Are the WDW Water Parks Superior?

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Brad's picture
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Are the WDW Water Parks Superior?

So I never thought to ask this, but since I've never been:

Are the WDW water parks vastly superior to normal water parks? I was just thinking I never go to the local ones, I'm not sure why I'd be so gung-ho about the ones in Orlando. I've not heard people raving that they are as much above regular water parks as the theme parks are above regular parks. What do you guys think?

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My answer is that they don't necessarily have superior rides (though crush n gusher is cool I've hears), but that they have superior themeing. Water parks, by and large, strike me as dirty and unkempt a lot of the time; at Disney, it's the opposite.

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In short...no. They are not any better than Soak City by Cedar Point or the water parks in other amusement parks. They aren't better than all the great indoor water park resorts. If anything, they are just more crowded which cancels out the themeing

Yes, the themeing is better and crush gusher is pretty cool, but other parks now have similar water rides.

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caitiesus wrote:
In short...no. They are not any better than Soak City by Cedar Point or the water parks in other amusement parks. They aren't better than all the great indoor water park resorts. If anything, they are just more crowded which cancels out the themeing

Yes, the themeing is better and crush gusher is pretty cool, but other parks now have similar water rides.



Caitie, can you recommend some good indoor water parks?

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Brad's picture
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caitiesus wrote:
In short...no. They are not any better than Soak City by Cedar Point or the water parks in other amusement parks. They aren't better than all the great indoor water park resorts. If anything, they are just more crowded which cancels out the themeing

Yes, the themeing is better and crush gusher is pretty cool, but other parks now have similar water rides.

Catie sounds like a water park expert. She's been holding out valuable information! biggrin

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I've been to a healthy number of water parks and I wouldn't say the Disney ones are far superior. That said, they may be better depending on your taste. The theming is very cool at both parks and both have some unique attractions. As far as the slides themselves, they are not particularly remarkable compared to other large water parks. Bottom line though, is that they are fun. If you're in Orlando and you and yours enjoy this type of thing I would recommend either or both Disney water parks.

Here's a list of some of the best indoor water parks.

Plus one more notable indoor water park.

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Funny how so many of them are in Wisconsin. Cold weather breeds indoor water parks. biggrin

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SpaceAce wrote:
caitiesus wrote:
In short...no. They are not any better than Soak City by Cedar Point or the water parks in other amusement parks. They aren't better than all the great indoor water park resorts. If anything, they are just more crowded which cancels out the themeing

Yes, the themeing is better and crush gusher is pretty cool, but other parks now have similar water rides.



Caitie, can you recommend some good indoor water parks?

Most indoor waterparks I have been to are VERY good.

There are a couple in the Sandusky Area - Great Wolf lodge (a national chain) is great and Cedar Point's Castaway Bay is amazing. Talk about a place with great themeing and a great waterpark!

We went to a great one in the middle of nowhere in Virginia that was surprising fun - it was small but had quite a few slides and attractions.

I LOVE waterparks, not going to one in Disney this trip will be odd!

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caitiesus wrote:
SpaceAce wrote:
caitiesus wrote:
In short...no. They are not any better than Soak City by Cedar Point or the water parks in other amusement parks. They aren't better than all the great indoor water park resorts. If anything, they are just more crowded which cancels out the themeing

Yes, the themeing is better and crush gusher is pretty cool, but other parks now have similar water rides.



Caitie, can you recommend some good indoor water parks?

Most indoor waterparks I have been to are VERY good.

There are a couple in the Sandusky Area - Great Wolf lodge (a national chain) is great and Cedar Point's Castaway Bay is amazing. Talk about a place with great themeing and a great waterpark!

We went to a great one in the middle of nowhere in Virginia that was surprising fun - it was small but had quite a few slides and attractions.

I LOVE waterparks, not going to one in Disney this trip will be odd!

Are you big on the massive drop ones? I'm not really afraid to ride any rides, but the water slides where you seem to drop straight down intimidate me a bit. I'm particularly concerned that I'll get all the way up to the top and have a big line behind me and I'll want to chicken out. eek

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I've liked the Disney ones better than any others I've been to. And yes, the reason I'd cite is the themeing and the backstory that exists at the Disney Water Parks.

I'm no water park expert by any means though. In fact, you might say I'm pretty simplistic when it comes to water parks, when you consider that River Country is still my favorite water park of all time.

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Imagineer wrote:
I've liked the Disney ones better than any others I've been to. And yes, the reason I'd cite is the themeing and the backstory that exists at the Disney Water Parks.

I'm no water park expert by any means though. In fact, you might say I'm pretty simplistic when it comes to water parks, when you consider that River Country is still my favorite water park of all time.

River Country was incredible! I only went once but it was GREAT! It was very relaxing and (in the middle of the summer) did not seem crowded at all, even though there were a lot of people there.

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River Country is kind of a mystery. They just kind of closed it and let it rot despite it being seemly popular. Anyone have any insight into this?

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Brad wrote:
River Country is kind of a mystery. They just kind of closed it and let it rot despite it being seemly popular. Anyone have any insight into this?


Well the knee-jerk response to this would be that attendance dwindled with the openings of Typhoon Lagoon and then Blizzard Beach.

But I'd heard in the past that Disney actually was being pressured by the State of FL to either make changes, or to close it, due to the fact that part of the swimming area at RC was a natural body of water. Allowing swimming in natural bodies of water is strongly regulated by the state of FL.

I looked up RC on Wikipedia to see if there was any mention of this, and there, at the bottom, is exactly one line describing what I already seemed to know. waiting

Here is the entry, for what it's worth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Country

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That's right, I remember now. The problem was that it used the "natural" water. I wonder what caused that law to be passed.

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cdub wrote:
That's right, I remember now. The problem was that it used the "natural" water. I wonder what caused that law to be passed.


Just a guess, but maybe for fear of alligator infested waters? I heard there are gators in just about every natural body of water in FL.

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Imagineer wrote:
cdub wrote:
That's right, I remember now. The problem was that it used the "natural" water. I wonder what caused that law to be passed.

Just a guess, but maybe for fear of alligator infested waters? I heard there are gators in just about every natural body of water in FL.



...and many man-made bodies of water:)

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Maybe that brain-eating amoeba thing that solofriendly mentioned.

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LifeIsForLiving wrote:
Imagineer wrote:
cdub wrote:
That's right, I remember now. The problem was that it used the "natural" water. I wonder what caused that law to be passed.

Just a guess, but maybe for fear of alligator infested waters? I heard there are gators in just about every natural body of water in FL.



...and many man-made bodies of water:)

And the sewers!