Orlando Sentinel

Riptide Race slide to open next month

- By Dewayne Bevil Email me at dbevil@ orlandosen­tinel.com. Want more theme park news? Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosen­tinel.com/newsletter­s or the Theme Park Rangers podcast at orlandosen­tinel. com/travel/attraction­s/ theme-par

Riptide Race, a dueling-raft water slide at Aquatica water park, will make its debut on April 3, SeaWorld announced Wednesday.

The slide is located beside Banana Beach Cookout restaurant and Ray Rush, which opened in 2018. Riptide Race is the first addition since KareKare Curl opened in 2019. No attraction­s were removed to make room for Riptide Race.

The new attraction’s design features two tubes that sometimes run parallel to one another and sometimes curve around to run in opposite directions. The rafts hold two people apiece.

“Aquatica is the first water park in the state to have a dueling racer, and we know our guests are going to love the fun of challengin­g their friends and family in a race to the finish,” said Kyle Miller, park president.

Riptide Race’s tower tops out at 68 feet, second-highest in the water park, trailing

Ihu’s Breakaway Falls, a bottom-drops-out attraction with a 76-foot-tall. The height requiremen­t for the new slide is 42 inches.

Aquatica is also introducin­g two new food options. Ke-Re’s Bar is an open-air establishm­ent with views of the park. Papa’s Cantina, featuring empanadas and boneless wings, will open soon, officials say.

Aquaticare­openedinJu­ne after a coronaviru­s shutdown. Health and safety precaution­s — including face coverings, temperatur­e checks and limited capacity

— remain in place. In addition, visitors must make date-specific reservatio­ns to enter the water park. For tickets, reservatio­ns or more informatio­n, go to aquatica. com.

 ?? SEAWORLD PARKS ?? Aquatica water park will open its Riptide Race water slide to the public on April 3.
SEAWORLD PARKS Aquatica water park will open its Riptide Race water slide to the public on April 3.

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