Big splash expected from new park

Walhalla Wave is part of SeaWorld San Antonio's new Aquatica. The ride features a 720-degree corkscrew spiral. Walhalla Wave is part of SeaWorld San Antonio's new Aquatica. The ride features a 720-degree corkscrew spiral. Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close Big splash expected from new park 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

Stingrays lazily patrol Ke-Re Reef as stretches of white sand beaches and swirling water slides stand ready for their first public visitors Saturday.

That's when SeaWorld San Antonio opens Aquatica, a multilevel, animal-filled water park that has park and hospitality officials bubbling with anticipation.

“San Antonio has had everything except a beach, and now we will have a beach,” said Marise McDermott, chairwoman of the city's Convention and Visitors Commission. “I can't wait to try it out.”

“Besides Orlando (Fla.), you really can't go and find this anywhere else,” said SeaWorld San Antonio President Dan Decker after a tour of the 20-acre water park.

SeaWorld's first Aquatica opened in Orlando four years ago. Over the last 18 months, SeaWorld has constructed its second such attraction to replace San Antonio's Lost Lagoon, a park that was half the size of the new one and, as its name suggested, was hard to find.

Admission to the previous park was included in admission to SeaWorld. No longer. It will cost $20 for a two-day pass or $30 for a season pass, on top of the SeaWorld admission. Single-day and season pass admission to SeaWorld costs $59.99 for adults.

Decker is convinced that the new Aquatica, which represents the largest investment SeaWorld has made in San Antonio since the park opened, will perform well.

It features a variety of water rides, including one introduced in San Antonio that takes a raft with up to four people through twists and turns into an underwater grotto where they can view hundreds of stingrays and tropical fish through a thick, Plexiglas wall.

Visitors will have a chance to wade with stingrays in one area of the park and learn about roseate spoonbills and other birds that reside in different areas of the park. The attraction also features fast-water rides intermingled with children's play areas, calm pools for relaxing and white sand beaches with furnished cabanas available for daily rentals.

“It's a whole new theme park, not just an upgrade,” Decker said.

While Aquatica faces several competitors and a still-recovering economy, it is expected to be a winner for SeaWorld and San Antonio.

“San Antonio is basically getting a third theme park,” said Phillips Entertainment President Davis Phillips, who chairs the San Antonio Tourism Council. “We'll get more jobs, a bigger economic impact and there's another reason (for visitors) to come back to the market.”

Aquatica will employ 400 people, 150 more than Lost Lagoon did.

John Gerner, managing director of Leisure Business Advisors, said the unique nature of the park could be the deciding factor that gets new visitors to try San Antonio. The cutting-edge water park also should make SeaWorld more appealing to repeat visitors, especially those from the local area.

“Water parks typically have more repeat visitation than theme parks, so it encourages season passes,” he said. “This takes SeaWorld to another level.”

While SeaWorld did not report the park's cost, Gerner said sources have estimated the price tag at $24 million.

David Sangree, president of Hotel & Leisure Advisors, cited industry estimates that Aquatica in Orlando drew 1.5 million visitors in 2010. He called that a strong showing due in part to the fact that the Orlando water park is open year-round.

Aquatica in San Antonio, which is not planned for year-round operation, should draw 500,000 to 1 million people this year, Sangree said.

That could make it a top-performing water park, comparable to Schlitterbahn New Braunfels, which had an estimated attendance of 882,000 in 2010.

Schlitterbahn spokesman Jeffrey Siebert said Schlitterbahn held its own when SeaWorld's water park was included as part of the regular admission price. Schlitterbahn could be seen as a better value now.

A Splashtown official said he did not expect Aquatica to impact its business significantly. Splashtown has added a 60-foot slide this year and believes its locally oriented customer base will stay loyal.

wpack@express-news.net