Antarctica - Empire of the Penguin

[UNIrd]

Not to add more fuel to the fire but what's the deal with Wild Arctic? Is that ride currently operating or have plans to?

 

[shiekra38]

Not to add more fuel to the fire but what's the deal with Wild Arctic? Is that ride currently operating or have plans to?

The ride hasn't been for a while...I think it's going the way of Akbar

 

[UNIrd]

The ride hasn't been for a while...I think it's going the way of Akbar

Akbar! I literally just watched this video last night. The nostalgia was REAL.

 

[shiekra38]

Akbar! I literally just watched this video last night. The nostalgia was REAL.

mmhmm

I guess he's been trying to get the ride footage for 2 years

I've been searching high and low as well

It's a great video

 

[SeventyOne]

Fun fact

Antarctica Ride is closed
Turtle Trek's theater was on loop, now closed
San Diego's Submarine sh*t show is now closed

This all was an interesting era for them

Since then they've re-corrected course, we've gotten

Sesame Land, Infinity Falls, Texas Stingray Roadhouse Coaster, Ice Breaker (kinda), Mako, Emperor (kinda), Tidal Twister, and Electric Eel

Bottom line, we're better than we were and the investments in the last few years have been some of the strongest

Good riddance Antarctica

Throw in Glacier Bar, Avalanche Burger, FlameCraft, a remodeled Shark Bar, the food festivals -- F&B has made substantial steps forward as well.

 

[krazyhorrorkid]

Wow, Empire of the Penguin finally getting the boot huh?
That is a pretty big area, lot's of things can fit in that space.

Wild Artic looks to have the same fate Ig, though I did not hate the Polar Express overlay! That was always a must do at Christmas time!

I don't think a coaster will be replacing it though...
(Hopefully I won't eat those words)

On the note of Wild Artic... Gimme that Sesame street extension with Dark ride

 

[Freak]

Personally, I would like to see a new dark ride take place Antarctica's spot. Since the money has already been spent on the structure, they could ideally gut the scenes, put a bus bar in place with new vehicles, and throw the money into making good scenes with a simpler ride system, all while keeping the basic infrastructure and theme.

I know neither Wild Arctic and Empire were not the best rides ever, but they really had to shut down their only indoor rides? If you only have coasters and outdoor rides available, that's not going to be a good time for everyone. Since most of the other parks in Florida (Exception being Busch Gardens) have mostly indoor rides, you have to have some indoor rides in humid as heck Florida.

As much as the park needs an indoor ride (At least ONE for Pete's sake!), Bucsh/SW unfortunately does not favor dark rides....like, at ALL. That story Joe mentioned about SW not charging the ride vehicles properly for Empire just screams evidence of "not giving a crap". Williamsburg just shut down the last indoor ride they had and now this. Even the newer ones they had were crap (Ahem, Suckmarine quest or Meh-pire of the Penguin). While I would love a ride to take Empire's place like I mentioned above, even if they did, you know Busch would find a way to screw it up badly. They clearly hate dark rides and it shows.

 

[Viator]

If I recall for the case of Wild Arctic, @RollermanDan and Lance mentioned in the past, that SeaWorld was looking to replace Wild Arctic with a flying theater of some kind. Perhaps they may be trying to shuffle up the timeline, due to the pandemic?

 

[shiekra38]

If I recall for the case of Wild Arctic, @RollermanDan and Lance mentioned in the past, that SeaWorld was looking to replace Wild Arctic with a flying theater of some kind. Perhaps they may be trying to shuffle up the timeline, due to the pandemic?

I hadn't heard this...But in all reality, the Wild Arctic ride system is super old..as is the ride film..it being replaced with some kind of flying theater or Sesame Arctic Dark ride would be fun

 

[Brian G.]

Antarctica can be saved with a layover on the ride portion. Wild Arctic... I think that's heading out to make room for more Sesame Street.

 

[shiekra38]

Antarctica can be saved with a layover on the ride portion. Wild Arctic... I think that's heading out to make room for more Sesame Street.

I feel like it wouldn't be terribly difficult to put a busbar and cheaper ride vehicles in Antarctica

Not sure if an omnimover could work in there, but I could see that being fine too

 

[Viator]

I feel like it wouldn't be terribly difficult to put a busbar and cheaper ride vehicles in Antarctica

Not sure if an omnimover could work in there, but I could see that being fine too

Considering UniversalStudiosHollywood was able to make a omnimover work ontop of a parking structure at under half an acre, I can see SeaWorld doing a compact proper dark ride.

 

[shiekra38]

Considering UniversalStudiosHollywood was able to make a omnimover work ontop of a parking structure at under half an acre, I can see SeaWorld doing a compact proper dark ride.

It seems like throwing a little money at it would make it a charming little ride to see the penguins

Who knows

 

[Magic Feather]

I doubt they ever would, but even a slight show building expansion (expand into the current path to pacific point preserve, have a new path swerve the building) would work wonders for the ride. IMO the trackless vehicles should be kept, they just need a little more room.

 

[DuelingDragonskid]

Throw in Glacier Bar, Avalanche Burger, FlameCraft, a remodeled Shark Bar, the food festivals -- F&B has made substantial steps forward as well.

Of definitely, this is what I’ve been saying, it’s many steps forward, 1 step back

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

Oof, this is a depressing thread to read lol. Is it really so unlikely that they'd replace the batteries in the ride vehicles? I don't want to believe that SW is really just going to give up on dark rides/themed rides altogether just like that, at a time when the competition down the street is opening rides like Rise of the Resistance and Velocicoaster.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Oof, this is a depressing thread to read lol. Is it really so unlikely that they'd replace the batteries in the ride vehicles? I don't want to believe that SW is really just going to give up on dark rides/themed rides altogether just like that, at a time when the competition down the street is opening rides like Rise of the Resistance and Velocicoaster.

I mean, they could replace the batteries. But also, Antarctica is not even 1/100 of those rides. Maybe time to pick battles and move on?

 

[Writing Rides]

I can't wait for a theme park, be it Uni or Disney, or regional to get a motion-based trackless ride done right (not just atmospheric ala BATB). This is such an incredible ride system and it hurts that its first installment bombed so hard, failing to take advantage of either aspect of the ride system's potential. Imagine a dark ride with the vehicle interaction of Pooh's Hunny Hunt with motion-based sections similar to FJ or Mickey & Minnie's faux motion-sim part.

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

I mean, they could replace the batteries. But also, Antarctica is not even 1/100 of those rides. Maybe time to pick battles and move on?

I’d argue having anything for people to ride when it rains (which here in Orlando happens basically every day in the summer), as well as something for families or anyone not into roller coasters to ride, is a battle worth fighting. And while I agree it's not the same caliber as those rides, it didn't really have to be; Antarctica typically had a wait time of 30+ minutes, so it's not like it was unpopular (at least outside this forum lol).

 

[GA-MBIT]

As fun as the "Seaworld dumb" story is, I'm pretty certain Antartica has been up and running for at least a few months now.