Aquatica under construction

You couldn't see much when driving by - just skeletons of the staircase towers for what would turn out to be the racers and the family slides - but it was nonetheless interesting to drive alongside the Aquatica site. Even in Orlando, theme parks don't open every day!

Whanau Way, the old view

Here's something you can't see anymore. This view of Whanau Way from its tower is now blocked by Omaka Rocka, which was built atop these slides (and uses the same stairs/tower). Kudos to Aquatica for adding to its park so quickly!




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Ski lift? Why not?

Blizzard Beach sprang into existence after a freak snowstorm gave an entrepreneur an idea to make money, or so the fake backstory goes. That may seem a bit thin when you see the ski lift - could they realty build it that fast before the snow supposedly melts? But you'll quickly forget your theming doubts (dare I suggest they will "melt away"?) when you realize this chair saves you from having to climb the mountain for most of the slides.

The lines for the lift rival those if most slides, unfortunately. It's faster to walk. But riding is more fun, and you do get great views!




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Aquatica's color scheme

Let's be honest: Aquatica lacks the lush landscaping that the Disney water parks have (and while we are telling truths, we'd have to admit that Wet & Wild lacks such rich vegetation too, and it's much older, so this is not about allowing time for things to grow in).

But Wet & Wild feels just like a water park, with no particular theme or indeed even color scheme. Aquatica, by contrast, does have a color scheme, and thus an identity of sorts. It's all bright orange, yellow, and purple for Aquatica. That doesn't particularly scream "New Zealand" to me (more on that in a future update), but at least the patterns are consistent in the park, giving the place a look/feel of its own.




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Sno-Cat food cart

At Disney, everything has a theme. That includes food carts!

At Blizzard Beach, why not something appropriate for the snowy conditions? It may not fit with the theme of a single freak snowstorm (who would have a Sno-Cat handy in Florida?) but it's looks good here, and that's what counts.

Crush 'n Gusher under construction

When Crush 'n Gusher was under construction, things started as you might imagine with a skeleton of the building in place. But large pieces of the slide and support strucutres were stored elsewhere. This photo shows the hilltop "overflow" parking at Typhoon Lagoon, which gets used every summer day now.

Looks like a mighty big puzzle to assemble!






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Little blue gators

The mascots of Blizzard Beach appear to be liitle blue "dragons" usually dressed minimally in a cutesy item of clothing. But they aren't dragons. It turns out that these are alligators who have turned blue from the cold, called Ice Gators (they have a distant cousin at Typhoon Lagoon called Lagoona Gator).

The mascots aren't around everywhere, but just enough to look familiar the next time you see them.





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Avalunch, 2006 and 2010

Menus undergo periodic revision, of course, and sometimes get changed completely. Below I've typed out the 2010 menu at Avalunch and also pasted a photo of the same location from 2006. Looks like those four years brought not only new items, but also some price hikes!

Avalunch 2010
Blizzard Dog - $7.29
Pretzel Dog - $7.29
Chili Cheese Dog - $7.89
Chopped Chicken Salad - $8.29
Turkey Leg - $7.59

Image: Avalunch 2006

Vests of many colors

At the Disney water parks, vests are available for free but you have to ask for them. At Aquatica, they are just out and about, and in fact you'll find more than one location for them. Two of the more visible locations are next to the entrances for Roa's Rapids, since this experience is more enjoyable and relaxing if you're wearing a vest.

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Roa's Rapids

We call it the Crazy River because it's like a lazy river, but with actual rapids. Normally that would be a nonissue, but in this case it matters because you aren't in a raft. You're just floating along!

You could elect to rely on your swimming skills alone, but most visitors will grab one of the free floatation vests nearby.

With a vest, you get the odd sensation of both action (the rapids) and relaxation (since you don't have to work to stay afloat).

This is a point of view (POV) shot of one of the rapids sections.

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Basic body slides

Ah, the simple slide. No muss, no fuss, and no special features. Just you and a raft amid rather traditional twisting slides in the treetops.

I guess Blizzard Beach wanted to have some familar experiences!

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No drinking!

This sign at Aquatica, repeated in a few places, points out that sprinklers are using water you shouldn't try to drink.

Even though I've seen this sign plenty of times, I always misread the Spanish translation below as saying "no beer"!





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Aquatica's lazy river aquarium

Aquatica has a fast-moving lazy river (we call it the Crazy River), and then a more traditional sedate one called Loggerhead Lane.

The sedate one is small, mostly just circling the toilet bowl slide. But it has a picture window to the Comerson's dolphins ... Or you could take the branching path instead to this aquarium filled with colorful African cichlids. Not much moves here, but it's colorful at least.




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Summit Plummet

One if the scarier attractions Disney has ever created, Summit Plummet is a typical "dropout" ride with atypical (ie good) theming.

Riders pass under a bridge (that's where this pic was taken, standing on that bridge) and then still drop a looooong way!





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Unnecessary Theming!

This photo makes me want to blow my whistle, declare a stop to all play, and gesture like a football referee. "Foul! Unnecessary theming! 10 yards... first down!"

It's a simple staircase, yet Disney elected not to leave well enough alone. They added theming here that doesn't really serve any functional purpose (and in fact takes up valuable space) - but that's all the more reason to love it.

When you get right down to it, the entire mountain is unnecessary theming. 99% of water parks around the world just build plain-jane staircases and then unthemed slides and tubes. Disney conceals everything in the effort to transport you somewhere else--the mountain is a vital part of that. Little flourishes like this themed avalanche area wouldn't even have been necessary... but they are great, and they do add to the experience, don't they?

They are not baby killer whales!

Often you'll hear guests (and not only the children) ooh and ahh over the "baby killer whales" in this tank at Aquatica. But they aren't orcas. They are actually Commerson's dolphins, and the only places to see them in captivity in the USA are here and SeaWorld San Diego.

And your eyes are not deceiving you - that's  clear acrylic tube in the background for the body slide "Dolphin Plunge." In theory, you can see dolphins as you zoom by! In practice, I've had about ten rides on it with never yet a dolphin sighting. It's too quick (even if you sit up against the rules), the light/dark change is too disorienting, and my timing just sucks. I like the idea, though.

Kiddie slides at TL

If you're little enough, you too can sample these minor two slides that land in a corner of the big wave pool. But wait til the lifeguard says it's safe! And real little ones may want a parent to catch them. The water at the bottom is just deep enough to cause problems (or water up the nose).

Gang Plank Falls 2

Here's more of Gang Plank Falls point of view (POV). Most visitors to the Orlando water parks seem not to bring cameras, and of those who do, not all of them bring waterproof cameras. And of the waterproof cameras, most are lower-quality disposables. So I'm really going to try to take as many POV photos as I can... and free you viewers up to just enjoy when you are there :)

Gang Plank Falls POV

The family raft ride at TL is called Gang Plank Falls, and it's an awfully short ride. But it packs in some thrills (you go under a waterfall or two, there are rapids, and some theming).

This view is from the raft-level, and is looking forward toward the splashdown. It looks mild, and it usually is, but even this mild drop can result in big waves crashing over the person next to the wave.

Floating through Shark Reef

They call it snorkeling, but you're really just floating facedown in Shark Reef and not moving many muscles. You're told not to kick for one thing - and that's good, to reduce churn and increase visability. But you won't want to go too fast anyway, since you're here to see the fish.

In this photo, look to the rock in the middle - this is your only place to pull up and catch your breath, or adjust your mask if water has leaked in. To the left of that is the sunken, upside down ship, which non-snorkelers can visit to see you snorkel by. Wave at the portholes as you drift lazily past!

Slides? What Slides?

There are several areas in Typhoon Lagoon where it's possible to forget you're in a water park. The thick, lush vegetation gives you the sense of the tropics (not to mention the Florida heat), and the white sand everywhere implies it's a beach, but this is true even when water and pools aren't immediately nearby.

Grab a lounge chair (there are the reclining ones and the regular chairs) and sunbathe all day if you want - there are people who do that. It may not have the thrills of chasing slides, but then again, some relaxation may be exactly what these folks are looking for.

Shark Reef

Shark Reef at Typhoon Lagoon is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with sharks for free. But don't fret. In this case, they are tiny little bamboo sharks, toppinig out at a few feet long and definitely not interested in humans in the slightest.

While the sharks will keep their distance on the bottom, other tropical fish here will get much closer, and snorkeling among so many fish - some of them colorful - is a thrill no matter where you're from. It's hard to believe it's free and included with admission to Typhoon Lagoon. Even the theming (see pic) is spot on.

Omaka Rocka at Aquatica

Say that five times fast: Omaka Rocka at Aquatica! Opened in 2010, this unassuming slide might appear at first to be a bit of a leech. After all, it uses the same tower and stairs as the four older slides here (Whanau Way), which are fun in their own right.

But Omaka Rocka has new twists. There are bumps in the bottom of the flume, giving you both rapids (visual fun) and minor airtime (physical fun). Those funnels you see are moments when your one-person raft rides up the side, skateboard style. In that same area are weird devices in the floor that usually (but not always) flip around your raft's direction, so your next segment of the ride will be backward. At the next funnel, you'll be flipped around again (or not, depending on chance). Sometimes you race out the bottom to the dedicated splash pool going quite fast... backward.

Sliding Uphill?

Looks kind of like they are sliding uphill, doesn't it? This photo was taken from an even-higher vantage point, which gave the impression that the racers here at Blizzard Beach are going uphill. It's a fun ride, but over far too quickly.