Credit: AquaticaGuests have blasted a popular Florida park after making a horrifying discovery.
From Walt Disney World Resort to Universal Orlando Resort, Central Florida is packed with themed attractions for visitors of all ages. These offerings have expanded dramatically over the years, with water parks joining the theme parks that built Orlando’s reputation as a must-visit for thrill-seekers of all ages.
While Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, and Universal’s Volcano Bay may take the top three slots in terms of attendance, Aquatica Orlando – which is owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts, AKA SeaWorld – sits comfortably at the number four slot, thanks to iconic attractions such as Tassie’s Underwater Twist (which opened earlier this year), Riptide Race, and KareKare Curl.
However, the park isn’t without its controversy. In June, Aquatica was forced to go into lockdown after a fight involving dozens of guests.
Just like the nearby SeaWorld Orlando, it’s also been heavily criticized in the past for its use of animals throughout the park, with Commerson’s dolphins residing in the waters around attractions such as Reef Plunge. In 2016, the park pledged not to replace these dolphins after its current population dies.
Now, a totally different kind of criticism has emerged. One guest recently took to Reddit after realizing that Aquatica Orlando still used music from Rolf Harris for its soundtrack – 10 years after the Australian musician was found guilty of sexually assaulting four underage girls.
Harris, who died in May 2023, was primarily known for using unusual instruments like the didgeridoo and the Stylophone in novelty songs such as “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” until he was arrested in 2013. Seven of the twelve charges brought against Harris involved allegations of a sexual relationship with one of his daughter’s friends when she was as young as 13.
After being found guilty, a judge told Harris: “You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all. Your reputation now lies in ruins; you have been stripped of your honors, but you have no one to blame but yourself.”
Unsurprisingly, Harris’s long-term career on British television ended after his imprisonment. That made it all the more jarring for a guest to apparently hear his music in a popular theme park frequented by families.
The Reddit user – who claimed that the track “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” is played as background music – wrote: “Can anyone explain why Aquatica still play the music of a convicted pedophile in their park? Seems a bit off.”
This isn’t the only time guests have allegedly noticed an inappropriate use of Harris’ music at a Florida attraction. Another Reddit user noted that they “remember hearing an instrumental version of that song on a music loop at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa four years ago, and I was still uneased by it, especially since it played in the children’s area of the zoo!”
While Inside the Magic was unable to verify whether “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport” is played at the water park, it does align with the park’s mascots, which are a mix of animals found in Australia and New Zealand (namely, a kiwi named Roa, a kookaburra named Kata, a Commerson’s dolphin named Wai, a gecko named Ihu, a royal spoonbill named Papa, a takahe named Wae Wae and a turtle named Motu).
Inside the Magic contacted SeaWorld for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.
What do you think about Aquatica allegedly still using this Rolf Harris song for its background loop?