Aquatica compared to Disney water parks...

[PrincessP]

We visited Aquatica in September. Our family loved it! We are planning a May trip to Orlando. We will visit a water park and are trying to decide whether we will go back to Aquatica or try a Disney water park.

We are staying onsite so free parking for Disney parks, but admission is a tad more so it's a wash pretty much.

Kids are 11&9 and did all the slides at Aquatica and loved them.

How do the Disney water parks compare to Aquatica?

Thanks!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We visited Aquatica in September. Our family loved it! We are planning a May trip to Orlando. We will visit a water park and are trying to decide whether we will go back to Aquatica or try a Disney water park.

We are staying onsite so free parking for Disney parks, but admission is a tad more so it's a wash pretty much.

Kids are 11&9 and did all the slides at Aquatica and loved them.

How do the Disney water parks compare to Aquatica?

Thanks!

The Disney waterparks are always free parking (even for offsite guests).

We have been to all three.....you can check out my trip reports for lots of photos of each.

Disney waterparks have a more immersive theming versus Aquatica, particularly Blizzard Beach (heavily themed as a ski resort). That said, the fake snow and winter-esque nature of that waterpark had me loving it the least of the three. We went once (full day) and have no desire to return.

Typhoon Lagoon has the very best wave pool of the three waterparks. Its HUGE and has a massive, knock-you-off-your-feet wave that is a ton of fun....but can also be rather dangerous. Definitely not for weak swimmers or the very young. Its a very tropical vibe with less thrilling slides (the family raft is so mild even I can do it....and I'm a ride chicken). They do have a water coaster (Crush N Gusher) and you can swim with the sharks (a neat experience). Lilo and Stitch are often there for autographs and photos. The waffle sandwiches at Lowtide Lou's are fabulous.

Blizzard Beach has a very cutesy, everywhere-you-look snow theme. Lots of concrete and less lush foliage. Their wave pool is a bobbing wave pool where tubes are allowed, and is much MUCH smaller than that at TL. Their feature slide is Summit Plummet, a very tall body slide. You get to the top of the slide via a ski lift. We found food to be underwhelming and way overpriced.

Cabana rentals at the Disney waterparks are ridiculous priced....well over $300 for the day. We have always rented a lounger/umbrella at about $55 USD to ensure we have a quiet place to relax without fighting the crowds.

Aquatica has a less immersive theme and is brighter, more colourful, and has more slides. Roa's Rapids is like no other water feature in Orlando. Their kids area is HUGE and way, way better than anything Disney has to offer. They have parrots and turtles and Commerson dolphins. The unlimited all-day dining offers a more affordable food option than either Disney waterpark (typical buffet quality, but definitely a good value). They often run admission deals where Disney does not....but like you mentioned, you have to pay for parking. Cabanas can be rented much more affordably than the Disney waterparks, making it generally something we can work into the budget.

Aquatica is our favourite, with Typhoon Lagoon very close behind. Blizzard Beach.....well, it just wasn't our thing.

 

[jpeppers]

They all have there pluses but I prefer Aquatica. I love TL's wave pool and BB's family raft ride and both have wonderful lazy rivers but Aquatica blows them both away with Roa's rapids and a very good mix of other rides plus some extras like the Commerson dolphins.

 

[kathy884]

We visited Aquatica in September. Our family loved it! We are planning a May trip to Orlando. We will visit a water park and are trying to decide whether we will go back to Aquatica or try a Disney water park.

We are staying onsite so free parking for Disney parks, but admission is a tad more so it's a wash pretty much.

Kids are 11&9 and did all the slides at Aquatica and loved them.

How do the Disney water parks compare to Aquatica?

Thanks!

All three are great parks. If I were you I'd do one of the Disney ones just to try one out -- variety is the spice of life, and I do love the Disney theming. // Are your children strong swimmers? If they aren't strong swimmers and they love wave pools, I'd pick Blizzard Beach -- fun slides, really cute theming, and a normal wave pool. I can't imagine a 9 or 11 year old not loving this place. // The one downside of Typhoon Lagoon with younger children is that the wave pool waves are really big and rough. As a former competitive swimmer, swim coach, swim instructor, and lifeguard when my son and niece and nephew were younger, I didn't feel like I'd be able to watch them well enough and keep them safe there. I would not have let them go in. Because I knew they'd want to be hanging out in a wave pool a lot to avoid that whole issue, I always took them to Blizzard Beach and only went to Typhoon Lagoon when they were older and stronger swimmers.

By the way, not as pretty as these other three, but I adore Wet and Wild too (an incredible array and number of unique water attractions). I think all four of these places are worth doing at one time or another.

As I've been to all of them, the way I often decide these days if I'm on a budget trip is which will be the most reasonable. (e.g. two days at one of them makes the waterparks and more add on a good deal on Disney tickets, there is often good pricing with an Aquatica add on to a SeaWorld ticket and Discovery Cove tickets throw in the SeaWorld park (my personal favorite) and Aquatica, and I think Universal has a deal with Wet and Wild. Also Wet and Wild one summer when we were there and staying on I-drive had a great offer for coming as much as we wanted all week -- it was so hot and going there was so heavenly with our teens.

 

[anorman]

I've done all three plus wetnwild. I loved Aquatica and TL. BB is just okay. WnW was just a concrete park with no theming whatsoever....great rides though.

 

[Portugal1000]

We love the Waterparks and there are great things at all three. Like a previous poster said, TL has the best waves. Only last couple of years I have felt confident enough to let my son go in alone. He will be 15 the day after we get there this year but we still are careful and tell him he has to report back after say 5,7 waves. He would stay all day otherwise. BB has best family ride and my son use to love the kids area which I think is the best one as I always felt really safe him running off and going on the different slides or zip wire. We use to sit right by the exit of that area so no way he could leave, not that he would, without us. Aquatica has the best lazy river, or not so lazy as we call it. It also has great slides but I think the stairs up to some of them are pretty scary. Unlike Disney they are not enclosed so if you are scared of heights it can be a problem. The kids area is great but exhausting and unlike BB when our son was smaller I wasn't confident about letting him just roam free because would have been difficult to ever find him again! For all three water parks we like visiting at the end of the day, the last three hours usually as a lot easier to get on all the slides and cooled off a bit if August. In a three week holiday we will visit Waterparks atleast 8 times, if not more. We will have tickets for Wet n Wild this year as not going to Disney normal parks so will have four water parks, but as I said they are our favourite.