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Last week I learned about a Tweet-up at Orlando’s newest theme park, Aquatica By SeaWorld. Actually, since Aquatica is a water park, the organizers of the event called it a “Splash-Up”. Clever.
Now, my family has annual passes to SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, but we have never been to Aquatica. So I was really excited to get the chance to experience the park for the first time. In this first blog post, I will be talking about the park itself and the experience I had while I was their guest.
Aquatica has some some special offerings that are not available at any other theme park in Central Florida. They feature the Banana Beach Cookout, an all-you-care-to-eat dining experience. Simply pay once in the morning. Then you don’t have to think about meals for the remainder of your visit. They offer buffet-style dining with a summer bar-b-que flair. I thoroughly enjoyed the food, and I’m looking forward to feasting there again.
Also, Aquatica has private cabanas available for rent. While I did not get the opportunity on this visit to check them out, I simply love the idea and I can imagine it would be a splendid way to spend the day.
On to the rides. The first slide I decided to try was Dolphin Plunge, Aquatica’s trademark slide featuring a short “swim” with the dolphins as the tube passes underwater through their habitat. Aquatica’s most popular slide, it is proudly shown in all of the TV commercials. While it is a cool concept, the idea that you are swimming with dolphins is lost as soon as you vanish into the completely dark tube. I did my best to assume the correct riding position. This, of course, helped me to go even faster, kicking water into my face, and assuring I was totally blind while I “swam” through the clear portion of the slide … only to be promptly dumped into the landing pool. Fun thrill ride? Most certainly! Playful swim with the dolphins? No so much.
It should be noted that there are two viewing areas from which I was able to see the dolphins. That, actually, was very enjoyable. There are several beautiful black-and-white Commerson’s Dolphins. I’ve never seen animals like this before, and they seemed like they were having as much fun swimming as I did watching them.
The next ride, Whanau Way, was easily the ride that had me laughing more than any other. There are four different slides to choose from at the top of the tower, each unique. Time only allowed for me to ride one of them. After twisting and turning through the tube, the two final drops accelerated me into the landing pool with so much energy that I was skimming across the water. It was totally nuts! I only wish I’d had the time ride test fly the other three flumes on the ride.
After I was able to stop laughing, I decided it was time to check out Aquatica’s newest ride, the Omaka Rocka. This single-rider flume starts off like any other. However, after a few seconds of twists and turns, it dumps you into a funnel. You wash up one side of the funnel, then the other, and finally are carried away into more flume, then another funnel, and another. After the first funnel, I entered the tube going backwards. I figured the second funnel would turn me around again. And I was wrong. With Omaka Rocka’s twin slides and six funnels, you are sure to never get the same ride twice.
In my next post, I’ll share my experience with the Walhalla Wave & HooRoo Run slides, and the thrilling Taumata Racer!
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