These Florida water parks rank among the best in US. Why they're fan favorites

Miami Herald

13-05-2025

As temperatures heat up, Florida is home to some of the top places to 'soak up the fun,' a new report finds.
Three outdoor water parks in the state now rank among the nation's favorites. Here's where they landed on a list from USA Today's 10Best:
Aquatica Orlando at No. 3Island H2O Water Park in Kissimmee at No. 6Adventure Island in Tampa at No. 9
But nationwide praise for Florida's water-related attractions didn't end there. Here are other top-ranked places to cool off:
Wind-Away River at Discovery Cove in Orlando at No. 1 in best lazy riversLoggerhead Lane at Aquatica Orlando at No. 2 in best lazy riversCutback Cove and Big Surf at Aquatica Orlando at No. 1 in best wave poolsTassie's Underwater Twist at Aquatica Orlando at No. 2 in best water slidesReef Plunge at Aquatica Orlando at No. 4 in best water slidesVanish Point at Adventure Island in Tampa at No. 7 in best water slidesCalypso Coaster at Adventure Island in Tampa at No. 10 in best water slides
To create the lists, 10Best asked travel experts to choose top-notch water-related destinations across the country. Editors narrowed down the options before readers could vote on the places they love the most, according to results published April 30.
Why the FL water parks are fan favorites
On the resulting lists of readers' choice award winners, Florida had more fan-favorite outdoor water parks than any state. For that category, 10Best said it considered attractions that offer visitors the 'ultimate day of sun and fun.'
The highest-ranked water park in the Sunshine State was Aquatica Orlando, a SeaWorld attraction that allows visitors to get glimpses of underwater creatures from its rides.
'Reef Plunge, a signature attraction, is an enclosed tube slide that passes through a pool of playful, black-and-white Commerson's dolphins,' 10Best wrote in its report. 'Guests can also take a leisurely raft ride down Loggerhead Lane while surrounded by colorful exotic fish.'
Also receiving a nod was Island H2O Water Park in Kissimmee. 10Best said the park, a roughly 25-mile drive southwest from downtown Orlando, boasts offerings that range from laid-back cabanas to 'high-speed rafting.'
Adventure Island in Tampa also was recognized for appealing to 'thrill-seekers.' 10Best highlighted the SeaWorld-run park's Colossal Curl, 'a racing slide that brings up to four riders high above the action for a weightless experience that merges funnels and waves for an adrenaline-pumping descent.'
While Florida was home to three top-ranked outdoor water parks, Great Wolf Lodge ranked No. 8 on a list of best indoor water parks. The company has several U.S. locations, including in Naples.
Overall, the nation's most-loved outdoor water park was Splashway Waterpark in Sheridan, Texas, a roughly 90-mile drive west from Houston.
In the past, 10Best has told McClatchy News it doesn't reveal the number of people who vote in its contests.