 | |
| Industry | Water parks |
|---|---|
| Founded | Orlando, Florida (March 1, 2008) |
Number of locations | 2 |
Area served | United States |
| Owner | United Parks & Resorts |
| Website | Aquatica Orlando Aquatica San Antonio |
Aquatica is a chain of water parks owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts. Aquatica parks are operating in Orlando, Florida and San Antonio, Texas.
SeaWorld Orlando originally announced plans to build a water park on July 15, 2005. The announcement stated that it would be a "natural" park and revealed the park's iconic Dolphin Plunge (now Reef Plunge) water slides. [1] On March 5, 2007, SeaWorld held a press conference officially announcing Aquatica. [2] It was expected the 59-acre (24 ha) park would cost US$50 million to build. [2] Construction continued in earnest throughout 2007 and into early 2008. Previews for employees and holders of park annual passes were held in February. On March 1, 2008, the park opened to guests for the first time, with the official grand opening held on April 4, 2008. [3] In its debut year, the park hosted approximately 950,000 guests, making it the fourth-most visited water park in the United States and eighth-most visited in the world. [4] The park was an immediate success, reaching its opening-year attendance goal in just six months. [4]
In early 2011, rumors speculated about Aquatica coming to SeaWorld San Antonio in the future. According to the park president, SeaWorld San Antonio would become a multi-day experience. [5] SeaWorld officially announced plans to build a water park on May 24, 2011. The announcement called it, "a whimsical waterpark with up-close animal experiences, high-speed thrills and relaxing, sandy beaches". [6] The water park replaced Lost Lagoon that opened in the early 1990s. Lost Lagoon closed on Labor Day weekend 2011. During October 2011 the construction of the new water park started with excavation for the new entrance, the new sandy beaches and the structure for the new Wahalla Wave water slide. In early November 2011 the new water slides arrived in pieces at Sea World San Antonio's parking lot, waiting to get assembled. [7] Aquatica San Antonio officially opened on May 19, 2012. [8]
On November 20, 2012, Cedar Fair announced it had sold its San Diego Soak City park to SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. [9] The water park originally opened on May 31, 1997, under the name White Water Canyon. At the time it featured 16 water slides and a wave pool. [10] In December 1999, Cedar Fair purchased the park for $11.5 million and renamed it Knott's Soak City U.S.A. [11] The water park had opened with a new beach theme in May 2000. [12] The acquisition by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment saw the park transformed into a 32-acre (13 ha) water park named Aquatica San Diego. The refurbished park reopened on June 1, 2013. [9] [13]
In mid-March 2020, all Aquatica parks were shut down caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By June 2021 all of the parks had fully reopened to visitors.
On September 12, 2021, Aquatica San Diego closed for its final season. The park was rethemed and transformed into Sesame Place San Diego during Fall and Winter 2021. The park opened with the new theme in March 2022.
Aquatica Orlando is located in Orlando, Florida. It is a sister park of SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove. The park opened on March 1, 2008, and is themed to the southern Pacific, and features Australian and New Zealand based mascots including Roa (a kiwi), Kata (a kookaburra), Wai (a Commerson's dolphin), Ihu (a gecko), Papa (a royal spoonbill), Wae Wae (a takahe), and Motu (a turtle). The park features a wide array of attractions for all ages and swimming abilities, some of which pass by or through animal habitats. The park has two wave pools which share an extensive, 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m2) man made white-sand beach area equipped with deck chairs, sun beds and umbrellas. [3]
Former Attractions
Aquatica San Antonio is located in San Antonio, Texas. The water park opened on May 19, 2012, and is a companion to SeaWorld San Antonio. It features a wide array of attractions for all ages and swimming abilities, one of which of passes under an animal habitat.
Current Attractions
Former Attractions
In November 2012, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company sold Knott's Soak City San Diego in Chula Vista, California to SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. Under the new ownership, the park was rebranded and reopened as Aquatica San Diego on June 1, 2013. [9] [19]
Originally scheduled for 2021, Aquatica San Diego was rebranded as Sesame Place San Diego in 2022. The Sesame Street -themed park features tame roller coasters, carousels and other family-friendly rides, the street made famous on TV, a parade, live shows and character interactions, among other things. The new park incorporates many of the existing water attractions into the new park, particularly those that are appropriate for younger children. Aquatica San Diego closed for its final season on September 12, 2021.
SeaWorld is an American theme park chain with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. It is a proprietor of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, animal theme parks, and rehabilitation centers owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature orcas, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals.
Six Flags White Water is a 69-acre (280,000 m2) water park located northwest of Atlanta, in East Cobb, Georgia. Originally opening in 1984 as White Water Atlanta, the park became part of the Six Flags family of parks in 1999. Today, it is marketed as a second gate to Six Flags Over Georgia, and the two parks often cross-promote each other. In 2012, the park hosted 505,000 visitors, ranking it #12 on the list of the top water parks in North America.
Noah's Ark is the largest outdoor water park in the United States. It features 51 water slides and dozens of various attractions. The park is located in the village of Lake Delton, Wisconsin.
Discovery Cove is a theme park owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts, and located in Orlando, Florida. It is the sister park of SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando. Visitors to the park can interact with a range of marine animals including bottlenose dolphins.
Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast is a water park situated in Oxenford, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, owned and operated by Village Roadshow Theme Parks. In 2019, the park received 1,120,000 visitors making it the most visited water park in Australia and the 19th most visited water park in the world. Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast is located adjacent to Warner Bros. Movie World, a movie-related park also owned by Village Roadshow Theme Parks. The park remains open all year with all of the pools and slides heated during the winter months. It is one of several water parks operating under the Wet'n'Wild brand globally.
Water Country USA is a water park in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It is the Mid-Atlantic's largest water park, and it offers live entertainment, shops and restaurants, water rides, and other family attractions, all of which have a 1950s or 1960s surf theme. It is owned by United Parks & Resorts. The park is just a few miles away from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, with which it shares clientele. Multi-park passes are available, and a parking pass at Water Country USA is valid for same-day entry to Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Camelbeach Outdoor Waterpark is a water park located in the Poconos in Tannersville, Pennsylvania at Big Pocono State Park. Opened in 1998, it is the summer operation for Camelback Resort, which is a skiing and snowboard resort during the winter.
SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park and marine zoological park located in Orlando, Florida. Although separately gated, it is often promoted with neighboring parks Discovery Cove and Aquatica as well as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, all of which are owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts. In 2022, SeaWorld Orlando hosted an estimated 4.45 million guests, ranking it the 10th most visited amusement park in the United States.
SeaWorld San Antonio is a 416-acre (168 ha) marine mammal park, oceanarium and animal theme park in the Westover Hills District of San Antonio, Texas, on the city's west side. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts. As North America's largest marine-life theme park, and one of the world's largest marine-life theme parks, it is focused on conservation, education and animal rescue. It is a member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
SeaWorld San Diego is a theme park located in Mission Bay Park, San Diego, California, United States. Owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts, the park is an animal-focused marine mammal park, oceanarium, marine animal rehabilitation center, and aquarium with both indoor and outdoor aquatic exhibits.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City is a water theme park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma built in 1981. Built by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation and originally known as White Water, the water park was picked up by Premier Parks in 1991 and its name was changed to White Water Bay. Both White Water Bay and the nearby theme park Frontier City were sold again in a seven park package by Six Flags on January 11, 2007, for $312 million. White Water Bay is currently owned by EPR Properties and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. The park was renamed to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Oklahoma City in 2020.
ProSlide Technology, Inc. is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of water rides and water park resorts. They design and manufacture both traditional slides and innovative rides such as water coasters, funnel-shaped Tornado slides, and Bowl slides. ProSlide has received attention for being the first water slide manufacturer to build a water slide using linear induction motors and for designing the Mammoth watercoaster which was named the world's longest watercoaster by Guinness World Records in 2016. Since 1986, ProSlide has developed and designed water rides for water parks in over 40 countries around the world.
Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort is a large water resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. It is one of the largest indoor waterpark complexes in the world with a combined size of 240,000 square feet (22,000 m2). It is part of a chain of two resorts, the newer and smaller one being Wilderness at the Smokies in Tennessee. The chain also includes four small outdoor waterparks.
Dolphin Cove is a SeaWorld attraction, which can be found at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego. The habitat holds about 700,000 US gallons (2,650,000 L) of water and is one of the largest dolphin pools in existence.
Chula Vista Resort is a southwestern-themed waterpark resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The resort is located on the Upper Dells of the Wisconsin River, 3 miles (4.8 km) north of downtown.
The Boardwalk at Hersheypark is a themed area located at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Boardwalk at Hersheypark opened in 2007 to mark the 100th anniversary of the theme park opened by Milton S. Hershey in 1907. It originally featured five water‐based attractions and is the single biggest financial investment in the park's history, at a cost of $21 million USD.
Zoom Flume is a water park in East Durham, New York. Zoom Flume is named after Zoom Flume, the first ride built there. Zoom Flume consists of nine slides, five play areas, and three restaurants. Zoom Flume is opened to public from The end of June through Labor Day.
This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that occurred in 2013. These various lists are not exhaustive.
Universal Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, or Volcano Bay, is a tropical-themed water park at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by Universal Destinations & Experiences, Volcano Bay replaced Wet 'n Wild as Universal Orlando Resort's only water park, and it was the first water park constructed by Universal Creative.
Sesame Place San Diego is a children's theme park and water park, located in Chula Vista, California. It opened on March 26, 2022, on the former site of Aquatica San Diego. It is the first theme park in the world to open up as a certified autism center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). Sesame Place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the first theme park in the world to be a certified autism center.
