While a day at Universal is guaranteed to be filled with fun and excitement, there will likely be a few snags along the way. The kids will get tired and complain, the lines will be unavoidable, all that walking might lead to a foot condition that requires the help of a professional like Northwest Surgery Center to fix, and the sun is sure to be beating down on you the entire time. While that’s a lot to worry about while on a vacation, there’s at least one way to keep cool during all the heat: water rides.
The park has plenty of water rides, like the following, that are designed to get you soaked and cool you down on those hot summer days.
Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
You won’t need any spinach on this ride, but you might want a towel after you’re done. You’ll hop aboard a donut-shaped vessel that bounces its way through the water and rocks, getting you soaked by unsuspecting downpours, splashed, and squirted by water all along the way. Because the ride is free of any rails, it can twist and turn as it pleases, meaning any passenger can fall victim to sudden spouts of water!
Jurassic Park River Adventure
This deceiving ride may start off as a peaceful drift along a river where riders may only get squirted with small spritzes of water by animatronic dinos, but once you realize that the carnivores have broken free of their cages, things take a thrilling turn. You’ll have to go make your way up a dark ramp and past a T-rex to escape, where you’ll plunge 85 feet down a waterfall with a satisfying splash.
You can also choose to wait on the bridge while you exit, where you’ll be met with a tidal wave from the next group of riders escaping the park—but we only recommend this if you don’t have a problem wringing your socks out afterward.
Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
While many kids today won’t have the slightest clue who Dudley Do-Right is, that won’t detract from the fun one bit. This ride feels more like something you’d see at Disneyland—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing—with a leisurely log ride taking you through an experience reminiscent of classic rides, with animatronics and such. Then at the end, you’ll be met with a giant 75-foot drop that guarantees you come out dry on the other side.
The line is also filled with parodies of other popular films, such as “Saw Wars,” “Saws,” and many other entertaining puns.
Making Your Trip a Splash
If you don’t mind a little drizzle here and there, these water rides are a great way to stay cool and refreshed during those hot summer days at Universal Studios. With a variety of different rides that will get you either damp—at the very least—or downright soaked, you’ll have a way to fight the heat without taking a break from the Universal experience.