By Lauren Tjaden
Cool off, kick back or get your adrenaline pumping at SeaWorld’s waterpark Aquatica in Orlando, rated the Nation's Best Outdoor Waterpark by USA Today.
The park delivers heart-pounding excitement with slides like Riptide Race, the highest dueling-racer waterslide on the entire planet; serene experiences such as tube rides on Loggerhead Lane, a lazy river that flows beneath a waterfall into an underwater utopia complete with vibrant tropical fish; and playgrounds to keep your littlest tadpoles smiling, including Walkabout Waters, a colorful, 60-foot-tall fortress adorned with ladders, towering walkways, gentle waterslides and shallow splash pools.
Here's where to discover everything you need to know about Aquatica’s pools and slides, dining, kid-friendly features and where to find tickets.
Waterslides, Pools and Rivers
Watery free falls! Idyllic floating trips! Pools and beaches! Scream-worthy slides! Aquatica, with the most water slides in Orlando, promises the perfect way to chill out and splash into Florida fun, whether you’re looking for thrills that are wild or mild. Check out some favorites.
Dolphin Plunge
This one-of-a-kind, corkscrewing ride is the most popular ride at Aquatica, combining an epic waterslide with the phenomenon of nature. Climb onto one of its twin slides and get ready to rocket into absolute darkness—only to explode into a radiant underwater world, home to a playful pod of stunning black-and-white Commerson's dolphins. Heralded for their mischievous nature, panda-bear coloring and exhilarating speed, you may well see these beauties keeping pace with you as you whiz by. If you want to admire the dolphins at a more leisurely pace, visit the subsurface viewing windows next to the waterslide.
Cutback Cove and Big Surf Shores
In an utterly unique twist, Aquatica offers two giant, side-by-side wave pools, each with its own distinctive personality. Cutback Cove keeps the action at a peak with constant, rolling waves; Big Surf Shores has waves that are sometimes slow and gentle and sometimes high.
Loggerhead Lane and Tassie’s Twisters
Loggerhead Lane is all about relaxation, setting the standard in lazy rivers with an excursion that takes you beneath a waterfall into an underwater paradise populated with colorful tropical fish. If you feel like a madcap rendezvous to break up the river’s Zen, paddle to the island in Loggerhead’s center and ascend the tower to Tassie’s Twister. The way to the bottom is in the ride’s tubes, which fire you at top speed into an enormous bowl, where you'll spin around it—again and again, until you're ultimately spun back out into the lazy river.
Taumata Racer
Notorious for providing Aquatica’s most electrifying thrill, Taumata is a high-speed competitive mat ride featuring eight racers plunging down a spectacularly precipitous hill, head first.
Kata's Kookaburra Cove and Walkabout Waters
Ideal for itty-bitty minnows, Kata’s Kookaburra’s enchanting cove and shallow pool features body slides for beginners, water spouts and kid-friendly rides. Watch out for giant, spilling water buckets.
Walkabout Waters is another colorful choice bound to keep your little ones smiling, offering soaring walkways, easy waterslides and inviting splash pools.
KareKare Curl
Don’t be fooled by KareKare Curl’s modest size, only 361 feet-long: if you want to scream like a little girl, this water slide is bound to make it happen. Using a “whirly wheel” as a raft, you’ll be staring into your raft partner’s wide eyes as you start 50 feet up, travel through the first tunnel, and then ricochet up the wall or “KareKare” curl a full 35-feet. You’ll be weightless right before you slip-slide back down the wall, plummeting through one last tube and splattering into the catch pool.
Riptide Race
Riptide Race, Aquatica’s newest slide and the world’s tallest dueling racer, ups the adrenalin ante with a side-by-side raft trip through high-speed tunnels and colossal curves, setting teams against each other in a drenching dash to the finish. You’ll catch a two-person raft atop a 68-foot tower before plummeting through 650 feet of slide separated with low walls, a feature that lets you keep your eyes peeled on your opponent.
The Beaches
Soaking up the sun on one of Aquatica’s sandy beaches is a surefire recipe for relaxing. Take your pick from the complimentary lounge chairs or opt for the luxe option and upgrade to a reserved lounger or cabana.
Ihu's Breakaway Falls
Famed as the steepest multi-drop tower of its kind in Orlando, this watery freefall ride challenges you to ‘face your fear and each other.’ It’s impossible to figure out who’s going to breakaway first on this attraction, but you can be sure it's going to be one loco ride.
Tips
Skip to the front of the line with Quick Que; offering priority boarding in several options.
This park map will help you plan your day.
And there’s more!
Check out all of Aquatica’s pools, rivers and slides. Here are kid-friendly areas.
Places to Eat
After you soak up some adventures, you’ll need to refuel. Aquatica boasts dining options that include quick snacks, sit-down meals and healthy selections. Here are some yummy choices.
Banana Beach Cookout
This popular restaurant, available seasonally, offers an array of all-American classics that include BBQ Chicken, pulled pork and personal pizzas as well as specialty wraps, salads, kids meals, and tempting desserts. In addition to the usual soft drinks, they serve beer, wine and sangria.
Mango Market
Mango Market invites you to ‘grab and go’ with concoctions BBQ pork sandwiches and buffalo chicken, plus guilt-free choices like salads and hummus wraps, complemented by fruit, desserts, snacks and soft-serve ice cream. Quench your thirst with soft drinks, beer, wine and sangria.
Papa's Cantina
Sited across from the beach close to Motu's Beach Bar, this quick-serve eatery dishes up a variety of empanadas and boneless wings.
And there’s more!
For more choices, check out all of the dining options at Aquatica.
Tips
For the best dining value, consider Aquatica’s All-Day Dining Deal. It lets you eat and drink all day at participating restaurants, as frequently as once an hour, for one small price.
This park map will help you plan your day.
Special Experiences and Upgrades
To make your day at Aquatica even more memorable, you can choose from upgrades that help you skip the lines, snag deals on dining, kick back in your very own cabana – or even meet the park’s dolphins. Here are a few popular choices.
Commerson’s Close Up
In this remarkable, unforgettable tour, Aquatica’s zoological experts whisk you behind the scenes for a close-up encounter with the park’s glorious, spirited Commerson’s dolphins. You’ll learn about these lovable mammals’ care, unique personalities and conservation. A photo to commemorate your experience is included.
Cabanas and Loungers
Take the chill factor to the next level with your own beachside or poolside escape at Aquatica. You can pick a location next to the wave pools or with a view of the rapids or rides, in a size that’s just right for your gang. One of the perks is having lunch and snacks delivered straight to your private cabana table; just place your order, request a delivery time and enjoy feeling spoiled.
Amenities
If you need a wheelchair, electric scooter, stroller for the kids, or want to pre-pay for parking, Aquatica has you covered with these amenities.
And there’s more!
Check out all of Aquatica’s special experiences and upgrades.
Guests with Disabilities
If someone in your gang has food allergies, autism or disabilities, rest assured that Aquatica Orlando is dedicated to providing equal access, and that they’ll make every effort to accommodate you and ensure that you enjoy your visit. Here are some highlights.
Certified Autism Center
Aquatica Orlando joined with The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), a world front-runner in online training and certification programs, to become designated as a Certified Autism Center (CAC).
This means specialized services for guests with autism and other special needs, including certified staff with training to guarantee they have the knowledge, skills, temperament and proficiency to cater to the needs of all children, including those with special needs.
Aquatica also provides an IBCCES Sensory Guide, which lends insight on how a child with sensory processing issues may be affected by each sense for its rides and attractions. Here’s where you can download the guide.
Guests in need of a break from noise and other sensory stimulation can utilize the park’s quiet room located near Kata's Kookaburra Cove, a hideaway with adjustable lighting and comfy seats. If you’re looking for a quieter location in the park, the area behind Loggerhead Lane will do nicely.
Aquatica Orlando's Ride Accessibility Program
This program was designed to allow guests to fully participate and enjoy the park while being mindful of the safety requirements of rides and attractions. You can download the guide, which covers everything from wheelchairs to ride access and services, or call Guest Services at (407) 545-5550 for more information.
Allergen Information
Aquatica’s staff has been educated and trained in allergen management in association with Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) to protect your health.
The Park has several allergen-friendly, prepackaged items for special dietary needs; for a list of these items and their locations, please ask to speak to a supervisor at Aquatica’s main meal facilities.
You’ll find Allergen Information Cards at guest services as well as the park’s main eateries. These cards provide information for a safe trip, suggested meal facilities for your special dietary needs, and a chef card for you to fill out.
When you arrive at any of Aquatica’s dining options, please go straight to the cashier and ask to speak with a supervisor so you can let them know the severity of your allergens and determine which meals will be safe for you. Not all of the park’s eateries are free from cross contact, so be sure to discuss the preparation process for your meal with the supervisor to ensure your safety.
Aquatica Orlando's Designated Allergen Friendly Location is Waterstone Grill. Although all of Aquatica’s dining options are prepared to help you with your allergen needs, Waterstone Grill, with its varied menu, has been designated as the most fit restaurant to serve your special meal.
And there’s more!
Check out all of Aquatica’s disability programs and features.
Plan Your Trip
Here’s need-to-know info from Aquatica Orlando, including park hours, a park map, tickets and reservations, frequently asked questions and directions to the park.
PLACES TO REMEMBER
RELATED CONTENT
Original Florida Roadside Attractions & Retro Theme Parks
- 13 minute read
Escape the long lines and crowded theme parks. These Florida roadside attractions are just as fun but offer unusual twists ranging from shrunken...
Your Guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando
- 11 minute read
By Lauren Tjaden In a heady combination of rare animals and wild entertainment, Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park at Walt Disney World...
A Quick Guide to Navigating Florida's Theme Parks
- 5 minute read
By Chelle Koster Walton As the sky began to sprinkle with rain, the part-time Walt Disney Resorts employee surprised her out-of-town guests....