Aquatica Phone:
(888) 800-5447 or (407) 351-3600
Operating Schedule:
Aquatica is open year round. It is closed certain Mondays and Tuesdays in November and December. Check with Aquatica for exact operating hours.
Location:
Adjacent to
SeaWorld, off International Drive in Orlando, Florida
Aquatica Directions:
From Orlando: I-4 to Exit 72.
From Tampa: I-4 to Exit 71.
Aquatica Admission Policy:
Aquatica requires separate admission from SeaWorld Orlando (and from Discovery Cove, SeaWorld's dolphin experience park). Reduced price for children 3 to 9. Ages 2 and under are free. Private cabanas are available for rent.
If you are planning to visit other parks, consider getting a bundled, discounted ticket that includes admission to SeaWorld and/or Busch Gardens. Or you might want to get the Orlando FlexTicket, which features 14 days of unlimited admission to 5 parks, including the two Universal parks, SeaWorld, and Wet 'n Wild as well as Aquatica. A 6-park pass adds Busch Gardens to the mix and includes bus transportation between Tampa and Orlando. It's a good deal if you are able to visit all 5 (or 6) parks. Buy direct from SeaWorld.
Hotel Info:
The Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld is one of Central Florida's finest hotels. Its rooms are unusually large, its decor is striking, and it offers one of the best breakfast buffets in the area.
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Aquatica Waterpark Features:
Tube slides, body slides, raft slides, bowl rides, mat-racing slides, family raft rides, wave pools, activity pool, lazy river, action river, live animals, interactive water play center, and play areas for younger kids.
To discover more about the rides at Aquatica, read these reviews of similar water park attractions:
New for 2010 at Aquatica
Omaka RockaPassengers in two-person rafts will soar through the ride's semi-opaque tubes and into a series of mini-funnels that will send them careening, half-pipe style, up and down the funnels' walls. Riders should expect pops of airtime as they make their way through the three funnels.
See Aquatica
Aquatica Photo Gallery Other SeaWorld Orlando Parks
Official Web Site:
Aquatica Water Park at SeaWorld Orlando Aquatica Overview
SeaWorld knows water. So it's not surprising that it has created a world-class water park. What might be surprising, however, is that Aquatica combines water park fun with opportunities to interact with animals.
The 59-acre park offers lots of rides for all ages and thrill levels amid a South Sea Islands atmosphere. Aquatica's signature ride, Dolphin Plunge, features side-by-side body slides that shoot riders through a pool with black and white Commerson's dolphins.
While the concept of "interacting with dolphins" sounds intriguing, the experience may not be worth the wait. The slides begin in enclosed, opaque tubes and deliver fast, twisting rides in the dark. As riders enter the pool with the dolphins, the tubes change to clear acrylic. But, even if the dolphins happen to be swimming near the tubes--which occurs only occasionally--it's unlikely riders would see them, since the dolphins and the riders zip along so quickly. With lines easily swelling up to an hour or longer on busy days, guests may want to skip the ride.
But that doesn't mean that they would have to skip seeing the captivating dolphins. By moseying next door and wading into Loggerhead Lane, Aquatica's lazy river, there's no waiting, and the nicely landscaped attraction includes a leisurely spin past an underwater window into the dolphin pool. The relatively short route also passes through a grotto with an aquarium of brightly colored African fish. Passengers aboard the two Tasssie Twister bowl rides also exit into the lazy river and can view the animals. Guests who don't want to board any of the rides can marvel at the dolphins in a second underwater viewing area.
A Not-so-Lazy River
In addition to the dolphins and fish, handlers walk around the park with other animals, including a tortoise and an anteater. Among its other unique features, Aquatica offers twin, side-by-side wave pools that each deliver different wave experiences. And Roa's Rapids is an action river that is surprisingly fast, quite long, and a load of fun. Forget the tubes; riders just go with the flow and encounter geysers, sudden surges, and other diversions.
Aquatica's other attractions include Walkabout Waters, an immense interactive play station with loads of water cannons and other spritzing doodads as well as two dump buckets. Two family raft rides, one enclosed and twisty, the other open and a straight shot down, offer fast, thrilling rides. The Taumata Racers begin in dark, enclosed tubes, and end in a side-by-side race to the finish. A pair of two tube slides at Whanau Way offers two different ride experiences.
The park's three restaurants offer food that's a notch above typical water park fare. The Banana Beach Cookout, an all-you-care-to-eat buffet, offers an intriguing deal: For a few dollars more than a one-time meal, guests can return as many times as they wish throughout the day.
Despite Aquatica's enormous number of lounge chairs, guests quickly scoop them up and stake out their turf on busy days--a typical water park quandary. The lines for many of the rides can get quite long on busy days as well. Even the road into the parking lot can get jammed during peak times. The best advice to avoid crowds on prime water park days is to arrive when Aquatica first opens or wait until the afternoon on days when it's open late.
So, how does it compare to other water parks?
Central Florida is home to some of the world's finest and most popular water parks, and Aquatica is a notable addition. While it's not as lushly landscaped as Disney's Typhoon Lagoon (or SeaWorld's own upscale Discovery Cove dolphin swim park), it is quite lovely. And while Aquatica lacks the extreme kicks of Summit Plummet or Bomb Bay, the speed slides at Disney's Blizzard Beach and Wet 'n Wild respectively, some of its attractions do lay on the thrills. Aquatica's vibe and South Seas theme are charming. And its animal features set it apart from all other water parks. In short, SeaWorld's claim that Aquatica is an innovative, new take on traditional water parks, um, holds water.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodations for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
