Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix

Spread among its 25-acre facility, Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix is the biggest water park in Arizona. The huge park offers a great variety of salads, rides, and ways to keep cool amid the city's notorious heat.

Among the featured attractions is Maximum Velocity, a dueling water coaster (the world's first). Riders "race" in side-by-side tracks. Other thrill rides include Tornado, a water park funnel ride, Serpentine Complex, a bowl ride, Mammoth Falls, a half-pipe ride, and Desert Racers, a six-lane mat racing slide. For guests who prefer their thrills slightly toned down, Wet 'n' Wild offers Raging Rivers, a family raft ride.

For those with a weaker heart, the park offers Cactus Cooler, an 1100 foot long lazy river, and Monsoon Bay, a large wave pool. And for younger kids, there's Boogie Board Beach, an interactive water play structure with a tipping bucket and smaller kiddie slides, and Soak 'em Playayground, a play pool with pint-sized slides.

Note that an Australian company purchased Waterworld Safari from its previous owners, Golfland, after the 2008 season. The park reopened for the 2009 season under new management and with the new name, Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix.

Phoenix, Arizona

Discounts available for children (3 to 11) and seniors (60+). 2 and under free. Check the Wet 'n' Wild Web site for info about additional discounts for online tickets purchased in advance. Parking fees are additional. Season passes are available. Guests can also rent private cabanas.

Take I-17 to Exit 217, Pinnacle Peak Rd. Wet 'n' Wild is at 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Rd., at the intersection of Pinnacle Peak and 43rd Ave. It is about 2.5 miles from I-17.

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Water coaster, funnel ride, family raft ride, bowl ride, mat racing slide, tube slides, body slides, half-pipe ride, lazy river, wave pool, activity pool and two kiddie play areas.

Are you wondering, "What the heck are water coaster, funnel, and bowl rides?" To learn more, see my reviews and photos of similar rides at other parks:

• Rendezvous Run water coaster at Cedar Point's Castaway Bay in Ohio.
• High Anxiety funnel ride at New Jersey's Mountain Creek water park.
• Dragon's Den bowl ride at New York's Splish Splash water park.

Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix Water Park Photo Gallery

More photos on the About.com network:
Wet 'n' Wild Phoenix Photos on About.com's Phoenix Site.

New for 2012 Wet 'n' Wild Jr.
It's a waterpark within a waterpark that is geared for younger kids and offers splash zones, a new river ride, Screamin' Streamers (this park really likes apostrophes!), a junior funnel ride, Tiny Typhoon, and the competitive ride, Banzai Racers.

New for 2011: Constrictor
Enclosed flume slide with what Wet ’n’ Wild Phoenix is describing as "the tightest turns of any other waterslide giving riders an experience unlike any other in the world."