Aquatica, SeaWorld Orlando’s Waterpark, officially opened its new four-slide thrill ride, Ihu’s Breakaway Falls, on Friday, May 9, but Best of Orlando was invited to a sneak peek at the new attraction during a special private event at the park the night before the grand opening. We were there from beginning to the end, and to sum it all up in just a few words – SeaWorld knows how to throw a party!
Best of Orlando was first in line at the gates of Aquatica, and that means we got to experience everything first. By the time they opened at 6:30, there were roughly a couple hundred anxious guests waiting to see what the evening had in store. While most were dressed in summer and business casual clothes, the Best of Orlando team was suited up in our swimsuits, ready to tackle the main attraction of the evening.
Once we were let inside, we were greeted by dancing and bouncing stilt walkers, along with lots of people on hand to give out sunglasses that were made in the four colors of the slides – green, purple, orange and blue. It wasn’t long until you were met by the first open bar of the night, and along the route, there were animal trainers from SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove greeting guests with creatures such as a kinkajou, otter and various exotic birds.
The main beach in front of the wave pool was the site for the main party, and what a party it was! A cover band played on a stage throughout the night, and food and drink stations were plentiful on top of the gorgeous white sand beach. The cheese and cracker/hummus and flatbread/fruit station was a favorite of mine, and the chef at the cheeseburger slider station even offered to make me my very own custom slider with grilled pickles (to which he said – “You can now tell all your friends you met someone from New York who is actually nice!”). Other stations included marinated pork tacos with cornbread, petite filet of fish with sweet coconut grits, sweet and spicy chicken with crisp Asian vegetables, fried rice noodles and an oriental chop salad. Open bars dotted the landscape as well, and as the evening drew dark, white lights strung to around the site lit up to provide ambiance in the area.
Of course, we haven’t even mentioned the best part yet – an ice sculptured bar provided ice chutes for three specialty drinks – green apple, mango and blue raspberry, all color corresponding to the three “breakaway box” slides from Ihu’s Breakaway Falls and served in specialty logo glasses that lit up as you drank. And last but not least, a dessert bar was the personal highlight of my evening, with gourmet cupcakes galore (I may or may not have tried more than one), along with other bite-sized desserts such as fruit tarts, cannolis, puff pastries, rum cake and much more (again, I may or may not have tried more than one!). High-top tables were set up throughout the sand, as were couches near the front where the band was staged.
Guests were invited to mingle, eat and drink and ride the other attractions that were open during the first hour of the event, but the main attraction was the first ride of Ihu’s Breakaway Falls. At 7:30, hula dancers gathered in front of a large screen and danced to the rhythm of beating drums, and Bryan Nadeau, VP of Aquatica, and Terry Prather, President of SeaWorld Orlando, addressed the crowd before handing it over to Aquatica’s Splash Ambassador Chuck Cureau, who was waiting at the top of the eight-story platform with a microphone. After he described the setting and showed guests the view from the top, we watched on the large screen as he stepped into the Breakaway Box and took the plunge, which signaled to the awaiting crowd that the ride was open. There were a few people already gathered at the bottom of the steps (including myself), and we ran to the top in eager anticipation of trying the ride for ourselves. After braving the green and the blue slides (the blue definitely had more thrills), I was able to finally enjoy the food that I had been holding off on eating (all that eating and then dropping eight stories probably wouldn’t have been a great idea).
If you weren’t brave enough to ride the attraction yourself, there was also a station at the bottom of the ride where you could take a picture and superimpose it on one of the slides, making for a good souvenir for those who did not have a swimsuit on hand. A gift bag was also given to everyone as you exited the park, and it was filled with a “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Drop!” beach towel, drink koozie and a waterproof bag, all of which were branded with the Breakaway Falls logo.
My experience with Ihu’s Breakaway Falls was a great first impression, and I am eager to head back to the park to try out the orange and purple slides – and of course, hit up the green and blue slides again! But don’t just take our word for it – now that this attraction is open to the public, and with the weather in Central Florida already hitting summertime temperatures, the time is now to head over to Aquatica to experience Ihu’s Breakaway Falls firsthand!
By Melanie Curtsinger
Orlando, FL - 05/12/14
Photos: Alex Mateo |
