I was provided media passes to help facilitate this article. All opinions are my own.
The weather is warming up, flowers are blooming and SeaWorld’s waterpark, Aquatica in San Antonio, Texas is officially open for the season! With 16 different attractions including water slides, pools, splash-pads, wave pools and animal encounters, Aquatica at SeaWorld, Texas is a great place for families to cool down while still experiencing amazing wildlife fun that only SeaWorld can provide. We had the chance to visit SeaWorld and Aquatica in San Antonio, TX and our family absolutely loved it!
Best time to go
We had the chance to experience a day at Aquatica at SeaWorld, San Antonio, Texas on it’s opening weekend in April. Since the park is only open weekends from April till the first weekend in June, be sure to plan your vacation accordingly. The weather in San Antonio in April/May can be anywhere from 70-89 degrees. Besides the weather being pristine, going before Summer time also lets you avoid crowds. During peak months, Aquatica will easily hit it’s capacity a few hours after opening and ride wait times can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you have your kids. Visiting in the Spring can give you a chance to avoid crowds and feel like you have the park all to yourself!
We have 3 little ones and I have to say, it was MUCH easier being able to navigate the park, watch them play, relax on an OPEN chair and see everything we planned without any wait! The longest we waited for a ride was 5 min and we never had to wait around for any seating to be open as there were loads to choose from. The ONLY set back of going in the Spring was that the water was FREEZING!! I mean, incredibly cold. My kids didn’t seem to care at all, but this mama was tip-toe-ing around in the water like crazy. So just be aware.
Perfectly catered for little ones
One of the BIG selling points of Aquatica as a Mom is that there are SO many areas for little kids and those who aren’t ready for big water slides yet. Plus, there are life vest stations throughout the park for those who aren’t ample swimmers. My kiddo’s favorite areas were:
1- Walkabout Waters, a massive 3-story interactive play area in the middle of a 2.5 foot deep pool. This splash zone offers loads of water play fun with climbing areas, squirt guns, water see-saws, and more. Just make sure to watch out for the giant teetering bucket or you’ll get drenched!
2- Kata’s Kookaburra Cove, this toddler friendly area gives little ones the chance to splash and play on slides and structures their own size while giving parents a bird’s eye view of everything. Not to mention a very conveniently placed covered changing station is within feet of the pool area.
3- Slippity Dippity and the Zippity Zappity slides give toddlers and elementary aged kids a place to play. This area offers a zero-entry side and 2 fun small body slides on the other with interactive water structures in the middle. This pool gets to about 3.5 feet deep and even offers seating within the pool along the edge.
4- Roa’s Aviary let’s families experience the wonder of birds and animals while feeling like you at the beach. Outside and inside the Aviary are swimming areas that offer zero-entry and even a sandy beach area for sand fun. Lots of ample seating and another changing area make this spot another win for families.
Tips to know before you go
1- Bring your SeaWorld souvenir cups/popcorn buckets
If you purchased a souvenir cup or refillable popcorn bucket in SeaWorld, you can bring it to Aquatica during your entire vacation and receive .99 fountain drink and $1.99 popcorn refills throughout the park. You can also purchase these cups and buckets in Aquatica and take them to SeaWorld to receive the same discount. If you buy a fountain drink cup that day, you will get free refills the day you purchased it and then .99 refills after that.
2- Wear water shoes
I always suggest wearing water shoes in water parks. The concrete ground can get VERY hot for little feet plus you avoid stepping on anything that may be harmful. I know when we were there in April, the Aquatica employees were actually warning us NOT to step on the fuzzy caterpillars that were all over the park as they were poisonous, so having shoes is always a good idea.
3- Admission to SeaWorld and admission to Aquatica are separate tickets
If you are wanting to see both parks, you will need to purchase separate tickets to each park. A ticket to SeaWorld will not grant you admission to Aquatica and vice versa so make sure to either purchase your tickets online and print them or grab them at the gate. The ticket counter for Aquatica is found straight through the park gate and around to the Left of the Aquatica sign.
4- Don’t forget about the animal attractions!
Aquatica offers great areas that give you the chance to get up close and personal with a few favorite animals. The KeRe Reef is where you’ll be able to learn about, touch and feed stingrays! Plus they offer the Stingray Encounter where you can really get IN with the animals. Ride down Stingray Falls and see what these amazing sea creatures look like underwater! Roa’s Aviary gives you a a chance to see and experience birds of all species and see them up close while having water fun.
Planning a SeaWorld vacation soon? Check out my other article: 5 Tips For Visiting SeaWorld San Antonio With Little Ones!
I wish to be there
I absolutely loved taking my kids to the water park, there all grown up now but shortly i’ll be taking my grand kids.
This looks like fun
This would be an awesome trip for our family.
Looks like a fun summer
This looks like so much fun.. wish we had something close like that here