Amusement Parks: Wild Waters - a Potted History Blooloop

Wild Waters is a water amusement park located in Ocala, Florida.

The amusement park is smaller than many of Florida’s more famous water parks but prides its success on having more of an intimate and traditional feel about it and it is extremely popular with local residents of Ocala and neighbouring Silver Springs and with tourists alike.

Although successful in its own right, the amusement park also benefits from having a successful ‘sister’ amusement park close by called the Silver Springs Nature Theme Park.

The Hurricane is the flagship ride of the amusement park. It is approximately 80 feet tall and features a double flume in the shape of a large ‘figure 8’. The climax of this particular ride is when you enter into a dark, long tunnel before emerging into the splash pool.

A pair of interesting slides at the amusement park which descend into the same splash pool are Bunyan’s Road and Osceola’s Revenge. Although they both have the same start point, they do not run alongside each other in parallel fashion, have different twists and turns and because of its additional drop, the latter has the reputation of being the more scary of the two rides at the amusement park.

The amusement park’s latest ride is Alligator Ambush which opened in 2008. It is designed as an enclosed water flume which hurtles riders down a 45 foot tunnel at speeds of up to 30mph where you emerge into a 35 foot bowl in which you get swirled around what can only be described as a ‘toilet bowl’ and in which a giant alligator sprays water at you. You are then transported into another shorter tunnel before emerging into a splash pool at the bottom.

In addition to these rides and several others, the amusement park also features a wave pool. Holding 450, 000 gallons of water, it alternates between calm water and then generates waves that can reach up to 4 feet in the deep end.

Smaller children will enjoy Cool Kids Cove at the amusement park which is a fun zone built on several levels. The amusement park also features a volleyball court, several speciality shops, numerous picnic areas and several snack shops which include a pizzeria as well as having its own gift shop.