Jump to content

Will Aquatica finally turn Orlando into a three resort town ?


Recommended Posts

I'm really looking forward to Aquatica. If the artwork is accurate (and knowing BEC, I imagine it will be), this looks to be the only waterpark that will rival Typhoon Lagoon (my current favorite waterpark) in terms of themeing and attractions. I'm going to try to plan an Orlando trip to take in both Aquatica and the new "Simpsons" ride at Universal when both are finally open.

The point about people planning their vacations around a Discovery Cove visit is right...I did exactly that. I had a specific date for my DC reservations, and planned the rest of the vacation around it. Without question, the day I spent at Discovery Cove was the single best day I've had at any park, EVER. It was fantastic...you really feel like you're on some tropical island somewhere, and the customer service and food were outstanding. It's an expensive day (with the dolphin encounter I think it was around $350), but it was absolutely incredible. (Plus, you get a free ticket to either SWF or BGT(A) to use within seven days...) I highly recommend it.

I think my future Orlando vacations will center around lodging on property at Universal (usually the Royal Pacific), with day trips out to the Busch parks or maybe a Disney park from time-to-time. I prefer the easy walking nature of the Universal Resort to WDW, and you can't beat the "Universal Express" program. Plus, you can buy theme park passes for both Universal and Busch parks as part of your package through the Universal Vacations web site, so it's convenient and cost effective.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats an excellent article. The architecture and theming of the sea world in 1983 looks really similar to how Surf Cincinnati looked around here and to how Geauga Lake looked. I've always heard that Sea World Ohio was the "sub-par", "discount" sea world. Is there any validity to that? I last went to Sea World in 2004, and was both impressed and disappointed. Overall, it's an excellent park, and Kraken is not one to be missed, definitely worth a few re-rides! However, as much as the author praises Busch for aggressively updating the park once they acquired it, it seemed in 2004 that they had done that in some places better than others. From what I remember, the entrance and majority of the park looks spectacular, right on par with Disney/Universal, but it seemed that back sections of the park looked pretty dated an old. That Shamu stadium looked like a giant hunk of all concrete 1970's architecture, similar to the style of Riverfront stadium and the food stands around there were no cleaner or nicer than a typical 1994 Mcdonalds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no doubt in my mind that Aquatica will be one of the chart toppers in 2008. And that will just be with it's opening year. I know a lot of people who are going to be starting their careers at Aquatica and who have also been waiting a very long time for such a career opportunity to come along. <-- As animal trainers, caretakers, veterinarians, curators, educators, etc. The park will also bring a lot of employment for the local area in much of the same way that Kings Island does here for our local youth. Following my U.F. graduation, I had the opportunity to apply to work at Sea World and Aquatica if I so desired. And I would be lying if I said that it was not tempting, and that I do not often wonder what it would be like. But at the time, Disney's Animal Kingdom seemed like the best choice, and in the end my desire for a more simple lifestyle than that of Orlando's surroundings proved to be too overwhelming. Thus resulting in my more humbled return to Ohio. But the times do come when I miss it.

Not to go too far astray, I think that Aquatica is going to offer something for everyone. And it is going to be unique in probably every possible aspect. Personally, I cannot wait to visit Sea World and Aquatica later in the year. It will be an experience worthy of an under water camera purchase. And coming from me, that really is saying something.

m.f.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...