Thinking of getting the Aquatica Orlando Bacon Cheeseburger? Read about our recent visit, Waterstone Grill pricing, side options, and overall burger quality.

Visiting water parks off-season offers a few perks, including shorter slide lines, less crowded wave pools, and plenty of lounge chairs. However, it also comes with one glaring catch: limited food options. On a recent visit to Aquatica Orlando with park hours running from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the dining choices were exceptionally slim. Only three quick-service locations were operating with the All-Day Dining Plan. Some additional snack stands were also open.

Fortunately, Waterstone Grill remains the anchor of survival in the park. It opened its doors right at 11:00 a.m. and served hungry swimmers until park closing at 5:00 p.m.. Having ordered from this location countless times, we decided to skip our usual favorites and give a classic park staple a spin: the Aquatica Orlando Bacon Cheeseburger.

Aquatica Orlando Bacon Cheeseburger Price & All-Day Dining Value: Inflation Hits the Wave Pool

If you have been keeping an eye on theme park menus over the past couple of years, you have likely noticed that prices are floating upward faster than any lazy river tube. This entree is a prime example:

• 2025 Price: $17.99
• Early 2026 Price: $18.99
• Current Price: $19.49

That is nearly twenty dollars for a burger and fries! To make matters more interesting, the All-Day Dining Plan pass has also bumped up in price to $54.99. If you are utilizing All-Day Dining, grabbing this burger as your first meal of the day helps offset that pass price quickly. Still, if you are paying out-of-pocket, $19.49 sets a high expectation for a counter-service meal.

On previous visits, we thoroughly enjoyed the Crispy Fish Sandwich at Waterstone Grill (and even went back to review the Crispy Fish Sandwich at Waterstone Grill a second time). We have also sampled options like the Beyond Burger at Waterstone Grill, the BBQ Burger at Kookaburra Kitchen, and the Doritos Nachos Supreme at Kiwi Market. Given the off-season menu limitations, it was finally time to test out the standard bacon cheeseburger.

Dissecting the Aquatica Orlando Bacon Cheeseburger: What to Expect

Since food at quick-service water park spots is constructed on a fast-moving assembly line, consistency can be a hit or a miss. Here is how our meal stacked up, piece by piece:

• The Bun & Cheese: The bun looked totally average, and the cheese was the standard, below-average slice you typically find across United Parks properties. Neither added much flavor to the equation, leaving the foundation feeling completely unremarkable.
• The Bacon: At first glance, the bacon looked a bit shady and gave off strong “below-average chain park bacon” vibes. However, looks can be deceiving. It actually tasted noticeably better than its questionable appearance suggested. However, it is still inferior to bacon at other Orlando-area theme park resorts.

The Patty

The burger patty itself was cooked well-done, which often signals an impending dry bite. Remarkably, the burger was not as dry as its appearance would lead you to expect. While the overall flavor profile of the patty, bun, and cheese combined was plain, it managed to avoid being an unswallowable hockey puck.

Pro Tip: Because this is a standard, well-done park burger, we strongly suggest hitting the sauce pumps and adding lots of BBQ sauce. It adds much-needed moisture and tang, elevating the burger from bland to enjoyable.

The Sides: Fries vs. Mac & Cheese

The entree comes with your choice of side, with fries being the standard pairing.

• French Fries: Our fries were served in that awkward middle zone. They weren’t ice-cold, but they weren’t warm either. Warm, crisp fries can save a mediocre burger meal, so lukewarm fries were a bit of a disappointment.
• Mac and Cheese Option: Waterstone Grill also offers a Mac and Cheese side option. We peeked at it while ordering, but honestly, it didn’t look very promising, so we stuck with the fries. However, we ordered them as a side since we were using All-Day Dining.

A Basic Water Park Burger

At the end of the day, the Aquatica Orlando Bacon Cheeseburger tastes like pretty much any standard theme park burger across the country. It is basic, predictable, and simple.

While it serves as a filling, decent way to kick off an All-Day Dining day when options are limited during the off-season, it falls short of being a “must-do” menu item. If you find yourself at Waterstone Grill with full menu availability, we still recommend opting for the Crispy Fish Sandwich instead

For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News every weekday at noon Eastern Time. Additionally, we sometimes post bonus theme park dining reviews. As always, eat like you mean it!

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