SeaWorld’s Aquatica: Take the Plunge! 12 Incredibly Fun Rides and Attractions

It’s no secret that SeaWorld’s Aquatica has been redefining the water park experience since its opening in 2008 in Orlando, blending the typical rides and slides with animal encounters and gorgeous man-made beaches for relaxation and plenty of Florida sun. This is one destination that knows how to bring something a little different from the typical tourist fare. With its mellow South Sea theming and family-friendly vibes, you might not immediately think of Aquatica as a thrill-seeking water park destination. However, that’s not the say that this park doesn’t have a unique appeal – and a collection of fantastic attractions to keep you busy all day long. 

Are you thinking of adding SeaWorld Aquatica to your next vacation trip? Or maybe you’re a frequent visitor! Either way, let’s take a deeper dive into the best way to spend your day at Aquatica – starting with which slides and rides are sure to please everyone in the family. For this list, we’re ranking our favorite thrills (and drops) that Aquatica has to offer! Trust us. You won’t want to miss anything at the top of our list! 

1. Ihu’s Breakaway Falls 

Just one look at this trio of drop slides makes it obvious why Ihu’s Breakaway Falls tops our list of favorite rides at SeaWorld Aquatica. Rising 126  steps (that’s 80 feet!) above the park, this freefall ride is the steepest, tallest of its kind in Orlando,  guaranteeing a one-of-a-kind experience.

Each rider is loaded into a capsule pod with a glass enclosure standing up and FACING one of the other riders. Once you’re secure, the floor drops out from beneath you, sending you free-falling down into the slide beneath. Maybe you’ll hear the heartbeat sound effects as you go screaming down this fantastic slide – but we wouldn’t count on it. This is the perfect ride for the thrill-seekers of your group. 

Even more fun? You get to watch your friends at the exact moment of their drop. 

2. Taumata Racer 

Start your engines – or grab your mats rather! – for Taumata Racer. Despite its intimidating appearance,  this is one of the best – and most fun – rides in the entire park! You launch yourself headfirst into near-total darkness and then zoom down, twisting tunnels until you pop out into the sunlight for the home stretch. With eight lanes, you can race your friends and family to the bottom, never really knowing who will take the win until you reach it! 

Trust us. This is one you’ll want to ride again and again!

3. Walhalla Wave 

The sister ride to Ray Rush (which we’ll get to later), Aquatica’s Walhalla Wave is a six-story twisting maze of wild turns that take you in and out of pitch-black tunnels. It’s disorienting, exciting, and so much fun! If you want a fast slide that keeps you guessing, this is the one for you! You can fit up to four people on each raft, making this a great group experience and fun for just about everyone in the family.

4. Dolphin Plunge 

When it comes to signature attractions at an Orlando waterpark, there are few more iconic than SeaWorld Aquatica’s Dolphin Plunge! How many other parks give you the chance to “swim” with the dolphins as part of general admission? Dolphin Plunge is two fully enclosed body slides that take you on a straight shot down and give you an up-close look at the park’s mascots. The slide actually takes you through the animal enclosure for SeaWorld Aquatica’s pod of Commerson’s dolphins, giving you a glimpse of these creatures in their home environment! 

The only downside of this one is that you may not be able to get the best look at the dolphins sharing your experience given the speed of the slide! We highly recommend riding this one multiple times for the full animal encounter experience. 

5. KareKare Curl 

This ProSlide Technology TornadoWave60 wall slide doesn’t mess around! You’ll need two riders per raft on this one (most likely to keep you properly weighted for the trip!). Aquatica’s KareKare Curl shoots you down a 50- foot slide and then right back up the 35-foot wall “curl.” The ride resembles a skateboarding half-pipe ramp, giving the riders plenty of opportunities to get a brief moment of airtime at the top (!) before they slide back down to the bottom of the ride once again. This would be higher on our list, but unfortunately,  the whole ride lasts only about 20 seconds! 

6. Roa Rapids 

While you might think Roa Rapids is just another lazy river, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Want the experience of whitewater rafting without the river? SeaWorld Aquatica’s Roa Rapids does just that! The experience is faster and more thrilling than your typical float-along. Watch out for the geysers, whirlpools, and speed zones that will leave you guessing around all the curves this ride throws at you! 

And if you want a break in between your whitewater experiences, you can always rent one of the nearby  Roa Rapid Cabanas. It’s a great spot to watch others tackling the experience (and close enough to the refreshment stand in case you need a cool beverage). 

7. Riptide Race 

This dueling raft slide is the newest addition to Aquatica (as of 2021), and it’s already making a name for itself! You start at the top of this 68-foot tower, where two rafts – each with up to two riders – race to the bottom over 650 feet of twisting turns in this giant water slide. Unlike Taumata Racer, this ride is designed with periodic stretches of low walls so you can keep an eye on your opponent as you travel down! If you  feel competitive 

8. Ray Rush 

We highly recommend SeaWorld Aquatica’s Ray Rush as the best pick for families of all ages, especially if you have a smaller rider who wants to experience the first “thrill” ride! This attraction replaced the earlier HooRoo Run (another family-oriented slide) in 2017. While it starts as a classic raft ride, you pick up speed fast when you tip down into the first slide portion of Ray Rush! The ride dumps you into the middle of the giant oval basin, giving you a moment to catch your breath as you bounce from side to side. But before you know it, you’re off again! This time, you shoot off through a twisty, turning tunnel of lights before ultimately splashing down beneath a waterfall. 

9. Tassie’s Twisters 

This ride can only be accessed through Aquatica’s Loggerhead Lane, the lazy river attraction that runs through the park. It’s not as intense as most of the other rides on our list, but it’s another great all-ages pick. This raft ride takes you down a tunnel into a giant bowl where you circle around the giant basin faster and faster!  Just when you think it might go on forever, you find yourself hitting that final drop and ending up right back in the lazy river below. Not only is this ride fun, but it’s also fast! 

10. Omaka Rocka  

This single rider raft ride absolutely earns its name as you ping-pong across both sides of this wide slide on your twisting way down to the bottom of the pool. The dual slides resemble a twisting tornado on its side, giving you a lot of fun twists and turns throughout your ride. It’s mild by comparison, but the reduced speed gives you plenty of time to enjoy the full experience of the ride! 

11. Whanau Way 

This is a fairly straightforward single rider raft ride that starts you out in a twisty tunnel before moving you into an open-air slide. It’s a decent slide without any frills, earning its spot near the bottom of our list. 

12. Loggerhead Lane 

While this one is at the bottom of our list, that’s only because it’s a traditional lazy river attraction that offers a nice contrast to the rest of the park’s speed. We love lazy river attractions because they offer a chance to catch your breath after that third drop from Ihu’s Breakway Falls. Do not underestimate the enjoyment of taking a break during a long afternoon of thrill-seeking to settle into a tube and just float away. Not to mention the beautiful viewing areas where you can float alongside tropical fish in adjacent aquariums! 

While you may not immediately think of this SeaWorld Aquatica as being a must-see for your next vacation, we can’t say enough how much fun the whole experience is! There’s something for everyone at the park, including some delightful wave pools and kids areas we didn’t include on our list  (for obvious reasons!), as well as plenty of areas to relax, rest in the shade, and grab a drink at the hottest part of the day. From Taumatu Racers to Loggerhead Lane, there’s something for every thrill level on this list! 

If you’ve experienced this park for yourself, how do our rankings match up with your own? Let us know what you think are the best drops and dives this park has to offer in the comments below!

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Photo: iStock Photos

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