| What’s orange and green and blue and purple and drops you over 24 feet per second while plunging and twisting and turning eight stories back down to earth?
It’s Ihu’s Breakaway Falls, and it opens to the public on Friday, May 9 at Aquatica, SeaWorld Orlando’s Waterpark, one day after we at BestofOrlando.com had the pleasure of getting a sneak preview.
In Central Florida, a new attraction or ride is seemingly always around the corner, and it is becoming increasingly important to make something bigger and better and faster than the last ride that was bigger and better and faster – and while that may seem like a tall task, Aquatica has mastered just that with Ihu’s Breakaway Falls. This new centerpiece of the water park is the tallest, steepest and only multi-drop tower of its kind in Orlando, sending riders down at speeds of up to 16 mph at angles of up to 80 degrees on a ride that lasts anywhere from 15 to 22 seconds.
Ihu’s Breakaway Falls is named after Ihu, Aquatica’s colorful gecko mascot, who searches for the biggest thrills, steepest hills and coolest spills in the park. But where does the Breakaway Falls come from, you ask? Well, simply put, the floor literally does break away from you on three of the four body slides, sending you in what feels like a watery freefall for a matter of moments before the slide uses your speed to zip you around twists and turns before your arrival at the bottom.
The queue is much like that of any water park ride – I felt completely out of breath getting to the top of the tower after climbing eight stories (although, unless you’re first in line, you likely won’t be racing up them like we did tonight!), and I heavily questioned when I got to the loading dock whether my lack of breath was out of nervousness or just general lack of air from the 126 stairs (in retrospect, I think it was both). Once at the top, you have a big decision to make, as there are four slides to choose from. If you are going to go on the orange, blue or green slides, the three that “break away,” you stay on one side of the queue, while those wishing to go on the purple slide stick to the right.
So what are the differences in the slides? Let’s tackle the three breakaway slides first. Aquatica was clever to ensure that each slide was differentiated from the rest, and each offer something unique. The orange slide is the longest of the four slides at 420 feet, the blue has the steepest drop of the three breakaway slides, and the green is the mildest of the four but still has an intimidating 28-foot drop. All three of these slides face each other and will load at the same time, allowing you to see the terrified looks of two other people while you wait to see who drops first. You step into these breakaway slides standing up, and with your legs and arms crossed, you lie flat against the back of the slide, which has water pouring down it, still standing straight up. Once you’re in place, a capsule (or Breakaway Box, as they call it) closes around you, and you must give the ride operator the ok before he/she will push the go button. At that time, you will hear a “3, 2, 1..” countdown before the platform you are standing on literally disappears and sends you hurling down on what will end up being one of the most memorable waterpark rides you’ve ever been on.
The purple slide, however, is a little different. As I mentioned, it has its own queue, and because it does not have the breakaway affect that the others have, it can be perceived as the easiest of the four slides. That, however, could not be further from the truth. First of all, this slide is open, whereas the others are closed tubes, and while you start this ride sitting down, it actually has the steepest drop of all four slides with a 40-foot freefall. That is 12 more feet of freefalling than the green slide, but it’s 85 feet shorter in length than the orange slide – again, each slide is different, giving riders four different rides in one.
All four slides start on the platform and end together as well at the bottom, although they each have distinctive paths to get there. The view from the top is nerve-wracking but beautiful and can be a little chilly late at night if you’re wet and that high up (80 feet), but the entire experience of this ride alone is worth a trip to re-discover Aquatica all over again.
If you’re thinking of being “Breakaway Brave,” there are some rules you must adhere to that apply to all four slides – riders must be 48” tall, and not have on any of the following: jewelry, life vests, cotton T-shirts, footwear, sports/non-swimwear shorts or any loose items. Cameras of any kind are not permitted (which means that go-pro is a no-go), and riders must be under 300 lbs. and be able to maintain proper riding position. If you can follow those simple rules and can muster up the country, one of the biggest thrills in the country is waiting for you at Aquatica today! See more about the Ihu's Breakaway Falls Party!
By Melanie Curtsinger
Orlando, FL - 05/09/14
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