|
SeaWorld Orlando
Discovery Cove and Aquatica
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
---- THE LATEST NEWS ----
(5/30/2023) SeaWorld Orlando Offering Beer Specials This Summer (MORE...)
(5/11/2023) Pipeline Media Day Footage (MORE...)
(5/6/2023) SeaWorld Orlando Confirms Opening Day for New Pipeline Surf Coaster (MORE...)
(4/29/2023) SeaWorld Orlando Shows Off Pipeline POV (MORE...)
(4/21/2023) New Pipeline Opening Update (MORE...)
 Park News - (5/30/2023) SeaWorld Orlando is giving guests more ways to have fun and stay cool this summer. From May 8 to July 27 guests who are 21 years and older can enjoy one free beer at the Waterway Grill Bar between 11 a.m. and one hour before the park closes. Pass Members have an exclusive deal and can receive two free beers during this period. These complimentary drinks are a great way to celebrate the excitement of Summer Spectacular and the arrival of Orlando's newest attraction, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster.
(4/12/2023) SeaWorld Orlando has announced the final list of concerts for their Seven Seas Food Festival weekends.
April 15 - Chris Lane
April 16 - Marshall Tucker Band
April 22 - Tito Nieves
April 23 - Kameron Marlowe
April 30 - Scott Stapp of Creed
May 6 - NE-YO
May 7 - Martina McBride
(3/13/2023) SeaWorld Orlando will be adding some special St. Patrick’s Day food, fun and special beverages to the Seven Seas Food Festival line now through March 19, along with special musical performances, dancing and more.
(3/12/2023) As expected, Ice Breaker re-opened to guests at SeaWorld on Saturday evening, feature the removal of the “Comfort Collars”, but also a new addition to the restraint system. Instead of running with a lap-bar only system as other Premier Ride’s trains do elsewhere, the park opted to swap out the disliked collars for a new seat-belt system that goes around the waist, just below the lapbar. You can see pictures of the new orange belts in the Facebook post from Midway Mayhem below.
The addition of any kind of seat-belt however is always a bit stressful for larger coaster enthusiasts, especially as I’ve found that the Premier Rides trains were actually quite accommodating for larger riders in general. As I’m not the tallest person, I’ve never really had an issue with the comfort collars, other than the awkwardness they made for loading and unloading, but I know taller riders found them to be more painful. The question now is… just how tight is the seat-belt system that they’ve added? From the look of the one picture, it looks as if the longer side of the belt appears to be decent in length, but until more butts are put in the seats, we’ll have to wait before final judgement can be placed here. Hopefully this will all be a win-win for everyone if the belt proves to be loose enough for everyone who fits under in the lapbar and we’ve now seen the removal of the comfort collars.
…and who knows… maybe we will see all of the SeaWorld / Busch Gardens parks convert over to this new restraint combo on their Premier Rides coasters if it works out well on Ice Breaker! And special thanks to Midway Mayhem for being really on top of this breaking story as it developed with boots on the ground, plus some extra great coverage of the testing on Pipeline!
(3/11/2023) Sometime’s interesting rumors are sent in that just don’t make sense at first. For example, about a month or so anonymous sources were claiming that Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando would be removing the highly disliked “Comfort Collars” from the roller coaster trains. The use of these shoulder-straps on Premier Rides roller coaster trains had been something of a sore-spot amongst enthusiasts for some time, as the initial versions of their rides did not use them at all. If I’m not mistaken the very first use of the Comfort Collars did not take place until sister park, Busch Gardens Williamsburg built Tempesto. The chain would then clone this coaster two more times with Tigris in Tampa and Electric Eel in San Diego, which also included the Collars, and finally we saw Ice Breaker open with them as well.
At the time, the rumor didn’t hold water with me. Why would Ice Breaker remove them, if they’ve apparently become something of an official standard amongst the SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment chain? While Ice Breaker uses the same style trains as the rest, it features a custom layout and when it first opened, it was intended to have a more family friendly 48 inch height requirement. However, about a month after it opened, the height requirement was increased to the same 54” level that is standard for the park’s other mega-thrill coasters, Manta, Kraken and Mako.
According to a new post on Twitter, which you can see below, an Ice Breaker train was seen testing this week, loaded with water dummies, but no sign of the comfort collars or the connector for them on the lap-bar. Visiting the official website, Ice Breaker is listed as currently closed for maintenance through to March 11 (today), and the website still lists a 54” height requirement as of this moment. However, in the second image posted to Twitter, we can see that the height requirement sign in front of the ride has also just been changed. The new sign states that while riders must be 54” to “ride alone”, but guests between 48” and 54” may ride if “accompanied by a Supervising Companion, 14 years of age or older.” (SIDE NOTE: I just hope they haven't modified the lap-bars to be less accommodating to larger riders.)
That said, while Ice Breaker is technically closed today, you never know, they may soft-open it sometime today if you happen to be in the park, otherwise if you’re local, be sure to visit tomorrow check out the change for yourself.
So what will the future hold? Could we see the chain look into removing the Comfort Collars from Tigris, Electric Eel or Tempesto? I’m still going to hold my ground there and say, “No.” Unlike Ice Breaker, the other three ride layouts feature track elements where riders are suspended upside-down or vertically for prolonged periods of time, with the train moving at a fairly slow speed through some of these inverted elements. For that reason, I’m thinking the Comfort Collars are here to stay on those particular Sky Rocket coaster models for the chain… even though there are other examples of the exact same roller coaster elsewhere running without them. It could happen someday… I just don’t see it happening anytime soon.
(1/29/2023) SeaWorld Orlando will kick off the returning Seven Seas Food Festival on Feb. 3rd which will continue on Thursdays through Sundays at the park until May 7th. The event will feature 27 festival marketplaces scattered throughout the park, including an all new Caribbean Moonshine Tasting booth. The event will also feature 28 live concerts at the park’s Bayside Stadium that are free with admission. The complete list of food and concerts can be found online, which includes performances by The Commodores, REO Speedwagon, En Vogue, Ludacris and more.
2023 - Pipeline: The Surf Coaster - (5/11/2023) Screamscape was invited to send some riders down to experience the new Pipeline: The Surf Coaster at the media preview earlier today. You can check out the video of the ride in action in the clip below, though the voice-audio during the on-ride footage is inaudible.
According to their report, Pipeline has “a good layout and the launch is a lot of fun and the surf motion gives some nice airtime. (Maybe too much) It also gives SeaWorld another B&M. The placement of the coaster is great near the front of the park. The theming is better than Ice Breaker and it does freshen up the old festival area of the park.”
On the more critical side, they reported that the seats can be a bit shaky, especially in the back rows, which almost sounds like the coaster may have a case of the B&M Rattles that have randomly affected some new rides from them over the years. Often this can be corrected over time with maintenance tweaks to the trains and wheels, so lets hope this was just is issue of breaking-in a new ride.
“The surf motion is interesting but it also causes issues if you are male. Much like the old stand up’s did.” It was noted that the same motion that caused the nice new airtime feature also resulted in some mild discomfort as you came back down again.
The restraints fit most guests and uses a similar “vest” system across the rider's chests to what SeaWorld guests already experience when riding Manta. Larger riders however may find the restraint system challenging to fit in, or may find it a bit uncomfortable. Again, if you ridden Manta, you have an idea of what this new system is very similar to in terms of what comes down across your upper body.
(5/6/2023) SeaWorld Orlando has confirmed that their new Pipeline roller coaster will open to all guests on May 27th. Passholder previews sessions will also take place, starting on May 12.
(4/29/2023) While SeaWorld Orlando continues to test their new Pipeline roller coaster, they aren’t quite ready to reveal an actual video POV footage from the real ride just yet. Instead they released the next best thing, as we finally get to see the animated full POV experience footage.
(4/21/2023) The latest update on Pipeline from SeaWorld Orlando confirms that the park’s newest roller coaster will be ready to open sometime in May.
(3/11/2023) A new video from Midway Mayhem shows off that night-time testing of the park’s new Pipeline: The Surf Coaster has begun. They also managed to capture some footage of a couple of staff members taking a test-ride on Ice Breaker without the comfort collars, as reported in our other story today.
(3/10/2023) A new reel posted by SeaWorld Orlando has been posted showing off their new Pipeline roller coaster making a test run in front of a cool sunset skyline. Check it out!
(2/26/2023) According to the latest pictures of Pipeline posted by Midway Mayhem, the park has a train on the tracks now and has been moving it around between the maintence shed and station for initial checkouts. It is assumed that we are entering the final preparations to begin launch testing the coaster in the very near future.
(1/28/2023) SeaWorld Orlando posted a video clip showing off the arrival of the Pipeline roller coaster trains as they are loaded into the maintenance shed.
(12/22/2022) Installation of the track for the Pipeline Surf Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando is now complete. Attractions Magazine has posted a new video showing off the completed ride layout.
(12/11/2022) A new construction update showing off Pipeline: The Surf Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando can be seen below from Orlando Experience. So much track for the new coaster has been installed already, so this one will be finished before you know it. If you keep watching, the video will also jump over to show a few other construction updates at the competition (Epcot and Universal) as well as a look at the new Luminary Green display in Downtown Orlando.
(12/5/2022) A great collection of new construction photos of SeaWorld Orlando’s new Pipeline Surf Coaster have been posted to FB by Midway Mayhem!
(11/18/22) B&M put the new Pipeline Surf Coaster roller coaster train on display at their IAAPA booth this year. While you can see the new piston style system in place at the base of the seats, I have to say that the detail that has gone into the surfboard theming of the car itself is beautiful. I just hope it holds up in real life under the feet of the countless riders who will come to SeaWorld Orlando to try out this new creation.
(11/5/2022) Our friends at Orlando Experience have posted a new construction video showing off the progress of SeaWorld’s new Pipeline Surf Coaster. Check it out below!
(10/20/22) At long last, SeaWorld Orlando announced their new roller coaster project for the 2023 season, naming it Pipeline: The Surf Coaster. As previously mentioned, this will be a next-generation Stand-Up coaster concept from B&M that will start off the action with a 60mph launch before sending riders up into a unique 110 foot tall twisting turn and dive element. The entire experience will cover 2,900 feet of track, put riders through just one inversion along the way, but the riders will feel the experience like never before through the use of an all new Stand-Up coaster restraint system that will hold you in, while giving you open views and some “unparalleled freedom of movement”.
What exactly does that mean?
Well this goes back to a new patent B&M filed for in January 2022 for a new “Passenger Restraint System For Roller Coasters”. At the time, and clever as they are, B&M only drew this out showing passengers seated in a traditional coaster seat and not in a stand-up position, but the key to the patent is the installation of a movable column attached to the fixed seat column and restraint system that “can advantageously be configured to provide a vertical displacement of the seat column during roller coaster rides according to the vertical acceleration exerted on the passenger”.
So as I’m translating this in the my head, it sounds as if the piston under the restraint system will provide an extra bit of vertical lift whenever the rider begins to feel airtime. Or in other words, it sounds like this is essentially what I’m going to call an “Airtime Amplifier” device, than will transform small bits of airtime into huge and unexpected pops of airtime, allowing the restraint to lift the riders up higher than expected. In fact that first unexpected pop of airtime may come right towards the end of the launch, as the launch track will rise and fall through a small bunny-hop before launching up into that 110ft turn-around element. If you watch the animation, you’ll see the riders all get a little pop of air exactly as the train passes through this very element, while still on the launch track.
I also have to imagine that the unit may potentially serve almost as a shock-absorber as well, reducing the impact of bumps and smoothing out the ride experience overall. Check out the video preview of Pipeline below and see what you think about this latest new creation from B&M that could very well revive the stand-up concept going forward.
(9/28/22) A quick note… due to the approaching Hurricane Ian, SeaWorld Orlando opted to cancel their new ride announcement that was to be held on Tuesday and will instead reschedule it for a future date. Stay tuned!
(9/25/22) An awesome new set of construction photos from SeaWorld Orlando’s “High Surf” coaster have been posted to Facebook by Midway Mayhem. The park has also posted their own #HighSurfAdvisory warning on Instagram ahead of the 9/27/22 announcement date.
(9/22/22) Just like in San Diego, SeaWorld Orlando will also announce their new attraction for the 2023 season on Sept. 27th. Stay tuned!
(8/9/22) Orlando Theme Park News is back with a new update from SeaWorld Orlando featuring over 100 pictures. In addition to some general looks around the park, they give us a close up look at the current state of Journey To Atlantis where it looks like the building could use some attention along with the state of other attractions in the park like Kraken, Antarctica and more. About half way down the second page they have pictures of the new High Surf coaster construction site as well, as seen from both the ground and down a little further and on the next page they show what it looks like as seen from the SkyTower.
(8/6/22) New aerial construction photos of SeaWorld Orlando’s High Surf coaster project can be seen below, tweeted by Bioteconstruct.
(7/10/22) A great aerial photo showing off the progress on the High Surf coaster project at SeaWorldOrlando can be seen below. Lots of visible foundation work is going up next to the parking lot which I believe is for the brake-run and maintenance shed. The station building itself should be located just ahead of that, where it will turn to the right and then launch down past the entrance plaza into a big high-banked U-turn element.
As you can see in the second picture, there are a ton of track and support pieces set up in a staging area next to Discovery Cove waiting to be installed.
(6/22/22) A huge collection of images from SeaWorld Orlando’s 2023 coaster project (aka: High Surf) has been posted to Facebook by Midway Mayhem.
Check it out below!
(6/16/22) While we still don’t know much more about SeaWorld Orlando’s new 2023 coaster project, apparently the Chairman of PGAV accidently leaked the name of the coaster in a post to LinkedIn, saying that the park’s 7th coaster will be, “called High Surf!”. This post was later edited to remove the name dropped, but one of our sources managed to get a screen capture before that happened.
So while the name obviously isn’t official until the park releases it, this does give us something to call it now other than Project Penguin. It is also worth mentioning that performing a quick search of the Trademark database revealed no hits for the name “High Surf” as of yet, so perhaps the final name has still to be determined. And you know, this is SeaWorld, where even after a ride is given a name, sometimes they decide to change it before it opens. (If you don’t remember, Emperor, that B&M Dive Machine that opened in California was first announced as “Mako”.
(6/4/22) SeaWorld Orlando has revealed the first teaser for the long rumored “Surf Coaster” concept, slated to open in 2023. Blue track and white support pieces are already on site next to the park, so we know it is an B&M, and while the teaser video doesn’t a lot we can tell a few things.
The video seems to confirm that the coaster will indeed be launched, which is somewhat of a rarity when it comes to B&M roller coasters. The trains will be themed to look like a giant longboard, with riders positioned two-across instead of with B&M’s more standard 4-across seating. The video chooses to only show the animated riders from the waist up for the most part, so we can see that the restraint system used here appears to be similar to the modern style they’ve been using on their new Inverted and Wing coasters that uses a soft but thick vest across the chest, while keeping the hard bars and grips away from the riders head, allowing for better visuals and a lack of headbanging.
What SeaWorld really seems to be trying to mask however is still visible if you pause the video at the right moments, where it clearly shows a in a few frames that the riders are standing up while riding the coaster. So in addition to being launched, the long rumored Surf Coaster does indeed appear to be B&M’s attempt to create an updated version of the old Stand-Up Coaster style.
(4/24/22) Our friends at Orlando Experience have posted a new video from SeaWorld Orlando this week that also includes a look at land prep for an expansion of the Aquatica parking lot that will allow the waterpark itself to expand to the south. Meanwhile we get a look at the latest track deliveries for the SeaWorld Orlando 2023 coaster project, ongoing land clearing along the shoreline for the new coaster.
(4/17/22) Project Penguin / aka: SeaWorld Orlando’s next Coaster, which is also supposed to be the world’s first B&M “Surf Coaster” (whatever the heck that is…) is now real, as the first truck-loads of light blue’ish track for the coaster have arrived this week. The site for the new coaster that will be placed between Bayside Stadium and the main entrance to the park has been closed off and in the process of being cleared by construction equipment for several weeks now.
Given the color of this new track, the repainting of Kraken’s track to its current green color does make a bit more sense now as the park is also home to Manta (dark blue track and light blue supports) and Mako (purple track and blue supports). Given that Kraken’s former yellowish supports were repainted a darker blue hue, I’m guessing this new coaster might feature a light colored support structure. We’ll know once the first supports arrive.
(3/20/22) New aerial photos of SeaWorld Orlando show that the pathway between SeaFire and Bayside Stadium has been removed as part of the ongoing clearing of the site for the park’s next big project.
(2/19/22) With Ice Breaker now open at SeaWorld Orlando, the latest reports from the park now show that new construction fences are going up along the pathway that leads from the front of the park over towards Bayside Stadium, the site of the park’s next proposed roller coaster (aka: Project Penguin).
(12/7/21) BGWFans has posted a rather fascinating update regarding the rumored Project Penguin coaster project for SeaWorld Orlando. As you may recall Project Penguin was rumored to be the first B&M “Surf Coaster” project… and again, I’ll stress that no one has confirmed exactly just what kind of coaster a “Surf Coaster” might be.
The project was in the works prior to the COVID outbreak to take over the space of land at SeaWorld Orlando between the SeaFire restaurant area and Bayside Stadium. While we don’t know the status of Project Penguin, as it was put on hold like so many other things when COVID happened, but they did uncover what seems to be the layout for the original version of it and have created an extensive breakdown of just what it might be. Or at least, what it might have been… even if Project Penguin returns, the scope of the layout and design could have changed between then and now. So follow the link and enjoy!
(1/31/21) A new update from TheCoasterKings digs in a little deeper on those “Project Penguin” plans for SeaWorld Orlando. The early data gathered pre-COVID was that this was to be a new B&M coaster project that could quite possibly have been B&M’s new “Surf Coaster” project. While we never confirmed exactly what the “Surf Coaster” project was, one of our own early rumors suggested that the concept may have been a new style of Wing coaster with rotating seats not unlike S&S’s 4th Dimension coasters. There were also rumors that it may also use a possible launch system as well.
In their new update a batch of new royal blue B&M coaster track was spotted at the Clermont Steel Fabricators plant in Ohio. While no one knows exactly what coaster this track is actually for, they believe that the track may be slightly narrower than your typical B&M coaster track so it could be for this new concept. Just something to keep an eye out for.
(6/29/20) An interesting new construction lien has now been filed against SeaWorld Orlando this week. According to a great post from Behind the Thrills the new lien is actually from B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) who says SeaWorld owes them $1.43 million for engineering design and fabrication of a “custom Launch Coaster”. This matches up with some early permits filed by the park for a “SWO Penguin” project. This also connects to rumors of a new B&M coaster design in the works called a “Surf Coaster”.
2023- Turi's Kid Cove / Tamariki Twirl @ Aquatica Orlando - (3/20/23) Aquatica Orlando has announced that Turi’s Kid Cove will be added to the park in 2023. This will be an all new kids water play area featuring ‘watering palms, tipping buckets, spraying jets’ and the all new Tamariki Twirl water slide, featuring a kid-sized half-pipe element.
2024/2025 - Revised Antarctica Attraction / New Coaster - Rumor - (4/20/2023) A great new video from Midway Mayhem has been posted giving us a look at Pipeline testing, but also at all the ground clearing that has taken place around Antarctica for the park’s next roller coaster project. What’s interesting is that the clearing isn’t just taking place between Antarctica and the Sea Lion habitat, but they’ve also cleared out the entire green space behind the Expedition Cafe, all the way from the Manta track area (Preztle Loop and swooping turn) down towards the pathway that runs alongside the SeaPort Theater then turning, L-shaped to the clearing we knew would happen running from here to Pacific Point. Guests looking to access Pacific Point are actually being taken through a temporary pathway through the backstage area behind Kraken to get to Pacific Point.
So the area involved for this new attraction seems even larger than we had first anticipated.
(4/11/2023) Full speed land clearing and work have now begun on SeaWorld Orlando’s next rumored roller coaster project just outside of the Antarctica building. As we’ve mentioned before, the former indoor dark-ride space and nearby land outside is expected to be used for a new launched family roller coaster experience.
(2/26/2023) Construction walls and fences are now up all around the Pacific Point sea-lion exhibit at SeaWorld Orlando as the park looks to be preparing to begin construction on their next roller coaster that is expected to make sure of the former Antarctica dark ride space as a station.
(1/8/2023) Remember how I mentioned the proposed launched coaster coming to the former Antarctica / Pacific Point area could launch out into the back area and make a run over the pond between Kraken and Mako in similar fashion to how a similar coaster runs at the Texas park? While I don’t think this is leaked art of any kind, a fun drawing showing off exactly how this could possibly work can be seen as the second picture in this Instagram post.
You can compare this to SeaWorld San Antonio’s Wave Breaker in an aerial image here and see a video of Wave Breaker also added below.
(1/1/2023) We don’t know exactly who may supply the new launched coaster being planned for SeaWorld Orlando as a replacement for the closed Antarctica dark ride. Previous speculation has mostly been that it might be Intamin, as they are supplying the hardware for both of the 2023 “straddle” coasters coming to the San Diego and Williamsburg parks, as well as having built the one in Texas. However… the concept for the new coaster may still be out for others to bid on, as we received word from an insider claiming that reps from Mack Rides were also previously seen touring the site several weeks ago. Mack Rides was behind San Diego’s very popular launched Manta roller coaster, which provides for a thrilling multi-launch coaster experience with a layout that remains very close to the ground.
(12/29/2022) Would you believe that SeaWorld Orlando is preparing for another new roller coaster for 2024 or 2025? I’ve been sitting on this news for a bit as some elements were said to be a bit up in the air, but as I’ve pointed out before the park’s former Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin dark ride is kaput… dead… gone and buried. How did a perfectly good dark ride die so quickly? I’m not going to go into details, but from what I’ve heard let’s just say that when the entire park was shut down in 2020 at the start of the pandemic, the old ride system was not left in a state meant for long-term storage. Even when the park opened a few months later, they had no intention of opening the enclosed dark ride just yet, so it just sat idle for far too long.
So what’s next for SeaWorld? Well, the situation here is a bit more tricky, but if you look at what they’ve been building at their other parks you can probably make some good guesses as to what may be planned here… a new enclosed or semi-enclosed family-friendly roller coaster ride. A number of possibilities have been looked at as to just how they are going to do it, which is one reason I was sitting on this news for awhile.
Essentially SeaWorld was looking at options here similar to what they have under construction in SeaWorld San Diego (Arctic Rescue) and Busch Gardens Williamsburg (DarKoaster). However the repurposing of this particular structure is a bit more tricky as unlike those other projects, the former dark ride was integrated much more closely with the existing and still operational penguin habitat.
Well, it’s time to spill the beans on this project because construction work is now starting. Midway Mayhem’s latest video from SeaWorld (see below) mentions the rumor of putting a new coaster in there, and then goes over to discover construction fences have gone up between the pathway to the Pacific Point SeaLion exhibit and the backside of the former dark ride building, which is exactly where the new coaster project is going.
No major heavy lifting, clearing or deep digging just yet of course, but from what Screamscape was told we can expect the entrance to the new coaster to actually be where these new work walls are, and the old dark ride entrance area will be exclusively used for the ongoing use of the penguin exhibit. I don’t know the theme of the ride yet, but it is possible that the shift of the entrance out of the arctic themed section could possibly indicate a theme with a warner climate. I guess it depends on just how much of the coaster will take place inside the enclosed former dark ride structure and how much will be outdoors.
This leads to the question of ride style, which again, I’m not sure if this will be another “straddle” coaster with a Wave Runner or Snow Mobile theme like the Arctic Rescue coming to San Diego, or the previous Wave Breaker that opened in Texas. If so then that style would require a bit more outdoor track sections due to the launch concept, but then again they were said to be looking at smaller concepts like the fully enclosed DarKoaster project going into Williamsburg right now as well. Like all things, it was going to come down to cost, and how much of the old building area they felt they could re-use for the coaster and how much they were going to have to give up to the operations of the Penguin exhibit, along with the cost factor of adding any new buildings in the space available vs just building an open air coaster layout like they are doing in San Diego.
A quick aerial look at the site will reveal that there is very little open space back there, as the back of the Penguin building bumps up against the backside of the Kraken queue and station, with only a narrow but necessary access road between Kraken and Pacific Point that leads out towards Kraken’s Cobra Roll and trenches. With all that in mind, if I had to guess, the best thing we’re going to get for the coaster station to be enclosed in the dark ride building with maybe a short dark ride room or two before the launch that will probably sent the train out and around the backside of Pacific Point and back, and maybe through some of Kraken’s cobra roll area if need be. There is just very little undeveloped land out there to use unless they take some inspiration from the Texas coaster and feature some low-level twists and turns over the retention pond between Kraken and Mako before returning back to the station.
Just keep in mind that the majority of the backstage end of the Penguin building is the oldest section that was originally the Penguin Encounter exhibit, and the former Antarctica dark ride sections were added to the front side of that original structure. Stay tuned and keep your eyes open when visiting the park, as this project is just getting started.
(5/7/22) According to a new rumor, SeaWorld Orlando may finally be making early plans to create some kind of replacement attraction for the closed Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin trackless dark ride.
We really have no details other than that, other than that this should be an entirely new attraction. From what we’ve been told, the former trackless dark ride vehicles are dead and gone.
???? - Sesame Street Dark Ride - Rumor - (4/15/19) I heard an interesting rumor the other day regarding future Sesame Street plans for SeaWorld Orlando now that the new kiddie land is open. According to the rumor the park has drawn up concepts for a couple of different Sesame Street themed dark rides that could be added onto the area, possibly taking over part of the Wild Arctic ride building space (which again, is rumored to be leaving later this year). Given the initial popularity of the Sesame Street themed dark ride that just opened at PortAventura in Spain earlier this month, this concept may gain some traction as a possible future park addition.
???? - Flying Theater - Rumor - (4/26/19) OrlandoWeekly is hearing that the long-term plan to replace Wild Arctic at SeaWorld Orlando may be replace the attraction’s aging simulator fleet with a new modern Flying Theater style attraction at some point down the line. With the San Diego park also looking to replace their attraction sooner than later, I do have to wonder if the California park might get the Flying Theater first.
|
