Part Two of our Vacation: SeaWorld Aquatica

Last week, we wrapped up our time in Orlando with a quick trip to Aquatica. I only say quick because we were not able to go to the park until around 2pm, and we stayed until 6pm. While the park is only one year old, we had a blast on their rides, and some of the slides were crazy. They have an eight lane slide that is 300 foot long; it feels like your sledding down a mountain! We took our five year old on that one, and while I had to start him with a push, he enjoyed it:)!

Their kids area looks like something off of Nickelodeon with hundreds of fountains, squirters, bowls that fill up and splash down, etc. In this part, several slides are available for kids to go down. While we were there, we didn’t see a single height requirement except one requiring life jackets. They have a large beach with real sand in front of two gigantic wave pools, one kid friendly, and the other with bigger waves. One of the kids favorites was an upgraded version of the lazy river in which you float around without a tube, and the kids wear life jackets. They placed various obstructions and turns to create rapids that you race through periodically, and both of our kids had a ball!

If you get a chance to visit Aquatica, I say do it because it is well worth the trip, and you can do plenty even in a few hours:)…

Welcome to SeaWorld Aquatica

SeaWorld Vacation

I feel like I took vacation for the first time in a very long time last week, even though we were actually in the Orlando area on business...Thankfully, the business part was slightly endurable, mostly because it came to an end rather quickly, and soon enough for me to meet my family at SeaWorld. I can tell you the park is still alot of fun.

While the shows were packed, the rides were not, and we found a never ending supply of short lines, even for the best rides! Let me tell you something, the kids' areas are wonderful, with plenty of bright colors and nooks and crannies to explore. Our favorite, and the kids' too by the way, is the multilevel playhouse with cargo nets for floors. Because of the netting, you can see clear to the top and keep an eye on your kids while they play, and they have an endless supply of tunnels and ladders integrated into the complex.

The newest ride is called Manta, and it is a monster. I didn't see one person leave the ride with a dazed look on their face! As it starts out, you rotate upward in the car so that you actually face the ground. Going through loopdyloops like that is a crazy feeling, and your stomach feels like it just turned a hundred somersaults. Rounding out the day, we saw the Shamu Rocks show which provided live guitar performance as well as plenty of big splashes.

If you were not aware, these parks are owned by Anheuser Busch, and with their purchase by the Belgians, some things have changed. While the service and hospitality is still there, there are no more free beer samples, but I still highly recommend this place for family vacations!!