SeaWorld Orlando's Aquatica: Experience an aquatic vacation paradise
Opened in March 2008, SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquatica water park successfully builds on the successes of the original park plus the newer Discovery Cove and embodies the essence of an aquatic paradise.
The new park encompasses 36 water slides, six rivers and lagoons, and more than 80,000 square feet of beach area. The unique style and design of the park allows guests to float, splash and speed through animal habitats and undersea adventures. In addition to the sights, lively plant life has been imported from exotic destinations the world over. More than 2,500 different types of tree species are strategically planted through Aquatica, including monkey puzzle trees from Chile, pineapple guava trees from Brazil and flowering silk oak trees from Australia. As with the other SeaWorld parks, animals from around the planet thrive here, such as the rare black and white Commerson’s dolphins, bright colored macaws and dazzling fish species, help create a vibrant and playful atmosphere, all the while with guests flying past them in some of the fastest water slides and tubes ever built. Guests zoom and float through these amazing animal habitats, creating the most thrilling water park rides in the world. Visitors also will encounter unusual birds and animals such as kookaburras, anteaters and iguanas in walk-around interaction opportunities. Goodwill ambassadors of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, these animals inspire guests to learn more about the environment and conservation. Featured Aquatica rides include: ♦ Eight Lane Racer - Guests compete on an eight-lane racing track that sends riders speeding down a slide with twists and turns. ♦ Wave Pools - the world’s only side-by-side wave lagoons that can be operated together or independently encompass 860,000 gallons of water lined by wide, sandy beaches. ♦ Adventure River - The river speeds guests through 1,500 feet of rapids, past geysers and waterfalls. ♦ Lazy River - For a gentler ride, the lazy river carries guests into a grotto filled with thousands of colorful fish and through an underwater view of the Commerson’s dolphin habitat.
Opening and closing hours vary by season, so it's a good idea to check the Aquatica web site to determine not only what current operating hours are, but also if there are suggestions about avoiding peak rush hours.
- by Jim Brown , Orlando Reporter for HelloMetro
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Jim Brown Jim Brown is a longtime freelance aviation, travel and destination writer and communications professional. A former reporter for Aviation Daily, Air Safety Week and World Airline News, Jim served for more than 15 years as a senior public relations executive for American Airlines, TWA and AirTran Airways.
