East Coast water parks usually located in the southern half of the country, since cold weather doesn't affect them as much. The two best known are probably Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, part of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida. Disney takes great pride in their theme parks and the water-based rides here are no exception.
Wet 'n Wild Emerald Point in Greensboro, North Carolina has over 30 slides for visitors to enjoy, while Williamsburg, Virginia hosts Water County USA, with 40 rides based around a 1950s theme. Splish Splash can be found in upstate New York, one of the few top-ranked water parks in the Northeast.
A number of the country's best water parks can be found in Texas, where heat and humidity are the order of the day, but Wisconsin is a strong competitor. Schlitterbahn Water Park in New Braunfels, Texas is often ranked at the top of any 10 best list. It offers 40-plus rides on 65 acres of land and has recently added Christmas-style attractions in the winter, including ice skating and holiday-themed shows.
While it doesn't quite compare with Schlitterbahn, Splashtown Park in San Antonio has distinguished itself as a top-notch water park in its own right. Further north, Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells often ranks right alongside Schlitterbahn, with more then 60 water slides and water-based attractions on its property.
The West Coast is a natural place for water parks with perennially warm weather and a dry climate in the summer. Raging Waters operates a trio of top-notch parks in California, in Sacramento, San Jose and San Dimas. The latter made a memorable cameo in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". All three rank at the top of the list for West Coast parks and include both fast-paced water slides and slower family-oriented pools. Their artificial beaches and wave machines periodically host "dive-in" movies projected against the back wall.
A little further east, Denver Colorado hosts Water World, which combines elements of a more traditional theme park with water slides and whitewater raft-style attractions.
