Wet 'n Wild Orlando to close at the end of 2016

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

My feeling is that the rides will *mostly* be relocated to Volcano Bay, and the rest sold off to other waterpark operators in FL. (Hoping Fun Spot will buy up some water rides, the bumper boats and kiddie sprinklers aren't really "wet" attractions).

I have never been. Call me classist, elitist or whatever, but the place has a reputation for attracting the least desirable people staying on I-Drive. While I can't compare, I assume that Aquatica is much nicer, and it's a no-brainer add-on if you're going to SeaWorld anyway. Haven't been to the Disney water parks yet (other than Typhoon Lagoon in 1990).

Jeff said:
I have never been. Call me classist, elitist or whatever, but the place has a reputation for attracting the least desirable people staying on I-Drive. While I can't compare, I assume that Aquatica is much nicer, and it's a no-brainer add-on if you're going to SeaWorld anyway. Haven't been to the Disney water parks yet (other than Typhoon Lagoon in 1990).

Spot on. I have lived in Orlando since 2008 and have been once. A few neat slides, but horrible operations and a rough clientele.

Aquatica is wonderful and I have been several times, as are the Disney waterparks. Given how well Universal is doing right now, this is a no-brainer move for them. Whether or not they relocate any of the Wet N Wild assets here remains to be seen, nothing (except for perhaps the new racing slide tower) is worthy of the time and expense of relocating given the scope and "wow" factor they will want with the new Universal waterpark.

I for one will not miss it.

Yeah, I suppose.
Anytime I ever went there I had a great time, but it was always kind of off-season now that I think about it, so it wasn't busy. And being from Ohio, 65 degrees was fine for swimmin'.
Besides, doesn't everyone look kind of rough in a swim suit? :-)

Hey, I think I look pretty damn fine in my swimsuit :-)

Hey, didn't I see you at Zoombezi Bay?

rollergator said:

My feeling is that the rides will *mostly* be relocated to Volcano Bay, and the rest sold off to other waterpark operators in FL. (Hoping Fun Spot will buy up some water rides, the bumper boats and kiddie sprinklers aren't really "wet" attractions).

I would be surprised if more than one or two slides are relocated to Volcano Bay, since WnW won't close until the end of 2016 and they'll want Volcano Bay to be ready for Spring Break 2017 for their best case scenario. As relatively simple as slides are to relocate and build, they'll also need to retheme and refurbish any they may move within a 2-3 month timeframe. Plus, VB should be a nice showcase of ProSlide's latest and best slides, so I'm leaning more towards none of them being brought over and going all new.

It could happen, but if they are going to market the new park as a cutting edge next generation waterpark, does it really make sense to open it with a bunch of used slide complexes from across the street?

I went once two years ago and we had a nice day there. I remember a good selection of slides, food not being half bad, no sense of a "bad crowd" element. Maybe we just had a good day.

It makes sense that Universal is closing it...but I thought it was a pretty decent park.

I agree they'll have some "cutting edge waterpark tech" in the place, I don't think there's any doubt about that.

That being said, a racing slide is pretty much a racing slide, a bowl side is a bowl slide, etc. Wet-N-Wild has been investing in new rides pretty frequently if the advertising here is any indication...doesn't really make sense to throw all of that out.

And it's not like anyone is likely to notice. Dismantle the slides, paint em, theme em, reassemble, and they still have the same offerings that every other water park in America has. Only this time "everyone" at a Universal resort will go, whereas before, "nobody" went. And for that reason Universal is smart to bring it on over to their side of the road and away from the tacky side. Not having an easily accessible water park that resort guests can see from their window is leaving money on the table.

Still, I'm a little sad about it. I said this in a previous thread, but I thought Wet n Wild had a nice look, and it wasn't tropical, buccaneer, or Aussie. It was mostly generic while and blue and I thought it had a cool "pool" look. Then there was Black Hole which is an awesome ride. And Der Stuka/Bomb Bay scared me to death. I would imagine those two certainly would be relocated if indeed that's the plan.
I thought the park was nice to see at that end of I-Drive, too. The slides tower above the street then you can turn down (Universal is it?) and see a lot of the park from that side too.

I can't see many if any slides being relocated. If the plan is to make Volcano bay highly themed, you can't just plop any slide down. Maybe the aqua drag racer or whatever it's called, but not something like bomb bay, because a lot of the drop capsule technology has progressed and while they are all similar, Ihus Breakaway Falls still is much more cutting edge than Bomb Bay is now. I can't see old, outdated rides being put into a water park that might become one of the best if not the best water park in the world. I could see some of the slides be used on some of the resort's hotels though. Only time will tell.