15 Best Water Parks for Summer Vacation

Visitors to Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains this summer can cool down inside Dollywood's Splash Country. The 35-acre water park features an 8,000 square-foot lagoon-style pool boasting more than two dozen interactive elements known as The Cascades and a slew of water slides, none more pulse-pounding than Fire Tower Falls-the tallest and fastest in the park.

Families vacationing with children this summer should have their sights set on the one-of-a-kind water park at LEGOLAND Florida. Attractions like Build-A-Boat and Build-a-Raft River allow kids to showcase their creativity while having fun at the same time. The DUPLO Splash Safari is excellent for toddlers while older children will likely prefer the Splash Out and Twin Chasers water slides.

Six Flags guests can get wet and wild at more than a half dozen different Hurricane Harbor locations across North America this summer. Splash around in a wave pool, unwind in the lazy river or test your courage on any one of numerous water slides, including the Bonzai Pipelines, where the floor literally drops out from below you, sending you freefalling at 40 mph.

Silver Dollar City's White Water theme park in Branson, Missouri has something for the whole family. Young children are sure to love the Coconut Cove play area while older kids and adults can race each other at speeds of over 40 mph on the Kalani Tower Drops Slides. Meanwhile, the Ohana Falls raft adventure is ideal for everyone in your group.

Whether you live for water slides, lazy rivers or wave pools, Schlitterbahn Waterparks are certain to exceed your expectations. Summer vacationers can choose from any five locations in South Texas and Kansas City, Kansas. The Galveston Island park boasts the largest collection of thrill rides, which include the 70-foot-tall Rohr! water slide, the Soaring Eagle Zip Line and the relaxing Wasserfest Heated Pool & Swim-Up Bar for adults.

Universal Orlando Resort's new water theme park, Volcano Bay, features more than a dozen attractions and smart technology designed to enhance the guest experience. The TapuTapu wearable allows visitors to wait in line for their favorite ride virtually so they don't waste any time. The four-person Krakatau Aqua Coaster is a great place to kick off your summer fun.

Wisconsin's Noah's Ark Water Park is recognized as the largest in the U.S. Dubbed the Water Park Capital of the World, the attraction spans 70 acres. Highlights include a pair of endless rivers, two massive wave pools and countless thrill rides and slides. Raja is a brand new ride for 2018 that features 335 feet of twists and turns and a final drop from 37 feet into the mouth of the world's largest king cobra.

Head to Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Virginia to experience the state's largest wave pool along with a handful of thrilling water slides. Aquazoid soaks families in the dark while Nitro Racer pits parents and kids against each other in a six-lane slide where riders zoom down head first on a foam bodysurfing mat.

This safari-themed water park in Santa Claus, Indiana is a thrill seeker's paradise. After all, it's home to the two longest water coasters in the world in the Mammoth and the Wildebeest. The latter spans one-third of a mile and blasts riders over hills and drops for two-and-a-half minutes.

Xcaret Park in Cancun, Mexico is home to a plethora of water attractions and activities. Kids will especially be drawn to Children's World, which features water slides, hanging bridges and cenotes. A wading pool and water jets are also available for younger children. Families can even explore underground rivers and get up close with dolphins, nurse sharks and stingrays at Xcaret Park.

If you prefer your water parks indoors, you can choose from any one of Great Wolf Lodge's North American properties this summer. Families can conveniently stay overnight on-site and return to the park until they've had their fill. Attractions include body slides, tube slides, pools, lagoons and private cabanas. Even better, guests won't have to worry about reapplying sunscreen.

A summer getaway to Walt Disney World Resort isn't complete without a stop at Typhoon Lagoon. There's no shortage of ways for visitors to get wet here. However, the Miss Adventure Falls raft ride is a must as its the longest ride in the history of Disney water parks, clocking in with a ride time of two minutes.

The rides at Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi are spread across four different thrill levels so no one will be going home disappointed. Attractions range from traditional-style water slides like the Jebel Drop and Hamlool's Humps to raft rides like the tornado-inspired Dawwama and Falcon's Falaj. Guests can also flowboard and surf on Rush Rider and Bubbles' Barrel, respectively.

Aquatica Orlando will open a brand new family-friendly raft slide in 2018 with Ray Rush. Guests will be propelled by water jets before spinning inside of a giant water sphere and eventually plunging into oversized manta wings. The new attraction joins the already popular Dolphin Plunge, which shoots riders underwater to race alongside black-and-white Commerson's dolphins.

A bucket-list water park for die-hard water slide fans, Aquaventure at Atlantis, Paradise Island boasts more than 18 slippery chutes to choose from, including the iconic Leap of Faith slide that features a near-vertical drop. Visitors can also race each other side by side on the Challenger Slide or plunge through darkness inside the Power Tower on The Abyss.