There are few places left in the world where humans and hippopotamuses can swim peacefully side by side. In fact, Wet Zone may be the last. Haley, the lovable mascot, wanders around the water park in a floral-print dress with pink eye shadow accentuating her smile while she high-fives birthday boys and girls at onsite parties. Like a queen in her castle, sculptures of her speckle the park's various splash pools, look out over the geysers and showering pipes, and welcome aquatic adventurers to Turtle Cove and the colorful Kiddie Playground. And Haley also lends inspiration, fortifying wee ones with the gusto necessary to tackle the park's two giant water slides or age-specific swim lessons.

While kiddies splash on multi-level playhouses, adults can sneak away from the large lap pool to gear up for aquatic battle at the 4 giant Water Slides game. Then families can reunite on land for a game of volleyball, or head over to Haley's Hunger Hut for some nachos or hot dogs. Private, grass-roofed cabanas give sun-shunners a place to dodge the heat as they chow down, and free WiFi allows furtive check-ins with work or information transmissions with the mother ship. Yet no one has an excuse to stay dry for long—an on-site gift shop is stocked with bathing suits and towels to equip the ill-prepared for a day spent swimming.