The Premise

Frightened by the title? Don’t be. Seriously, before you even start, WaterWorld the show is miles ahead of WaterWorld the movie. That’s one thing you should get straight.

The premise is this: global warming has taken over and the ice caps have melted, leaving large, scattered chunks of metal scarring the face of the earth. Survivors who live on these scattered islands are in search of a myth known as “dry land”, where they could possibly stand a chance of starting anew. This particular atoll has previously sent out an explorer who has not since returned…until now.

As with any adventure flick, there’s a villain, or a group of villains otherwise known as smokers. I’m sure you get the idea. The two groups battle it out as the war for dry land occurs right before your eyes.

So how is it?

Though the actual movie itself was simply atrocious, the show is actually pretty damn good. A great deal has been done in order to recreate the same dilapidated structure as seen in the movie, and you’re thrust right into a truly monstrous set. This is one of Universal’s better attempts of theming, and the age (10+ years) has helped matured things up into a truly authentic experience.

As the audience sets in, the cast usually appears for a bit of preshow shenanigans, in which people quickly realize what the green benches mean. After 15 minutes of screaming, stomping and splashing, the show begins. I won’t ruin things completely, but it’s simply a spectacle of a stunt show. Erase what you’ve seen in the past and prepare to see how it’s rightfully done. It’s literally action sequence after action sequence that always manages to keep the pace moving without getting too dull or lifeless. And on top of the engaging plot, the cast itself manages to appear energized and genuinely excited throughout the entire duration of the show.

Included are impressive jet ski performances, water tricks and excellent pyrotechnics – enough to keep everyone entertained. And at 15 minutes long, it strikes the perfect balance between keeping things too short and drawing them out too long. It’s personally one of my favorite theme park shows and I highly suggest you don’t leave it out.

Tips and Tricks

Before the show

WaterWorld is literally one of the first things you’ll see when you enter the park, so naturally it’s one of the first things people hit up. As such, this is probably the busiest show in the entire park, leaving little headway to fuss around the schedule. Like many shows in Universal Studios, posted show times are actually the scheduled start of each respective performance – not the time you should necessarily get in. It’s not odd sight to see people lining up 30 to 40 minutes in advanced for a screening.

So what do I advise? Well, if you want to be guaranteed a seat, I suggest lining up at least 20 minutes before show time. This allocates you enough time for you to get settled without running across the park and a gives you first come first serve basis towards the seating. Last minute guests are usually ushered into the arena without any preference as to where they might sit. And, because they’re the last ones in, they usually get the worst seats in the house. So be smart, and don’t rush.

Seating

If you haven’t figured out already, this is a show that features the use water, hence the name WaterWorld, so while keeping this in mind; you stand a good chance of getting wet. If you’re smart (and you are by planning ahead) and play your cards right, you also stand a chance of remaining completely dry. It all boils down to seating, which I have outlined in the rudimentary graphic below.

Like the actual seating itself within the show arena, green represents an area you’re most likely going to get wet while silver represents an area you’re most likely going to stay dry. The closer you sit to a green bench, the higher chance you stand of getting wet. It’s really that simple. Generally speaking though, the center-left hand area is the wettest section during the entire show, so if you want to stay dry, avoid that area completely.

During the show

Take as many photographs and video as you want since there’s absolutely no restriction – though be forewarned that your equipment may get wet. If you where to ask me where I would sit for the absolute best footage of the show, I’d probably tell you to pick a seat in the center arrangement, next to an aisleway. This should give you a relatively balanced view of the whole thing without too many heads or obstacles getting in your way.

One important note I should mention. You are not allowed to get up off your seat during a performance. This is for your safety and the safety of the performers, so I suggest you abide by that policy unless you want to be hounded by an employee. For whatever reason shall you need to leave, try to avoid the main walkways and head back behind the benches. By then, an employee should have helped you out

After the show

If the stadium is full, there’s almost always a mad rush to get out. Just sit out and wait for five minutes. It’ll save you the frustration of navigating through wet stairs and people. There also happens to be restrooms near WaterWorld which usually packed after every show. If you want to avoid the wait, there are less crowded restrooms located near Universal’s Animal Actors – unless of course there happens to be two shows simultaneously ending at the same time.

Parents

This one’s a tricky case to judge. I’ve witnessed numerous children and babies get through the performance trouble free. However, I’ve also witnessed children and babies screaming bloody hell right before the show actually start, so it’s really a mixed case.

Despite that, I’ll lay down the facts. This show is loud. Very loud. And because of that, I firmly believe it’s the primary reason why kids have such a hard time sitting through without making a fuss. The show is also wet. Very wet. Some kids don’t like getting drenched, so there’s another reason right there. And finally, there’s fight scenes – though, it’s very muted in comparison of what you could’ve gotten, so I really consider that a non-issue.

Generally speaking though, if your child is alright with the pretense of some action sequences, loud noises and explosions, they should be fine – but it’s always easier said than done.

Photographs & Discussions

You can view photos of WaterWorld over at our Photo Album. We also have a discussion forum dedicated to WaterWorld for any questions or comments you may have.