2 New Rides Coming To Adventure Island This Month; Park Now Open

TAMPA, FL — As this weekend sets new records with after temperatures in the high 90s, residents and visitors alike are heading to Adventure Island to beat the heat as the water park officially reopened Saturday, just in time for the spring break crowds.

There are big changes coming to Adventure Island this year.

Not only will the theme park at 10001 McKinley Drive, next to Busch Gardens, launch two new water thrill rides this month but, after 42 years of closing for the winter, the park announced that it will be open year round starting this year.

But water park fans will have to wait until later this month to try out the Rapids Racer and Wahoo Remix rides as the construction team puts finishing touches on the much-anticipated water thrills rides.

Rapids Racer is Adventure Island's all-new water slide featuring the world's first dueling saucers. Riders grab a two-person raft before racing through nearly 600 feet of slide, complete with low walls to encounter opponents throughout this side-by-side experience. The thrill of the chase is amplified as guests swirl through a journey full of high-speed tunnels and turns.

“It’s going to be very fun, lots of twists, lots of turns, lots of dueling, speed, excitement, water splashing all the way down to the end of the ride,” said design and engineering project manager Andrew Schaffer.

The Wahoo Remix water slide, formerly Wahoo Run, will be Adventure Island's first water slide to feature synchronized light and sound elements, delivering a high-energy family raft ride experience. Enclosed tunnels that were once dark will now glow as riders zoom through the 600-foot run.

These new rides following the 2020 opening of the Solar Vortex, America’s first dual tailspin raft water slide with high-banking rotations and rapid descents at speeds of up to 20 mph.

Other new features include Virtual Reality Snorkeling where guests can choose from three excursions: Ocean Experience, Space Experience or Dragon Experience.

Old favorites include Calypso Coaster, an open water flume ride that holds two passengers; Colossal Curl, an epic water slide with corkscrews and waterfalls; Aruba Tuba single or double guest water slide; Vanish Point; Caribbean Corkscrew; and Riptide, where guests can race friends down four lanes.

The water park also offers the more sedate half-mile Rambling Bayou tube trip through rain, fog and tropical waterfalls; the 9,000-square-foot Paradise Lagoon with a net climb and cliff jumps; and the 17,000-square-foot wave pool.

For the little ones, there's Fabian's Fun Port with bubbly springs, jumping jets and a water-friendly jungle gym; and Splash Attack, a huge tree house with more than 50 water play toys.

The new Hang Ten Tiki Bar is the park's first full-service bar with hand-crafted signature cocktails like the Beach Bum Mojito, The Hang Ten daiquiri, the Island Lava Flow and Caribbean Corkscrew; favorite local brews; more than 20 international and Florida-distilled rums; and light bites like the Tiki Man soft pretzel, empanadas and Gulf smoked fish dip with pineapple relish.

The Hang Ten Tiki Bar joins existing Adventure Island eateries Surfside Cafe with burgers, chicken strips and fresh salads; Mango Joe's featuring smoked chicken, ribs, barbecue pork sandwiches and frozen cocktails; the Island Food Truck with foot-long hot dogs; Colossal Snacks with personal pizzas; and Captain Pete's with frozen beverages, churros, pretzels and cold beer.

But the big news is the seasonal water park will no longer be seasonal. With the addition of pool heaters, Adventure Island will remain open all year.

Click here for tickets or to purchase annual passes.