Did you visit Water Mania? Let me know!

@alexgeorge501

3 жыл бұрын

i visited the water park at Ontario Place as a kid, can you do a video on that park one day? (and maybe one on the CNE/the EX?)

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yes I will I actually went and filmed footage of the place last year as I lived in Toronto

@dylanalgate8130

3 жыл бұрын

We would go down to Florida every year, 2005 being the first. I remember seeing the Billboard but when we tried to get there it wasn’t opened

@katherinealvarez9216

3 жыл бұрын

No.

@eddienhp

3 жыл бұрын

I never visit there before, not even as a child.

What a class act, they actually gave the employees jobs at other businesses they owned, helped the ones they couldn't transfer find other jobs, and struck a deal with Wet n' Wild to have them honor their outstanding tickets? You hardly ever see that sort of honest business done anymore.

@lorddrayvon1426

Жыл бұрын

Probably has something to do with the fact that, even when they closed, they were a family owned business. Given how the CEO was the former general manager, he would have some form of relationship with them and want the best. Also important is that this was one theme park as opposed to a franchised restaurant or something. Much more manageable and more personal than hundreds or thousands of employees across God knows how great a distance.

@nevaehhamilton3493

10 ай бұрын

The finest in altruism.

I have to give credit to the Larson's for going through the effort of making sure their employees got other work

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah good of them!

Any abandon mall, theme park and water park just make me so sad :-( A place once filled with fun is just gone like that.

I don’t know what’s worse, being like River Country and left abandoned, or being developed and those buildings abandoned. Either way, it’s sad and fascinating at the same time with these water parks.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Right?!

@ashleyburbank3129

3 жыл бұрын

Sad I went to both when I was 5! River county is where I first had Dippin Dots but they called it something else!!! I can't remember what...

@kristinwood8884

3 жыл бұрын

I miss them both. Larson's Lodge had a great steakhouse attached, the Black Angus. One of the LL hotels had two pools, a hot tub and one of those tiny in ground kiddie pools.(I haven't seen one of those since I was little) They also had a huge arcade, I always loved to stay there when I was a kid in the 80's.

@keithh5159

3 жыл бұрын

Disney had good reason to close my River Country. I went once and that was enough for me. As a former cast member, I know why it closed...it was for the best.

@snowy12841

3 жыл бұрын

@@keithh5159 We used to go to River Country every visit to Disney. Back when it opened it was so unlike anything else. I remember as a kid thinking some of the stuff seemed questionable. Did they have some fresh water tank to scuba in? I just recall it being a lot of fresh water used & there being issues with keeping it clean.

Even in early 2000, the park never seemed to change out of its, “stuck in the 80s” feel.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yeppp

@a-1886

3 жыл бұрын

I don’t think I’d mind that

@windowsvistasuxalot

3 жыл бұрын

Retro 80’s water park would be awesome today. Neon fanny packs, oh yeah!

@44bthknuckles

3 жыл бұрын

Wet n wild was also stuck in the 80s

@caiusmadison2996

3 жыл бұрын

@@44bthknuckles i think new parks are lame. Too much safety, too much bland Starbucks fashion cues. Not everything should look like that. Neon sunshine, thats the way of a water park, I'll never see them any other way.

it's literally become my Sunday evening routine to curl up under a blanket, have a cup of tea, and watch an Expedition Theme Park video. thank you for these :)

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Ahh thank you!

"Kissimmee Charm" - spoken like a true local

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

😉

@bluesbulletin

3 жыл бұрын

Lol 😆

@zan31669

3 жыл бұрын

There nothing charming about kissimmee lol

@bluesbulletin

3 жыл бұрын

@@zan31669 Definitely tongue in cheek.

I only went to Water Mania once as a child with a few friends in the fall of 2004, but I will never forget it. I went about a month after Hurricane Charley, and despite the Screamer being closed, I remember it was a great park and I had nothing bad to say about it. Also, despite him saying the Banana Peel was a "family tube slide", it was easily the most terrifying slide at the park

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Hahah yeah true it was scary! Ahhh dang I wish I found some footage of that time

I moved to orlando/ winter park in 1986. I was 6. I watched the growth of what it has become today. From shuttle launches to the openings of parks and closers due to replacing them. A new NBA team and the growing night life of downtown. From hurricanes to tourist declines from Sept 11th. I can't imagine growing up in a better place. And water mainia was a big part of that. Wet n Wild has always been the greatest but water mania offered a different and inexpensive yr pass and single day ticket and I had may fond memories there. I understand these parks closers but really miss them and it's sad that memories are all I will have as far as continuous enjoyment. But the fact I have the memories from actually being there is something not many can say and I'm so thankful for that and appreciate the owners and employee's for providing these experiences that I wouldn't trade anything for. So I thank you and you will forever be in my heart and memories

Water Mania opened as a low-budget alternative to try to compete with Disney's Splash, a big water theme park shopping and hotel complex plan that was in the works at the time, named after the movie of the same name. This plan was eventually revised and went from a theme park to the water park we know and love called Typhoon Lagoon. The plan was dubbed Disney's fourth gate for a while so it worried the competition like Larson so in Larson's eyes, changing the budget and appealing as a low-budget park was his only way of competing.

I think they have the right to be proud of what they accomplished. It can't be easy running a company like that with giants like Disney and Universal studios breathing down your neck. But I guess their demise was inevitable, since the other water parks also had theme parks drawing the customers away.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly 100 percent

Man, I remember those big blue/yellow canopies you could sit under. My family and I always went to Water Mania instead of Wet N' Wild. Wasn't as busy, cheaper, was smaller and easier to do and had mostly everything Wet N' Wild did just little smaller. I loved it as a kid. And most of all, had easy parking. They had one of those buggy surfing wave things 10:39 being best ride in the park. And yeah, I remember the woods they had in the back of the park where you could picnic or just sit in the woods at picnic tables to get out of sun. We always carried our cooler into there and ate lunch. Good times. You never realize when you're 10 or 11 that those will be memories you'll remember forever. Weird because we went during early 2000s hahaha It's kind of sad there are essentially NO family owned tourist attractions of a large scale like this in Orlando area anymore. It's all corporate. Which has it's pros of course... but also its cons.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yep

Replaced by a Golden Coral? A fate worse than death.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaah

@KathleenMahaney

3 жыл бұрын

And large apartment complex- I lived back there. It is a really nice complex - the crappy hotels are slightly sketchy

I honestly feel bad I forgot about this place. We went there at least once. When I think back, it was so nice because it seemed more like it cared about locals. I've always been defensive of the historic importanance of Wet & Wild even though I never went there, but it was in my territory. However it often seemed it aimed more to be the tourist attraction (and wow do I remember that commerical like it was yesterday) and I liked the little places that acted like they were there for locals too. One reason I loved Fun 'n' Wheels so much.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Will do a video on that park soon!

@DJDOLO76

3 жыл бұрын

I worked at Fun N Wheels [I-drive location] in '95/96. The stuff that went on at that place, lol.

@coyoteartist

3 жыл бұрын

@@DJDOLO76 i would imagine. At least with access to the go karts anyway.

@DJDOLO76

3 жыл бұрын

@@coyoteartist oh yeah, for the morning shift when taking the carts out of the garages, we used to open all the tracks and race them from track to track and thru the parking lot, until the manager would yell at us to stop fucking around. The night shifts on weekends during the summer were crazy, too.

@charlottestreet3301

Жыл бұрын

Why did water mania close

Holy shit thank you for making this video, I have a fever dream-y memory of going here when I was in like kindergarten/1st grade for a friends birthday party and I’ve been trying to research about it casually for years. Low and behold you make this video. At long last.

I love watching the commercials and ads you put into these videos, I swear they're like a temporary time capsule to the past and it's great Also, it's really nice how the employees were actually helped to find new jobs or moved to different places, that's not something you see often

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

They are my fav part haha

I’ve been looking for this type of video on Water Mania for a while. Thanks for creating such a detailed video on it. I have so many memories from this water park.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching !

I have been enjoying all of your video's, but I especially loved this one. My mother is friends with Iris. She is still an inspiring lady. I used to go to Water Mania all the time growing up. I have fond memories of the slides.

Moved from the UK to Orlando in 1996 as a kid.Was a dream come true growing up here. Wish I could say it was the same atmosphere now but I'm afraid its far from it...thanks for this ☺

@notyouagain7220

3 жыл бұрын

It’s not that bad still way better then where I had to move in Tampa used to live in Windermere;(

I grew up in Orlando and as a kid absolutely loved wet n wild and water mania. Water Mania was the local spot and wipe out was really their most popular attraction.. now both parks are gone and residents who grew up here were not happy when each park closed

Water mania is not forgotten!!! I use to go as a kid. I feel so spoiled growing up in Orlando in the 90s with all the attractions. Sadly now it's only disney, universal and seaworld. Thanks for keeping the memories alive

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

It's so interesting. I hadn't thought about this place in decades. But just seeing the name again, and all these memories come rushing in. I went on several school trips there, just like you mention in the video. The banana peel looks so mild in the video, but I remember it being very scary. It was a very steep drop.

""""LOCAL KISSIMMEE CHARM"""" is the nicest way I've EVER heard 192 described.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

I was nice hahaha

@andino1152

3 жыл бұрын

@@ExpeditionThemePark As someone who lives here this made me DIE laughing! Spot on

@CorvetteRacing3

3 жыл бұрын

As someone who lived there for 16 years this made my day.

@dr666demento

3 жыл бұрын

Considering the section of 192 from Kissimmee to Old Town is a touristy slum there's no charm left in that landfill :(¿…

@winnowd8076

3 жыл бұрын

@@dr666demento that's the joke.

Binge Watching your vids is the best way to spend my Sunday afternoon!

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!

Every time you said "Gary Larson" I looked up to see if there was a Far Side cartoon being shown.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Haha no

@jelyfisher

3 жыл бұрын

Same

@grease58

3 жыл бұрын

absolutely!!

@cashpresley

3 жыл бұрын

I thought the same thing. 😂

Those of us from Orlando will never forget watermania. I spent so much time there as a kid I didn't even realized it closed half my life ago

Watching this series, among other things, really shows you how intensely-competitive and cutthroat the world of non-Disney/Universal/Busch Gardens attractions trying to compete with them can be!

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yeppp

Got to say stumbled upon these vids now can’t stop watching all of them. So informative and fun to watch.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you

Awesome video as always. "Kissimmee charm" killed me. Once everything gets figured out about its future, an episode on Elitch Gardens would be fantastic (especially the 38th & Tennyson location)

I say this almost every week - Great Video. I love learning about the places I had no idea existed and it always blows me away the amount of info you find on them.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much as always!

I really love the documentary style of your videos and how you cover a lot of topics that are more obscure. 192 is a strange place that was killed by Disney. It makes me wonder why I-Drive has fared so well in comparison.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

It’s deff interesting !

I went dozens of times with my summer camp when I was younger. Fun, but always kind of felt like a downgrade from the Wet N Wild park. Definitely felt a little sketchy too. I remember the concrete walkways at one point were painted a dark blue and would get so hot in the summer you'd burn your feet. Also Wipeout was notorious for "Bathing suit malfunctions" lol.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Haha I’m not surprised

@iqb2001

3 жыл бұрын

OMG yes! Those floors were so damn hot not to mention the sand maze.

I remember going here ss a kid right before they closed! Thank you so much for letting me know what happened!

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching

My family and I would visit water mania every year as kids. Miss that place so much.

This is so cool! I used to hit the starbucks that sits where the Larson Lodge was on my way to work every day.

I didn't even know this place existed! My parents grew up near there, and my mom says she went there all the time with her family.

Its good to hear that it ended well and the employees weren't just made redundant we no prospect of future employment.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yep!

Idk how you don't have more Subs... This channel is right up there with Defunctland for me

Took my daughter there when she was 4 years old and we had the best time there! We spent most of the day in the little kids’ section (of course) where we met some of the sweetest lifeguards that not only watched the littles but were kind to them and played with them.

I remember this place, it was cool. The small water park life continues once again with Island H20 down the road. Hurricane Charley decimated 192, ill never forget that storm. It was sad to see it go in the end. Great job on the video.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you

I never realized that Golden Corral was where water mania was. It had been 15 years since I had been there. Last time I was at Golden Corral was probably back in 14’. I miss that old town.

I'm pretty sure I went there once as a child. I remember the commercials well.

This made me feel majorly nostalgic for my early 90s childhood. The commercials bring back that childhood yearning you used to get, wanting to go so badly!

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Different times !

my summer camp always went there, loved that place

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Amazing!

I remember that park so vividly! I was always upset cause I am a December baby and would want to go there for my birthday. Use to be located right across from Celebration in Orlando and had some of the best slides.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah!

So happy you did a piece on this place! I only ever went once or twice but it was always a blast and I didn't realize the impact and history it had!

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

Wow, I had been wondering what happened to this park. Thanks for the nostalgia.

Huh, never realized how innovative Ontario Place's water park was. I knew that a Canadian Company is one of the biggest developers of water rides, but never made the Ontario Place connection XD

@devium

3 жыл бұрын

And now even Ontario Place is abandoned and dead. I used to go almost every year and was almost always a year end trip for schools

Looks like Theme Park History is back on the menu boys!!!

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Always

It’s so crazy this video came up. We miss water mania we absolutely LOVED it

I remember passing those tall slides and asking my parents if we could go, but they told me that they were recommended not to go there due to the employee death. That was probably in 1999.

@beastlaser9611

2 жыл бұрын

What happened to the employee ???

@puccipower

2 жыл бұрын

@@beastlaser9611 Not sure?

@captainshadowfox

Жыл бұрын

Lemme go find out what happened to the employyee

Hey Sam, This was a great video!!!! I was never there but remember it from when I first moved to Orlando. We get Starbucks there almost every Sunday after church so it was fun to see the history of that area. Thanks! 👍🏻

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Scott!

My wife and I loveeeeeed the place. We were so sadden by its closing. It was a family park; absolutely no alcohol was allowed. Thank you for telling the story of the park. We were wondering why they closed. We still miss it. It was a safe park to go to and unlike Wet and Wild the parking area was not in an unsafe place.

I love how I’ve been in the Orlando area for 9 years and Didnt hear anything about this park, great video to watch.

@cjlink8953

3 жыл бұрын

That’s because it closed 16 years ago

I could have sworn they had a water roller coaster, but maybe I am misremembering.

@zan31669

3 жыл бұрын

Oh ya it wasn't a water one it was a shitty roller coaster they built when they expanded the back area into party and event rental area

@willissudweeks1050

3 жыл бұрын

Your channel is interesting I’ll make some things from it

@kevinerosa

2 жыл бұрын

Typhoon lagoon has one.

1:21. Awwwww! Can’t wait to see the 2 of you in more videos together! ❤️ hang in there! Great video Sam! As always!

@SuperEnthused

3 жыл бұрын

💕💕💕

This place looked like alot of fun. Sad that it went under

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah!

@shekiaworld827

3 жыл бұрын

It’s was had some much fun there

I was a lifeguard at Water Mania from 1987 until 1992. Had a great time hanging out with coworkers, playing beach volleyball at Lucy Bluz after work.

This made me feel so nostalgic. I went there a ton when I was a kid. Thanks for another great video!

I could never forget this place

You did a really nice job on this it's the best one of these i have seen on water mania. There was a small waterpark in Orlando even before river country that you won't hear about from people who make these videos on youtube becase there is no info at all on the Internet about it that i could find except for a local Orlando Facebook group I'm on that I've see people mention it sometimes it was called waterslide world it was only open a couple years i still remember the radio commercials of it. It's what got me fascinated with abandoned parks becase i saw it often diving by it on i-4 and seeing this big hill with slides and over grown grass and empty pool next to a small campground or trailer park off of 33rd street

I worked at the Wave Pool in Decatur Al, one summer in the early 80's. Thanks for the shout out.

Mad props for not forgetting to add the minitruck shows at 11:38 mark. They were so much fun. RIP Watermania

I think I speak for everyone here, but thank Sam for helping everyone enjoy their lockdown sign your incredible content!

I'm a huge fan of Gregg Allman and I never knew he did a concert at Water Mania, that's so funny. I grew up near Kissimmee and Orlando, but I don't really remember seeing Watermania along the road while traveling.

I actually worked here when I was 16. Loved it.

I have so many great memories of Water Mania. It was definitely THE PLACE to go hang out as a kid during long hot summer vacation days. Wet'n'Wild and the Disney water parks were great, but they were much too expensive to visit regularly. WM took care of the locals and they were well-loved and cherished. After just moving back to Central Florida last year, I wanted to find out what happened to one of my childhood playgrounds, so thank you for the tale!

I must have gone by this countless times as a kid, yet I can't remember ever going (we used to holiday a lot and even to this day will still stay on 192). I do however remember the concrete monstrosity crazy golf that replaced it and spent ages a few years ago going "I'm sure there was a crazy golf next to the golden coral", so thank you for putting my poor mind at ease =D. It's really a shame to see all these family businesses close down along the 192, it's changed so much in the last 20 years.

I went in '93 and '96, I remember the advert! Don't remember much about the park specifically other than I never did master the boogie board on the surf simulator thing. Ah memories. Also, eff me I'm old.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Me too haha

@magiccheeseball

3 жыл бұрын

Was it the one that gose "i got the maina for water warer mania" they played that song at the end of every commercial it got stuck my head! Haha

Its was always one of my favorite field trip locations with the rec center I attended as a kid. Very good times!!!!!!!!!!!

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yessss

I was a lifeguard there for many years. Loved working there.

I used to go to water mania all the time. I really miss the park had a lot of good times there.

You work like always is astoundingly good! You do fantastic work researching every little detail.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

I remember playing at Pirates Cove as a kid on family vacations. The memories on that stretch of road are endless.

Yes back in the early 90s, also stayed at that red carpet hotel, I remember it being super hot, and we spent more time at water mania then the Disney parks we actually came to visit.

You did it again I've been this park! I think you have to be 48" to go on the wipe out.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds right!

Always coming through with a great video after I had a rough night at work. Thank you!

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Hope you have a better day!

Wow!! I remember going to that water park in Orlando, FL.

I've been to this place. Sortof. During 2000 I was a contractor for Bellsouth installing equipment under cell towers. There was one located in the parking lot of this place. We had to service it one afternoon, it was ludicrously hot and the asphalt just made it worse. Not to mention hearing all these people having fun in a water park just over a fence.

Sounds like this would have been a fun place to visit in its day.

Great video. You added that personal and emotional touch at the end which was a nice tribute to the family. I was in Florida and visited Kissimmee in 1996 but I didn't know about Water Mania.

There's a newer waterpark in Kissimee now and it's kinda crazy to think $70 is competitive pricing (for all year), but considering how much more crowded and more ridicoulous the disney and universal ones are price-wise, it seems like it's doing well. Hope it doesn't meet the same fate. Especially because the two Fun Spot America parks do just fine with disney, universal, and seaworld competition all around.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I’ve not been yet

Ahh grew up in Kissimmee in the 80’s. I loved Water Mania. Who loved Orlando in the 80’s?

Concert in a wave pool??? Holy shit! Something I never knew I needed till right fucking now

Wow talk about childhood memories! We use to go to this park every summer...R.I.P Water Mani and Wet and Wild 😭😭😭 The wave pool & lazy river was my fav😄

We went to Orlando from SC every summer as a kid. My dad worked for Fluor Daniel and in 1985 he had to be in Kissimmee on a project and that entire summer my family stayed there...Wow, what a great time! My first Wet N Wild experience. We were back in SC by the end of the year but still went there on vacations and I remember when Water Mania opened up. I loved it there, too! Wet N Wild and Water Mania were like local businesses and hang outs...I miss those times and places! I'll never go back to anything Universal and refuse to go to Volcano Bay after they closed down Wet N Wild! Island H2O is more like Wet N Wild and Water Mania. It may not have the flash and sizzle of Volcano Bay or Disney, but that's where you'll find me!

Even though I knew it wasn’t him, every time Gary Larson was mentioned, I kept thinking of the Farside and wonder if there were cows at the park.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

I do not know what that is haha

@katherinealvarez9216

3 жыл бұрын

@@ExpeditionThemePark Gary Larson is an american cartoonist, the Farside was the series he created.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

@@katherinealvarez9216 ahhhhh I will look it up!

@diannelavoie5385

3 жыл бұрын

And the cows struggling to enjoy the attractions but failing due to not having opposable thumbs. 😁

@katherinealvarez9216

3 жыл бұрын

@@diannelavoie5385 😸

Really good presentation. Thanks , ETP.

Great video!!! Definitely a trip down memory lane. I remember going there a couple times in 86 and 87, before my moved to Greece. I was 10 and we lived in Palm Bay at the time.

This was the best for family who have many members and not enough money. I would remember going a few times and going straight to the pirate ship splash area the best memories ever!!!! I remember my parents calling the place the most Spanglish you’ll hear sad it’s gone :( *ALSO IM TYPING AS THE VIDEO IS PLAYING AND THE SHIP POPPED UP MY HEART!*

Love these episodes. Thanks man 🙂

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching

You have somehow made me nostalgic for a place I have never visited nor realised existed. It's a good feeling.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Then my goal is complete ha

This was my fav water park growing up!

Haha yes SE is really hot! Nice touch there Expedition!! Great video, the ability to dream is for sure the start of everything.

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly

Finally thanks for this wonderful video . I think is the first one I seen on water mania I have the opportunity of visiting the park many times during the late 80s and 90s .

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@josedieguez8754

3 жыл бұрын

Nooo !! Thank you

wow , good joob , historian film well done , the satellite image and music was a very nice touch ! I am been living outside orlando ( ocala ) for over 25 years ( I am 35 ) and never heard of Water Mania , impressive ! ... thanks for upload .... good job !

Born and raised in Orlando.... this is all news to me

@ExpeditionThemePark

3 жыл бұрын

Haha yes

We would stay at the Travel Lodge right next door in the 80’s. Two years ago I drove into the site to check it out. Hotel is abandoned and like your video shows, the park land is built up. Great video! Makes me sad but also happy thinking back.

Love going there when I was a kid $50 for an annual pass was a seal now that I think about it good times and memories there I still have old photos from there with friends