Aquatica Orlando — Attraction in Dr. Phillips

We are an annual pass family for at least three years. We went to aquatica Saturday March 8 2025 arriving 30 minutes before open and stayed until 5pm close. Temps for the day peaked at around 83°f and partly cloudy.

We don't go to this park often, mostly bc operations have been hit and miss. This day was a miss for reasons not experienced before. Typically it's the overly long food lines, excessive crowds, or dirty attractions.

Today when we arrived we saw a sign that the rapid River was closed for refurb. A typical occurrence in any year round Orlando park. Yes it was the only attraction I personally wanted to enjoy, but maybe next time. There's still a slow river to enjoy so that should be fine. Though I will say no work was in process on the river that was closed. It was full of leaves. Likely just saving on staffing by closing it.

I got ankle deep as did my wife, before both of us exited due to cold temps. The wave pool was slightly warmer but the slides were not. I recalled the rivers being heated so I asked two different water safety staff who separately said there was a power issue last night and a breaker tripped on the heaters so they didn't heat overnight and it was chilly. No apology, just a shrug. So the park wasn't working as designed, advertised, or expected.

Just before leaving, I watched another aquatic safety associate cleaning up, and in doing so, collected a shirt left on a chair and threw it right into the trash can. Having lost things that were never recovered in these parks before I asked her if I just saw what I saw. Without any remorse or hesitation, she explained as if policy, that clothing like that is never collected by the guest and unless it's a camera or glasses or something of similar value, they just toss it. Which is NOT what the list and told us when we filled out a lost hat form last year, or what they say on their website.

As we were leaving, I realized one of our guests was not an annual pass holder, so I thought they could get a raincheck for the water temperature issue, and enjoy it a different day. I went up to the guest service where a young man was stationed and asked him if the water is heated. He explained the company talking points as trained. I explained that the heaters weren't working today. He quickly deflected with "well that's a different department and I wouldn't know" to which I replied "but you're guest service at a WATER park, shouldn't you know about.... The water?".

At this point another staff member behind him, a lady named Rainn joined the chat and I'll sum her up as a bad fit for for any customer facing role. She started with a fast round of deflection, then lies, then accusations and finally dismissiveness and hostility. She said if rides were broken they would know, and I replied with we'll the heaters for all rides were apparently broken and you didn't know. She then told me due to the air temp I wouldn't have noticed them on. Followed by "you waited to the end of the day to say anything" and I told her I was hoping things would heat up. She then told me I could leave her window if I didn't like how she was speaking to me and called me unprofessional.

What in the gaslighting customer service world is going on here? I paid for a pass, paid to drive here, bought your overpriced and terrible food and tried to enjoy my day. Now I'm pointing out what they did wrong and I find myself arguing with someone who's at best supposed to deescalate and resolve the issues.

I walk away in search of another person who's better equipped to deal with guests. Mitch is a younger manager, but that's fine bc he likely isn't as bad at his job as Rainn clearly was. He explains regarding the trashed lost items that they only keep garments for 3-4 days bc they get funky, but should not be tossed in the moment and he would advise those departments accordingly. Regarding the heaters, he agreed there was an issue and issued a raincheck for the guest it applied to. They really made it hard to enjoy the day, but especially that...

We visited this week, a truly awful experience. We arrived as the park opened. We had to run with the crowds to get beds with shade as it was 106f that day.

Valuables are placed in lockers and a rucksack will cost you 45 dollars a locker. I've stayed in some very exclusive resorts in the Maldives/Mauritius etc and never seen such a ludicrous price. In the UK, a locker is a dollar that gets refunded. To charge 45 dollars is just insane.

We immediately went to some of the rides. There were 10 in our group. Most from the UK but 2 were elderly residents. We got into a queue, waited 30 mins for a slide with floats for 4/5 people. Initially, the queue moved slowly. 30 mins in, nothing, a complete standstill, no shade, no fans nothing. An hour in, being told the ride was closed by others walking off the ride. One of the worst things about the entire day was zero communication from staff.

So an hour wasted queuing for nothing. We decided to join another ride and try again. To our surprise, the same thing nearly an hour queuing to be told ride was not working by others and not staff.

We're now 2 hours in the heat with nothing to show for it. This made our relatives feel ill and we had to walk them back to the beds to rest. We bought cups with unlimited refillable drinks and went to get drinks. The first machine was out of order. The second had a swarm of bees around it (around 50+ bees) making it nearly impossible to access without getting stung. This only had fanta working. Our relatives were feeling unwell so we had to risk it. Staff were beside this machine, but nothing was being done. Nearly 3 hours in and we were all getting very frustrated.

We wanted to go in the wave pool and lazy river. We couldn't understand the closures as no storms, lightning etc - just breaking down all over the park. The issue was now everyone had nothing to do and could only use both this pool or the river/lagoon. Both we're now completely over capacity, it was ridiculous.

We then tried to go on the rides again. We managed to do the rainbow slides with a 30 min wait and enjoyed it - finally a working ride after nearly 4 hours!! This gave us hope.

Next, we went back to the group rides and queued up to find....you guessed it closed after nearly an hour wait and two levels of stairs to go. Again, zero communication from staff.

The most distressing thing was a kid passed out from the heat near the top of the stairs and the parent then struggled to carry them down without any help or support from staff. As a group we found this unforgiveable and our frustrations only grew.

We're now 5 hours into our day, with one ride to show for it - what a complete joke.

We tried to find a different refill station but again out of order or one choice that nobody wanted. A complete waste of time and money.

We all decided that was enough, packed up and went to guest relations to complain about the day. We travelled a long way using our vacation time to experience this. It didn't deliver on anything throughout the day. My son and I queued for an ice cream. Again 30 minutes later, we get to the front of the queue, sold out. Why don't staff put sold out on the signs rather than force others to queue for nothing, This borders on negligence with no access to drinks as promised and no way to cool down.

Guest relations offered us fast passes for the rest of the day, so rides that were broken - what a joke. We refused and this has been escalated higher. We have fast passes for Seaworld but are awaiting a response from management.

I've reviewed 100s of places and always try to look for positive (see my other reviews). I have 7 million views for my reviews and helped many companies. I hate to write this, but things here need drastic...

Amazing Family Fun at the Aquatic Orlando Water Park!

I recently had the pleasure of visiting a fantastic Aquatic Orlando water park that truly lives up to its reputation! From the moment we arrived, it was clear to see why the lines can get busy—there's something for everyone here! I highly recommend buying your tickets online for a smooth entry, allowing you to skip the lines and dive right into the fun.

This water park offers attractions for all ages, from toddlers to adults. The lazy river was a highlight, as it seemed like everyone was enjoying a relaxing float. It was wonderful to see my toddler safely playing in the designated area, making new friends while splashing around. The water levels were perfect, and older kids had a blast on the various water rides, too!

Life jackets are available throughout the park, which is great for parents who want to ensure their kids are safe while enjoying the rides. Additionally, the park has a variety of food options, including fries, chicken —perfect for refueling after all the excitement!

I didn't bother renting a Cabana or a chair since our kids range in different ages. We needed to be close enough to see them. Plus I feel it's a waste of money. You didn't come to a water park to sit down.

One of the standout features for my family was the wave pools. The waves were thrilling for both kids and adults, and it was fun to watch my children bounce around in the water. The wave action alternates between calm and energetic, giving everyone a chance to have fun in a safe environment.

We managed to visit the park twice during our trip because we purchased passes in advance, saving us both time and money. Florida has so much to offer beyond Disney, and these passes made our experience even better, allowing us to enjoy the park without the hassle of long wait times.

The overall layout of the park is very family-friendly. The locker rentals are reasonably priced, which is helpful for storing belongings while you enjoy the day.

Despite a few rain showers, we made the most of our visit and had a fantastic time. If you're planning a trip, I recommend arriving early to maximize your day. By the afternoon, the kids were happily exhausted from all the fun!

Overall, this water park deserves a solid four stars! It’s a wonderful place for families to create lasting memories. So, gear up, grab your tickets, and get ready for a day full...