Former Wet 'n Wild Site

IAmFloridaBorn

IAmFloridaBorn

Well-Known Member
Tom Morrow said:
Apparently WnW was considered the first water park. How accurate is this?
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It's considered the first park to incorporate multiple Water attractions in one space for one admission. Firs Wave Pool was in Alabama and I forget where the first slides were. The Creator of Sea World though it be a good idea to have it all together and Wala. Considered the first modern water park in America/World at its time
 
IAmFloridaBorn

IAmFloridaBorn

Well-Known Member
BubbaQuest said:
This ^^. If Universal hasn't already maxed out hotel capacity with the announcement of a 6th hotel plus 2 new towers at Cabana Bay, I'm sure the thinking is a high occupancy hotel will be much more profitable than a water park. It will be a very quick bus ride from that lot to the gates of the Uni parks.

I'm amazed how quickly they are moving on it. I would love for it to be a preview center for the new 3rd gate, but that's just wishful thinking. If Uni really wants a 2nd water park, I'm sure they will integrate it into the new 3rd gate which will provide them many more opportunities for theming.

Anybody hear any more recent rumors? Last I heard was the possibility of a movie palace themed hotel, but that was based on some very old drawings.
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Lodging in Orlando if done correctly will almost ALWAYS bring more green than a water park.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Tom Morrow said:
Apparently WnW was considered the first water park. How accurate is this?
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There is a qualifier that is often dropped. "Modern" water park. River Country was the first water park. WnW was the first "modern" water park. Meaning that WnW was the first to use all filtered and chlorinated water. And WnW became the blueprint for all that came after.
 
F

fosse76

Well-Known Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
There is a qualifier that is often dropped. "Modern" water park. River Country was the first water park. WnW was the first "modern" water park. Meaning that WnW was the first to use all filtered and chlorinated water. And WnW became the blueprint for all that came after.
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They opened within a year of each other. It couldn't have been that much more "modern".
 
cheezbat

cheezbat

Well-Known Member
JT3000 said:
River Country was basically just a lake with slides. While it was technically man-made, it didn't have the proper infrastructure that a "modern" (or safe) water park would have, which eventually contributed to its demise.
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Exactly. There were a few other places very similar to River Country back in he seventies...lakes with a pool and a few slides...but they were really nothing more than 'classier' swimming holes. Wet N Wild was an actual gated park with not only chlorinated pools and slides, but a wave pool and lazy river. Wet N Wild was the first true actual gated water park.
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
Uh-oh.

Seems as though Uni may just be looking to build a big new hotel on the Wetnwild land. Have they thrown in the towel on a third gate?

I hope not. Disney needs the competition.
 
B

Bob Harlem

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
jt04 said:
We are going to need better maps.
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Here:I drew this up to try to explain it:

FutureUniversal_Speculation.jpg

Green, Blue, & Red is definite. The Red shaded area would be where at least one new theme park would go.

Orange is speculation. Pots north of I-Drive and south of I-4. I-Fly Orlando W. Side of Universal Blvd is moving location to near Ice Bar on I-Drive, this leaves the existing facility open to be taken by Universal. Skull Kingdom plot E. Side of Universal Blvd has been vacant since Skull Kingdom was demolished, very likely to be used by Universal.

Land south of Wet 'N Wild plot is more speculation. "Orange" Land along Universal Bvld S. Of Sand Lake is speculative, some cannot be bought by Universal.

Transportation Connection is either using the orange bits of land or taking advantage of a very old planning to use the median of Universal Blvd for some sort of elevated transport system. The section of the transport connector south of Sand Lake is from plans Universal itself released for the future of I-Drive. (see http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-cfb-tourism-column-05302016-20160527-story.html ) They *can* and likely will build a transport system from the old/wet 'n wild, and new plots) It may look long, but this transport link is slightly shorter than the Epcot monorail line.

Additionally some of the wetlands east of the red plot (including north of Sand lake east of Tangelo Park, along Shingle Creek) is already owned by Universal, but it is preservation land and can't be used for development.

Other things not mentioned, Kirkman Rd. Extension south and what/if anything happens to the Lockheed complex in the long term. (If Lockheed were to shut down operations here, which I doubt at least in the short term, Universal would likely pick up that land also).
 
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HauntedMansionFLA

HauntedMansionFLA

Well-Known Member
Bob Harlem said:
Here:I drew this up to try to explain it:

View attachment 183421

Green, Blue, & Red is definite. The Red shaded area would be where at least one new theme park would go.

Orange is speculation. Pots north of I-Drive and south of I-4. I-Fly Orlando W. Side of Universal Blvd is moving location to near Ice Bar on I-Drive, this leaves the existing facility open to be taken by Universal. Skull Kingdom plot E. Side of Universal Blvd has been vacant since Skull Kingdom was demolished, very likely to be used by Universal.

Land south of Wet 'N Wild plot is more speculation. "Orange" Land along Universal Bvld S. Of Sand Lake is speculative, some cannot be bought by Universal.

Transportation Connection is either using the orange bits of land or taking advantage of a very old planning to use the median of Universal Blvd for some sort of elevated transport system. The section of the transport connector south of Sand Lake is from plans Universal itself released for the future of I-Drive. (see http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-cfb-tourism-column-05302016-20160527-story.html ) They *can* and likely will build a transport system from the old/wet 'n wild, and new plots) It may look long, but this transport link is slightly shorter than the Epcot monorail line.

Additionally some of the wetlands east of the red plot (including north of Sand lake east of Tangelo Park, along Shingle Creek) is already owned by Universal, but it is preservation land and can't be used for development.

Other things not mentioned, Kirkman Rd. Extension south and what/if anything happens to the Lockheed complex in the long term. (If Lockheed were to shut down operations here, which I doubt at least in the short term, Universal would likely pick up that land also).
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Wasn't there a rumor floating around that Universal was looking to put in a monorail transportation connecting the theme parks and resort hotels together?
 
IAmFloridaBorn

IAmFloridaBorn

Well-Known Member
Bob Harlem said:
Here:I drew this up to try to explain it:

View attachment 183421

Green, Blue, & Red is definite. The Red shaded area would be where at least one new theme park would go.

Orange is speculation. Pots north of I-Drive and south of I-4. I-Fly Orlando W. Side of Universal Blvd is moving location to near Ice Bar on I-Drive, this leaves the existing facility open to be taken by Universal. Skull Kingdom plot E. Side of Universal Blvd has been vacant since Skull Kingdom was demolished, very likely to be used by Universal.

Land south of Wet 'N Wild plot is more speculation. "Orange" Land along Universal Bvld S. Of Sand Lake is speculative, some cannot be bought by Universal.

Transportation Connection is either using the orange bits of land or taking advantage of a very old planning to use the median of Universal Blvd for some sort of elevated transport system. The section of the transport connector south of Sand Lake is from plans Universal itself released for the future of I-Drive. (see http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-cfb-tourism-column-05302016-20160527-story.html ) They *can* and likely will build a transport system from the old/wet 'n wild, and new plots) It may look long, but this transport link is slightly shorter than the Epcot monorail line.

Additionally some of the wetlands east of the red plot (including north of Sand lake east of Tangelo Park, along Shingle Creek) is already owned by Universal, but it is preservation land and can't be used for development.

Other things not mentioned, Kirkman Rd. Extension south and what/if anything happens to the Lockheed complex in the long term. (If Lockheed were to shut down operations here, which I doubt at least in the short term, Universal would likely pick up that land also).
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You can cancel that speculation of Orange. Universal won't and doesnt own most of those parcels. Ripleys just bought 25 acres. TOP Golf is being constructed on one. Andretti Kart Racing and entertainment is being constructed on another, a hotel is slated for another south of Best Western, and another 2 remain unsold.

Orange County has bad planning.
 
raven

raven

Well-Known Member
Corey P said:
WnW wasn't a bad place, I've been there with the kids a few times. It wasn't up to the level of Disney or Universals parks. Just something like the parking lot was across the street which meant you had to cross a busy street then walk down a sidewalk on an even busier street to get to the main entrance. Pretty standard bushes here and there with many stairs to climb. No real theme to any of it. WnW if it was a local/regional water park would be great but compared to what's in Orlando it just wasn't up to that standard.
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Understand that Wet N Wild was also the first ever "waterpark." That in itself made it a fun place to go to.
 
WhatJaneSays

WhatJaneSays

Well-Known Member
raven said:
Understand that Wet N Wild was also the first ever "waterpark." That in itself made it a fun place to go to.
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Not really, there were a good number of water parks of the same style that pre-dated Wet n Wild that were built in the mid to late 60s. Few survived more than 10 years. River Country opened 9 months earlier than Wet n Wild. The Lake Dolores Waterpark in California opened in 1962 and is generally considered the first documented modern style water park in America to open.

Wet n Wild is/was likely the oldest "continually running" water park in America.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
WhatJaneSays said:
Not really, there were a good number of water parks of the same style that pre-dated Wet n Wild that were built in the mid to late 60s. Few survived more than 10 years. River Country opened 9 months earlier than Wet n Wild. The Lake Dolores Waterpark in California opened in 1962 and is generally considered the first documented modern style water park in America to open.

Wet n Wild is/was likely the oldest "continually running" water park in America.
Click to expand...
The qualifier is "Modern" not "Continually Running". Lake Delores Water Park was fed by natural springs. WnW was the first water park to use all filtered and chlorinated water. And that innovation became the industry standard. That is why WnW is called the first modern water park.
 
Kitchandro

Kitchandro

Well-Known Member
This is the first I've heard of this, I'm absolutely gutted.

Wet N' Wild was easily the best water park I've ever been to. Disco H2o was a classic that can't be bettered. I can't believe it.
 

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