Aquatica in December?

[TanaL]

Has anyone been to Aquatica in early December? Is it warm enough to swim then? We will have a week there so we could pick the warmest days... just not sure if I should get Sea World only passes or both parks. I'm thinking we'll run out of stuff to do at Sea World in 5 days!

[DixieDolphin]

Aquatica has only been open since March of this year, so nope.. nobody's been in December yet. ;)

But comparable to other water parks in Florida, I believe their website said at one point that they would operate on reduced hours during the winter (most waterparks do that or close all together). So make sure to check as it gets closer, as it's likely they'll probably adjust as they go this year... considering it will be the park's first winter.

The pools /are/ heated, but as someone who ventured into the park in early spring for the soft opening, I can say that it was pretty unpleasant being out in the cold air in between rides. And /especially/ unpleasant waiting on drafty staircases on the way up! :eek:

As for other waterparks here, I've done Blizzard Beach in the middle of winter and found it to be an awful experience. I nearly froze to death and ended up cutting out early after only surviving a couple of slides (thankfully it was a free ticket, so I wasn't out of any cash). But I've also done Discovery Cove in the dead of winter (both December AND January), and found it not too bad... but at Discovery Cove it is easier to remain submerged in the warm water, rather than getting in and out of the water over and over again.

Florida's weather IS fickle, though.. and it's not uncommon to have morbidly warm days in the middle of winter. So, try it if you dare. But personally, I'll be sticking to the land-based parks during the winter. ;)

[Jason71]

I agree you should be fine, especially early in December. (By January, the weather gets a bit more dicey.) It still is quite warm during the day if you're a northerner--more than once when I first moved down here, I would drive to the Daytona mall intending to go Christmas shopping only to just drive past it and end up at the beach. :rotfl:

According to the schedule AQ put out this Spring--which has been subject to heavy revision so far--the park will be closed December 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18 and 22, but otherwise open 10 am to 5 pm. Plan accordingly.

[TanaL]

thanks for the info folks! I think we will brave it. Anyone know if they allow wet suits on the waterslides? Both my boys have wetsuits and that extra warmth might come in handy.