Things at SeaWorld Orlando took a turn for the worse yesterday, resulting in a lockdown of Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park.
While world-class marine shows and captivating animal encounters are SeaWorld Orlando’s hallmarks, the park goes beyond the expected to offer exciting perks for guests throughout the year. During the scorching Florida summer, beat the heat with a complimentary scoop of ice cream on select days.
For guests over 21, special promotional periods bring the chance to enjoy a refreshing beer on the house. SeaWorld Orlando also extends its gratitude to veterans with special admission rates on select dates, recognizing their service and sacrifice.
SeaWorld Orlando is just one piece of the expansive SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. This leading company in theme park experiences boasts a diverse portfolio that extends far beyond marine life attractions.
Thrill-seekers can explore exotic animals and immerse themselves in unique cultural experiences at two Busch Gardens locations. Families with young children can delight in the fun and learning of Sesame Street at dedicated Sesame Place parks. And for those seeking an aquatic escape, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment offers a collection of award-winning water parks, perfect for cooling off and making a splash.
Prepare to be swept away by the wonders that await at SeaWorld Orlando. This park offers a captivating blend of exhilarating rides, fascinating animal encounters, and educational experiences guaranteed to create lasting memories. Buckle up and conquer Orlando’s tallest, fastest, and longest coaster, MAKO, experiencing the raw power and speed of a predator.
Take a daring plunge on Infinity Falls, the world’s tallest river rapids drop, and feel the whitewater rush surging beneath you. Soar through the air like a graceful manta ray aboard the breathtaking flying coaster, Manta. Witness firsthand the dedication of SeaWorld’s animal care team at the SeaWorld Rescue Manatee Rehabilitation center, where injured manatees receive vital treatment.
Be captivated by the awe-inspiring Orca Encounter show, where the power and elegance of killer whales will leave you speechless. In addition to these highlights, SeaWorld Orlando offers a diverse range of attractions, thrilling coasters for all ages, and unique opportunities for up-close animal interactions, ensuring an unforgettable experience for every visitor.
Additionally, SeaWorld Orlando’s Penguin Trek, the park’s first family launch coaster, is set to debut this spring. Blast off on a snowmobile-themed expedition through a frosty Antarctic landscape, reaching speeds of 43 mph across 3,020 feet of track.
But the real surprise awaits at the end – you’ll find yourself immersed in SeaWorld’s actual penguin habitat! This chilling (and thrilling) adventure combines coaster excitement with a real-life animal encounter, set to open “Spring 2024”, per SeaWorld.
With all of this exciting news, sadly, there are also issues that the park is dealing with.
Over the recent years, Orlando theme parks as a whole, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort have seen guest behavior become an increasing issue.
For example, at Disney World, a new trend has emerged involving guests jumping into bodies of water where they are not supposed to be.
Instances of this behavior include guests sitting in the France pavilion fountain at EPCOT while enjoying their drinks, and another guest jumping into the World Showcase lagoon at EPCOT from the Italy pavilion bridge.
Additionally, a guest jumped off the boat at Tom Sawyer’s Island into the river at Magic Kingdom, an area known to have alligators. There was also a recent incident where a woman swam shirtless in the Sassagoula River at Port Orleans Resort. Another incident occurred at the DisneySea AquaSphere, a large fountain located at the entrance of Tokyo DisneySea, where a guest jumped in.
Overall, we have seen a lot more fights break out at theme parks all over Orlando resulting in guests being trespassed for life, and at times, arrested.
SeaWorld Orlando also has Aquatica theme park, which is their neighboring water park.
Yesterday, the park went into lockdown.
TheConnorWebb took to X to share a photo of police blocking the entrance to Aquatica, seemingly shutting down the entire theme park: “Looks like Aquatica is on lockdown, anyone know what happened?”
Looks like Aquatica is on lockdown, anyone know what happened? pic.twitter.com/TKH343MGrh
— TheConnorWebb (@TheConnorWeb) June 12, 2024
The replies to this X post shared that the closure and lockdown was due to a fight which has now surfaced online.
Orlando Theme Park Zone shared a video of the fight which took place yesterday, June 12 with what looks to be at least 100 guests. As we can see in the video, police quickly stepped in to end the fight.
.@SeaWorld – Fight at Aquatica Orlando on 12th June, 2024 (Video 1/3)#SeaWorldOrlando #SeaWorld #AquaticaOrlando #Aquatica pic.twitter.com/gnax4wcWWt
— Orlando Theme Park Zone (@OTPZ_TP) June 13, 2024
The fight appears to have occurred between two guests pulling at each other by their hair, with all of the others joining in, whether physically or via filming the fight. As a viewer, it is shocking to see the sheer amount of guests who chose to film the fight, instead of try to help break it apart.
Whatever investigation was conducted yesterday that required the park to shut down seems to have been lifted, as hours of operation for the water park show that Aquatica will open today at 10:00 a.m.
After years of negative press from the documentary Blackfish, and the recent death of a 13-year-old girl who died while on holiday in Florida, Anna Beaumont, from Cardiff, who was found unresponsive in a pool at Discovery Cove in Orlando on 28 May, this fight report comes at the wrong time for the theme park.
Have you noticed poor guest behavior increase at the Orlando theme parks on your recent visits?
