Today marks the official grand opening of Aquatica Orlando’s newest water slide, Ray Rush. This new family raft ride has three thrills in one: a water jet propelled start, colossal water sphere, and then a huge manta wing shaped wall! It’s a lot of fun and makes a great addition to the park.

To make way for the new attraction, HooRoo Run closed permanently late last year. Ray Rush has a height requirement of 42″ and can accommodate 2 to 4 riders per raft. Rafts hold between 150 and 750 pounds total, and groups of riders are weighed together before loading. (There is not an individual weight limit.) Check out my review of the new slide and the POV video from my first ride below. And stay tuned for more theme park news and updates coming soon!

Ray Rush Family Raft Ride – Official Description

Triple your fun with the three-in-one thrills of Ray Rush, new at Aquatica Orlando. Ray Rush is the fully-loaded water adventure with three ways to slide, splash and soar like never before. First, water jets launch your raft from zero to awesome in just seconds. Your adventure takes a twisting turn as you spin inside a colossal water sphere. Finally, dive into the giant manta wings, swooping up and down a different path each time. Fill your raft with family and friends for three times the thrills on the exciting Ray Rush at Aquatica, SeaWorld’s waterpark.

My Thoughts

I love the new slide! It is a vast improvement over the slide it replaced, which was a quick one and done raft slide that pretty much just went straight down in a few seconds. Ray Rush is a fairly long experience that adds something new and unique to the park’s offerings.

The launch is unexpectedly fun, and the next two moves are incredible as well, but the standout moment for me was the final enclosed section before the end. There are stripes that let in light and it creates a trippy light tunnel effect that almost looks like LEDs, but it’s just sunlight! See the video above to see it for yourself. It’s really cool!

The main part of the new slide is the giant “manta wing” half-pipe that your raft climbs up, nearly sideways, after a fairly steep drop into that section. It’s not as intense as other slides of this type, offering exciting thrills, but without giving me the feeling that I was going to fall out. I think they nailed the execution on that moment, making it just exhilarating enough so that families can still enjoy it together. Can’t wait to ride again!

The best way to experience Ray Rush and all of the awesome attractions of Aquatica is with an Aquatica Orlando Annual Pass. Pass Members enjoy unlimited admission and free parking as well as discounts on food, merchandise, and more perks. You can purchase Aquatica tickets and annual passes at the official website.

Purchase tickets or learn more about Aquatica Orlando here. Stay tuned for more theme park news and updates coming soon. Be sure to subscribe to the news feed to never miss an update. Photos: SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

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