Tampa’s Adventure Island: Thrills and Spills in the Florida Sun
When it comes to water parks, then Florida is certainly the place to experience the best of the nation’s offerings. The thirty acres of rides and attractions at Adventure Island in Tampa will more than satisfy you and all the thrill seekers of your family. Conveniently located across the street from the famed Busch Gardens, Adventure Island has state of the art water rides as well as outdoor cafes, picnic and sunbathing areas, gift shops and a championship sand volleyball complex.
With a soothing Key West atmosphere the park offers a blend of slides, corkscrews, waterfalls, a wave pool, children’s water playground and other family attractions.
If you are wondering what kinds of rides are available at the park then here is a brief rundown of what you will find there:
Riptide, Florida’s first four-lane mat slide, is the newest high-speed thrill ride at Adventure Island. Riptide allows guests to compete against three other riders for a competitive mat-slide adventure. All four racers are released simultaneously from a height of 55 feet into their own tubes, twisting through a hairpin turn before plunging into four open-air lanes for a drenching finish.
Wahoo Run, an exhilarating river five-person raft ride, sends adventurous guests down 600 feet of drenching twists and drops and back-to-back curves and turns. The thrill slide has a unique tunnel design that alternates sections of daylight and darkness, while four waterfall curtains douse unsuspecting guests during their journey.
Splash Attack, the park’s most drenching attraction ever, offers more than 50 water elements, including twisting slides, bridges and a 40-foot-high water-tower bucket.
The Key West Rapids sends riders down six stories through a 700-foot twisting slide and into a splash pool and the aptly named Gulf Scream fires riders down into a splash pool at speeds exceeding 25 mph.
Twisting spirals and swirling water are the attraction on the Aruba Tuba and Calypso Coaster slides, unpredictable excursions can be found on the Caribbean Corkscrew, Water Moccasin and five Runaway Rapids slides, coiling their challengers down a series of unexpected twists before dunking them into a splash pool.
If you enjoy body surfing then you can ride three-foot waves in Endless Surf, the park’s 17,000-square-foot wave pool.
Fabian’s Funport offers children a kaleidoscopic wading pool, highlighted by bubbler springs, jumping water jets and appearances by Fabian, Adventure Island’s playful amphibian. These are just some of the rides and attractions on hand at Adventure Island.
There are also tropical-themed eateries at the park including the popular Mango Joe’s Caf?�.
The admission prices are: adult: $41.95 plus tax, children ages 3-9: $37.95 plus tax and children ages 2 and younger: Free. The park is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with extended hours during select weekend, summer and holiday periods. The park operates weekends only March 13 and 14, and is open daily beginning March 20.
Here is the contact information for Adventure Island:
4500 Bougainvillea Avenue
Tampa, FL 33617, 813.987.5600
If water thrill rides are attractive to you and your family, then be sure to include a visit to Adventure Island during your next Florida vacation.
