Articles /Travel Ideas / Beach & Water Sports

This Deal's All Wet: Cool Off This Summer with $50 Off on Water Rides in Fort Lauderdale, Plus Cheap Rooms

By Robert Haru Fisher

  Published: Mar 22, 2003

  Updated: Dec 21, 2023

We've already told you about the Fort Lauderdale Visitor Bureau's "Guaranteed Warmth" promotion, where you can get a free night's stay if the mercury stays below 70° during your stay through May 1, 2003. Now the group is returning with its "Ride Our Waters Free" that gives you admission coupons to area water parks and rides when you stay a minimum of two nights in 28 participating hotels. The program runs from May 15 through September 30, 2003, a perfect period to escape the midday heat with a dip in or a ride on in the water.

Prices for nightly accommodations run between $49-$$109 per room. The voucher that comes with the package is worth $50 toward your entrance at six water attractions. You won't be able to get into all parks, but the voucher will certainly help cut costs.

The participating wet venues include:.

  • Billie Swamp Safari Airboat Tour through Big Cypress, a watershed of the Florida Everglades. Visit www.seminoletribe.com for more details.
  • Glass Bottom Boat Tour, viewing undersea life of the Atlantic. Check out www.prodiveusa.com.
  • The Jungle Queen Sightseeing Cruise, a riverboat adventure, going now for some 60 years. See www.junglequeen.com.
  • "Sea of Grass" experience on Sawgrass Recreation Park Airboat Ride, with alligators and birds abounding. Visit www.evergladestours.com.
  • The "Try Scuba" program of the South Florida Diving Headquarters, which gives you a chance to see the three-tiered natural reef system and 80 artificial reefs. Check out www.southfloridadiving.com.
  • A Water Taxi along inland waterways and the Riverwalk. More info at www.watertaxi.com.

For more information on the promotion and to see a list of participating hotels, contact the Visitors Bureau at 800/22-SUNNY or logon to www.sunny.org. You get the original voucher for validation upon hotel check-in and then use the voucher at one of the locations mentioned above.

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