More of this Feature • Part 3: Splashin' Safari overview • Part 1: ZOOMbabwe overview • Part 2: ZOOMbabwe review

Join the Discussion Tell us about your favorite waterpark rides

Related Resources • Waterparks

Elsewhere on the Web • Splashin' Safari official site

Splashin' Safari review

Opened in 1993, Splashin' Safari was one of the earlier waterparks built next to an existing theme park. (Customers wouldn't go for roller coasters and water slides in one location, industry naysayers used to believe. What the heck was Coney Island and all of the other seaside amusement parks, then?) Today, water parks are de rigueur, and Splashin' Safari is among the best.

The towering 102-foot tall ZOOMbabwe, the world's tallest enclosed water slide, is the featured ride and is a real winner. Other attractions include a wave pool, the delightful Congo River lazy river, and the interactive Monsoon Lagoon interactive water play and slide area. The rides can accommodate a lot of guests and the 22-acre park doesn't feel out-of-control crowded, even on busy, hot days.

The theme is African (that's the "Safari" part), hence the silly ride names. The schizophrenic park also has a California theme (that's the "Splashin'" part) and plays Beach Boys and other surf tunes over the loudspeakers.

The family-owned park has an almost religious devotion to customer satisfaction. The grounds are spotless, the prices are reasonable, and the ride ops and other staff are unfailingly polite and cheerful. While other parks seem intent on wringing every last cent out of their guests, get a load of what Splashin' Safari includes at no extra charge: free parking, admission to the water park with Holiday World admission, complimentary inner tubes, unlimited soft drinks, and free sunscreen. Now, that's what I call putting customers first.

Splashin' Safari overview

ZOOMbabwe overview

ZOOMbabwe review