These Florida water parks rank among best in the U.S. in new list. Here's where to go

C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·4 min read

Just in time for summer, which unofficially starts in Florida as soon as the shorts come out, two Florida water parks were listed in the top 5 in the U.S. in a new study by retailer SwimOutlet.

And one was in the bottom five.

SwimOutlet looked at customer ratings, rides, amenities and facilities, ticket prices, number of food and drink places, bathrooms, Google search interest and additional activities of 20 of the most popular water parks in the country and Florida was, unsurprisingly, well-represented.

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon was No. 2 with Aquatica Orlando coming in at No. 4.

Cedar Point Shores waterpark opens for the summer Memorial Day weekend.
Cedar Point Shores waterpark opens for the summer Memorial Day weekend.

The top-performing water park, by a wide margin, was the Ohio-based Cedar Point Shores, with a score of 9.2 out of a possible 10, 80% higher than the average score across the top five parks. Why?

Well, the fact that the 18-acre Cedar Point Shores has 68 separate rides is probably a big part of it (the other parks averaged 19 rides each). Ticket prices start at $49.99, compared to Typhoon Lagoon's $70.

Here's how the Florida water parks did.

Voting is now open: Vote for your favorite outdoor water park for the 10Best Readers' Choice 2024. Voting ends April 22

No. 2: Disney's Typhoon Lagoon

Disney World has two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Typhoon Lagoon is where you go if you want excitement.

Typhoon Lagoon, which is carefully designed to look like a tropical paradise after an epic storm, has often been named among the top water parks and was the most popular water park in the world in 2022 according to the Themed Entertainment Association. It has the largest surfable wave pool in North America, waterfalls and slides, the 5-story Humunga Kowabunga drop down Mount Mayday, rafting (rollercoaster-style and lazy-river style), and plenty of ways to stay wet for all ages and adventure levels.

From May 25 to Aug. 31 you can take advantage of the H2O Glow After Hours offer, a three-hour nighttime event on select nights with a dance party and lower wait times for rides. Tickets run from $70 to $85, depending on the ticketholder's age and the date chosen.

  • WHERE: Inside the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista near Orlando

  • HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • HOW MUCH: $68 for ages 3-9, $74 for everyone 10 and up. You can get cheaper tickets ($58 and $64) but blockout dates will apply.

  • NUMBER OF RIDES: 12

  • GOOGLE REVIEW AVERAGE: 4.7 out of 5.

  • TOP 15 RANKING: 4.7 out of 10

No. 4: Aquatica Orlando

Named the No. 1 water park in the country in USA TODAY's 2023 10Best Readers Choice Awards, SeaWorld's Aquatica Orlando stands out by integrating sea life into its rides. The Dolphin Plunge lets you pass through a Pacific blue pool of playful, black-and-white Commerson’s dolphins, while the raft ride down Loggerhead Lane surrounds you with colorful tropical fish.

  • WHERE: 5800 Water Play Way, Orlando

  • HOURS: Times vary depending on the day and month. On average the park is open from 10 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. but it may open at 10:20 some mornings and on weekends it can be open till 7 or 8 p.m.

  • HOW MUCH: Prices start at $52.99 or $87.99 with an all-day dining deal.

  • NUMBER OF RIDES: 15

  • GOOGLE REVIEW AVERAGE: 4.4

  • TOP 15 RANKING: 3.9

What are the top 5 water parks in the U.S.?

According to the SwimOutlet analysis:

  1. Cedar Point Shores, Sandusky, Ohio (9.2 out of 10)

  2. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Lake Buena Vista, Florida (4.7 out of 10)

  3. Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels, Texas (4.1 out of 10)

  4. Aquatica Orlando, Florida (3.9 out of 10)

  5. Water Country USA, Williamsburg, Virginia (3.7)

Which Florida water park ranked the lowest?

Universal's Volcano Bay was 17th on the list, but that's out of the top 20 water parks SwimOutlet looked at so it's still pretty good. Readers picked it as the 10th best water park in the nation in 2022 in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers Choice Awards.

Volcano Bay features, you guessed it, a 200-foot volcano with exciting raft and body slides, a terrifying body plunge, an aqua coaster, multiple tubing opportunities and a relaxing winding river at the end of it all.

WHERE: 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando

HOURS: Varies. Currently 9 a.m. to 7 a.m., but as the months heat up in May and June the park stays open later.

HOW MUCH: Tickets start at $80 per day.

NUMBER OF RIDES: 21

GOOGLE REVIEW AVERAGE: 4.5

TOP 15 RANKING: 2.5 out of 10

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, Volcano Bay rank among best water parks