Do you want to know how it feels to have the floor pulled out from under your feet? Then try Aquatica Ihu’s Breakaway Falls. It is the latest water ride at SeaWorld’s Waterpark in Orlando. It is said to be the steepest, tallest, and the only multi-drop tower in Orlando.
The slide is named after Ihu, the waterpark’s colorful gecko mascot. It was officially opened to the public on May 9, 2014 and a lot of people have already taken the plunge down the spiraling water ride.
In order to experience the vertical drop, riders must first climb up 126 steps to reach the top of Aquatica Ihu’s Breakaway Falls. At around 80 feet tall, it is as tall as an eight story tower. Then you choose from one of the three breakaway boxes. The green, orange, and blue breakaway boxes provide different slide paths. The orange slide is the longest one with a total of 420 feet with a drop of more than three stories. The green slide has the shortest drop with 28 feet. The blue slide provides the steepest drop among the four.
As the door closes, riders are instructed to cross their arms and legs. Once they are ready, they are asked to show thumbs up sign. Then they wait for the floor beneath them to disappear. It is a tense atmosphere as the riders face each other, not knowing who will fall first.
Tension is heightened by the sound of a heartbeat in the background. Then one by one, the floor disappears, and the riders drop at speed of 20 to 24 feet per second that takes them through the twisting speed slide that ends in the splashdown. It features an almost vertical drop of around 40 feet, making it the steepest water slide in Orlando. It is also the longest water slide.
Riders who have climbed to the top of the Aquatica Ihu’s Breakaway Falls but are not courageous enough to stand inside the breakaway box can opt to go down via the open slide. You should not think that the purple slide is the opt-out slide because it is not. After manually launching oneself just like in any water slide, the rider will experience the most thrilling and steepest ride out of the slides in Aquatica Ihu’s Breakaway Falls.
Aside from being the steepest water ride in Orlando, Aquatica Ihu’s Breakaway Falls gives the best open-air view in the entire waterpark. From the top, you can see the Orange County Convention Center, SeaWorld Orlando roller coasters, hotels along International Drive, and even downtown Orlando.
The Aquatica Ihu’s Breakaway Falls is one of the reasons why you should visit Orlando newest waterparks. It is one thrill ride that you should try while you are in Orlando.