There is nothing in the world like an amusement park. A trip to Adventureland, Hershey Park or Disney World brings thrills and chills that any lover of attraction rides can appreciate. There is nothing as anxiety producing and exhilarating as the wait for a ride, especially after the ride is over. “Let’s do that again!” is a phrase with which most parents relate, especially as eager children clamor for a second turn on a much-coveted ride.
I was never a huge fan of roller coasters. I will never forget a trip that my husband’s friends and I took to Great Adventure in our college days. Most of Hubby’s friends were fans of all things fast and furious. One of the lines that will go down in history was uttered by our friend, George, as we were literally screaming our heads off during a runaway train ride: “I think we lost two friends back there.” Another time, we experienced the worst case of whiplash after sitting in the front seat of Disney World’s “Space Mountain” ride. I could not move my neck for three days after.
Water parks, however, are a totally different animal. On a hot day, one can literally pass out while waiting on long lines for a roller coaster. However, while awaiting water rides, one can receive a bit of relief as the cool splash of water from log flumes and other such rides hits one’s overheated body. The best part about water parks on a hot day is getting drenched and walking around the park with little effect from the heat.
Hubby and I recently discussed some of our favorite water rides last week while reminiscing about some of our past visits to different water parks. I recalled a visit to Adventure Island in Tampa Bay. Hubby had been working and I went to the park with my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their two young children. My sister-in-law convinced me to go on a water slide that had to be at least 100 feet high. As we climbed the tower, I swore I could see for miles. My sister-in-law, ever the comic, went down the slide first. As she folded her arms across her chest, she smiled at me. “Take care of my children for me,” she giggled. Then she disappeared. So did my nerve. I was next.
I cannot begin to tell you the anxiety I felt when I walked up to the launch area. As I came down that slide like a rocket, I felt my folded arms being pulled apart by the sheer force of the descent. It felt like I was going down at a 90 degree angle. When I landed on the ground, I was shaking like I had ingested too much caffeine. It was a rush, but one that I would not repeat. My sister-in-law stood beside the exit, laughing until tears rolled down her cheeks.
When Hubby joined us for the following day at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, storms were forecast. Many of the water rides were closed, but once the storm passed, they quickly reopened. We stood for what seemed like hours on the “Tanganyika Tidal Wave”. When it was our turn, Hubby and I piled into the front seat with our nieces. Brother- and sister-in-law waited our return on the ground.
The ride itself seemed tame enough as we began to float gently through rock formations along the “river.” I marveled at the sights of robotic animals, tiki totems and shallow caves and thought, “Wow! I can do this!” The sound of the waterfall lulled me into an artificial calm, until we began the ascent to the top. I remember hearing a small child behind me who was screaming, “I don’t want to go!” I could completely appreciate that feeling. We went over tiny bump l and I thought it was over. Until the end, where we went down a large floom and got completely soaked. The child behind me shrieked all the way down, yet cajoled his parents to let him go repeat the ride afterwards. This was my husband’s all-time favorite water ride, and yes, we repeated it several times. Sea World was another favorite place for water rides, especially Infinity Falls, a multi-person rafting adventure.
Hershey Park offered quite a few water rides on their Bayside Pier, which was a lot of fun. Our favorites were Coal Cracker and Tidal Force, though I seem to remember a sky ride where patrons on the ground could soak you with a jet-propulsion style hose. After a day of water rides, we were refreshed and exhausted at once. Other water parks in the area include Action Park in Vernon, NJ, Aquatopia in Tannersville PA, Dorney Park in Allentown PA, and Enchanted Forest Water Safari in Adirondack State Park, NY, to name a few.
When our daughter was younger, we took her and a friend or two over to Adventureland in Farmingdale. Her favorite rides were the Rescue Boats and Adventure Falls. She went to Splish Splash in Riverhead with a group of friends, years later, and said that it was a lot of fun but “kinda gross.” I am guessing her days of water parks are behind her.
Water parks are a great way to beat the heat. Many places have lifted restrictions and have increased cleaning protocols for rides to keep patrons safe. The best benefit is that water parks bring out the kid in all of us, regardless of how old we are.
Patty Servidio is an Anton Media Group columnist.
