Orlando, FL, USA — SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has announced major new attractions for its Aquatica waterparks in San Diego, CA and San Antonio, TX and is teasing waterpark attractions coming in 2014 to Water Country USA at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia and Aquatica in Orlando, FL.
For those who prefer “life in the fast lane,” the new Taumata Racer® high-speed racing water slide at San Diego’s Aquatica SeaWorld’s Waterpark™ will zoom riders down a 375-foot slide, around a 180-degree swooping turn, and in and out of tunnels before racing them across the finish line.
Less than five months after opening Aquatica, located in Chula Vista, the park is making another splash by adding the new thrill ride. Taumata Racer, which will rise nearly 60 feet, will be located between Walhalla Wave® and Kata’s Kookaburra Cove® on the northwest side of the park.
“We’re thrilled to bring Taumata Racer to Aquatica,” said David Cromwell, the waterpark’s vice president. “This new mat-racer water slide is a unique blend of competitive racing and high-speed thrills. It will be a welcome addition to the park and certainly an experience that families and friends will be able to enjoy together. This is exactly the type of attraction that will make Aquatica an even more exciting waterpark.”
Taumata Racer, manufactured by ProSlides of Ontario, Canada, will feature six side-by-side lanes. Park guests will speed down the steep hill on a mat head first. The minimum height requirement is 42 inches.
“”In its first season, Aquatica lived up to the expectations of the SeaWorld brand,” said Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox. “The company’s continued investment in the guest experience will produce an exciting new attraction for visitors next year and demonstrates SeaWorld’s long-term commitment to business in Chula Vista.”
Taumata Racer will be as memorable for its fun and excitement as it is for its name. Named for a famous hill in New Zealand, Taumata is short for the 85-letter Maori word “Taumata¬whakatangihanga¬koauau¬o¬tamatea¬turi¬pukakapiki¬maunga¬horo¬nuku¬pokai¬whenua-kitanatahu.” Roughly translated, this Guinness Book of World Records word means “The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who traveled about, played his flute to his loved one.”
Construction on Taumata Racer, which will join HooRoo Run® as one of Aquatica’s fastest water rides, is scheduled to begin in November. The new racing slide will make its debut to the public when the park opens Memorial Day weekend in 2014.
Beginning May 2014, San Antonio’s Aquatica™, SeaWorld’s Waterpark, will introduce a 13,500 square feet aviary containing about 300 birds representing more than 50 species. The newest attraction will be one of the park’s serene offerings, giving guests the chance to float, wade or walk among hundreds of tropical birds. Some of the birds are considered threatened or endangered and our aviary will help in conservation efforts.
The aviary and new pools will be located on the Loggerhead Beach area of Aquatica, creating a new “waterfront beach” for our guests to enjoy. Guests will be able to access the aviary by floating along Loggerhead Lane river, walking through Loggerhead Baech or wading in a new pool with a grotto-style waterfall. Guests will have the opportunity to hand feed birds as SeaWorld aviculturists and educators will be on hand to teach guests about these amazing animals. When Aquatica waterpark closes for the season, SeaWorld guests will be able to access the aviary.
Aquatica San Antonio is a waterpark only SeaWorld could create, blending up-close animal experiences with thrilling rides and family entertainment. The park offers experiences from the serence, like 42,000 square feet of white sandy beaches, to the extreme, including a “zero-gravity” wall on Walhalla Wave.
For more deatails, visist SeaWorld.com.
In addition, SeaWorld has released the following viral videos for its Orlando and Williamsburg waterparks. The Orlando slide is being billed as the tallest in the market.
