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Aquatica's Omaka Rocka announced for March 2010


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http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2010/03/pictures-aquaticas-omaka-rocka-slide-coming-soon.html

 

A trip to Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, last week revealed the almost-ready state of Omaka Rocka, which represents the attraction’s first addition since it opened in 2008. The photo above is of the entrance to the slide. It looked ready to go … just add water …. and signage and that exhaustive list of rules that the other Aquatica elements sport.

 

Omaka Rocka shares a tower with Whanau Way, and I was surprised by how intertwined the two are. Although Rocka riders take off from a lower platform, there’s a point where they’re above Whanau Wayers.

 

Aquatica workers told me that it would be open “hopefully by the end of March,” but the official stance remains sometime during Spring Break.

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From the splashdown area side … which is not shared with Whanau Way.

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Closer to the dry exit.

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This is the stretch where Omaka Rocka travels above the last bit of Whanau Way. The new slide features funnels that are said to create an extreme ride, inspired by the half-pipe motions of skateboarders and snowboarders.

Edited by jedimaster1227
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I have always wanted to go to Aquatica and now i want to go there even more. It is such a unique waterpark and the new tantrums look amazing.

 

But are the drops in to the funnels big enough to create such a thrill inside the funnel???

 

Can't wait for these masterpieces to open. I wonder where waterparks will go next. Probably some crazy slide that corkscrews on an open slide over a midway like corckscrew at Cedar Point. That would be awesome!!!

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Aquatica honestly needed something because it wasn't all that impressive when we visited in January '09.

The only thing to write home about was the rapids that pulled you around by the inflatable vests, but you can't stay on that all day!

The biggest letdown? The Dolphin Drop slide - completely over hyped and mis-interpreted in the advertisments for the place.

With this new slide, might go back for an afternoon in August - we'll have a Discovery Cove ticket that'll get us in so not spending any extra cash for one slide.

 

Really looking forward to going back to Typhoon Lagoon though - just love that wavepool!

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Wow! These Tantrums look absolutely awesome. I've been on many different types of "half pipe" style slides, such as Tornadoes, Boomerangos, and Mega Wedgies. The Tornado is without a doubt the most intense and best slide of all! I have high expectations for the Tantrum, considering that it is based entirely on the Tornado. I have no idea when I'll be in Florida, but I am very excited about the Tantrum that is being installed near me at Raging Waters. The Omaka Rocka looks better than the San Dimas one, but I'm still really looking forward to getting the Tantrum experience! The whole idea of mini funnels is very cool to me, especially because they are so tight. Hopefully all the Tantrums installed this year will be awesome!

----Antonio

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I was just there today and the ride looks ready to open! The water was running, they had tubes all stacked up, and there were ride ops at the top and bottom of the ride. Any day now!!

 

Also, the park was so dead this morning. I did every slide in the park in about an hour!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was there this afternoon and the slides were open, but for lifeguards only. They had both sides going, but at separate times. The guards standing at the entrance said it would open sometime in the next three weeks. I asked him if I could quote him, he laughed and said, "sure."

 

The park was pretty busy as well. Of course it's Spring Break week number one this week. The lines did move though. Nothing was more than a 15 minute wait from noon - 4pm. The longest wait was for food. 30 minutes for that!

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So my wife and I took our 16 month old down to Aquatica today. We arrived around 530 to find the place emptying out as we predicted even though it's running a 9 pm close due to the Spring Break crowds in town.

 

We headed over to the kiddie area and I noticed there were yellow tubs going everywhere over at the new Omaka Rocka Slide. I was there yesterday and the lifeguards said it would be another three weeks until It was open, but I guess he was wrong...

 

The new addition is a lot of fun. It is a tube slide that you will get soaked on. It's single rider only and the max weight is 250 lbs (sorry Acers.) The ride is a bit rough. There are what looks like little ramps throughout the ride especially as you head into a funnel. They don't seem to slow you down or do anything but make it a bumpy ride. The funnels is there you get soaked. This will be nice come June-October when it's hot as monkey testicles here. The splashdown is like any other water slide tube splashdown... nothing to write home about with it.

 

Overall, I think it will be a nice addition. While it was bumpy and kind of rough, it was still fun and accomplishes the getting wet aspect of a water park. I'll be back next week to see if it's still up and running. I did ask a lifeguard if it was fully open and they just smiled at me tonight.

 

Anyways, here's some pics. Sorry for the poor quality, I didn't realize I'd be taking pictures at sunset.

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Heading into Aquatica, it's Lily's first time.

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Lily walking to the kiddie area

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Lily showing daddy that the new slide is open!

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Here it is!

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random tourist exiting the new slide

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And we end this on the empty wavepool... why? DOODIE!

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Could you explain what you mean by "ramps?"

 

They're kind of like bumps on the slide made of rubber. There are several of them, most noticeably right before you head into a funnel. They maybe are about 6-8 inches high. They're kind of like a log in a Vekoma River Raft ride that creates a rapid/splash effect. I'm not sure if they're there to act as a brake, water effect, both, or something completely different. They do hurt your heels when your feet catch them.

 

I hope this kind of helps.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ive always wondered how they go about enforcing the weight limit on these slides. I mean, there's no scale up there. AND just because someone looks abover certain weight doesnt mean they are a certain weight - some people "hide" their girth well. And at 250lbs this seems to be the lowest limit of any of the slides there. I wonder how the construction differs to require this restriction.

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Got a ride on this on Saturday and was not impressed at all.

 

I LOVE Aquatica, and spent quite a bit of time there last year before relocating to Minnesota for a bit...The park is so fun, colorful and I could easily spend days there just relaxing and catching rides on a couple of their great slides...That said, this new one was uneventful, slow and most of all just not very re-rideable.

 

Apparently before opening, people were going too fast and they added those speed bumps throughout the entire course, effectively killing off any potential speed you may have gained. The pacing is a snoozefest, and the splashdown is incredibly weak. Luckily, it does share the same tower with Whanau Way, which if ridden in the two inner slides (blue and teal) is amazing, and has a GREAT double down at the end.

 

And one more thing, Omaka is the only slide in the park that doesn't have heated water...Not sure why, but keep that in mind if you decide you want to ride after the sun has gone down.

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SeaWorld Orlando has sent us a press release about the newly opened slides, Omaka Rocka at Aquatica. They have also included some photos of the ride in action for your viewing pleasure.

 

What’s new at Aquatica, Orlando’s can’t-miss waterpark?

 

It’s Omaka Rocka -- an all-new waterslide with unique thrills, high-speed tubes and half-pipe funnels that’ll have everyone splashing and sliding frontward, backward and climbing the walls – and a new after-2 p.m. pass good for unlimited admission through the rest of the year.

 

Omaka Rocka is a waterslide taste of half-pipe, near-vertical thrills previously experienced only by daring skateboarders and snowboarders. Riders speed down flumes into massive funnels, sliding high up one side and then the other, rocking back and forth, feeling a sensation of near weightlessness. Coming out of the funnel, they’ll skim into a drenching splashdown and then find themselves wanting to do it all over again.

 

Aquatica’s After 2 p.m. Pass means unlimited Aquatica thrills and fun and no black out dates for the rest of 2010, all for $49.95, adult and kids – only slightly more than a day’s admission. There’s no better way to hit Orlando's coolest beach – and rock the all-new Omaka Rocka – again and again, all year long. The After 2 p.m. Pass is perfect for weekend play with the family or during the week with friends.

Aquatica is a one-of-a-kind waterpark that could only come from SeaWorld. Inspired by a whimsical take on the South Seas, Aquatica immerses guests in the playfulness of the sea, taking them in, over and under the water with the world’s most unique water rides and animal encounters. Aquatica mixes animal experiences, waters from serene to extreme, high speed waterslide thrills and wide, sandy beaches to create a day of non-stop fun.

 

To learn more about Aquatica, Omaka Rocka or to buy an After 2 p.m. Pass, visit AquaticaBySeaWorld.com.

 

Please note: Omaka Rocka's requirements are minimum 48" tall and under 250 lbs (114 kg)

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Darius Rucker on Omaka Rocka

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