Antarctica - Empire of the Penguin

[OrlandoHauntedHouse]

I saw everything yesterday. It is unbelievable. Major accomplishment for seaworld. I saw the ride moving and everything. Saw the preshows, the queue, and exhibit with penguins, gift shop, walked through the whole area. It is amazing. You guys are gonna love it

 

[Octobers Fade]

I saw everything yesterday. It is unbelievable. Major accomplishment for seaworld. I saw the ride moving and everything. Saw the preshows, the queue, and exhibit with penguins, gift shop, walked through the whole area. It is amazing. You guys are gonna love it

Sounds good to me, can't wait to see it.

 

[Felipe]

It looks freezin' cool! I can't wait! I'm guessing nothing will be open until after Grand Opening ceremonies, so I'll miss it next weekend, but looking forward to seeing Antarctica the following weekend! :thumbs:

 

[SJN1279]

I saw everything yesterday. It is unbelievable. Major accomplishment for seaworld. I saw the ride moving and everything. Saw the preshows, the queue, and exhibit with penguins, gift shop, walked through the whole area. It is amazing. You guys are gonna love it

We are going to Orlando in May/June and my wife is over 5 months pregnant. Is the Antartica ride going to be safe for expectant mothers?

 

[OrlandoHauntedHouse]

Yes, as there are 2 different rides you can choose in which are clearly marked in the interior queue: Gentle, or Thrilling. So obviously, go with the Gentle, and she should be fine!

 

[OrlandoHauntedHouse]

By the way guys: remember a while back that someone posted a strange job seaworld had posted? The one that seemed to be food service mixed with entertainment. Well I have your answer as to what that is. There were a few people hired to pose as food service attendants, and than dance every once in a while and get children and families involved. I guess this is just to help create a memorable experience.

 

[Nitro_230]

There is a piece in USA Today with video on their site.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2013/05/09/seaworld-orlando-antarctica-penguins/2149053/

 

[Hockeyman55]

Are they going to have 2 separate lines for the different ride profiles, sort of like what they do with Wild Arctic or will this be selected once on the ride? Only reason I ask I because if its ride selected how will that work if you are in a RV with a group who wants mild and you guys want wild.

 

[sierrak5]

According to the article from USA today there will be two separate lines to choose from.

 

[SJN1279]

Yes, as there are 2 different rides you can choose in which are clearly marked in the interior queue: Gentle, or Thrilling. So obviously, go with the Gentle, and she should be fine!

Awesome....best news I've heard all day!

 

[Themeparkvigilante]

How long will the ride actually be?

 

[OrlandoHauntedHouse]

There are 2 seperate are lines. The ride is about 2-3 minutes long.

 

[IzzyB]

So it looks like everyone will be able to ride, except babies. I imagine that they will have a vehicle to load a wheelchair on since one of the requirements is must be able to sit up on their own. I also imagine there will be some way to "walk" to the penguins for those families with babies, so one parent can stay with the baby and meet the rest of the family on the other side.

Everything I have read has made this ride seem really cool...can't wait!

 

[quickfire609]

So it looks like everyone will be able to ride, except babies. I imagine that they will have a vehicle to load a wheelchair on since one of the requirements is must be able to sit up on their own. I also imagine there will be some way to "walk" to the penguins for those families with babies, so one parent can stay with the baby and meet the rest of the family on the other side.

Everything I have read has made this ride seem really cool...can't wait!

Agreed, it's starting to seem like a more modern version of Wild Arctic.

 

[Brian G.]

Agreed, it's starting to seem like a more modern version of Wild Arctic.

Which leads to me to believe that may be on the chopping block.

 

[Nick]

Which leads to me to believe that may be on the chopping block.

I've been hearing for awhile that after Antarctica opens, Wild Arctic could be on the block so we'll see. It's definitely time for the dang thing to go.

 

[Octobers Fade]

I've been hearing for awhile that after Antarctica opens, Wild Arctic could be on the block so we'll see. It's definitely time for the dang thing to go.

The simulator - yes, the animals - no.

 

[mebweb]

The simulator - yes, the animals - no.

Agreed. The simulator portion needs the 'Star Tours 2' treatment...maybe a new ride film in 3-D. For me, the animal portion of the attraction is still a top-notch immersive environment to this day.

 

[Andy]

Question is, is there space to expand in Antarctica for more animal facilities?

 

[Felipe]

This afternoon I arrived home to find a cool pop-up style mailing from SeaWorld promoting Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin.





As you can see, cool news for Pass Members, who can register online to get free front-of-the-line access for the Antarctica ride!
For this, and more info: seaworldparks.com/orlandopassmembers.





Inside, they mention that Pass Members will have access to buy exclusive, limited-edition, commemorative pins.



This pic was on the website, so I'm guessing this is what pins will look like:

They also mention a new program they are starting with the Coke Freestyle machines, called "Cup That Cares," and mention the exclusive flavor drink, which is officially called "Vanilla South Pole Chill™." They're running a special promotion for Pass Members to double their usual 10% discount to 20% off on the cups from May 28 - June 30, 2013.



A portion of the proceeds from pin and cup sales will go to their non-profit Conservation Fund.


The fine print on the front-of-the-line access* and the pins**:




Coincidentally, this afternoon I also received a new e-mail from SeaWorld where they talk more about Antarctica, mention the "Cup That Cares" again, and also talk about the theme song for the ride, called "Antarctica: One World, One Family" by Lauren Alaina, which you can download for free. You can see the e-mail HERE.