With average daily temperatures in the high-80s (over 27 C), you may want to plan some time on your Orlando vacation to experience one of our refreshingly cool, amazingly fun water parks. With rides and attractions to appeal to everyone from your toddler to your teen - not to mention those of us who just want to feel like kids again – you’ll never have so much fun getting soaked!

Creative themes make a visit to either of the two water parks at the Walt Disney World Resort memorable. What happens when a freak snowstorm hits Central Florida? Well, you build a ski resort, of course! When the thaw comes, you’re left with Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, a 66-acre (14-hectare) water park where the only chills you’ll experience come from the slides and rides. For thrill seekers, take the chair lift to the top of the 90-foot (27-meter), snow-capped Mt. Gushmore. Once at the top, you can choose your way down – the 55 mph (89 km/h) plunge straight down from the 120-foot (37-meter) heights of the aptly named Summit Plummet or the tall, but less steep, Slush Gusher speed slide with a couple of surprise “moguls” to spice up the ride. Looking for a more relaxing way to cool off? Soak your cares away in Melt-Away Bay, a 1-acre (0.4-hectare) pool at the base of Mt. Gushmore or hop in an inner tube to explore the icy caves of Cross Country Creek, which circles the park. Little ones will want to spend the whole day at Tike’s Peak, a scaled-down version of the park built especially for water adventurers under 48 in.(122 cm) tall.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park was born in the aftermath of a mythical tropical typhoon. The centerpiece of the park is the Miss Tilly, a shrimp boat from Safen Sound, Fla., that was picked up by the strength of the typhoon and deposited precariously on the top of Mt. Mayday, 95 feet (29 meters) in the air. A nearby fruit packing plant, Tropical Amity, is the scene of frequent flash flooding which sends guests careening down the remains of the wash facility aboard inflatable rafts on Crush ‘n’ Gusher, a white-knuckle water coaster. In addition to thrilling slides and tube rides, you can come face-to-face with colorful underwater creatures during a snorkel adventure at Shark Reef, a 362,000-gallon (1.4-million-liter) saltwater pool, or body surf in the 2.25-million-gallon (8.5-million-liter) wave pool. Ketchakiddee Creek, complete with geysers, fountains, slides and a pint-sized white-water rafting adventure caters to the smallest members of your family.

Both parks are open year-round. Single day admission to either park is $39 for adults and $33 for children ages 3 to 9. Or, you can add the water park option to your customized “Magic Your Way” vacation package.

Wet ‘n Wild Orlando, voted America’s most visited water park by Amusement Business magazine, offers plenty of fun for the whole family at its park, conveniently located along International Drive. No trip to Wet ‘n Wild would be complete without experiencing its three newest rides – Brain Wash, Disco H2O and The Blast. You'll be challenged to control your thoughts as you spin through the giant Brain Wash funnel, with lights and images flashing around you. Disco is alive and well and you can experience the sounds of the seventies as you are sent spinning through an enclosed aqua disco on Disco H2O. Or, get soaked to the bone as you travel down a ruptured pipeline on The Blast. A fun-filled kids’ zone will keep the little ones busy while a lazy river and 17,000-square-foot (1,579-square-meter) wave pool, complete with four-foot high waves will help you escape the heat. For your more adventurous family members, the Wake Zone offers kneeboarding, tubing and wakeboarding fun on a half-mile (0.8 kilometer) long lake. Wake Zone is open from May through September. A nominal fee applies to the “Wild One” tube ride. Wet ‘n Wild is open year-round with heated pools in the cooler months. Admission is $36.95 for adults and $30.95 for children ages 3 to 9.

Splash Island Water Park, at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park  in Winter Haven, is located just an hour from Orlando. Splash Island offers refreshing relaxation in the cool, slow-moving waters of Paradise River; the twisting-and-turning excitement of the Tonga Tubes; the white-knuckle white-water raft excitement of The Storm Surge or the sudden drops of the Voodoo Plunge. Kowabunga Bay, the 20,000-square-foot (1,858-square-meter) wave pool and the child-inspired gentle water fun of the Tikki Garden, offer a spot to sit back and soak up the warm Florida sunshine. Cypress Gardens is open seasonally from July through October. Admission to Splash Island is included in general admission to Cypress Gardens, $44.95 for adults and $39.95 for children ages 3 to 9.

Discovery Cove was built to create opportunities for you to interact with playful dolphins and exotic birds. But, if you want an experience that gets you more time with the animals than the park’s dolphin swim, consider the Trainer for a Day package ($429-449 per person plus tax). In addition to your enhanced personal dolphin swim, you will also participate in behind-the-scenes feedings at the coral reef, feed and care for the exotic birds in the free-flight aviary, assist with animal food preparation and record review, participate in small-mammal playtime and training as well as be involved in animal behavioral training classes. This tour is limited to guests in good physical condition and at least 6 years old. All participants under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a paid adult. Advance reservations are required and can be made online or by calling 877-434-7268.

SeaWorld Orlando prides itself on offering visitors unique opportunities to interact with some of the planet’s most impressive marine mammals through its Animal Connections Programs. The park’s Beluga Interaction Program offers you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to slip into the chilly 55 F (13 C) water for an up-close, hands-on encounter with the majestic beluga whale ($179 per person, plus tax and regular park admission, guests ages 13 and older only).  Sharks Deep Dive plunges you into the realm of sharks – more than 50 of them, in fact – in a protective shark cage for a truly unique two-hour experience ($150 per person, guests ages 10 and older only). A specially designed underwater helmet enables you to breathe and communicate underwater without the use of scuba gear. For the ultimate “working” adventure, consider the Marine Mammal Keeper Experience ($399 per person, including tax and regular park admission, guests ages 13 and older only). During this eight-hour program, you will help care for the park’s animals alongside the experts – with experiences ranging from bottle-feeding orphaned manatees to interacting with seals and walruses. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling 800-327-2424.

Swim with beluga whales, dive in with sharks, or work alongside manatees during a SeaWorld Animal Connections program. The Beluga Interaction Program is one of the few programs in the world where you can experience up-close, hands-on interactions with majestic beluga whales. Suit up and enter the chilly 55 degree water for a shallow-water encounter in the whales’ habitat at Wild Arctic. Plunge into the realm of the shark as part of the park’s most daring animal interaction program, Sharks Deep Dive. You’ll don a wetsuit and an all-new Sea Trek helmet – which allows you to breathe and communicate underwater without scuba equipment – during your close encounter with more than 50 sharks and an array of fish. Marine Mammal Keeper Experience is an eight-hour program where you’ll experience the thrill of working alongside marine mammal experts. From bottle-feeding orphaned manatees to interacting with seals and walrus, participants learn firsthand how SeaWorld animal care specialists work with marine animals.