Sea World Orlando has been cranking out some amazing new rides and attractions over the last few years. We have Mako; a 200' hyper coaster with some o
Sea World Orlando has been cranking out some amazing new rides and attractions over the last few years. We have Mako; a 200′ hyper coaster with some of the most insane airtime on any B&M hyper, Empire of the Penguin; A trackless dark ride that incorporates a story of a little penguin named Puck and his adventures in Antartica, and Ihu’s Breakaway Falls; a 4 slide trapdoor slide complex with 3 trapdoor white knuckle drops and 1 regular style body slide. Now they bring us Ray Rush, a first of its type family raft ride that sends riders launched into an enclosed bowl like feature, then twisting and turning riders before dropping them out and taking them up a giant wall; all to have gravity send them right back down to a final splash down. This slide is replacing the old triple down family raft slide that they have had for many years. After completion I really think Aquatica is going to be one of the best waterparks in Orlando, and maybe even the USA.
I was able to stop my car and take a few pictures of the progress on this awesome looking new addition.
The slide will start by propelling riders in a launch into an orb like transition, and then drops into a massive banked wall.
Asides from checking out Ray Rush I’m going to show you guys what this amazing park has to offer!
Onto the POVs!!
First ride of the day is Roa’s River. I love this river!!! Say what you want about well known lazy rivers, I really think this is one of the best in the country. While I love volcano bay’s action river, I really like how this one you do not NEED to wear a life vest. Sometimes I like just floating through, but also like the option to be able to freely swim. This does not have as intense features as its local companions river, but it has a great layout, great speed, and some fun little rapids. This river uses dividing channel to create white water ripples. Other notable action rivers like Volcano Bay’s and Atlantis Paradise island’s uses rocks or concrete indentations on the bottom to create their rapids. This only uses the islands, which creates a great section of white water. Check out the video below and take a virtual ride yourself!
Roa’s Rapids has two entrance and exit areas, I got off next to the parks interactive kids play structure.
While I’m a grown adult, I still really love these structures 🙂
Thanks to Aquatica for allowing all ages on most of the slides in the complex. I was very surprises with how smooth these are. Normally being a heavier adult on these smaller slides the seams always kills my back; but on these I got off all 4 with no scratches and all smiles. Lets start with the first of the 4 big slides in walkabout waters!
All slides in this complex are body slides, with the major 4 being yellow, green, pink, and light yellow.
Heres the partially enclosed green slide:
While nothing big or special, it has a unique exit where you splash down into a pool rather than into the fiberglass molded splash down. The pool slowly gets more shallow until it is only a few inches deep and makes up the water surrounding the base of the structure. After catching the one of two tipping buckets, I headed up for the yellow slide!
As you can see, pretty much the same. A slightly different layout with the same cool ending.
Now lets check out the pink slide. My personal favorite because you can really pick up some good speed with the proper entry push.
You can’t forget about even the smallest slides. The drop ones I NEEEEED for my backyard one day. Seriously they pack a great punch!! Also thanks to the nice lifeguard who let me go down the tall blue one anyways, even though I was a tad bit tall.
Makes me want to be a kid all over again!!!!
Enough finding my inner child and time to find my inner thrill seeker!!!
I made it to the parks tallest, fastest, craziest attraction; Ihu’s Breakaway Falls.
Sadly after walking all the way up I found out I couldn’t bring my GoPro ( with park approved wrist-strap) and had to walk down and hand it off to my friend Mike who tagged along on the trip. The lifeguard below said it was allowed but getting to the top and finding differently couldn’t even put a damper on such a great day at the park. No crowds and 87degree temps!!
OMG, every single time I do these drop slides its like the first nerve racking time. Every one of the slides are amazing. Smooth and fast are two words I would use heavily to describe these slides. The tower has 3 drop capsule slides and a stand alone body slide. Make sure to try them all because they all have different and exciting layouts, with the big surprise hit being the stand alone purple slide. If you check this tower out do not pass up on riding the regular style body slide. Once at the top they will direct you into two separate lines; One for the 3 drop slides, and 1 for the regular body slide.
The purple slide on Ihu’s packs a huge drop; probably the tallest of the 4, and a very twisty layout. I think this is the first body slide I got airtime on! ( Except the old body slides at Cedar Point’s Soak City )
Okay Okay, enough on the only slides without video. I made my way to the front of the park to do my favorite slides; The Omaka Rocka’s.
Two similar slides with 3 funnels, rapids, and many twisty turns. I love how they have the lines at the bottom of the slide tower in shade. So once you get your tube its just a walk and your on!!
Ill let the videos speak for themselves on how great these slides are.
While over on this side of the park, lets get on the high speed tube slides.
The park has 4 tube slides on the top of the Whanau Way Slide Tower.
This slide tower is also home to the two Omaka Rocka Slides on the first floor of the complex.
The yellow slide really packs a great punch with it’s first drop into the helix. With two of us on the slide we really haul, and I’m am not stretching the term haul. You can even see the black marks in the slide from how high the tubes go up on the walls.
The slide tower has 4 slides, but in actuality really only two layouts. The yellow and pink slides share the same layout, just mirrored. Same goes for the teal and blue tube slides.
Here is the equally insane pink tube slide!
Same layout, just mirrored. I prefer the yellow side for some reason, but this is a great slide as well!
Make sure to pump and lean into the corners on the final helix to get some great airtime coming over the final drop.
There are still two other great slides on the tower. The teal and blue slides both start inside an inclosed tube, get riders drenched with a waterfall, then spits them out over a two dip drop.
I really like these four slides; even though they do not have the longest course, they pack an amazing punch most tube slides don’t offer.
I took a little break to grab some food in the parks restaurant near where Ray Rush is being constructed.
The food was good, it was pretty much what you would expect from a seaward or Busch park.
After getting some food I headed for the parks twin toilet bowl tube slide.
The Tassie twister is the name for the dual bowl slide attraction with a very unique entrance . To get to this attractions line you must wait for a tube on Loggerhead Lane, get in it and float over to the exit steps leading up to the slides. There is no way to get to this slide except for venturing through the river. I think its awesome !! You wait in water while you get your tube ( So no hot toes!), get to float down a peaceful river, and get to cool off before waiting on the stairs.
Lets not include a POV of the actual Loggerhead Lazy River! This is the river that takes guests inside of a real aquarium housing dolphins. This is the same tank that the body slides with the clear tube sections pass through.
Sadly I was not able to take my Gopro down those slides:( I guess they don’t allow it even with the approved strap, but Aquatics’s sister park Adventure Island allows them on all slides. ( Even Vanish Point )
I hope you guys enjoyed taking a tour of the park with me !! I didn’t even get to a good bit of slides they have to offer. They will have the massive family raft slide open again after Ray Rush finishes construction. They have Ray Rush, about 5 other smaller kids slides, all of the Ihu’s Breakaway falls slides, and the mat racing slide. ( Which was closed on this visit )
I’ll be going back again for the opening of Ray Rush so stay tuned on more photos of the attraction, POV, and media updates!
Be sure to always check out the new weekly videos on Theme Park HD’s youtube channel.
If you like waterparks make sure you check out this one of a kind amazing park right in the heart of America’s attraction destination.
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