tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73204223128428890962023-11-15T22:35:37.651-08:00Slides of BihrnoWater parks, who doesn't love them?bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-57878050937920058962015-06-01T19:19:00.000-07:002015-06-01T19:20:38.826-07:00Akaonekana pili KalahariThe Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio was another great waterpark, although the good rides require multiple people. I wasn't traveling alone this time, so I was able to do them. Like their property in Wisconsin, it has an African theme.<br />
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The water slides are indoors, although there is a small selection of pools outdoors. The Kalahari resort offers plenty of other things to do as well.<br />
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The water rides include:<br />
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Flowrider - didn't do this, but it's a body-boarding simulator.<br />
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Victoria Falls - A large, 2-3 person raft ride, moves pretty fast.<br />
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Zip Coaster - a water coaster, but it was surprisingly dry compared to other water coasters, especially if you're sitting in the back.<br />
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Tanzanian Twister - a body slide that spins you in a bowl and drops you into 9 feet of water. I skipped this one, it looked too scary.<br />
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Rippling Rhino - A tame 2-4 person raft slide.<br />
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Elephant's Trunk/Wild Wildebeest - A fast one person tube slide. Very fun.<br />
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Zig Zag Zebra/Zimbabwe Zipper - Body slides - despite the slide not exiting into a full exit pool, the water at the end was still very deep and got up my nose.<br />
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Swahili Swirl - A 2-4 person bowl slide, probably the best ride in the park.<br />
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Cheetah Race - a mat racing slide, a bit smaller than mat racing slides at other water parks, but still fun.<br />
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The water park was a bit crowded, but I was there on a weekend.<br />
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Food: Plenty of food around the water park, including full-service restaurants, sweet shops, and typical water park food.<br />
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Transportation: If you're staying at the hotel, you can fly into Cleveland, OH (CLE) and the hotel will provide a shuttle, but otherwise you'll have to drive.<br />
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Overall: A good water park but it may not be as enjoyable on your own.<br />
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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-47332464867911123522015-05-13T09:13:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:38:36.158-07:00"It's a system of transportation!"What I said about the lazy river when I first rode the lazy river here, at age 13.<br />
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I haven't blogged this water park as I didn't remember it well until now.<br />
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Typhoon Lagoon is Disney's other water park. Unlike Blizzard Beach, it has a tropical theme, almost like it's the opposite water park.<br />
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Typhoon Lagoon is part of the Walt Disney World Resort, so if you plan to go, you can simply buy Disney World tickets with the Water Park Fun and More option, which will allow for days in the Disney water park.<br />
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It includes the following attractions:<br />
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Castaway Creek - the lazy river, the "system of transportation" as it has many exits across the park.<br />
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Crush n Gusher - a water coaster. It was exciting, although wait times can be long (but not as long as Double Dipper in Blizzard Beach). Also, if you're riding solo, you have to carry a double tube all the way up the stairs which can be heavy, and you can only ride one of the three slides. Still, perhaps the best slide Disney's water parks has to offer.<br />
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Gangplank Falls - a family raft ride - didn't ride it as I was traveling solo.<br />
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Humunga Kowabunga - a steep body slide. Intense but very fun.<br />
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Mayday Falls - a tube slide, but with rough rapids, an interesting ride.<br />
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Shark Reef - didn't get a chance this time, but you can snorkel and look at fish here.<br />
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Storm Slides - typical body slides, but I didn't like being pushed into a pool at the end of the ride.<br />
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Surf Pool - a wild wave pool - this is no ordinary wave pool, as the waves are ocean-sized and will knock you off your feet. Don't worry, it's fresh water.<br />
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Food: Same as Blizzard Beach, mostly fast food, and great soft serve ice cream.<br />
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Transportation: Fly into Orlando International Airport (MCO). If you're staying at a Disney World hotel, which I recommend you do if you're planning to visit Disney World, there is free transportation from the airport (Disney's Magical Express). You can also fly into Orlando-Sanford (SFB) but it is farther away and you'll probably need to rent a car. Transportation from the Disney resorts is a little more tricky - there are rides to the water park from the hotel, but you have to make a connection in Epcot if you stay the whole day on the way back.<br />
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Overall: I liked Blizzard Beach overall a bit more, but Crush n Gusher was probably the best ride out of both water parks. A very good water park. Somehow wish one of the water parks had a bowl or a topsy-turvy slide.<br />
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-87236502232277862682015-05-13T08:57:00.001-07:002015-05-13T09:20:01.487-07:00Ski at a Water Park!Disney's Blizzard Beach is basically a ski resort themed water park. An interesting idea! Don't worry, the water is not freezing. Still, it's a great way to cool down on a hot day.<br />
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The water park essentially is built in the shape of a mountain, with light and steep rides. In fact, there is a 'chairlift' like one at a ski resort to lift you to the top of the mountain. The lines are rather long for this, however, even in May.<br />
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Blizzard Beach is part of the Walt Disney World Resort, so if you plan to go, you can simply buy Disney World tickets with the Water Park Fun and More option, which will allow for days in the Disney water park.<br />
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The rides are thus:<br />
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Cross Country Creek - a lazy river with multiple exits across the park.<br />
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Downhill Double Dipper - a tube slide that goes straight down (with one bump) - a pretty unique ride. The lines are pretty long for this ride, so do this ride near the beginning or end of the day.<br />
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Melt-Away Bay - a wave pool<br />
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Run-off Rapids - A tube slide, but probably the longest tube slide I've been on.<br />
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Slush Gusher - a vertical body slide with a few bumps, moves very fast.<br />
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Snow Stormers - A mat slide with curves, simulating a ski obstacle course.<br />
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Summit Plummet - a straight, vertical body slide, going down a 120 foot slope, according to Disney's website. I skipped this ride as I was too nervous for this.<br />
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Teamboat Springs - a water family raft ride. Skipped this ride as I was traveling alone.<br />
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Toboggan Racers - a straight mat slide. A little different than other mat slide rides I've been on, as there were no curves or enclosed tubes to start with. Lines can look intimidating, but move quickly.<br />
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The water park was more crowded than other May-season water parks, but that's probably because it's at Disney World.<br />
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Food: Mostly your typical fast-food served at a water park. They had good chicken nuggets if you don't want a burger. Additionally, there was great soft-serve ice cream. If you leave the park, there's many fine restaurants around Disney World.<br />
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Transportation: Fly into Orlando International Airport (MCO). If you're staying at a Disney World hotel, which I recommend you do if you're planning to visit Disney World, there is free transportation from the airport (Disney's Magical Express), and there are busses from the Disney hotels to Blizzard Beach. You can also fly into Orlando-Sanford (SFB) but it is farther away and you'll probably need to rent a car.<br />
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Overall: While somewhat crowded even during the "off-season", a very enjoyable and good-looking water park. Recommended!<br />
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.<br />
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<br />bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-22640359801902021912014-06-18T18:18:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:20:16.092-07:00The Howl of the Great Wolf Part II (Kansas City, KS)The Great Wolf Lodge water parks are a nationwide chain - in Kansas City, Kansas, I visited my second Great Wolf (the first being in Charlotte, NC) - it was small, but had very exciting rides and was an indoor park, which is great for a rainy day, and you can easily walk in and out of the park as you wish. Great Wolf <b>requires</b> that each customer stay at the hotel to use the facility - which cuts the crowds, but makes the park more expensive. This can be a little tricky, as if you're flying, a taxi from the airport can cost up to $60 each way, so a trip here can be rather pricey.<br />
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That being said, it's certainly worth it - not only do you have access to another waterpark (Schlitterbahn) and other things in Kansas City, Kansas, but the indoor water park Great Wolf offers is very fun.<br />
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The rides:<br />
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Triple Twist - one of my absolute favorite rides ever. The rider sits on a raft and is thrashed around in three funnels, for a very thrilling experience.<br />
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Alberta Falls - A tube slide, moves fast and dumps water on the rider.<br />
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Howling Wolf - a 1-3 person raft ride, which moves into the dark.<br />
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Totem Towers - two exciting body slides. You have to navigate a kiddie playground to access them, but are great body slides - best of all, they don't empty into a pool where water gets up your nose. One of them felt similar to the Maui Wowie ride in Erie, PA.<br />
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Food: Great Wolf offers lots of food - there is a place for burgers and the like inside the park, but as it is easy to walk in and out, you can go out to some restaurants near the hotel such as Famous Dave's or Lone Star, and the hotel offers it's own restaurant as well as a fudge shop.<br />
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Transportation: If you're staying at the hotel, and coming from the airport, a taxi is your best bet - it's $60 each way. Fly into the Kansas City, MO airport (MCI).<br />
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Overall: Small, but exciting, and has plenty to do nearby.<br />
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Rating: 4 out of 5 starsbihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-72067607064846728472014-06-18T18:05:00.001-07:002015-05-13T09:20:34.209-07:00It's Transportainment!Schlitterbahn has a number of waterparks in Texas and one in Kansas City, Kansas - I went to the Kansas park. The water park was unique in many ways.<br />
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"Transportainment" refers to the unique layout of the park - many rides can be accessed from the lazy river. In fact, the Storm Blaster ride has a line that is right in the water. This is very neat, especially on a hot day where the line might be long. There are also a number of "rapids" rides.<br />
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There's a new ride called the "Verruckt", which is supposed to be the tallest water slide in the United States - riders will ride in a raft, and it is a water-coaster type of ride. It was not open yet when I went.<br />
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Other rides include:<br />
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Bahnzai Pipeline / Black Knight / Wolfpack - tube slides, from enclosed to open - all were good tube slides.<br />
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Storm Blaster - the line is in the water, and is a "water coaster" ride - while fun, it was disappointing, as it was considerably shorter than other water coasters.<br />
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Whirlwind - another exciting tube slide ride.<br />
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Mighty Mo - this is one of the more unique rides I have found in a water park - you sit on a tube in a river, and rapids push you in one direction, creating the experience of floating down river rapids. However, large portions of the river just involved floating, meaning there's quite a bit of waiting before the exciting parts - but still a great concept.<br />
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Food: There is your typical water park food place, with burgers, hot dogs, and fries. There is also a sweet shop with ice cream and cookies.<br />
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Transportation: It is located in Kansas City, Kansas - if you're flying, the airport is in Kansas City, Missouri. I stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge in the Village West (so I got two water parks for one trip!) which is very close to the park. To get to the water park without driving, take the #101 Bus - very short trip. There's no way to walk to the park from the Village West area.<br />
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Overall: A fun water park, but could be better. It may be because it was a cool day, but it wasn't that crowded even in June. The crowds increased as the day warmed up and the sun came out, so crowds may be relative.<br />
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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars<br />
<br />bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-38631479494588880622013-08-31T09:42:00.002-07:002015-05-13T09:26:49.056-07:00The WET and WILD of VegasIn May of 2013, Wet n Wild opened a third park in Las Vegas, NV. I just went out to visit in August. (Their other U.S. properties include Phoenix and Honolulu, both of which have been reviewed previously.)<br />
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Before I get into the rides, there is one neat feature that this park includes: For $35, you can buy a rubber wristwatch. Around the park, there are some computer kiosks that allow you to select which ride you would like to go on next. If you have one of the park's wristwatches, you can use this feature, and the watch will tell you when the ride is ready - this way you won't have to wait in line, and the watch is also useful in determining when it is time to put on more sunscreen. I haven't seen this before, but I have read that Wet n Wild Phoenix added it after I have visited that park.<br />
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The park was somewhat busy in terms of crowds, but the wristband made it seem like the park was only lightly filled.<br />
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The rides include:<br />
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The Rattler - this ride looked exciting, but required multiple riders - the Wet n Wild Las Vegas site didn't exactly make this clear.<br />
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Royal Flush Extreme - A bowl slide - it was fast and exciting, but the color scheme here seemed a bit bland. Clever title, though, especially for Vegas. Still, a very exciting ride.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqWPJ3ul1W5iLrE9SXMb4qhdUV6mczZDxayAu1U7tqjy3nlfiO3WEAzlL05AtLoXOZZUglxElMdvIMYa7wZj4g71HVKQeyHEoLO64FIyxiwg5fbFKN1jT4Bqenqxl223hnMnz6rb0OyLg/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqWPJ3ul1W5iLrE9SXMb4qhdUV6mczZDxayAu1U7tqjy3nlfiO3WEAzlL05AtLoXOZZUglxElMdvIMYa7wZj4g71HVKQeyHEoLO64FIyxiwg5fbFKN1jT4Bqenqxl223hnMnz6rb0OyLg/s320/IMG_2868.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Constrictor - A very exciting tube slide. There are parts of the slide that are wider to speed up your riding experience.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdtqn93SyISrIxc2zbrpDQDoLP3HvMpYZdhEqWWkHN5a4gUw-M0btLolytENrp9cGmS7Dp2zPRmO3nz0Yvff0dYHbBnFmrAAKFlqhwM3L20a5xfsikg69P1X-QrhfowqpeJC5KYaHSrLi/s1600/IMG_2867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdtqn93SyISrIxc2zbrpDQDoLP3HvMpYZdhEqWWkHN5a4gUw-M0btLolytENrp9cGmS7Dp2zPRmO3nz0Yvff0dYHbBnFmrAAKFlqhwM3L20a5xfsikg69P1X-QrhfowqpeJC5KYaHSrLi/s320/IMG_2867.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Hoover Half Pipe - a ride that would push you up a wall, I didn't do this ride as it required multiple riders, but I would likely be apprehensive about this ride even if I did have other riders, it did look a bit scary.<br />
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Canyon Cliffs - a steep body slide, skipped as this didn't really interest me. Note that this ride cannot be reserved in advance with the wristwatch.<br />
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Desert Racers - a mat racing slide - I actually didn't like this one as much as similar types of rides in other parks, as the beginning did not have me entering an enclosed tube - I don't know why this matters to me.<br />
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Zipp Zapp Zoom - a standard tube slide, it actually felt a bit slower than other tube slides elsewhere, but it was still fun. If you go down the correct tube (the green one), there are interesting light designs throughout the tube.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49LyV6nW7FyB9LfCdDa66peI6dzOuZBMxmT0n93XXY0xA0zGNaWLazOcKXsqbSj_21n_SX8qSkyDKqHtZWDLllfRNMSOyV6B348HUFbB5FHi2Sb9IQBAbp1QapiECBKAdz13QaRkB9qeP/s1600/IMG_2866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49LyV6nW7FyB9LfCdDa66peI6dzOuZBMxmT0n93XXY0xA0zGNaWLazOcKXsqbSj_21n_SX8qSkyDKqHtZWDLllfRNMSOyV6B348HUFbB5FHi2Sb9IQBAbp1QapiECBKAdz13QaRkB9qeP/s320/IMG_2866.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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The park additionally has a wave pool and a lazy river, although only one of them appears to open at a certain time.<br />
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Food: Pricey, as with most water parks, and very bland choices such as hot dogs and burgers (interestingly you can only buy the food packages here, e.g. hot dogs and fries, as opposed to just one hot dog.) Unfortunately, there are no other places for food even in the vicinity of the park.<br />
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Transportation: Obviously, you'll want to fly into Las Vegas, NV (LAS). Unfortunately, if you don't have a car, you'll need to take a taxi from the Strip, as there are no public busses that move you close to the park, and the park does not have it's own transportation. This could change, however, as the park only opened in 2013. A taxi from the Strip is about $40 each way.<br />
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars; this is subject to change if more features are added to the park.<br />
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bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-49973297706020654312013-08-31T09:13:00.002-07:002015-05-13T09:21:19.958-07:00Wisconsin's Kalahari Maji Hifadhi YaHujambo, wenzake msomaji,<br />
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Wisconsin Dells is one of the water park capitals of America. The Dells are an interesting place, as, aside from the water parks, the town would seem like a standard place to pull off the highway for an overnight hotel stay - most of the restaurants and hotels are generic brand-name hotels. But this blog is about the Kalahari water park. I visited my brother who was spending the summer in Milwaukee, WI, and one day we drove up to the Dells for some water park fun - it was surprisingly cold for a July day, so we went to the Kalahari water park, the largest indoor water park in the Dells. There is a smaller outdoor section - I went on some of the rides, but it was too cold to stay out for long.<br />
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It was built in to it's own hotel - unlike Great Wolf, however, they sell a limited number of day passes.<br />
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The rides include:<br />
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Victoria Falls - a raft ride, I didn't go on it.<br />
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Master Blaster - a water-coaster type ride that propels you up and down the hills. When I was reading about this ride before, the site said "no single riders", but that turned out to be a blatant lie (note that it no longer says that on their website.) Be careful where you position your feet however, you don't want your ankles to be rubbed by the grills. This was probably the best ride in the park.<br />
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Screaming Hyena/Sahara Sidewinders - body slides that involve being dropped through a trapdoor at the start. I didn't go on this - as adventurous as I can be sometimes, this seemed way too scary for me.<br />
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Rippling Rhino - a tube slide with where you go down with a long raft.<br />
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Elephant's Trunk - a body slide. It is exciting, until the end where I would be thrown into a pool and get water up by nose.<br />
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Tanzanian Twister - a bowl slide where you are dumped into a pool of water at the end. I didn't do this ride - I've done a similar ride at Splash Lagoon (Erie, PA) but had no desire to do it again.<br />
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Zig-zag zebra - your standard tube slide deal - get an inner tube and have fun!<br />
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The Outdoor section of the park includes:<br />
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Extreme Rush - a mat slide, but one with twists and turns, unlike the straight mat slides in other parks. I personally didn't care for the twists and turns while I was on my stomach.<br />
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Swahili Swirl - A bowl slide, where you would be Swahili Swirled in an inner tube and then dropped into the exit pool.<br />
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Wild Wildebeest - An inner tube slide - it had parts that would drop water on you, and was more exciting than Zig-Zag Zebra, but as the weather was colder this day, it was harder to enjoy.<br />
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Anaconda - a raft ride outdoors, I skipped this ride.<br />
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The water park had a number of hot tubs, a wave pool, and a lazy river inside. One hot tub would be entered from the indoor park but went outside.<br />
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Food: Everything was pretty standard as far as water parks go. There may be more restaurants on the hotel premises, but I didn't want to get too far from the park. As much as I enjoy water parks, eating at them is becoming my least favorite part of the experience - the food offered is always along the lines of poorly-prepared burgers, hot dogs, and fatty fries.<br />
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Transportation: Wisconsin Dells doesn't really have any public transportation. I got up here by driving up with my brother from Milwaukee. The closest airport is Madison-Dane County (MSN), and the Kalahari hotel does have a shuttle from MSN (about 50-60 mins in distance), but that's pretty much it. Wisconsin Dells isn't easy to get around if you don't have a car or a friend with a car.<br />
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Overall: It was a very nice indoor water park. Some of the rides are pretty intense, so if you enjoy the more extreme types of slides, you will love this place. It's probably the largest indoor water park I've been to. It was crowded, but this was a Saturday in July, whereas I usually try to go in May/early June/late August/off-season.<br />
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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.<br />
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<br />bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-75101220868601659182013-05-14T15:52:00.002-07:002014-06-08T01:04:00.216-07:00Water Park RankingsWith my visit to Wet 'n Wild Hawaii, I have now visited 10 different water parks!<br />
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With this, for the first time on this blog, I will directly compare the water parks I have been to, listing them from favorite to least favorite.<br />
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Without further ado....<br />
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1. <b>Wet n' Wild Phoenix </b>- While there are a few things I wish were done differently, and it can get a bit on the crowded side, I believe this to be the best water park I have visited at this point. It had almost every exciting ride one could ask for, including the Water Coaster. (3.5/4 stars)<br />
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2. <b>Aquatica Orlando</b> - A close second to WnW Phoenix, it had many great slides and was very large. (3.5/4 stars)<br />
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3. <b>Adventure Island</b> <b>(Tampa) </b>- A very unique looking park, with lots of great water slides. (3/4 stars)<br />
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4. <b>Wet n' Wild Hawaii</b> - It was hard to determine whether Wet n Wild Hawaii or Adventure Island should get the better ranking, but I did feel that the slides were slightly more fun in Tampa. I would say that as a whole, Oahu is much more preferable for vacation than Tampa, but when it comes to the water park, I ultimately feel the the water park in Tampa holds a slight edge due to the larger availability of activities. (3/4 stars)<br />
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5. <b>Splash Lagoon</b> <b>(Erie) </b> - While it is a smaller indoor water park, if you go at the right time, there are almost no lines and many fun attractions. (3/4 stars)<br />
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6. <b>Splish Splash Long Island</b> - I haven't been to this water park in a while, and two new rides have been added since the last time I have been here, so this ranking is subject to change pending a future visit. The reason this water park is harder to compare to the other water parks I have been to is that Splish Splash is about the only water park I can visit where I know I would have access to the multi-person water slides (which many of the slides are). Despite the exciting rides, the water park is really brought down by the excessively long lines. Also, the 'bowl' requires two riders, which is not true of 'bowl' rides in almost any other water park. (2.5/4 stars)<br />
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7. <b>Golfland SunSplash (Phoenix-Mesa)</b> - While Phoenix does have the amazing Wet 'n Wild water park, it also has SunSplash, which is basically just okay. The water park was very crammed (not in terms of crowds, but in terms of space), and most of the rides seemed on the 'okay' side. Even the water coaster didn't seem especially exciting here. (2.5/4 stars)<br />
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8. <b>Great Wolf Lodge - Charlotte </b>- A small water park with exciting rides, but two of the five rides were multi person (I wasn't by myself here, so I could ride those two rides), and you pretty much have to either stay at the hotel or be a guest of a hotel guest to use the water park, so access is limited. (2.5/4 stars).<br />
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9. <b>Water Park of America</b> <b>(Minneapolis/St. Paul)</b> - Very few rides, but still can be a nice diversion if you're in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. (2/4 stars)<br />
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10. <b>Splash Works of Canada's Wonderland</b> <b>(Toronto) - </b>while it was convenient to have the water park attached directly to the theme park, the water here was way too cold to enjoy. (2/4 stars)bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-42737116128739108982013-05-14T15:10:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:27:08.176-07:00A WET and WILD ALOHA AdventureWet n Wild Hawaii - the only water park in the state of Hawaii - has quite a few slides and activities to offer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjph5bVrgE8K0wrQNxDsVTjO9Xxi6qh8BtQX1J726xCkhYsa_LBQKUZy5N3nvFtpMMyrNp7U9wsCgEqjwl4qZLtrUnineuflXnUAX0__2x6I3lLGxO26qhLtLqf3XEAkiXFVC5m_sdo-zil/s1600/IMG_2865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjph5bVrgE8K0wrQNxDsVTjO9Xxi6qh8BtQX1J726xCkhYsa_LBQKUZy5N3nvFtpMMyrNp7U9wsCgEqjwl4qZLtrUnineuflXnUAX0__2x6I3lLGxO26qhLtLqf3XEAkiXFVC5m_sdo-zil/s320/IMG_2865.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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This company also runs Wet n Wild Phoenix, which I have blogged previously, and is opening Wet n Wild Las Vegas this year.<br />
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As said, this is the only water park in the state of Hawaii. It is located in Kapolei, HI, west of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. There were many things to enjoy about Wet 'n Wild Hawaii, but there were also several things that could have been run better.<br />
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I'll start with the activities:<br />
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Three of the rides (the Tornado, the Raging River, and the Shaka) don't accommodate single riders. Unlike most visits to water parks, I did actually have a chance to ride the Raging River with people I met at the water park. I didn't have a chance to ride the Shaka, and the Tornado was closed for repairs. The Raging River was fun albeit a standard family raft ride.<br />
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Then, there is the Big Kahuna - a tube slide, which is wide and moves pretty fast. However, one problem with this ride is that the sign specifically states "solo riders must ride in single tube" for this ride. However, no single tubes are offered with the ride, and the only way to get one is to rent one from the locker stand. Not only does that mean I had to pay $7 extra to be able to ride on this slide, but that I also have to lug the tube around with me wherever I go in the park (and when I ride on a slide that doesn't call for an inner tube, I have to set it down somewhere and hope no one takes it!) Also note that there are also single tubes available for the Kapolei Kooler river and the Hawaiian Waters wave pool, but THOSE tubes somehow are not for use on the Big Kahuna.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlDu53TlybweqhHJeals94cYnwAUF0vJ-95JD4Eoji9xvzIpRegL1xTpMx_dDzC7S1t02LiwraJzAzxvtaeKxuoJMaczuzXK2wC1z6HSPEo_oBHWBzRZiLUcfcFQ5MTgByNE6DPlo4BL8/s1600/IMG_2864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlDu53TlybweqhHJeals94cYnwAUF0vJ-95JD4Eoji9xvzIpRegL1xTpMx_dDzC7S1t02LiwraJzAzxvtaeKxuoJMaczuzXK2wC1z6HSPEo_oBHWBzRZiLUcfcFQ5MTgByNE6DPlo4BL8/s320/IMG_2864.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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To borrow a phrase from internet film critic Confused Matthew, why should I have to do that?<br />
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That being said though, having your own rental tube does allow you to skip lines for getting a tube. Still, I would much prefer that single tubes be provided at the bottom of the slide.<br />
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Okay, I know that's an unusually large rant, but no other water slide I have seen at any water park has such a ridiculous system.<br />
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On to the rest:<br />
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The Wainae Coasters are the standard tube slides, and they move very fast and have some exciting drops. One of the four slides was down for maintenance, the other slides included a blue, red, and yellow slide - the blue was part enclosed, part open, the red one was all open, and the yellow was all enclosed - the yellow flume was actually quite hot inside, unlike the other flumes.<br />
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The Surfsliders are the standard body slides, and move quickly - I appreciated the fact that the slides did not end in a pool - I often get water up my nose when I ride on slides that do.<br />
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The Flyin' Hawaiian are short body slides that drop you into an 8 foot pool at the end. It is different from the standard body slide in that you actually drop into the pool, as opposed to the water meeting you at the very end of the slide.<br />
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The Island Racers are probably my favorite ride at the park - you get down on a mat and go down to slide on your stomach - this might be the best version of this ride yet, since it had many different stages, although the Taumata Racer (Aquatica, Orlando, FL) is a tough competitor for this honor.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IL8EZSmNjQssTTWLFF6CmeHeALlQq1B06z-wrnTMk1k_ukbMo_QQFLspCv2Lz99oMDcA1lyHqA4wY6MKAQh5kToWE0wK9wSxS_tY_YRQjLcpaqrGbC8euczPvgELfkdu9GEY73qLJEBF/s1600/IMG_2863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IL8EZSmNjQssTTWLFF6CmeHeALlQq1B06z-wrnTMk1k_ukbMo_QQFLspCv2Lz99oMDcA1lyHqA4wY6MKAQh5kToWE0wK9wSxS_tY_YRQjLcpaqrGbC8euczPvgELfkdu9GEY73qLJEBF/s320/IMG_2863.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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There was also the Wave Pool (Hawaiian Waters), and the Lazy River (Kapolei Kooler). I must admit, after having been to several water parks, these activities are more fun in indoor as opposed to outdoor water parks. I guess I don't like sitting out in the sun...<br />
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For reference, the Shaka is a half-pipe ride that accommodates 2 riders. There actually was a version of this ride in SunSplash Phoenix-Mesa that allowed for a single rider, but it was extremely scary, even for me. The Tornado is a funnel that allows 2-4 riders. I have been on versions of the Tornado in Splish Splash Long Island and in Great Wolf Lodge, Charlotte, NC.<br />
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There's also Da' Flowrider, which is an artifical place to bodyboard/surf (costs extra to use), but somehow I'm too nervous for artificial bodyboarding.<br />
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I can't speak for the crowds and running of the water park in the peak season, but I was here in May, which seemed to be an off season for the water park - some things worth noting:<br />
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1. Barely any crowds - although Hawaii is a popular tourist destination, the water park doesn't get too busy in May. That was good because the lines would range from short to non-existant.<br />
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2. However, Wet n Wild Hawaii would only have 3-4 of the rides open at a time, so I would have to wait until a ride opened in order to use it. Rides would rotate every 30 minutes or so.<br />
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3. The water park (even in the peak season) closes earlier than parks on the mainland, likely due to the fact that it gets darker in Hawaii earlier.<br />
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Finally, the scenery was amazing - lots of palm trees and great weather. You can get a (distant) view of the ocean from the top of some slides.<br />
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Transportation: The water park is on Oahu, so fly into Honolulu International Airport (HNL). The water park is on Farrington Drive, Kapolei, HI. If you're not driving, the best option to get to Wet n Wild Hawaii is to pay for a transportation package - the water park has it's own bus that will take you to it. This is very convenient, hopefully other water parks may follow suit. ;)<br />
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Food: On the expensive side. However, if you go to this water park, expect to eat their food: there aren't any outside food places in the area, and outside food is not allowed in the park.<br />
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Overall: Many good slides, and in a place with great weather (general note about Oahu - some areas have almost constant sunshine while other areas have frequent rainfall). I just wish that the Big Kahuna would provide single inner tubes with the ride, and that, in general, there were more 'special' rides that would accommodate single riders, such as a 'toilet bowl' or the 'maximum velocity' ride in Phoenix, for example.<br />
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.<br />
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(Pictures coming soon...)<br />
<br />bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-24798880039766370442012-08-22T16:38:00.001-07:002015-05-13T09:22:08.254-07:00A Cold Working SplashSplash Works, part of Canada's Wonderland in Toronto/Vaughan, has some fast moving slides, a bowl ride, and a racer. Sounds like a good small water park.<br />
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This is my first review of a non-US water park, by the way.<br />
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Unfortunately, it is brought down by one thing: the water is freezing here.<br />
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Most water parks I've been to heat the water, but not here.<br />
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The slides are:<br />
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Barracuda Blaster - the bowl slide (I didn't go on it). I wasn't sure if I could go single, but later on, the line was really long (30 minutes).<br />
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Riptide Racer - the racing mat slide which didn't move as fast as other racing mat slides.<br />
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Black Hole - a very fun, quick, enclosed tube slide. Probably the only really good ride in the park.<br />
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Body Blast - a slide that I didn't go on, as I would be pushed into ice-cold water.<br />
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Whirl Winds - tube slides, which would be pretty good, except that the water was cold.<br />
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The Plunge/Super Soaker - multi-person rides that looked reasonably fun.<br />
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There's also a wave pool.<br />
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The park comes with admission to Canada's Wonderland.<br />
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Food: Pricey, like any park, but especially due to being in the Toronto area.<br />
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Transportation: To get to Canada's Wonderland, fly into Toronto, ON (YYZ). From downtown, go to York Mills Subway Station, and then take the #60 GO Bus or (WEEKENDS ONLY) #165 TTC Bus.<br />
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Overall: Canada's Wonderland was a great park, but the water park is really too cold to enjoy, at least for me. Attendance at this part of the park is optional. Heating the water here would much improve it.<br />
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Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-37362935602033146712012-05-10T17:04:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:22:49.308-07:00Stranded on the Adventure Island (or Busch Waters)Adventure Island was another fun experience! It was very atmospheric, with palm trees, and brown rocks. I went on all the rides except the Wahoo Run, as it required multiple riders. It is themed after the town of Key West, FL, which I haven't been to.<br />
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The rides are:<br />
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Aruba Tuba/Calypso Coaster - two tube slides, one enclosed (Aruba), one open (Calypso). It was notable that these slides were wider than most, making it more fun and very fast.<br />
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Caribbean Corkscrew - Literally shaped like a corkscrew. Very fun as you could feel yourself dropping. Be ready for a big splash at the end.<br />
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Everglides - This ride was a winner! You would get on a small board, drop on a steep slide, and glide across the water riding the board! Very exciting!<br />
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Gulfscream - a steep body slide that dunks you into a pool at the end.<br />
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Key West Rapids - Now this I haven't seen before. It was single/double tube, with a very wide slide. Twice you would land in a splash pool mid-ride. Be prepared to move from forward to backward a lot.<br />
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Riptide - A mat racing slide, also very fun.<br />
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Runaway Rapids - The BEST body slides of any water park. Good drops, very fast, lots of pretty scenery, just be prepared to be dunked at the end.<br />
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Water Moccasin - Standard enclosed speed slides, again, you get dunked at the end.<br />
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A very scenic water park, some very fast slides, and very unique rides. It could have been better in places such as navigation or (in my opinion) having more tube slides. This water park is the Busch water park so buy the Busch/Adventure Island pass for $87 for a really good deal!<br />
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Food: There are places around the park for food but it is expensive!<br />
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Transportation: This is a bit of a drawback. There's no public transit that goes directly to the water park. I recommend, if you don't have a car, stay at a hotel that provides a shuttle to the water park (such as Holiday Inn Busch or Hyatt Place Busch). Fly into Tampa International (TPA).<br />
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-41958042272939395622011-08-28T13:40:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:23:54.292-07:00This is one WET and WILD experience!Another winner! Wet n' Wild Phoenix is one of the best water parks I've been to! The only water park I think is a rival is SeaWorld Aquatica (Orlando, FL). My only real complaint is that Arizona heat, which did bring down the experience just a little (sometimes you could feel the heat in the enclosed tubes). other problem is it took a bit of time to get here (especially from the airport). Other than that, I enjoyed every minute I had at the water park! The crowds aren't too bad either, longer than I was used to, but then again, the last time I went to water parks were off-season periods.<br />
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I didn't go on the Tornado, Mammoth Falls, or Raging River since I was on my own (part of the time I was at the water park, they shut these rides down anyway). However, every ride I did go on was great!</div>
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The rides are:</div>
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The Constrictor - A fast tube ride. Imagine being inside a snake and going downwards.</div>
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Phoenix Flyers - fun tube rides that banked up and down, and went really fast.</div>
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MAXIMUM VELOCITY - best ride ever of any water park (that I've been to)! I wasn't sure what to expect, since the Master Blaster let me down in SunSplash, but this more than made up for it! Lots of thrilling bumps! It's a water coaster, like in Noah's Ark, except designed for one or two people. Oh, and it takes your picture during the ride, but you have to pay to see it.</div>
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Desert Racers - another mat racing slide. As usual, these are great.</div>
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Serpentine Complex/Super Bowl - some tube slides, one has you going down the "toilet bowl" (yes, I know that's not an appealing way to put it, but trust me, it is fun!). Only problem is, although I was going by myself, I still had to carry a heavier double tube up. Still, lots of fun.</div>
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Overall, a fantastic water park with great rides. My favorite water park so far.</div>
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Food: Snack bars with the standard stuff are here, but the food is a bit pricey.</div>
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Transportation: Fly into PHX (Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport). Bus Route 35 (35th Avenue) will take you to the water park, which is on Pinnacle Peak Rd. The buses announce what street it's crossing, so you shouldn't miss it. Be prepared for a bit of a walk though.</div>
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.</div>
bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-59695530158996467462011-08-28T13:19:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:26:38.205-07:00Some Serious Sun Splashin'Mesa's (Part of Phoenix) Golfland SunSplash is a decent waterpark, although a bit crammed (not in the sense that it's crowded), but it can be difficult to navigate. It's part of an entertainment center, with mini-golf and laser tag.<br />
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The water park itself doesn't have much of a theme, although the whole place has a medieval theme.</div>
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As I went alone, I didn't go on the Thunder Falls or the Storm Rider, although both looked fun but had longer lines. I also didn't go on The Cauldron. It looked pretty much like the Hurricane Hole in Splash Lagoon (Erie, PA), and I didn't feel like getting dunked into six feet of water that day.</div>
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The rides I did go on include:</div>
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The Sidewinder - a half-pipe ride, which was one of the scariest things I've been on. It looks like fun (and is), but the initial drop is really scary. You get on a tube and fall down, then go up, repeat in slower movement, until the ride ends.</div>
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Splash Water Harbor Slides - Some pretty fast tube slides which were fun, although I did notice quite a bit of dirt on them when I was there, but it didn't interfere with the ride. Still, they probably should clean it up.</div>
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Master Blaster Water Coaster - I was looking forward to this ride. I remember doing a similar ride in Wisconsin Dells' "Noah's Ark" (I haven't posted this one because I don't remember it well enough). I was disappointed with it, however. It wasn't that fast, just felt like a bunch of bumps up and down.</div>
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Dragon Tail Slides - good body slides, but at the end, water can get up your nose.</div>
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Bonzi Speed Slides - also body slides. They go straight down. Pretty exciting.</div>
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Overall, it was a decent water park, but it got tiring after a while because the body slides kept getting water up my nose and some of the rides were either too intense or not intense enough. Additionally, the Arizona heat makes the ground really hot, so wearing sandals is mandatory if you don't want to burn your feet.</div>
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Transportation: Fly into PHX (the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport). A number of busses can take you to the water park, such as 112 and the AZ Avenue Link Bus, depending on where you're starting from. (If you're near PHX, take the light rail to the last stop (eastbound), and then the AZAV bus.) You can also fly into IWA (Phoenix-Mesa airport), but I'm not sure what the transportation situation is like there since I haven't used that one.</div>
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Food: Has a snack bar that's inside, that has pizza, nachos, hot dogs, etc.</div>
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Official Website: <a href="http://www.golfland.com/mesa/index.asp">http://www.golfland.com/mesa/index.asp</a></div>
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Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.</div>
bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-45800143131329785112011-01-06T20:09:00.001-08:002015-05-13T09:25:08.006-07:00The Water Park AquariumImagine a water park that you could not only ride the rides, but also features sea life. Look no further than SeaWorld's Aquatica water park in Orlando, FL!<br />
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In addition to having rides, Aquatica features some fish to look at on the lazy river and a dolphin tank. It isn't exactly a combination of a water park and an aquarium (it would be really cool if it was), but it's still a nice touch. You can look under the dolphin tank from a certain point. </div>
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The water park is run as a part of the SeaWorld amusement park, although tickets are sold separately as it is across the street. Aquatica is one of four water parks in Orlando. The others are Wet n Wild , Disney's Blizzard Beach, and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon. I haven't been to any of the others except Typhoon Lagoon, and the last time I've been to Typh as at the age of 13, and don't remember it well enough to review it.</div>
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The rides:</div>
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Tassie's Twisters - a bowl ride with a circle of water to guide the raft into the exit, in order to prevent people from getting stuck. You have to go on the Loggerhead Lazy River in order to access this ride (interesting).</div>
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Dolphin Plunge - A body slide going straight through the dolphin tank. Very intense, but you don't really get to see the dolphins while in the ride.</div>
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Tamuata Racer - A mat slide where you race up to eight people, and it is timed.</div>
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Wahoo Run/Hoohoo Run - A four person raft ride which I didn't ride since I was by myself. One of the slides was straight down with bumps, the other was a twisting raft slide.</div>
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Whanau Way - A tube ride, very fast. There are four different slides to choose from, but only two were open when I was here (Pink and Blue). The one problem was they didn't offer single tubes for this slide, so I had to carry a heavy double tube up even though I was doing it by myself. </div>
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and last but certainly not least...</div>
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Omaka Rocka - A tube slide which had bumps and three funnels throughout the tube which push you back and forth through the funnel. This is a very rare type of slide. The only known locations of it are here, Great Wolf (Kansas City), and a water park in Darien Lake, NY.</div>
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There's also Roa's Rapids, a water river that propels you.</div>
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Food: I didn't eat much here except for popcorn and dippin dots, but there were several restaurants and snack bars.</div>
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Transportation: Fly into MCO (Orlando International). You can also fly to SFB (Sanford), but it will be farther away. The park is located on International Drive. If you don't have a car, take the I-RIDE trolley (serving all of International Drive) as it goes directly to the water park gate. </div>
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Overall, it was a very good water park and a lot of fun. It may be one of the best I have been to. It wasn't at all crowded (I went in January), but looking at the design, I expect it gets pretty crowded in summer. (Some of the pathways to the ride went on and on). Also, the water park is more expensive than most, at $48 a ticket. Besides this, however, it was a lot of fun.</div>
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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.</div>
bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-41493385156185155562010-09-14T09:23:00.000-07:002010-09-14T18:50:43.878-07:00To see who's following...<div>At this point, I am curious as to who is following my blog. As far as I'm aware, the audience hasn't spread too far from where I live. If this blog interests you, and you read it, I'd like to know:</div><div><br /></div><div>What brings you to this site?</div><div>What water parks have you been to (if any)?</div><div>Do you have a favorite water park? If so, which one?</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks.</div><div><br /></div>bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-21370001532198651572010-05-31T07:51:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:23:16.105-07:00Quite small for America's LARGESTThe Water Park of America, not actually affiliated with the Mall of America, is located in Minneapolis/Bloomington, MN.<br />
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It contains:<br />
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An assortment of body slides<br />
Two tube slides<br />
A family raft ride<br />
A flow-rider<br />
A lazy river<br />
A wave pool<br />
A tree house<br />
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Some of the things, obviously, I'm a little too big for. I obviously couldn't ride the raft ride since I was here on my own, and I was a bit too nervous for the flow rider.<br />
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To be honest, this really wasn't much of a water park. The tube slides were short and not terribly exciting. The body slides had the sun beating on them and were bumpy. Besides the flow-rider and the raft ride, which really, is designed for a limited audience, there wasn't anything special about this water park.<br />
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The lazy river was nice, as it went around the park taking you to the different parts of the park, including the wave pool. Water also could dump on you on the river. I, on principle, like wave pools as well. Lines were short as well.<br />
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If you're staying at the Radisson near the Mall of America, the water park comes with the room (I think.)<br />
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Overall, maybe a good waterpark if you're traveling to Minneapolis (which is a very nice city) with kids, but I wouldn't go too out of your way to see it. If you're on your own, I'd probably skip this one.<br />
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Transportation: Fly into the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport (MSP). If you need transportation, take the #55 Hiawatha Line (train) to the Mall of America, and then walk, it's not too bad and is very pedestrian-friendly.<br />
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Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-88398774850050489432010-05-20T13:05:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:25:33.839-07:00Splashin' at the LagoonI just arrived at home from the airport, and am now writing my thoughts on Splash Lagoon in Erie, PA<br />
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Overall, I liked this waterpark. I went during an off-season point, so I didn't experience any problems with crowds. The rides are as follows:</div>
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Hurricane Hole - a body slide throwing you into a bowl, thrusting you forward at 40 mph and then dumps you into six feet of water. A little too intense for my taste, but some may enjoy it.</div>
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Cyclone - this was my personal favorite. It is a tube slide where you are thrown into a bowl and shot through, and has a speedy exit as well.</div>
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Shark Attack - a high speed, enclosed body slide with some blue flashes.</div>
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Python Plunge - a dark tunnel (tube slide) with some light holes in it, pretty fast.</div>
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Big Kahuna - A more calmer tube slide.</div>
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Black Hole - like the Shark Attack, but calmer, but that certainly doesn't mean calm.</div>
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Maui Wowie - a standard open body slide.</div>
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It also features a number of pools and a lazy river to relax in. I did notice, however, I kept getting stuck on the lazy river because the current (which the instructions tell you that you must follow :p) kept pushing me in circles. It also features a playground where a bucket of water dumps onto every once in a while. </div>
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I have also noticed that the Hurricane Hole, Cyclone, and Big Kahuna all start from the same area. There are signs telling you where to go for the slides, but I still think it could be organized better. The stairs weren't wide enough to handle three rides, and I think the stairs could have been split with chains or something.</div>
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The food was good if a bit on the pricey side.</div>
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That being said, I still think it was a very good waterpark.</div>
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Transportation: Fly into ERI (Erie, PA). It is on Peach Street. Take the M3 bus if you need a bus.</div>
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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.</div>
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bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-56040989616228447292010-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:26:10.009-07:00The Howl of the Great Wolf (Charlotte NC)There are many Great Wolf Lodges around the country, this is just one of them. The park features some pools, five water rides, a MagiQuest (which I did not do but would like to if I get a chance in the future, don't ask why), and a large hotel. I didn't actually stay at the hotel since I was with friends, and was invited as a visitor. Unfortunately, the park does not sell day passes - none of the Great Wolf Lodges do - you have to be invited as a visitor or stay overnight. It's a shame, because I enjoyed this water park. It will be harder to get in unless you have money or have connections.<br />
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The rides are:<br />
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Alberta Falls - Enclosed tube slides with some good twists and turns.<br />
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Totem Towers - Body speed slides, water can get in your nose at the end.<br />
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Mountain Edge Raceway - This is a fun one, you twist and turn on a mat and then go straight down racing the other riders. There are even clocks to time you, but when I was here, one was broken and one was missing.<br />
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River Canyon Run - Like Alberta Falls, but as a multi-person ride.<br />
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Howlin' Tornado - The King of the Wolves, the grand ride. You are thrown into a funnel and shuffled around after going down a steep slide. It is a 2-4 person ride.<br />
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Transportation: If you're flying, fly to CLT (Charlotte-Douglas Airport).<br />
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Depending on your financial situation, the cost may or may not be worth it.<br />
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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 starsbihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-61366932608337072712010-04-29T12:48:00.000-07:002015-05-13T09:17:07.460-07:00Splish Splash, I was taking a bathSorry for the lack of photos, when I was here, I had no idea I would be starting a blog about water parks.<br />
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Splish Splash water park, located on Long Island, NY is a fun waterpark but does get extremely crowded in the summer. I've been here three times, because I do have family in Hampton Bays and in New York City. The rides are as follows:<br />
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Alien Invasion - A four-person ride which throws you down a large tunnel and then throws you around a bowl. Very exciting and intense, but you won't be able to get on by yourself. Expect long lines. You must also be 48'' to ride.<br />
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Abyss - An enclosed blue tube slide, with some good turns. Lines do shorten at the end of the day. For one or two people at a time. Must be 42'' to ride<br />
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Barrier Reef - An enclosed body slide, extremely fast. I cut myself on this ride, and was bleeding after I got down (I didn't ride it properly). In my opinion, a little too much speed, but you may enjoy it. Must be 42'' to ride.<br />
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Cliff Diver - It's a very long steep slide. I also have never been on it.<br />
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Dragon's Den - A tube slide (I've only seen two-person tubes for this, I don't know if they offer one-person slides for this ride) which shoots you through a bowl. When I was here with my dad, he told me it wasn't worth the line. When I was here with my cousin, and I had a chance to go on the ride, I really enjoyed it. I went with my cousin. Must be 48'' to ride.<br />
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Giant Twister - My dad's favorite in the park. It is a long body slide with lots of exciting twists. It's not intense at all, but very enjoyable. Lines are again very long, even to the closing of the park. Must be 42" to ride.<br />
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Hollywood Stunt Rider - a 4-person ride straight down a long black tunnel. It isn't one of my favorites because the line is very long, and the ride is very short and not that exciting.<br />
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Mammoth River - a standard family raft ride, with some exciting twists and turns.<br />
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Max Trax - a long slide, one bumpy, the other straight, I have yet to go on the straight one. A fun speed slide, but water does get in my nose.<br />
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Shotgun Falls - a quick slide into swimming pool deep water. Loved this ride, but the line is again too long.<br />
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Splash Landing - A tube slide at the entrance of the park with lots of good turns. Is my personal favorite in the park.<br />
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The park also features a lazy river and a wave pool, both of which have long lines to get to. Plus, the lazy river has only one entrance. There's also a bird show, but I haven't seen it as it's not really my thing. Food is plentiful in the park, there are many places to eat.<br />
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Transportation: Fly into either ISP (Long Island), JFK, or LGA (NYC-LaGuardia) and go out to Riverhead on Long Island.<br />
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The Bottom Line: Splish Splash has lots of fun water rides, but the lines are very long. Do keep in mind I did go in July/early August, but it seems like some of the lines (e.g. stunt rider) were designed to be long. Still a fun water park if it doesn't bother you too much.<br />
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Score: 3 out of 5 stars.bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320422312842889096.post-21345497080275325502010-04-29T10:41:00.000-07:002010-04-29T10:47:17.902-07:00Welcome to the SlidesI'm pretty much finished with school now, so without further ado... The Slides of Bihrno<div><br /></div><div>On this blog I will talk about various water parks in America, hopefully maybe around the world at some point. Basically I'll list the rides, how to get to the water park, my experiences, and then give a rating. My scale will be:</div><div><br /></div><div>4 Stars - Recommended</div><div>3 Stars - Recommended with Reservations (e.g. long lines)</div><div>2 Stars - Worth seeing, but not worth going too out of your way to see</div><div>1 Star - Not Recommended</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, welcome to my blog.</div>bihrnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024827728219314702noreply@blogger.com0