Wet 'n Wild Orlando, Water park at International Drive, Orlando, US
Wet 'n Wild Orlando was a water park on International Drive in Orlando, Florida, founded by SeaWorld creator George Millay and opened on March 13, 1977. It combined slides and attractions for families and thrill-seekers, with zones for different age groups. The 50-acre site was purchased by Universal in 2013 for $30.9 million.
George Millay, creator of SeaWorld, opened Wet 'n Wild Orlando on March 13, 1977, combining a splash pad and a wave pool into what is considered the first major water park in the United States. Universal Studios Recreation Group bought the park in 1998 and the 50-acre site in 2013. It closed permanently on January 1, 2017, and was demolished that year.
The water park attracted millions of visitors annually until 1999, maintaining its position as the most frequented water park in the United States.
The park stood on International Drive, across Interstate 4 from the Universal Orlando Resort complex, and was reached by car along that road. It closed permanently on January 1, 2017, after a closure confirmed on June 17, 2015, and was demolished in early 2017; the site now holds Universal's Endless Summer Resort, opened in June 2019.
Der Stuka was a free-fall slide dropping more than six stories along 250 feet (76 meters) at a nearly vertical slope. Bomb Bay released riders through a floor hatch that opened beneath them, so the drop began without warning.
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