Smaller and less fancy than other water parks in the area, Water Mania in Kissimmee was like the red-headed stepchild of our local theme-park scene until it closed 2005. The park featured rides like the Double Bezerker, the Anaconda and the Cruisin' Creek (their version of a lazy river), and it was also home to an inland surfing experience called "Wipe Out." At its peak in the mid-'90s, the chlorine-soaked park welcomed about 500,000 people a year through its turnstiles.
After almost 20 years in business, the park closed those turnstiles for good on Sept. 5, 2005. These photographs were taken less than a year later. These days, the spot where the water park once stood, at 6073 W. Irlo Bronson Highway (U.S. 192), is inhabited by a Golden Corral and Pirate's Island Mini-Golf course.
