Aquatica Orlando
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Amusement parks, Water parks |
| Founded | March 1, 2008 in Orlando, Florida, United States |
Area served | United States (Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; formerly San Diego, California) |
| Owner | United Parks & Resorts |
| Parent | SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment |
| Website | aquatica |
Aquatica is a series of water parks owned and managed by United Parks & Resorts, with venues situated in Orlando, Florida and San Antonio, Texas.
History
On July 15, 2005, SeaWorld Orlando revealed plans for a "natural" style water park, introducing the now-renowned Dolphin Plunge (currently known as Reef Plunge) slides. SeaWorld formally announced the development of Aquatica on March 5, 2007, investing $50 million into the project. Construction advanced throughout 2007 and early 2008, with preview events held in February before the park's debut on March 1, 2008. The official grand opening took place on April 4, 2008. During its inaugural year, Aquatica Orlando welcomed close to 950,000 visitors, ranking it as the fourth most frequented water park in the United States and eighth globally. The park successfully reached its attendance goal within just six months.
In early 2011, rumors circulated about establishing an Aquatica location at SeaWorld San Antonio as part of transforming the area into a multi-day attraction. On May 24, 2011, SeaWorld confirmed these plans, describing the new park as "a whimsical waterpark featuring close animal encounters, thrilling rides, and relaxing beach areas." Aquatica San Antonio took the place of Lost Lagoon, which ceased operations in September 2011. Construction commenced in October 2011, with new slides arriving by November. The park officially opened its doors on May 19, 2012.
On November 20, 2012, Cedar Fair sold its San Diego Soak City water park to SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Initially opened as White Water Canyon in 1997 with 16 slides and a wave pool, Cedar Fair acquired it in 1999 for $11.5 million and rebranded it as Knott's Soak City U.S.A. After renovations and expansion to , it reopened as Aquatica San Diego on June 1, 2013.
All Aquatica locations temporarily closed in mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with full reopenings completed by June 2021.
Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, Aquatica San Diego closed for retheming and was relaunched as Sesame Place San Diego in March 2022.
Aquatica Orlando
Aquatica Orlando, situated in Orlando, Florida, operates alongside sister parks SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove. Opening on March 1, 2008, it embraces a South Pacific theme featuring Australian and New Zealand animal mascots such as Roa the kiwi and Kata the kookaburra. The park caters to guests of all ages with a variety of attractions including two wave pools that share an expansive white-sand beach equipped with deck chairs and umbrellas.
- Body/matt slides
- Reef Plunge – Formerly known as Dolphin Plunge, this pair of enclosed WhiteWater slides traverse through a pool inhabited by Commerson's dolphins originally from SeaWorld San Diego. In 2022, the slides were updated with translucent effects and additional marine life visuals.
- Ihu's Breakaway Falls – Consists of four drop slides featuring steep helixes reaching up to 80 feet and an intense 80-degree plunge; designed by ProSlide and opened in 2014.
- Taumata Racer – An eight-lane racing slide manufactured by WhiteWater West called "Whizzard," utilizing mats for riders; debuted alongside the park in 2008.
- Tube slides
- Whanau Way – Comprises four double-raft slides from WhiteWater West accommodating one or two riders.
- Tassie's Underwater Twist – A duo of WhiteWater West Super Bowl funnel slides suitable for single or double rafts; this attraction evolved from Tassie Twisters (established in 2008) to its current form in 2024.
- Riptide Race – A tall dueling tube slide featuring two competitive lanes; its launch was postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually opened in 2021 near Banana Beach Cookout.
- Omaka Rocka – Single-rider tube slides that drop into tornado funnel-like sections; introduced in late 2011.
- Multi-person family raft slides (round rafts)
- Walhalla Wave (2017) – Enclosed raft slide designed for groups of two to four riders featuring completely dark sections.
- Ray Rush – A vibrant raft slide by WhiteWater West incorporating a master blaster segment, an Aquasphere oscillation chamber, and a Manta halfpipe element; launched in spring 2018.
- KareKare Curl (2019) – A ProSlide Technology TornadoWAVE 60 wall slide that propels riders up a curved wall; requires a minimum of two participants.
- Lazy rivers
- Roa's Rapids – A fast-paced lazy river equipped with geysers, speed zones, and islands for an energetic ride experience.
- Loggerhead Lane – A traditional lazy river flowing through a grotto inhabited by cichlids and Commerson's dolphins.
- Wave pools
- Cutback Cove – A narrower but deeper wave pool reaching depths of approximately 6.5 feet capable of generating larger waves.
- Big Surf Shores – A wider wave pool often partially or fully closed during periods of low attendance.
- Children's areas
- Turi's Kid Cove – A water play zone featuring palm trees, tipping buckets, jets, and water bobbles; renovated from Kata’s Kookaburra Cove at the end of 2022 and reopened in spring 2023.
- Walkabout Waters – A WhiteWater West Giant Rainfortress equipped with slides, ladders, and dumping buckets; part of the original park opening in 2008.
Former Attractions
- HooRoo Run – A family raft slide characterized by a triple-humped drop; closed in 2017 to make way for Ray Rush.
- Kata's Kookaburra Cove – Children's play area featuring small slides; closed in 2022 and replaced by Turi's Kid Cove which includes the Tamariki Twirl slide.
Aquatica San Antonio
Situated in San Antonio, Texas, Aquatica San Antonio commenced operations on May 19, 2012, serving as a complementary water park to SeaWorld San Antonio. The facility features a wide range of attractions suitable for visitors of varying ages and swimming abilities, including an exclusive ride that traverses beneath an animal enclosure.
Current Attractions
- Stingray Falls – This innovative family raft ride, a global first, navigates through an underwater cavern inhabited by stingrays and tropical fish. It is classified as a ProSlide "MAMMOTH" slide.
- Walhalla Wave – A TornadoWAVE model developed by Proslide Technology.
- HooRoo Run – Its name derives from an Australian farewell expression.
- Taumata Racer
- Kiwi Curl
- Tonga Twister – Added in 2020, this is a body slide crafted by WhiteWater West.
- Cutback Cove Slides
- Walkabout Waters – A Giant Rainfortress attraction by WhiteWater West.
- Ke-Re Reef
- Zippity Zappity
- Whanau Way
- Loggerhead Lane
- Big Surf Shores
- Ihu's Breakaway Falls – Introduced in 2019, this drop pod slide from Proslide Technology is recognized as the tallest in Texas.
- Riptide Race – Launched in 2022, it is acclaimed as the world’s tallest “dueling racer” slide and is part of Proslide's Dueling Pipeline lineup.
Former Attractions
- Roa’s Aviary – Established in 2014 within Loggerhead Lane, this 34,000 square foot aviary housed various bird species. Following the removal of birds after 2018, the area was repurposed to accommodate private cabanas.
- Woohoo Falls – Operating since 1993 during the Lost Lagoon era; it was removed post-2019 to make way for Tonga Twister.
Aquatica San Diego
In November 2012, Cedar Fair divested Knott's Soak City San Diego located in Chula Vista, California to SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. The park reopened under the new name Aquatica San Diego on June 1, 2013.
Although initially slated for conversion in 2021, the park transitioned to Sesame Place San Diego in 2022. This destination themed around Sesame Street offers family-oriented attractions such as gentle roller coasters, carousels, live performances, parades, and opportunities to meet characters. Many of the pre-existing water features aimed at younger children were retained. Aquatica San Diego concluded operations after its final season on September 12, 2021.