Heads up on Aquatica

[Rabflmom]

We went to SW yesterday and Acquatica was already closed at 11AM just an hour after opening. Evidently the parking lot is not large enough for the business they are generating.
It took us about an hour to get from the beeline to the parking spot at SW because of the traffic on International drive. SW was very busy, too. Our son met us for dinner at Voyagers after working at Blizzard Beach and said they had cars parked on the grass all the way back to the booths where you pay to park. We could not park in preferred parking cause they did not have it for guests yesterday.

They were parking cars for Aquatica at SW and there is a shuttle between the parks. Not sure where you pick it up or how often it runs, but they were using SW's main parking lots.
Anyone from SW reading this-maybe suggest that they designate Sea World's parking lot across the street between the hotels as Aquatica over flow lot so SW guests don't have to park across the street.
Advice for visiting the SW parks----arrive early before park opening times. Get to shows early for best seats.
Or possibly go to SW early take the shuttle over to Aquatica after 3 and close down the waterpark and return for the shows at SW at closing.

 

[sillykid]

WOW! I know it's new, but that seems to be a lot more crowded then expected. I only hope that this waterpark generates the money they are expecting. They have made it clear that the waterpark can be expanded, and if this helps make Sea World a destination, rather then a 1 or 2 day place, we could see an even better Sea World. I don't know how I feel about a coaster being built in the middle of the park, but the lakeside of the park just seems bare and I would love to see another show.

 

[Rabflmom]

WOW! I know it's new, but that seems to be a lot more crowded then expected. I only hope that this waterpark generates the money they are expecting. They have made it clear that the waterpark can be expanded,>>>>>

From what the guy interviewing me said, they underestimated the size of the crowds they would be drawing-wondering if they have enough guards, etc. to manage the crowds safely. Would imagine they will need more as summer approaches.

I asked about room to expand and he said, they had lots of room. Because of the park bordering a community they have height limitations on the slides so not sure if any slide will be as exciting as in some of the other parks. I think you need more exciting slides to draw in the teens or family with teens a second time, but maybe that is not the customer they are looking to draw.

We'll probably wait for a quiet midweek day in the fall or winter to go, but hope the park does well, cause ya know I really like most of the Busch parks.

 

[crazydaveh]

Due to the crowds, phase two has apparently been green lighted by BEC (Busch Entertainment). I've been told that land was being cleared already, but I think that's for the two hotels that are coming to the area.

I have no clue if it's true or not, but Aquatica is bringing in people. I will go back when Spring Break ends for everyone.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

I know a couple of people that work at SeaWorld, they've said that Aquatica has closed due to capacity every single day for the past three or four weeks.

 

[Figment1986]

I know during the media event they were already closing the park when media was still arriving... they need to 1, fix international drive around the main entrance and employee entrance. and 2 add capacity to the park with new innovations or stuff.

 

[DBV]

Any idea on the lines? Are they unbearable?

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Any idea on the lines? Are they unbearable?

If the parks closed due to capacity - then probably yes

 

[Figment1986]

actually... if you go the right way and space out the attractions the lines wont be too bad... sure you will wait but the slide with the longest wait is the dolphin plunge... otherwise you will have a moderate wait.

 

[Sussex_belle]

Will spring break have finished in 2 weeks when we plan to visit Aquatica / SW? Also is it going to be hideous trying to go with 2 young kids...I was really looking forward to going but if its so rammed packed its unbearable, maybe we wont?

 

[crazydaveh]

Will spring break have finished in 2 weeks when we plan to visit Aquatica / SW? Also is it going to be hideous trying to go with 2 young kids...I was really looking forward to going but if its so rammed packed its unbearable, maybe we wont?

You should be fine in two weeks in terms of the "major" spring break crowds. There might be a few areas on break, but not as much as we've had over the past month.

As for the young kids, Aquatica has a great area for young kids, I'd take them and enjoy the day.

 

[pheneix]

Aquatica is still a decent experience when its at capacity. Sure the lines are long and you have no chance in hell of getting a beach chair, but all in all its manageable. Though the lines are long, for the most part they do move fast. Last Friday the only slides we had to wait in an unbearably long line for were the toilet bowls, which do have HORRIBLE capacity. Everything else had a 20 minute wait or less.

It is nothing like the other water parks when they're at capacity. Assuming you make it inside the park before they close the parking lot you should have a good time!

 

[culturenthrills]

Aquatica continues to reach capacity most days, even after Spring Break. We went there Sunday and we just got in around 11am and they closed the park right after that. It continues to amaze me how popular this place is. It is a pretty good park with a few flaws and kinks that they seem to be working out. They have solved a few, they now make you go around the lazy river to the other side of the island to get in line for the toilet bowl slides which used to be a huge bottleneck and they have seperated the sides of the slide tower with 4 slides on it so when you go up the stairs you gotta pick from the 2 slides on your side instead of just going to whatever slide you want which was causing capacity to drop. I think there biggest mistake was not building a long lazy river which would have upped the capacity of the park and they maybe could have put more animal exhibits on it as you go around. Can't wait for the expansion hopefully whatever they put in has high capacity because that seems to be the biggest problem is that 2 of the slides(Dolphin Plunge and the toilet bowl ones) have really low capacity.

 

[crazydaveh]

It's still spring break for folks up in the Northeast. Head out to the parks now and all you see is Red Sox stuff everywhere! Seems like Spring Break is never ending this year!

 

[DisneyStu]

we have a annual pass, so we go after dinner, it never very crowed then.

 

[crazydaveh]

we have a annual pass, so we go after dinner, it never very crowed then.

True that. I was there Friday, we arrived around 6:30 and walked on just about everything! It's great at night, hardly anyone there.

 

[Sorcerer Mickey]

I went to Aquatica on the 4th of July, which should be the worst idea in the history of ideas. The park was supposed to open at 9 but we got there at around 8:04 and they were letting people in. I think they cut off the car line at around 10 o clock in the morning. The park was congested a bit, but the lines weren't that long that they bothered me at all. No longer than 10 minutes, I'd say. The only thing that suffered from the congestion was the Lazy River, which was filled with so many people it was hard to move or enjoy it at all.

Other than that I enjoyed the park a lot. I'm disappointed in the whole human-fish interaction bit as everything in the ads is extremely exaggerated. I didn't see the dolphins at all while in Dolphin Plunge since the tube was so fogged up. Also, the tropical fish during the lazy river are trapped in a small tank and none of them really looked alive. Other than that, it's a really well-dressed water park, nothing new brought to the table.

 

[dox]

Anyone know how what the crowds have been like at Aquatica this summer? Have family members going in early August and they're wondering what time they should show up at the park.

 

[TowerOfTerror]

Last Monday it was shut down till 3:30 because it was filled to capacity.

This happens quite often. :wave:

 

[crazydaveh]

Anyone know how what the crowds have been like at Aquatica this summer? Have family members going in early August and they're wondering what time they should show up at the park.

Get there as close to 9 AM as you can, or head over around 4PM. If you go mid morning, you'll get stuck going to see Shamu (which isn't bad, but it's no waterpark).