Photo TR: Aquatica Preview!

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Photo TR: Aquatica Preview!

Postby Erik Johnson » Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:36 pm

As many of you know, there was a passholder preview today for Sea World's brand new waterpark Aquatica. After spending a full day at the park I feel that it Aquatica is a waterpark made mostly for families rather than those who would be seeking to experience more extreme water thrills. Aquatica is set to a New Zealand theme.

Attractions include:

1. Dolphin Plunge: This is the duel slide that people have been talking about for a while now. It is the one that starts off as a normal enclosed speed slide but with an ending that most will never forget. Unless your tube happens to be covered in fog during your ride. We found it was better to ride this one in the afternoon once the water temperature of both the slide and the dolphin pool even out. We tried ridding these in the morning, and experience a serious bout of tube fogging. It is also recommended to try not to sail through these tubes at full speed, otherwise your encounter with the dolphins will be over too quick. My second ride was much better (slower and a crystal clear tube)

2. Whanau Way: A pretty standard 4 different (Two are mirror images) single rider tube slides. Fun, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

3. Cutback Grove and Big Surf Shores: Two small wave pools that run waves in 7 minute intervals. They sit right next to each other. Cutback Grove's waves are larger and more frequent.

4. Kata's Kookaburra Cove: A good toddler/young children water play area. This one also include 6 different slides (In groups of 3). As small children get older than can progress themselves through to the next group of slides.

5. Taumata Racer: 8 (!!) dueling racer slides. Again pretty much standard, but they do have a nice drop at the end of the run.

6. Walkabout Waters: This was a quite amazing water fort area for older kids, but we found that there were quite a few adults having as much fun. They had two small water dumping buckets instead of the normal large one. There are quite a few extra slides in this play area as well.

7. Walhalla Wave: This was an excellent family raft ride that was pretty insane. I think this was probably the most intense ride in the park. The family rafts are a bit smaller than the standard size as they only can fit 3 people into each one. While not as insane as the one at Mt Olympus (which actually was quite dangerous IMO), it still had a few moments that the rafts tip 90 degrees as you go along the slide. Also half the ride is enclosed which means there are a few surprises in the dark. Make sure you hold on tight during this one.

8. HooRoo Run: The other family raft ride which is a standard triple down one.

9. Tassie's Twisters: A double smaller sized toilet bowl ride. You can ride this as a single or double rider. Double riders have a tendency to end up having to push themselves around to the exit of the ride. Maybe it needs more pressurized water. Both of these dump themeselves into Loggerhead Lane.

10. Loggerhead Lane: The slower paced lazy river that does include a section with an aquairum as well as a section that goes right by the Dolphin Plunge pool area. (Tubes only)

11. Roa's Rapids: The faced paced lazy river. And I do mean fast. (No Tubes)

** A word of warning to those who may have fair skin. You MUST be protected from the sun in this park. There is very little shade and you will burn to a crisp, especially during the summer months.
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A few weeks ago this arrived in the mail.
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Cool, I get to check out a waterpark in Feburary. Only in Florida.
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Turning into the parking lot.
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This looks like the right place.
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Well, we did not get very far.
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They do charge for parking here.
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Unless you are one of these people.
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Can you find the Kiwi?
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Which way is the entrance again?
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I guess we can follow all of these people into the park.
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Just in case you forgot who owned this park.
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Postby Erik Johnson » Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:53 pm

Ok, a large section of pictures!
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I always like these cool little passholder events.
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Well, ok, maybe not little.
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The entrance area of the park does have some nice theming.
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Here is the entrance. These lines went quickly once they opened the park.
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A better look at the logo.
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We got T-shirts for attending the event.
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Empty tubes await!
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We first started with Whanau Way
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Its a pretty standard, single rider, tube ride.
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You get a little air on these double downs.
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Splash! How original.
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We then checked out the Dolphin Plunge.
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You first walk across this little bridge.
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It does look pretty normal.
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Even the exit pool looks pretty normal.
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So what is the deal with these Dolphins that look more like Shamu?
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Oh, I see that part of the slides are clear.
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Ok, that is different.
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Just try to slow yourselves down a little, otherwise the experience is over too quick.
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On the other side of the pool, you can check this out.
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Its the Shamuphins again.
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Cute, are they not?
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Oh, that does explain a lot.
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Ok, where to next?
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Postby Erik Johnson » Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:18 pm

More photos.
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Here are the double slides, Tassie's Twisters.
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They do dump people out into either side of the Loggerhead Lane (which is the slower lazy river).
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You actually have to cross through Loggerhead Lane to even get to the Tassie's Twister ride.
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Speaking of Loggerhead Lane.
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This is the slower paced lazy river.
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Yes you do get a little extra wet.
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This is one of two aquariums you can check out during the ride.
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Its the Taumata Racer. An eight lane racer flume ride.
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It was pretty fun. Though we only rode it once. One down 7 more to go.
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He might be the winner.
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No, maybe he is.
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This is Kata's Kookaburra Cove.
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These filled up very quickly which kept dumping water on people.
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This area is all about little slides.
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Eight of them in fact. Or was it six or seven?
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These two tube slides would be the last ones kids do before graduating onto the:
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Walkabout Waters.
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This water fort area was quite awesome. Notice that it has two water buckets at the top.
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A closer look of the two buckets.
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They do this every 5 minutes.
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This is how you drown above water.
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There is a lot to do in this area. Even adults were having a lot of fun.
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Another Splash moment.
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These are two of the slides that start from the water fort.
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Another angle.
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One of many many water jets/fountains.
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Ok, now where to?
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Postby Erik Johnson » Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:49 pm

Photos, photos, photos
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The park has all of these Kiwi decorations all over the park.
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Plus a few birds.
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Its a real Kookaburra.
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Ok, we are hungry.
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At the Banana Beach Cookout you can get an all-you-can-eat/drink wristband.
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Its picnic/cookout type food, and you can keep coming back here all day.
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Here is The Waterstone Grill.
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This is what you can eat here.
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This is the final dining area in the park.
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Mango Market offers these items.
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They have swimming vest stands all over the park. Yes they are free to use.
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There are a lot of areas you can lie down and relax.
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But this place is not one of those areas. This is the fast lazy river.
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This is the larger/longer of the lazy rivers in the park.
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There are a lot of areas to get extra wet along the river.
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Roa's Rapids surrounds this walkway.
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Postby Erik Johnson » Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:52 pm

You can see how fast the Roa's Rapids are.

Roa's Rapids

Aquatica 188.mpg [ 4.62 MiB | Viewed 26548 times ]


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Postby Erik Johnson » Sun Feb 24, 2008 11:18 pm

No, that video was not sped up in any way....Ok, what is next?

The final set of photos (after these) can be found here:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/vi ... 1&start=20
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Lets check out the two family raft rides.
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The Walhalla Wave family raft ride was really great.
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This is where it dumps out in.
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HooRoo run is also fun. But its over really quickly.
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Here comes a raft.
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Here comes another one.
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Sploosh! What did you expect, another Splash?
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The family rafts only can hold 3 people.
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Let us check out the wave pools.
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The wave pools are quite small. Cutback Cove has bigger waves than the one right next door.
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There are two different wave pools in this picture.
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Waves are quite calm here.
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There is a huge sand area in front of the wave pools, but if you do not like sand, you can walk around them.
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You will be able to rent these very soon.
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Your own tent cabana.
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We were unable to check them out.
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Its kind of lame you do not get your cash back from your fluffy, fluffy bunny filled with medicine and goo deposit. They give you a gift card instead.
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I will add more pictures once I get my underwater camera back.
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Aquatica from the Sky Tower.
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Also some dirt moving photographs for the rumored B&M flyer.
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And a newly repainted Kraken.
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Good to the last drop
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Postby ECZenith » Sun Feb 24, 2008 11:52 pm

Great photos, Erik. Aquatica looks like it has some great rides.

Also looking forward to your presumed coverage of that dirt pile when things start to go vertical. :)
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Postby SLUSHIE » Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:36 am

The only thing I notice that I kinda think is neat about the park is the aquariums along the river. I've never seen that before.

The slide through the dolphin tank is pretty lame. I wouldn't expect you to really be able to see the dolphins no matter how long that tank is, but they should have made it 50' at least.

Other than than it looks just like any other brightly colored cement covered water park. It does have a nice amount of plants though it seems.

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Postby Groteslurf » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:59 am

Great Tr and pics too.

Judging by the pics and type of slides, this will probably become my favourite Orlando waterpark : I'm always afraid that I'll hurt myself one the more extreme waterslides. I see no slides in Aquatica which I would not dare to try out. Although I'm a bit claustrophobic, I even would not hesitate to ride the Dolphin slides.

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Postby thunder001 » Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:06 am

Great pic's and thanks for the report, but I think that the park needs to fire their researchers over one small thing...

Kookaburra's are native to Australia....not New Zealand. ;)
Come to think of it, they seem to have themed the park to both NZ and Oz items. Hmm...
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