Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
You won't starve at SeaWorld, but expect the usual mediocre and overpriced theme-park
fare. The only option for advanced reservations is
Sharks Underwater Grille
- the bar is
literally a tropical aquarium and you eat next to a giant aquarium of sharks.
Parking costs $15; you can reserve strollers (single/double $13/18), wheelchairs ($12)
and ECV mobility carts ($45) in advance; and there are air-conditioned kennel facilities
($15) for dogs. A record of shots and updated rabies is required, and you must return to
walk and feed your pet.
See the website for vacation packages that include accommodations at partner hotels
and information on
Quick Queue Unlimited
and
Signature Show Seating
(both from
$19).
Aquatica
WATER PARK
adult/child $56/41, advance online Splash & Save $19-28, 14-day unlimited access incl SeaWorld
adult/child $119/114;
9am-6pm;
;
Lynx 8, 38, 50, 111,
SeaWorld shuttle,
I-Ride Trolley
Red Line Stop 34)
A clean and pretty water park with tropical greenery offering a vague sense of Polynesia
and some animal-viewing twists. Come here to splash, bob, float and zoom in lazy rivers,
splash zones, wave pools and slippery slides - that's what you do at water parks, and at
Aquatica it's no different.
SeaWorld, which owns Aquatica, has come under scrutiny for its treatment of dolphins,
and for their policies of keeping dolphins in captivity. Animal welfare organizations make
compelling arguments against this practice.
The
Dolphin Plunge
spits you through a glass-enclosed tube through a tank of Com-
merson's dolphins; the problem is that a high-speed waterslide isn't the best way to see dol-
phins. You zoom through so fast and the stretch through the tank is so short that you're
lucky if you catch a passing glance at the black-and-white cuties.
For little ones, the children's play areas are excellent. At
Walkabout Waters
buckets of
water dump regularly over all kinds of brightly colored climbing structures and fountains,
and
Kookaburra Cove
offers tiny slides and shallow water perfect for toddlers.
There are several decent fast-food restaurants and there's plenty of cold beer for sale.
Picnic tables sit just outside the park gates, next to the bus drop-off area - you'll find com-
