TJ’s review: 5 out of 5 stars
My review: 5 out of 5 stars
SeaWorld’s Aquatica water park has something for everyone in your party, regardless of age. They have large tube rides for older kids and two splash/slide areas for smaller kids. However, stick to the smaller kids’ area if you get nervous about not seeing your kids in the larger kids’ area.
They have a height chart throughout the park telling parents which rides their kids are tall enough to ride. There are vests available for free throughout the parks if your child cannot swim. They have many rides, but the kids have to be tall enough to ride. My 5-year-old is tall enough to go with me on many of the tube rides, but he wasn’t tall enough for KareKare Curl.
KareKare Curl
They just opened up a new ride called KareKare Curl, which offers a feeling of weightlessness when two people in a tube float up a curl-shaped wave. The line was long, but my son said it was worth the wait.
Roa’s Rapids
My favorite attraction is the Roa’s Rapids, which is a fast-moving river ride with two exits that take you to different sections of the park. Kids wear life vests, which makes it accessible even for babies.
Kata’s Kookaburra Cove
This water area is for kids under 48″, but they must wear swim diapers if not potty trained. The maximum water depth is 2 feet, so it is safe for small kids. This area has beginner’s body slides that are color-coded, water sputs and pools.
Parents can ride with their children on yellow or green tube rides. However, they do not let kids who are over 48″ ride, which has forced us to move on to another area. My kids used to love this area, but they have grown out of it and now prefer Walkabout Waters.
Walkabout Waters
This area can be overwhelming for parents to keep track of their kids, so I would not recommend it for smaller children because it is 15,000 square feet of what seems like mazes everywhere. I have lost my kids many times and tell them I will be seated in a certain area so they can find me. This is not an attraction for nervous parents. It has several slides and pools, but it is 60′ tall, which makes it easy to lose your kids.
Cutback Cove & Big Surf Shores
These wave pools are so much fun because they are timed to be running constantly (and seem to switch off nicely so that one is always doing waves). There are lifeguards everywhere monitoring children carefully, and they do not allow kids to go past a certain depth without wearing life vests.
Swim lessons
They even offer swimming classes before the park opens. We did them last summer for one week for $89 (five days). They even gave us a 10% discount for being passholders. The lessons were in the wave pool, and then we just stayed in the park for a few more hours. The instructors were lifeguards, and they really tried hard. However, you cannot teach someone to swim in just five days. They also offer the classes Saturdays for those who cannot make it during the week.
Other attractions
Loggerhead Lane is a lazy river that takes you to other rides, so it is fun when you are tired at the end of the day on your way out of the park. Ray Rush is the new family raft ride. They weigh you on a platform to ensure your party doesn’t exceed the weight limit. My 5-year-old loved this ride. IHU’s Breakaway Falls is an insanely high tower that drops you several stories into a tunnel. I hated this ride, but many older kids loved it.
Cost
There are always deals with SeaWorld admission, but the best deal is the year pass for Florida residents. You can pay monthly for admission to both parks, which is what I decided to do. I have heard that they lock in the prices once you sign up so that you don’t experience an increase (unlike other theme parks). They also offer preschool passes for kids 5 years old & younger. This year was a deal because it included SeaWorld and Aquatica.
See TJ’s review of Aquatica.
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