Aqua Adventures @The Land Of Illusion
Spring and Summer are famous for a few things, chief amongst them are Waterparks, Swimming Pools, Bounce Houses & depending on your location, swimming in the local watering hole (meaning pond). Well while visiting Middletown, Ohio we discovered a place you HAVE to visit, where it's possible to enjoy all of the above activities without leaving the grounds!
The Mystery Of The Land Of Illusion
Land Of Illusion
Land Of Illusion is a year round entertainment complex home to 6 Award Winning Halloween Haunts - including a mile long Haunted Trail & Zombie Sniper Patrol (where you ride on an Army truck and shoot paintballs at Zombies giving chase), a drive-thru Christmas Light Wonderland with Santa's Village, an outdoor concert venue and the reason why we visited, Aqua Adventures.
Aqua Adventures
Located midway between Dayton & Cincinnati, Ohio and about 1.5 hours from Columbus, Aqua Adventures is a whole new way to do Summer! If you've seen the TV show "Wipeout", the moment you fall off one of the obstacles, you'll immediately feel like a contestant.
We visited twice in 7 days (yes, we had that much fun), and after the first trip we told everyone how cool and different this place is. Upon on our return trip, we ended up bringing a few extra people along for the ride (or slide), and by a few I mean like 10!
Listen, there's really no reason for me to provide a long winded response about our trip, THIS WAS THE MOST FUN WE'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME! At first I didn't make it out on the course as the kids were playing while I was doing my best Olan Mills impression and making sure I got footage of everyone. Then I zoomed in and noticed Charisse & my sister were out cutting up (translation: Having fun), and I could no longer sit idly by.
You swim out to the starting point about 40 feet off shore and climb up onto the structure where you then can chose to go one of two ways. I can't say which is easier because I fell off both directions to everyone's amusement.
The kids did great and seemed to zoom over most obstacles, including the "Slippery Bridge". Making it to the top is just half the battle, because once you crest the hill and start to celebrate, you remember your feet are coated with water. When mixed with gravity this becomes a bad combination and typically guarantees you an express trip into the lake!
At the end of one path awaits the ultimate reward. A Mayan Pyramid shaped mountain with a huge "bouncer" at the top that catapults you high enough to catch a view of the whole park before crashing into the lake below. If you take the other route a youll find a slide and diving platform.
Above to the right is what the kids called the "Kamikaze Slide", because each time they slid down, somehow they'd end up spinning around and crashing into the water head first! When I swam out to it for the first time, it continued to grow taller as I got closer, and after climbing to the top I'd be lying if I didn't say I had reservations before sliding down. Thoughts of "You're too old to be doing this stuff" continued to echo in my mind, only to be overpowered by the kids (and a couple random strangers) chanting from below "Go, Go, GOOOO!" and of course at that point I realized that peer pressure knows no age limits as I shoved off and zoomed to the bottom, crashing into the lake like a scene from "Ridiculousness".
You catch some serious speed coming down and it's seriously just a lot of fun! Yes I rode it again and no, I wasn't scared (nervous possibly) but not scared.
Also attached to the side of the slide is a huge bag where one person lays down and the other jumps from the side of the slide and rockets the one laying into the air, catapult style!
Someone Call Guinness...
Extra Adventures!
"Why you ask?" well because Aqua Adventures now has the LARGEST Inflatable Slide IN THE COUNTRY! At 43 feet tall, if the sight of it from the ground isn't intimidating, wait till you get to the top and look at where you're about to go! You catch crazy speed racing towards the bottom where you're suddenly launched airborne for a distance before crashing into the water below. Yes I rode it and no, I wasn't scared (nervous possibly) but not scared.... I'm lying, I was shook!! 😂😂
Aqua Kids Adventures!
Think the big course may be a little too intimidating for the little ones in your family? No problem! Aqua Adventures also has a Wibit section just for kids in their own little pond.
The layout's somewhat similar however the footprint is smaller, making it easier for the tot's to navigate. Vegas was a little nervous at first, but after 2 minutes he was running full speed, and even slipping in on purpose!. He knew his life jacket would keep him safe & proceeded to really go crazy!
There's a lifeguard on duty, and with the course only being a few feet from shore, we could all keep an eye out while allowing him the independence to play freely.
Play On Outside The Water!
The adventures don't stop at the obstacle course, as there's multiple ways to stay entertained. Adjacent to the course is a separate area where you can rent paddle boards and skim across the lake at your leisure, A direct contrast to the chaos going on across from you.
The beach is nice and relaxing with plenty of reclining chairs allowing everyone a chance to recoup, while catching some sun. If you're a fan of people watching and enjoy laughing, the beach is the place for you as you'll have the perfect view of everyone's misfortunes on the obstacle course front and center. If you prefer a VIP experience, you can rent your own cabana overlooking the main or kids course.
During your downtime out of the water, play a game of Volleyball on one of the 2 courts, beat (or get beat) your party in corn hole, or slap a ping pong ball back and forth on one of several tables, all included with your price of admission! These additional attractions are perfect for those that want to join the fun and come but not want to get in the water!
Party Favors
Outside food and beverages are prohibited but honestly,with the Aqua Lounge, everything you need is already here!
A full bar with tropical drinks, beer and wine (and some damn good Daiquiris, Order a "Vegas Baby" and don't get too comfortable in your seat as you'll soon find yourself getting back up to ordering another), there's no reason to turn down! Let's be honest, most Amusement Park food sucks, but the kids loved the food here. Scoop & Gabrielle devoured the Cheeseburgers and fries while Munchie had Chicken Tenders (From Lee's Chicken!!) and I had the Caesar Salad. Full disclosure, I can attest that the fries and burgers were good as I ate "some" of Scoops when she ran back to the water. Hey, she knows not to leave food around me unattended.
Aqua Adventures is a forsure fun way to fill a whole day with activities for everyone. The uniqueness makes the trip from any direction well worth it and guarantees to provide an experience not available in Columbus (or many other places for that matter). Be sure to visit LandOfIllusion.com for a schedule of events and special discounts off admission!
**Our first visit to Aqua Adventures was provided in exchange for our honest review of our experience, however the 3 subsequent trips were all out of our own pocket, which should tell you that we actually had fun!**
