Aquatica San Diego

Fixed up very nicely in recent years and is kept decently clean despite the huge masses that come. The staff is also very often short with their clientele, probably because they are stressed out from the crowds and under the hot sun all day long. Don’t snarl at those of us who follow the rules, though!

Had a chance to visit Aquatica this past summer. In short, it is your typical full size water park. I find it hard to differentiate between here, Soak City or Raging Waters. In the midst of summer, this is a great way to kill a day. I think we were lucky because we came at the tail end of summer on a weekday and I think many kids had already gone back to school. We purchase the express pass, but it probably wasn’t necessary. I do recommend getting at least a semi-​private cabana. The waiter service is nice and you have access to a locker.

Great to cool off on a hot day. And you can even see flamingos!
The rides are fun, especially the first one right when you walk in on the right. (Sorry, I forgot the name). The downside is that you have to carry up your inflatable raft. They are heavy!
$ 12 to rent a small locker! (Ridiculous, but understandable) The small will fit a backpack and maybe another smaller bag. When you return your locker key, you get a gift certificate for $ 5 to use on food or merchandise.
The carnitas fries are piping hot and yummy. Their frozen margarita melts quickly and is very sugary!

I have been going to Aquatica for 2 years now. I can tell you this year is and has been the worst year by far. Not only are CERTAIN LIFEGUARDS RUDE. But they look down on you. When you choose a Summer Job as a LIFEGUARD maybe next time they should answer a questionnaire about your PATIENTS with children, Families and people in general. It’s not an easy job to just sit your toosh down and pretend your paying attention. This is a place for families to enjoy. To put our trust in these lifeguards of having extra eyes. Be happy. Have a personanaility of Thankfulness. To all the Lifeguards out there working your butt off. Interacting with your crowd. Keep it up. We appreciate all that you do. You know who you are. Thanks for keeping our children safe. Making it feel friendly.

Took the family to this waterpark and had a lot of fun. There was a lazy river, multiple slides, wave pool, play structure area, lots of chairs and shaded seats, and bathrooms that were actually not hideous for being public restrooms. Food is, of course, overpriced, but that is normal for any water or theme park. None of the slides were super exciting, but they were fun and kids 42″ were able to ride them all. Parking was not a problem and lines were not too long on a weekday. We brought a cooler with lunch and some fold out chairs and ate lunch in the parking lot to be price conscious. Overall a very fun day.

This place is the definition of good clean fun!
It is a bit of a drive to get here but it is worth it. The slides are so fun, the whole park is very clean and tidy ever since SeaWorld took over. The lines are kept moving by the very efficient lifeguards. Did I mention, the slides are so fun!
The food is overpriced and they do nickel and dime you (parking lot fee is $ 15 and locker fee is $ 20 yowza!) but if you get past that as a «necessary» amusement park fee, then it is definitely a nice way to spend the day in the sun.

Went here recently for a birthday shindig and while we were trying to beat this SoCal heat wave we actually went on a day that looked gloomy, drizzly, and miserable in the morning. No big — that’s usually my luck! Thankfully though, San Diego weather stayed true to it’s perfect reputation and it heated up nicely for all day gallavanting in barely there swim attire.
I have been to this park on one other occasion — when it was still Knott’s Soak City — and this time around was much better. I’ll give credit to Sea World, the new management, because the park was clean and the employees were happy and helpful, qualities that you see trickle down from management. First off, what I remember from Knott’s Soak City is that the rides kept closing down because of diaper «accidents». One: GROSS. Two: That’s nasty. Standing in line to find the ride was closed was no bueno and really limited the overall experience after it happened to 2 – 3 times. But no accidents occurred at Aquatica the day I went! Maybe they have stricter waterproof diaper policies or maybe I was lucky. Must be the stricter rules!
We had a blast! While it’s pretty pricey — ~$ 40/​ticket, $ 20 locker, $ 15 parking, and overpriced food — it is, afterall, an amusement park and they’re known to entertain you so much so you don’t notice them robbing you blind! If you just accept this, you’ll have a good time here with the slides, the lazy river, and the wave pool. Or you can take a nap on a beach chair and have an epic sunburn as a free souvenir like me! Don’t forget the sunscreen kiddos!

It isn’t the biggest, best, wildest, wettest water park that ever was, but it is clean, staffed by polite/​helpful people and is cheaper than other parks and has about the same number of slides as those bigger parks. The food however keeps it from getting 5 stars… OVERPRICED ($ 8 for a hamburger with no sides/​fries) and the world’s SLOWEST service.

Clean facility and lifeguards are top notch. $ 14 to rent a tiny locker?! Ridiculous. Also, some snacks are allowed in but we had deli meat and cheese, carrots, and bell peppers. We weren’t allowed to come in with the deli meat. Huh?! If you sell nothing but processed overpriced junk food, you need to allow health conscious people to bring in picnic foods. I understand no alcohol or glass for safety… but trying to force me to buy your crap is wrong. Also, we left with a stamp to eat in the parking lot. Upon trying to re-​enter we were asked for our tickets. Who carries tickets in a water park?! Mine were on my phone… in the overpriced locker. Why give me a stamp if it’s not good for re-​entry and I need to have tickets to get back in. Lame. I miss the old 50’s and 60’s music that used to be played before Sea World bought the place.
The rides are all great. Lots of fun to be had!

We drove down from L.A. with our 8 year old twins to spend the day at Aquatica. Let me first say that I most assuredly am NOT a water park person. They give me the creeps. All those bodies in the same water, ick. But, when we decided to take a little mini vacay the kids were begging to be taken to a water park. They had never been to one. I cringed. I began researching the usual ones near us (Raging Waters, Hurricane Harbor, etc.) and then stumbled on to Aquatica. Wow, it looked so awesome and clean and fun in the photos, and overall got way more decent reviews than the other water parks. Yes, it was further than we needed to drive just for a day at a water park, but we made it an overnight trip and it was way worth it!
We totally splurged and rented a standard cabana. One of the best splurges ever! The welcome basket of snacks, cold water and fruit was fantastic, and our server Marissa was super nice and very attentive. It was wonderful to have a «home base» to hang at and eat lunch, rest and get out of the sun. It was also cool to be able to close the cabana curtains for privacy to change clothes at the end of the day. Yes the cabana was pricey, but a real treat for our family.
The rides were so much fun, lines not too terrible until later in the day, but there was plenty to do even if you wanted to avoid lines. Our kids loved the lazy river (it really does get pretty crowded, but still fun), walkabout waters, the wave pool and the swimming pool. The water was warm and clean and clear. The entire park was very clean and there were tons of food options at reasonable prices. They even serve ice cold beer and mixed drinks if you’d like to enjoy one while taking a break from the rides. The lifeguards were abundant, and were all pleasant, attentive and professional, seeming to really take their jobs seriously, as they should! There were plenty of life vests of a variety of sizes located all throughout the park.
We did the cashless wristbands, so easy and convenient! We took flip flops to walk around in – your feet will BURN otherwise, and either left them at the bottom of the rides before we went up the stairs, or held them as we came down the ride. Not a problem. Same with hats and sunglasses.
I read reviews about the lack of shade and umbrellas (which is sort of what scared me and made us decide to go for a cabana for the day), and I will say that on the day we were there, there did not seem to be a shortage of shady lounge areas, but it depended on where you wanted to hang out. The wave pool area had plenty of shaded loungers, the lazy river area, not as much. I could see if you get here later in the day or on a popular day, the crowds could be stifling.
I don’t understand people griping about parking and locker costs. Find me a theme park or water park in SoCal that does NOT charge for these things and I would be stunned. It’s standard, you just expect it.
We had a fantastic time at Aquatica (and stayed the night at the Comfort Inn Chula Vista San Diego South on Bonita, which was terrific if you need a nearby hotel) and are looking forward to returning soon.

Great place to take the fam on hot muggy weather here in San diego, we got season passes so I’ll be coming here on a weekly basis!

I noticed no change from previous owners to here except one TERRIBLE mistake-​they put sand all over in the seating areas. Seriously!!! Wet bodies with sand –terrible mess. If I wanted muddy feet I would go to the beach.
Also removing inner tubes at the wave pool-​that sucks. Not fun over there without the tube to sit on!!!
Otherwise it was fun and next summer will probably jump on a pass when it was $ 42 for the summer.

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT LOVELY SEAWORLD COMPANY CHARGES $ 15 TO PARK AND $ 14-​$ 20 FOR A LOCKER — WHAT??? No wonder so many people are boycotting this company. This is a for profit company looking to ridiculously overcharge unsuspecting «guests»
Your admission gets you in, but do you want to enjoy waterpark with your kids? You cant take your keys and wallets in the water… so you have to get a locker. Seaworld know this, so guess how much they charge for lockers? Yep. $ 14-​$ 20 depending on size! Shouldn’t this be a free service? Considering it is a water park… where people might want to get wet without valuables in their pockets!
Also, they have signs everywhere warning about thefts and them not being responsible. Not sure if they have lots of problems or another marketing scheme to force people to buy their ridiculously over-​priced lockers.
SAVE YOUR MONEY and go to the SAN DIEGO ZOO. At least the Zoo is a not-​for-​profit that doesn’t try to rip you off any chance they get.
I DONT CARE HOW CLEAN THIS PARK IS…$ 14 for a locker is unacceptable. THIS SERVICE SHOULD BE FREE.

This park is a lot cleaner than all other waterparks and most theme parks I have been to. There aren’t a whole lot of slides (Raging Water has probably twice or 3X as many), but we all had a great time.
I felt guilty knowing Seaworld owns this place :(
Also, buy your tickets online beforehand for a discount. They also have weekday discounts which worked in my favor since I got July 3^rd off!
Parking traffic was horrible because they had two people in one stand for everyone coming in.
We got the all you can eat deal for lunch at the Banana Somethign area. It tasted like when you make burgers in your backyard and they had shredded cheese to put on your burger, but $ 13 for all you can eat and a drink was a good deal considering how overpriced theme parked food is.
The park also has Starbucks, Dip and dots, and alcohol!

Came here on July 3 and there was an unusually long line to get in. This never happenned before. Came the day before too and Tassies Twister was closed. Came today and still closed. Expect long lines today in all the rides.

Went here with our family yesterday and it was an absolute blast!
The kids play area was huge! There was a whole splash area with a jungle gym, water contraptions, 2 water slides and a dump bucket. Off to the left of it was a very large warm pool for the kids to play in. Off to the right of the play area were a bunch of smaller slides and a one foot pool surrounding it with 2 waterfalls. The entire kids area was inside of where the lazy river flows, so it was nice to have pretty much everything at your finger tips for the adults and kids.
The wave pool was also a hit! It was huge and the waves were perfect for the big and little ones! I liked that there weren’t any inner tubes or toys allowed in it… it’s too much with the waves going on and a bunch of people.
The Tuamata Racer ride was our family favorite!
We brought our lunch and ate out at the at to save money and it was worth leaving for a bit to save some money. The food was pricey from what we saw on the menus and why pay to eat amusement food when you can eat your own food for free!
Definitely worth going to again!

I was there yesterday. Mid week, before school lets out completely, and on a somewhat crummy weather day: optimally targeted to avoid lines and floods of people.
My family and I have annual passes to Sea World. As such, parking and admissions was free, and we got a decent percentage of the food price taken off. My daughter is 44″ high, which cleared the 42″ inch mark, meaning she could go on almost everything (there were a couple of rides that she couldn’t).
All in all, we had a great time. The staff was young and probably not getting paid much, but it’s a water park not a nuclear containment facility so you need to expect a certain non-​terrific degree of professionalism. The most professional folks were the lifeguards, who seemed to take their jobs pretty seriously and would in fact not look you in the eye much because they were concentrating on the water.
The rides were great, the lines almost non-​existent, there was plenty of space, and everything was pretty clean and well taken care of. The food was actually pretty tasty as well, and even though it was the regular jacked up amusement park prices, it wasn’t *that* bad. I think we spent $ 22 for a double burger, a cheese burger, a monster, a cup of water, and a fruit cup. Considering that was the only thing we spent for the entire trip, it was completely worth it.
One thing I really liked is that although the park has a lot going on, it’s very well laid out. There’s a central hub that everything revolves around, so it never takes more than a few minutes to walk from one side to the other.
The kid play areas are terrific too. They have one for toddlers to maybe 3 years old, and another for 4 years until … they don’t want to be in playgrounds anymore.
For people who spend hundreds of dollars to show up (with a family, parking, food, etc) I can see them having a different level of expectation. For me, spending $ 20 for lunch and rocking our annual passes, it’s a no brainer for us.

Dear Aquitca by Seaworld,
On July 5 2014 I rented an Ultimate cabana costing me $ 399 (which does not include tickets to enter the park). The cabana allowed for 12 guests. Unfortunately we were over by a few people and a baby.
The cabana guest check in employees are some of the rudest people I have come across. They actually told one of my guests they and I quote, «May not step on the sand» by our cabana. Meanwhile there are other patrons without wristbands sun bathing in the same area.
Your employees made my guests feel so unwelcome they left. Security came over expecting to kick us out because your employees said we were being unruly. To their surprise we hadn’t been doing anything wrong but trying to enjoy the water park. After speaking to management for security he sympathized with us and was going to see about compensation for this avoidable disaster. Instead of him coming to deliver the bad news he sent another employee to and said nothing can be done.
Here are my suggestions to your team:
* Don’t not reveal issues to a guest but the person whose name is on the reservation
* Employees are desperately in need of a sensitivity class. They need to improve on their demeanor when approaching a situation.
* When pointing out a problem present a solution
This problem could have bee resolved Suggest people lay on lawn chairs outside the cabana to keep within the 12 person maximum.
Never going back. I will take the $ 1,300 I spent elsewhere.

Gostei do parque e acho que uma ampliação será bem-vinda…tem boa variedade de comida e infraestrutura excelente… me diverti muito lá!

I went to Soak City about 6 or 7 years ago and as I remember this place is ENTIRELY the same so I am not impressed at all
Hours of operation is 10 – 6 I suggest coming early because parking sucks and if you didn’t purchase a ticket online you will have to wait in a long line. Thankfully I purchased online and scanned it on my phone.
Two tickets are $ 40 each or $ 35 each online + 2.99 service fee so our total was about $ 73 just for entrance. Parking was additional $ 15.
A locker is $ 12 for a small, $ 14 for a medium, and $ 16 for a large I believe. I got a small and it’s pretty roomy. They give you a key, make sure you bring it everywhere you go and don’t lose it. When you return it you get a $ 5 off gift card I used it toward food. Food is not too expensive but the soda and ice cream are.
A snickers ice cream bar was almost $ 4. I got a normal funnel cake with powered sugar and let me tell you it was the WORST one I have ever tried in my entire life!!! It is completely fried/​burnt to a crisp and doesn’t taste like anything. On the other hand the fry cone with pulled pork was delicious! They messed up my order when I ordered the pulled pork because i asked for the pico de galo on the side and they did not so a new one had to be remade and he obviously got upset towards me. Since I got one order for free I spent about $ 15.
Apparently there is a new dress code/​restrictions which I think is just a way to force people to purchase their clothes. My boyfriend and I were waiting in line for one of the rides and a girl told him he would have to change/​leave/​or buy swimming trunks if he wanted to be at Aquatica because it damaged the slides. NOWHERE does it say you can not wear basketball shorts!!! We were so close to going to the main office and giving them a piece of our mind. But no other ride said anything to us.
The lazy river opened at maybe 3pm and there is always a huge line and crazy little kids in there. But it’s always been my favorite.
Another thing I noticed were some guy workers flirting with young cute teens (age 12 – 14 I assume) which is kind of gross.
The rides have always been having a bad leaking problem even after 6 years of me being here which really need to get fixed because not only is it a huge waste of water but kind of dangerous possibly? I noticed one of the rides were bolted down but held on by zip ties. How are zip ties going to save my life if a ride breaks or falls apart?
Another thing I noticed was a closed pool which was COMPLETELY GREEN WATER which was so disgusting and to those around me I heard speaking about it. I can imagine all the water I was in was that same water but filtered to look clear. Gross!
This place is small and not the cleanest. I went on every ride once and the line for each took about 45 minutes or more for each. I suggest buying the quick que pass for extra so you can skip to the front of line. Kids love this place.
Overall I had fun not the best time of my life. In total I spent a little over $ 100 for just 2 people which isn’t expensive but honestly wasn’t worth it. SO I WILL NEVER BE BACK and this place should consider possibly closing since San Diego is in a drought.

Everyone has told me that this place is the same exact setup as Soak City after Seaworld has bought out the place. But personally, I have never been to Soak City so i did not know what to expect.
Buy your tickets online for fast entry ! They currently have a deal online for $ 5 off for one day regular admission. Instead of $ 40, I paid $ 35 each plus $ 2.99 service fee.
PARKING:
Regular Cars $ 15
Motorcycles $ 10
RVS $ 20
I arrived around 1pm and there was quite a long line for the ticket booth, but since I ordered my tickets online, I just showed them my tickets and they simply scanned it and I was in within 5 minutes.
No outside food or drinks allowed except for water. Your bags will be checked.
We brought in a large jug of water which was extremely helpful because we did not have to buy any drinks or drink from the water fountain.
They offer small lockers for $ 12, medium lockers for $ 15 and large lockers for $ 20.
One small locker is enough to fit two peoples items or one large bag. I would only suggest a medium or large locker if you have more than one large bag/​backpack or with a large family. There are a lot of people who do just leave their stuff laying around by all the beach chairs if you aren’t protective of what you have brought.
They also have multiple showers and large dressing rooms. Bathrooms are pretty clean for what they are and the best part is that there are never any lines for the bathrooms because they have plenty of stalls !
FOOD:
Instead of just getting the plain burgers and fries, we ordered the
Pulled Pork French Fry Cone with Pico De Galo $ 7.99
Add Jalapeño Cheese $ 0.79.
and another Pulled Pork French Fry Cone with only Chipotle Mayo $ 7.99
Side of Jalapenos (FREE)
This was probably one of the best food items I have ever eaten at any theme parks. The french fries were perfectly fried and crispy. They are the fat fries. Topped with pulled pork which was soft and juicy. It was like eating a mini carnitas fries in a paper cone. It was pretty awesome.
Funnel cake with strawberries, fudge, and soft serve $ 10
After we returned our locker key, we recieved a $ 5 coupon that is redeemable towards any merchandise or food item. So we only paid $ 5 for the funnel cake. The funnel cake seemed a bit over cooked. Most parts was crispy hard crunchy which is supposed to be more of a crunchy soft. Nonetheless all the toppings made it sweet.
RIDES:
Tassie’s Twister
— This was our favorite ride. It fits from 2 – 4 people. If you are a group of two, you can skip ahead of groups of 4 if tubes of 2 become available. BEWARE OF YOUR BUTT. As soon as we were dropped down the slide, our butts started burning from the friction so we had to hold ourselves up. Other than that, it takes you through a tunnel and into a giant funnel like twister.
Taumata Racer
— My second favorite. You just grab a sliding mat and line up! You slide down some twisty tunnels and then drop down 375foot slide. Kinda intense but really fun.
Walhalla Wave
— Another fun ride for groups of 2 – 4 people. This one sits a bit more comfortably because you can fit your whole body inside. Getting splashed is mandatory.
Big Surf Shores
— A cute little pool area that goes up to 6ft deep with a waterfall at the end. About every 20minutes or so, waves are released for about 5 minutes where you get the chance to «ride» the waves. &No the waves are not huge.
Loggerhead Lane
— This is the lazy river. Its a pretty big lazy river that runs through ¹⁄₃ of the park. There are plenty of tubes so just grab one and start floating along!
Walkabout Waters
— This is the big water playground for the kids (& adults). Its a giant obstacle course full of water tricks and games. They also have two smaller water slides for the younger children who aren’t tall enough to go on the big ones.
There are about 7 rides/​slides and 7 other attractions. Overall, most rides or water slides are about 20minute wait. Some require tubes, Some require just your body. Do not recommend wearing your sandals/​shoes/​sunglasses while riding any of these, they will require you to take them off for the time being or hold them on your journey down.
I had a fun experience but I would probably only come back if I got an awesome deal of a seasonal/​yearly pass since it is always sunny here in San Diego!