Grab your sunscreen, sunglasses, and your swimsuit and get ready to visit Aquatica Orlando! SeaWorld’s water park is an aquatic wonderland where you can get a thrill from slides or simply relax on the sand by the wave pool. Aquatica is perfect for the whole family and will keep everyone entertained while beating the Florida heat. Themed after the lush landscapes of Australia and New Zealand, Aquatica is a can’t miss attraction in Orlando! In fact, it was voted the ‘Best Outdoor Park’ by USA Today and it’s known as one of the best water parks in Orlando. Use this guide to Aquatica Orlando to plan your fun in the sun! 

Thanks to TripAdvisor for helping us book our Orlando water park adventure!

We may live in Florida, but we don’t spend EVERY day at a water park. While I grew up loving them, I have fallen out of sync with them lately. I didn’t see a reason to go or found myself at other theme parks instead. This summer, we have made it a point to enjoy the water more often, and we headed to Aquatica at Sea World Orlando for the first time. They are celebrating their tenth anniversary, but I felt like many facilities inside the park appear fresh and new. This water park had many features that make it unique compared to other parks I have been to, and we booked everything inside with TripAdvisor!

TripAdvisor is easy to use to research, book, and visit your summer destinations! We knew we wanted to visit an Orlando theme park, but we just weren’t sure what was a good use of time and what fit into our budget. Luckily, we saw Aquatica had a special ticket price when you booked with TripAdvisor, so it became a clear choice!

What to Know Before You Go

Parking At Aquatica

Parking can be expensive at theme parks, which is why sometimes an annual pass may be more cost-efficient. General Parking can cost $25.00, or you can upgrade to preferred parking at the parking toll booths upon arrival for an additional $10 for a total cost of $35.00.

Aquatica Sunny Day Guarantee

If rain ruins your day at Aquatica the Sunny Day Guarantee ensures you can exchange a single day ticket for a Sunny Day Ticket. These tickets are valid for 1 year after the original date. Guests must exit the park and give proof of paid admission before a Sunny Day Ticket can be issued. Park amenities are non-refundable and do not apply to Sunny Day Tickets. 

There are a few exemptions to the Inclement Weather Policy. These include complimentary tickets, certain ticket packages, and guests who cannot provide their original admission tickets. Promotional and discounted tickets, as well as promotional multi-day tickets, may not be eligible either. 

Aquatica Orlando Park Rules

Admission to the park is limited, and once capacity is reached they may suspend admission for the day. Pro tip: There’s a phone number you can call that will tell if you they’ve reached capacity. There are also Facebook groups run by locals who share updates as well. It’s a good idea to make sure you arrive early OR check in with one of these sources to make sure the park is still open for the day accepting new guests.

Swimwear must be worn at this family-friendly park, and their website states that thong swimsuits are not permitted. Children wearing diapers must also wear a waterproof protector. Swimwear with buckles, rivets, or other sharp objects is not permitted. 

Check-in was smooth since we already had printed our tickets. No need to wait in any admission lines! We walked right in.

Aquatica Water Park Review

Aquatica Travel Tips

Arrive early. Those lines for the water slides fill in fast. The biggest line that we noticed was for the newest water slide, Ray Rush. We were inside at 10 am (not much after the park opened), and the line still was far too long for me to wait in it. We had many other attractions we wanted to enjoy, so I didn’t want to this to eat up our entire morning.

The concrete was HOT. I mean, boiling. I have gone to other water parks and been okay, but Aquatica really requires water shoes for real. Bring water shoes even if you rarely wear them to water parks. I feel you’re going to need them.

Embrace the life jacket! It’s okay if you’re not a strong swimmer. I appreciated my son could wear a life jacket and enjoy most of the rides. Just like everything else, though, those life jackets were gone fast. My son’s size was out by morning. I saw them scattered across the park throughout the day, so you can find one later on if needed.

Budget accordingly for a locker. I typically skip lockers at theme parks, but we did a locker this time around. It was much needed, and we could enjoy it throughout the day.

RELAX. If you find the lines are too long, and it is too hot, hop in the river! They have both a lazy river and a faster-moving rapids river. We loved them both (watch our video!).

This park is perfect for kiddos. I felt like there were several areas available for my son to enjoy (he is almost six and not a strong swimmer). There was a smaller area with children’s tube slides and regular slides, a much larger water play area, and, of course, the wave pool.

Aquatica Pools and Relaxing Rivers

• Cutback Cove & Big Surf Shores: These giant side-by-side wave pools are a unique feature of Aquatica. Cutback Cove has constant waves and is always in action. While Big Surf Shores has a bit more of a relaxed feel with slow and easy waves. Weak and non-swimmers are asked to wear a life vest or not pass the black line while in the pools. 
• Kata’s Kookaburra Cove: The coolest place at Aquatica for kids is hands down Kata’s Kookaburra Cove. The kids will love water spouts, silly rides, and body slides. Not to mention simply playing in the water! Children must be under 48 inches to enjoy the cove and the water is a max depth of 2 feet. 
• Walkabout Waters: The Walkabout Waters are perfect for kids! The seemingly endless water fun will keep your kids entertained for hours. The 60 ft rainforest is filled with amazing colors, characters, and excitement. Life vests are not permitted on the enclosed slides in Walkabout Waters. Children under 6 must be accompanied by a supervising companion. 
• Loggerhead Lane: This lazy river will take you on a leisurely journey through a tropical underwater world. You’ll find yourself relaxing in no time as you take in the colorful tropical fish surrounding you. Guests under 48 inches need to wear a life vest. Tubes are also required for riding the Loggerhead Lane lazy river. 
• Roa’s Rapids: Roa’s Rapids is another river feature of Aquatica, this one is perfect for those adrenaline junkies! You’ll experience roaring high tides, rapids and all at an exhilarating speed. Riders under 51 inches need to wear a life vest and tubes are not permitted in this river. 

Take the entire day. I read a lot of reviews that said this water park is a “half-day park” at most, but I can’t see how. If you want to truly enjoy all the slides, and attractions, and enjoy lunch and a few cocktails, I would take the entire day. We were there from about opening to 3 p.m. It leaves plenty of time to head back to the hotel, get ready for dinner, and go out at night!

Plan what you want to do! Don’t miss these Rides and Attractions At Aquatica!

Aquatica Waterslides

• Reef Plunge *NEW*: The Reef Plunge takes you on an exhilarating ride through 330 feet of translucent rings. The height requirement is 42 inches for this one-of-a-kind adventure that has you zooming past dolphins and leopard sharks. 
• Riptide Race *NEW*: Now open, this new attraction is the world’s tallest dueling racer. Riptide Race is an adrenaline pumping water slide where you race your opponents to a watery finish line. You’ll start 48 feet in the air before racing through 650 feet of this extreme slide. The height requirement is 42 inches with supervision and 48 inches without supervision. 
• Ray Rush: On this new family raft slide you’ll launch into twisting turns before diving into a manta wing. The height requirement is 42 inches and the max load is between 3-6 people. The combined weight of the raft cannot exceed 250 lbs and single and double riders are not permitted on Ray Rush. 
• KareKare Curl: This 361 foot long slide will have you feeling weightless as you start 50 feet in the air. The wave or curl aspect of the slide leaves you weightless for 35 feet! No single or triple riders are permitted by KareKare. The height requirement is 48 inches and individual riders cannot exceed 250 lbs. 
• Ihu’s Breakaway Falls: The brave can get a thrill on Ihu’s Breakaway! This steep multi drop slide is perfect for adrenaline junkies or those wanting to face their fears. The height requirement is 48 inches and water shoes are strictly prohibited. 
• Omaka Rocka: The Omaka Rocka takes riders on an exhilarating ride. As you speed down flumes and funnels, you’ll feel the extreme thrill of this slide! The height requirement is 48 inches and the max load is a single 250 lb person. 

TripAdvisor is the world’s largest provider of tours, activities and attractions, with over 56,000 bookable experiences in 2,500 destinations worldwide. TripAdvisor Attractions offer something for every kind of traveler; book everything from walking tours, skip-the-line access and theatre tickets to hot-air balloon safaris and Everest base camp treks. Why book on TripAdvisor? Because booking attractions in-person, after arrival, can be risky –there’s no review to read, there’s no “big picture” overview of what’s available, some attractions may be unavailable at short notice or come with an hours-long line. TripAdvisor removes this friction.

If you live closer to Texas, SeaWorld Aquatica has a location in San Antonio. Take a dip in the water to get up-close with stingrays or take the little ones to check out their new Sesame Street Party Parade. During the summer months, SeaWorld San Antonio is hosting their Electric Ocean celebration with fireworks – giving you another reason to visit SeaWorld this summer.

Aquatica Orlando

• Address: 5800 Water Play Way, Orlando, FL 32821
• Hours: Monday – Friday: 10:30 am – 5 pm, Saturday – Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm 
• Cost: Single Day Ticket – $34.99 
• Single Day Ticket + Meal – $44.99
• Two Park Ticket – $118.99
• Two Park Ticket + All Day Dining Plan – $168.99

This water park was, overall, enjoyable. If you like getting wet and soaking up the Florida rays, stop by! Compared to other water parks in the area, there is a lot to do.