also a Water Resort, ran by Nickelodeon, adeptly named the Nickelodeon Family Suites. Whither you're a veteran of the Orlando area, the Orlando water parks themselves, or a newbie to the entire shebang, you're in for a Wet N? Wild ride, literally!



This brings us to our first stop: Wet ?N Wild. It is Orlando's oldest standing Water Park, which is now owned by Universal Studios, with its claims to ?Orlando's most exciting Water Park? and a ?must see Water Park?. I must say, from my personal experience, this park is best experienced with a large group of people, but is still enjoyable with family or even just a few friends. Take a trip down one of 10 Trill Rides, or relax on the lazy river. There is also a wake pool, which is designed to recreate the look and feel of a real beach surrounded by rocks. Located all around the park, you will find friendly staff who will supply your every need, such as food, beverage, directions, map orientation, and life guard support. Yes, this place is filled with life guards to assure you of your safety in the event you fall in the water unconscious or get in over your head in places like the Wake Pool. Other attractions, which are the thrill rides mentioned above, include: Brain Wash, a 2-4 person tube ride that vertically drops 53 feet, The Black Hole, which is a 2 person tube that drops through twist and turns in pitch blackness, The Storm, a cyclone style single person drop into fast moving water, and The Blast, which takes you down a ruptured pipeline where water pressure is exploding. Chill out on the Lazy River, where little to no effort is required to enjoy the cool and refreshing water and trees that surround it. Are you a surfer dude? Doesn't matter; you can ride the waves with your body or simply jump over or under them at the Wake Pool.

Our second stop is a relatively new park, brought to us by the Dolphins at Sea World! No, the Dolphins didn't design it, but it was engineered to their liking, as will it be to yours. Opened in April of 2008, this park has been jam packed with guest since the doors were ajar. Filled with over 10 different thrill rides, a double sided wake pool, two food grills and a Kiddy Play area, it speaks major competition for the original Wet N? Wild goers. I have to say something about the Wake Pool; which is, did I mention it had two sides? Yes, that's right, two contrasting wake pools that have different styles of waves. At Cutback Cove, the waves are fierce with high tension for instant action. Over on the other side at Big Surf Shores, the waves are random and can be large or small for a more surprising feel. When I said the Dolphins did not design the park, I was excluding Dolphin Plunge. The ride has two side-by-side tubes that drop down into and below the water; water that is inhabited by the Dolphins, whom love to swim around beside you as you race by. Go down Roa's Rapids for a white water experience or Whanau Way for a quadruple slide tower race. This is a place even Orlando veterans will probably have missed out on in the past and must not be missed now, so go visit!

Now, a park that can be considered both a theme park and a water park is the famous Sea World. Creator of the new Aquatica, Sea World has long been Orlando's home for aquatic and polar animals. From Shamu's Believe show to Journey to Atlantis, you're bound to get soaked! This isn't you're typical water park, but it is right around the corner from Aquatica and of course is in Orlando. I'd recommend it for the whole family, as there are more than just a few chances to get wet. You can watch Shamu do insane tricks with their trainers or dance to rock music, walk beneath the swimming sharks over at Shark Encounter, swim with the Dolphins, or ride the under water monster of a roller coaster, the Kraken! But as I said before, it's not your typical swimming style of a water park, but there are plenty of chances to get wet and have a ton of fun even staying dry.

No trip to Orlando, Florida, is complete with out a visit to Disney. Knowing this fact, Disney created many different amusement parks of all sorts in order to serve every need and desire, which includes, but is not limited to, two Water Parks. The first of the two is Typhoon Lagoon; this park is made up of fast water slides, tubular rides, water falls, and includes a surf pool that launches out 6 foot waves.