Eric M. Davis : waterpark

September's the very best time to sea ... er .. see SeaWorld Orlando

Eric M. Davis — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT

You hear that? All over Orlando, the people who work at your favorite theme parks are now heaving a sign of relief. The summer season -- with all its heat, crush & crowds -- is finally over. Which gives us all a bit more breathing room down here.

And I mean that literally, folks. When you drop by the Magic Kingdom this time of year, you're no longer going to run into 60,000 tourists who are also eager to ride Space Mountain. No, during the first few weeks of September, you'll typically only going to encounter 22,000 - 25,000 other people whenever you visit the Kingdom. Which will make getting on your favorite ride, show or attraction there a relative breeze.

Me personally, while I do dearly love all of the Disney parks that we have down here in Central Florida, whenever the weather starts to get cool and the crowds begin to thin out, it's SeaWorld that I really want to see.

Never mind the fact that now would be a really great time to visit Aquatica (Ever since SeaWorld's waterpark opened back in March, that place has been doing turnaway business. With Aquatica actually having to restrict entry almost every day because the huge numbers of tourists that were turning out). During this quieter time of year, when it's a lot easier to get around this 200-acre marine park, you can really take in the bigger picture. See how truly innovative Sea World Adventure Park is.

I mean, sure. The Walt Disney Company gets all sorts of positive press when it announces that it'll be reinventing DCA. But where were the kudos when SeaWorld Orlando did this exact same thing? First in 1998 when Worlds of Discovery retooled this theme park's bland 1970s-era entrance plaza by adding a million-gallon lagoon with a scenic lighthouse as well as statues of sea lions & killer whales.

Then in 2003, Busch transformed the very heart of this theme park by creating the Waterfront at SeaWorld. The largest expansion in the park's 35-year history, this 5-acre project took a boring stretch of asphalt & shops and turn it into this dynamic nautical neighborhood. A fanciful recreation of some of the more exotic seaports found on the map which was loaded with exciting new shopping & dining opportunities.

Yeah, Disney gets all the press. Yet SeaWorld did it first.

The same pattern hold when it comes to simulator rides. Here the Mouse is getting all this great buzz lately about the work that's being done of "Star Tours 2.0" (They can't really be serious about having that ride film end with your Starspeeder conking Darth Vader on the helmet ... can they?). Truth be told, it was SeaWorld Orlando that was first to refresh / revitalize that park's simulator attraction by changing out its ride film. First by replacing the "Mission: Bermuda Triangle" movie with the "Wild Arctic" ride film back in 1995, then by adding "The Polar Express Experience" to SeaWorld's growing roster of holiday-themed shows.

Speaking of which ... Given how popular "The Polar Express Experience" was last year (To accommodate guest demand, SeaWorld actually had to extend the run of this "Wild Arctic" replacement into the second week of January), you can bet that this holiday-themed attraction will be back again this year. And from what they say in the Orlando Sentinel, "The Polar Express Experience" will be " ... the cornerstone of an even bigger holiday celebration" in 2009.

And let's not even talk about Disney's worst kept secret. Which is their Night Kingdom / Jungle Trek project. Which the Mouse is only pursuing because SeaWorld's niche park -- Discovery Cove -- proved to be so popular with theme park goers.

You see what I'm saying here? SeaWorld Orlando Adventure Park (to my way of thinking, anyway) never quite gets the credit that it deserves. The staff of this theme park works really hard to stay ahead of guests needs. Whether it be by regularly plussing the overall look & layout of this theme park and/or changing up its already great assortment of attractions (Wait 'til you get the chance to ride Manta next year). Or even those tours and interactive programs that SeaWorld Orlando offers its visitors, like the Polar Expedition Tour that takes tourists behind-the-scenes at the park's Penguin Encounter exhibit so that they can then personally interact with some of these flightless birds.

So, sure. While you're in Central Florida to commune with the Mouse, make sure that you also set aside a day or more for touring SeaWorld Orlando Adventure Park. For if you haven't been to this Worlds of Discovery park in the past few years, there's lot of new stuff here that you really need to sea .. er ... see.

Orlando Fun Tickets is located less than 2 miles from the Walt Disney World Resort, 2 lights west of I-4 at 8472 Palm Parkway. Their office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For further information, please call 866-225-4712 and/or check out the official Orlando Fun Tickets website.

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How does Aquatica stack up against Central Florida's other waterparks ?

Eric M. Davis — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:00:00 GMT

You'll have to forgive any typos that you find in this month's OFT column. You see, I've been to Aquatica 2 1/2 times over the past month. And -- to be honest -- my fingers are still kind of pruney.

But after a month of soft openings, SeaWorld Orlando's waterpark has its official grand opening this past Friday. And -- to date -- the only real complaint that I've heard about Aquatica has to do with that park's capacity.

Now I know that this is going to sound kind of strange. Particularly given that Aquatica is a 59-acre waterpark with more than 80,000 square feet of beach. But this waterpark really can't handle more than 7,000 guests at any one time.

Aquatica's entrance sets the tone for the entire park.
Which entertains but doesn't overwhelm.
Photo courtesy of Denise Preskitt of MouseSteps.com

Mind you, that was a deliberate choice on the Busch Entertainment Group's part. They wanted Aquatica to be a much more intimate & luxurious experience for SeaWorld Orlando visitors. Which (they hoped) would help set their waterpark apart from all the others in the Orlando area.

The downside of this is that -- according to what SeaWorld insiders have told me -- Aquatica typically fills to capacity by 11:30 a.m. Which is why -- if you really want to experience Orlando's newest waterpark during your next Central Florida vacation -- you need to be entering Aquatica no later than 11 a.m.

The upside of arriving by 11 is that you'll be just in time for lunch. Which would be an excellent time to sample Aquatica's three restaurants: the Beach Coconut Cookout, Mango Market and the WaterStone Grill. These onsite eateries offer a much wider variety of foods & beverages then you'll typically find at a waterpark.

But that was the Busch Entertainment Group's goal all along. To create a different sort of waterpark. Which explains the bigger chair-to-guest ratio that you'll find at this new SeaWorld Orlando facility. Not to mention those 18 private cabanas that are available for rental inside the park. You can really live the lush life when you spend the day at Aquatica ... If you'd like.

Okay. This isn't to say that SeaWorld Orlando's new waterpark is completely flawless. Take -- for example -- Aquatica's highly touted Dolphin Plunge. Where you're supposed to get this great view of some Commerson's dolphins as you slide through a clear acrylic tube. Well, it took me three separate trips down Dolphin Plunge before I finally learned which angle I needed to keep my head at (More importantly, when to keep my eyes open) before I finally got to see those dolphins.

You see? There really are some Commerson's dolphins in that pool.
Photo courtesy of Denise Preskitt of MouseSteps.com

But that quibble aside, I have to admit that I've really enjoyed the days that I've spent at Aquatica so far. And after chatting with other friends who work in the hospitality industry down here, I'd have to say that SeaWorld Orlando's latest addition is quickly becoming the preferred waterpark of young professionals in the Orlando area.

"But where does that put Central Florida's other waterparks?," you ask. Well, Wet 'n' Wild ... I'd have to say that that's the waterpark in town that has true teen appeal. This International Drive mainstay -- with its assortment of speed tubes as well as its cable-operated knee-boarding & wake-boarding WakeZone area -- goes over big with the high school crowd.

Whereas Blizzard Beach over at Walt Disney World ... That's the waterpark that (I think, anyway) appeals most to tweens. I don't know if it's BB's silly backstory (i.e. The place is supposed to be Central Florida's first ski resort) or the park's goofy mascot (i.e. Ice Gator) or just the fact that there's a miniature golf course right next door (i.e. Disney's Winter Summerland). But 9 to 14 year-olds just can't seem to get enough of Blizzard Beach.

As for Typhoon Lagoon ... I think that this WDW favorite (Which celebrates its 20th anniversary next June) is the area's best waterpark for families. With that huge wave pool at the very heart of the park (Which -- FYI -- is still the largest one in the U.S.) as well as its elaborate theming, Typhoon Lagoon is still a great place for you, the wife and kids to go cool off. Particularly since that they've added those Crush 'n' Gusher water coasters to TL's Hideaway Bay section.

But if you're looking for a more intimate & upscale waterpark experience while you're vacationing in Orlando ... I'm thinking that Aquatica is the way you ought to goo ... gop ... go ...

(Sorry about that. Dang pruney fingers.)

Orlando Fun Tickets is located less than 2 miles from the Walt Disney World Resort, 2 lights west of I-4 at 8472 Palm Parkway. Their office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For further information, please call 866-225-4712 and/or check out the official Orlando Fun Tickets website.

And if you've like to see even more great shots of Aquatica (like the one below), go check out Denise Preskitt's photos of SeaWorld Orlando's new waterpark at MouseSteps.com

(L to R) Heather, Eric and Aaron doing their "High School Musical" poster impression.
Photo courtesy of Denise Preskitt of MouseSteps.com

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