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Aquatica (Orlando)
Encyclopedia
Aquatica is a water park
operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
and located near Orlando, Florida
. The park, which opened to guests on March 1, 2008, is a companion to SeaWorld Orlando
and is located across International Drive
from the main theme park. The park is themed to the southern Pacific and features Australia
n and New Zealand
based mascots.
In its debut year, the park hosted approximately 950,000 guests, making it the fourth-most visited water park in the United States and eighth-most visited in the world. The park was an immediate success, reaching its opening-year attendance goal in just six months.
SeaWorld originally announced plans to build a water park on July 15, 2005. The announcement stated that it would be a "natural" park and revealed the park's iconic Dolphin Plunge water slides.
On March 5, 2007, SeaWorld held a press conference officially announcing Aquatica. Construction continued in earnest throughout 2007 and into early 2008. Previews for employees and holders of park annual passes were held in February. On March 1, 2008 the park opened to guests for the first time, with the official grand opening held on April 4, 2008.
s share an extensive, 80000 square feet (7,432.2 m²) man made white-sand beach area equipped deck chairs, Sun beds and umbrellas.
, Aquatica has developed its own set of characters, known as "park ambassadors." Visible on merchandise and on signage and statuary throughout the park, these characters include:
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a family entertainment company owned by The Blackstone Group. SeaWorld is responsible for the operation and maintenance of eleven theme parks located throughout the United States...
and located near Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. The park, which opened to guests on March 1, 2008, is a companion to SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group...
and is located across International Drive
International Drive
International Drive is the main tourist strip of Orlando, Florida, located several miles southwest of proper Downtown Orlando in the southernmost limits of the city...
from the main theme park. The park is themed to the southern Pacific and features Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
based mascots.
In its debut year, the park hosted approximately 950,000 guests, making it the fourth-most visited water park in the United States and eighth-most visited in the world. The park was an immediate success, reaching its opening-year attendance goal in just six months.
Development history
On March 5, 2007, SeaWorld held a press conference officially announcing Aquatica. Construction continued in earnest throughout 2007 and into early 2008. Previews for employees and holders of park annual passes were held in February. On March 1, 2008 the park opened to guests for the first time, with the official grand opening held on April 4, 2008.
Attractions
The park features a wide array of attractions for all ages and swimming abilities, some of which pass by or through animal habitats.Body/mat slides
- Dolphin Plunge - the park's signature attraction, these two enclosed tube slides pass through a pool containing a pod of Commerson's dolphinCommerson's DolphinCommerson's Dolphin is one of four dolphins in the Cephalorhynchus genus. The species has also the common names Skunk Dolphin, Piebald Dolphin and Panda Dolphin...
s.
- TaumataTaumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahuTaumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is the Māori name for a hill, high, close to Porangahau, south of Waipukurau in southern Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.The name is often shortened to Taumata...
Racer - an eight-lane racing slide with guests sliding down on mats through enclosed and open sections.
Raft slides
- Whanau Way - a tower with four double-raft slides.
- Tassie's Twisters - a pair of funnel-like slides that can be ridden in single or double rafts.
- Omaka Rocka - Aquatica's newest ride, clover shaped carrying each one rider rafts descend into one of two slides that look like a tornado funnel layer on its side.
Multi-person raft slides
- Walhalla Wave - a twisty slide with enclosed, pitch-dark segments.
- HooRoo Run - sharing a tower with Walhalla Wave, this triple-dip slide is short, but fast.
Lazy rivers
- Roa's Rapids - a faster, aggressive version of the lazy riverLazy riverA lazy river is a water ride found in many amusement parks or water parks. They are also found at some resorts and recreation centers. It usually consists of shallow pool that flows similarly to a river....
with geysers, speed zones and center islands. - Loggerhead Lane - a traditional lazy river that passes through a grotto of cichlidCichlidCichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
s and the Commerson's dolphin exhibit.
Wave pools
Both wave poolWave pool
A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, reasonably large waves, similar to the ocean's. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks...
s share an extensive, 80000 square feet (7,432.2 m²) man made white-sand beach area equipped deck chairs, Sun beds and umbrellas.
- Cutback Cove - featuring stronger, taller waves.
- Big Surf Shores - featuring gentler, rolling waves.
Children's areas
- Kata's Kookaburra Cove - designed for younger children, with smaller slides and play features.
- Walkabout Waters - a play fortress with slides, ladders and dumping water buckets.
Park mascots
Instead of importing established characters from SeaWorld, such as ShamuShamu (SeaWorld show)
Shamu is the stage name given to the SeaWorld orca shows and to the "star" of those shows, beginning with the original Shamu in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, Aquatica has developed its own set of characters, known as "park ambassadors." Visible on merchandise and on signage and statuary throughout the park, these characters include:
- Roa, a kiwiKiwiKiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
- Kata, a kookaburraKookaburraKookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...
- Wai, a Commerson's dolphinCommerson's DolphinCommerson's Dolphin is one of four dolphins in the Cephalorhynchus genus. The species has also the common names Skunk Dolphin, Piebald Dolphin and Panda Dolphin...
- Ihu, a geckoGeckoGeckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
- Papa, a Royal SpoonbillRoyal SpoonbillThe Royal Spoonbill, Platalea regia, also known as the Black-billed Spoonbill, occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in New Caledonia...
- Wae Wae, a takahēTakaheThe Takahē or South Island Takahē, Porphyrio hochstetteri is a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand and belonging to the rail family. It was thought to be extinct after the last four known specimens were taken in 1898...
- Motu, a turtleTurtleTurtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
Commerson's dolphins
Aquatica's Commerson's dolphins are all captive-born males who came from SeaWorld's park in California.- Fabio
- Keebler
- Pepe
- Ross