Aquatica San Diego announced - opening Spring 2013

[Fun]

Only this Spring SeaWorld opened Aquatica San Antonio and of course it was only a matter of time before the third SeaWorld in San Diego would get its own Aquatica.
Well... the company announced just that. I am very excited about this. Last year I followed the San Antonio construction and visited the park in the first week. I think it will happen all over in 2013. Just find and replace San Antonio - > San Diego.

Here's the press release and some mockups

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has acquired Knott's Soak City, San Diego, a standalone Southern California waterpark, from Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.
The park, located just south of San Diego in Chula Vista, Calif., will undergo extensive renovation over the fall and winter and re-open next spring as SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment's third Aquatica-branded park. Both SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio now operate Aquatica parks.



SeaWorld will make significant changes over the off-season transforming the park into an Aquatica: "These parks reflect the highest standard of quality in attractions, entertainment and theming, but the presence of animals makes the experience something truly special. Aquatica San Diego, like its sister parks, will feature guest experiences with a variety of exotic animals," said Jim Atchison, President and Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. "Having animals in our Aquatica parks adds an educational component to a waterpark visit that is both unexpected and enriching."



The first Aquatica opened adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando in 2008. It is now among the nation's most visited waterparks, with annual attendance of roughly 1.5 million guests. In addition to birds and tropical fish, Aquatica Orlando features Dolphin Plunge, the park's centerpiece water slide, which includes an enclosed acrylic slide that allows riders to see animals underwater.

Last year SeaWorld San Antonio unveiled its own Aquatica, with some of the region's best ride attractions, along with displays of kookaburra, spoonbills and southern stingrays.
"When the gates of Aquatica San Diego open for the first time next June, guests will see what visitors to Orlando and San Antonio already know: No theme park company can deliver a waterpark experience quite like SeaWorld," said John Reilly, President of the company's San Diego attractions. "Aquatica will be a great complement to SeaWorld and help us continue to bring value to our guests and enhance this destination."

Aquatica San Diego will be located at 2042 Otay Valley Rd. in Chula Vista, Calif. Terms of the deal, which have been under negotiation for several months, were not disclosed.

This is how the current Knott's Soak City looks

 

[Felipe]

That's cool! Looks like the Aquatica parks are doing great! I've been to the one in Orlando, and I loved it! I definitely preferred it over Wet n' Wild.

Also looks like the space has great potential!

 

[Smitty]

It's a significantly smaller piece of land then the other Aquatica's. Hopefully they'll aquire some of that land next door And Soak City looks awful, thank god it got bought.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

IDK how I Feel about this, I was excited "We Had the Only Aquatica" IMO I think it will make Aquatica less popular in Orlando but Oh well.

ANyhow Soak City looks like a terrible place to go lol.

 

[BJCool]

IDK how I Feel about this, I was excited "We Had the Only Aquatica" IMO I think it will make Aquatica less popular in Orlando but Oh well.

ANyhow Soak City looks like a terrible place to go lol.

They are waterparks on opposite sides of the nation. Orlando's Aquatica will be just fine. :thumbs:

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

They are waterparks on opposite sides of the nation. Orlando's Aquatica will be just fine. :thumbs:

What about the one in San Antonio though?

 

[BJCool]

What about the one in San Antonio though?

Again, not really targeting the same markets. Orlando's Aquatica main competition are the other local waterparks.

 

[Fun]

What about the one in San Antonio though?

I've visited the San Antonio version this June. BJCool is absolutely right. Orlando really is a destination, where the two other Aquatica's are both catering to a more local audience.
From my point of view San Antonio and San Diego have enough distance for this local audience not to overlap.

SW San Antonio did an amazing job on the rehab of their old waterpark. The two signature rides are very, very nice and the theming of the park is on par. Although it is not getting anywhere close to Orlando.

Looking at the current Soak City, I would expect a lot of plants and green going into this place as we know from Orlando, in this case to change the park form a square with slides, into all these little areas where you can hide and relax.

 

[knokout1]

This seems only fitting for our Aquatica to be the best, considering our Seaworld's quality. Two amazing coasters, an Atlantis that blows the other two out of the water (no pun intended), and an amazing new dark ride on the way.