Wet 'n Wild Orlando
| Wet 'n Wild Orlando | |
|---|---|
Wet 'n Wild Logo
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| Slogan | "The Recognized Name in Family Water Fun!" |
| Location | Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 28°27′39″N 81°27′53″W / 28.460943°N 81.464841°WCoordinates: 28°27′39″N 81°27′53″W / 28.460943°N 81.464841°W |
| Owner | NBCUniversal (Comcast) |
| Opened | March 13, 1977 |
| Closed | December 31, 2016 |
| Previous names | Wet n' Wild FunPark |
| Operating season | Open all year long (water heated in winter) |
| Area | 30 acres (120,000 m2) |
| Pools | A single pool |
| Water slides | 17 water slides |
| Website |
www |
Wet 'n Wild Orlando was a water park owned by NBC Universal, located on International Drive in Orlando, Florida. It was founded in 1977 by SeaWorld creator George Millay and is considered America's first water park. It closed on December 31, 2016, to be replaced by another water park named Volcano Bay.
While developing SeaWorld, George Millay realized the need for a water park, later recalling "being in Florida, with all its heat and hot sun, you naturally think about cooling off in water". In the mid-1970s, he directed his time and money towards the project. The idea of it stemmed from the splash pad at Ontario Place in Canada and the wave pool at Point Mallard Park in Alabama. His desire was to combine these two elements and build upon it in order to achieve a good return on investment. Due to his prior success with SeaWorld, he was able to form a team of investors to fund the project.
The park opened in Orlando, Florida on March 13, 1977. Although it opened to rain and suffered a $600,000 loss in its first year of operation, Millay kept it open. He later claimed it "started making money the second year and never looked back". The success of the park spawned several other Wet 'n Wild-branded parks across the Americas. He was given the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Waterpark Association who named him the official "Father of the Waterpark".
In 1998, Millay sold off his interests in his parks. The Orlando location was purchased by Universal Studios Recreation Group, who continued to lease the land on which it is located. In mid-2013, Universal purchased the 50 acres (20 ha) of land for $30.9 million.
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