Not so Disney news. But great news. New Orlando Theme Park will open 2008

Not so Disney News: "Seaworld unveils Aquatica"

http://www.aquaticabyseaworld.com/

This was posted to the Orlando Sentinel 3/6/07. We have driven by the attraction site. I was wondering when they would announce this park. It does seem like it would be fun if you are into waterparks. This is great news for those vacationing in Orlando in the Summer months, wo want something different to do.

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New water park to open in '08 will have water slides, a rapids ride and a beach area where visitors can relax.
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted March 6, 2007

SeaWorld's new Aquatica water park will put as much emphasis on relaxation as on thrills, planners say.

Aquatica, which is to open in a year across International Drive from SeaWorld, is going to feature 36 water slides and a high-speed river ride with rapids aimed at competing with other thrill-ride theme parks.

But Aquatica also will have an 80,000-square-foot, highly designed beach area, and several calm lagoons for visitors whose main Florida goal may be to relax on the sand or splash lazily outF into the water.

And then there will be the animals, highlighted by black-and-white Commerson's dolphins splashing about in the main lagoon.

"Aquatica will be a water park you would never expect, unless it was built by SeaWorld," said Jim Atchison, general manager of SeaWorld Orlando.

He and other SeaWorld Orlando officials unveiled detailed plans Monday for the 59-acre water park, which was first announced in June 2005 and has been under construction for more than a year.

Aquatica will be themed mostly for South Pacific islands, though there will be mixed motifs from Central and South America.

The signature ride will be a slide that takes people underwater in clear tubes, where they can zoom past dolphins and other marine life. The dolphins and other animals also may be seen from an observation deck, an underwater viewing window and on a lazy river tube ride that will take guests under the marine life tank.

The other anchor attraction will be a twin wave pool splashing onto an 80,000-square-foot beach that Atchison said would be "stunning."

"Fifty percent of Aquatica's attractions will be immersive-type attractions. The advantage of immersive-type attractions are no wait, no lines, just walk up and enjoy . . . ," he said.

Aquatica will give SeaWorld three theme parks with widely varying purposes and markets, all based on SeaWorld's marine theme.

At the high end, starting at $149 per person, Discovery Cove offers visitors exclusivity, with limited admissions to a tropical resort-themed park, with an option (for another $100) to swim with dolphins. Basic one-day tickets to SeaWorld, with its full-complement of rides and shows, cost $64.95.

There's no immediate word on where Aquatica tickets will be priced. But Atchison said they would not necessarily fall in line with other water parks in Central Florida such as Adventure Island, Wet 'n Wild and Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, where tickets range from $35-$37 per person. He also said the ticket marketing would emphasize mutipark packages.

"This is SeaWorld's water park, and our intention is to market this so it is very easy for guests to get combo tickets for SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica, and even our sister parks in Tampa, Busch Gardens and Adventure Island," Atchison said.

Aquatica will be the first all-new park in Central Florida since Discovery Cove opened in 2000.

Link to Sentinel article:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-seaworld0607mar06,0,1170474.story?track=mostemailedlink

 Go here for a video of the park:

http://www.aquaticabyseaworld.com/