SeaWorld Orlando's Future Plans

[BBPH]

My best guess would be at the fact they have highlighted car parking means that is an option they are considering, just maybe not the first.

 

[SWBGFan]

I don't know if a parking garage is as valuable to SW as new attractions at this point in their capital expenditures.

Interesting someone dug out that land use map, I always thought a Sesame place could do very well in Orlando in that lot south of Aquatica. I guess they thought that it would be more beneficial to put Sesame street in SeaWorld. Still, something I think they should consider as I believe it would be pretty lucrative for the company. (But certainly would not help the parking dilemma)

 

[Nick]

I don't know if a parking garage is as valuable to SW as new attractions at this point in their capital expenditures.

Interesting someone dug out that land use map, I always thought a Sesame place could do very well in Orlando in that lot south of Aquatica. I guess they thought that it would be more beneficial to put Sesame street in SeaWorld. Still, something I think they should consider as I believe it would be pretty lucrative for the company. (But certainly would not help the parking dilemma)

A parking garage would allow for a ton of land that's currently just an asphalt parking lot to be designated for future park expansion however. The expenditure of a garage could be worth it if it means that they would be able to expand out the park. Down the line at least.

 

[Slapshot1188]

On busy days the parking has to go to an overflow "lot" which is just a grass field across the street. This causes tremendous congestion in the park and also on the road outside. I do not know if this is the BEST use for their capital, but I can understand why they would be considering it. Who knows, maybe they (or whoever else might own it) want to sell that overflow lot and build another hotel.

 

[shiekra38]

On busy days the parking has to go to an overflow "lot" which is just a grass field across the street. This causes tremendous congestion in the park and also on the road outside. I do not know if this is the BEST use for their capital, but I can understand why they would be considering it. Who knows, maybe they (or whoever else might own it) want to sell that overflow lot and build another hotel.

How often does Sea World have to use this overflow lot?

 

[WAJAS]

How often does Sea World have to use this overflow lot?

Since they went to the year-round festivals, it has become used most weekends as well as weekdays during the height of summer and the holidays. (Most as in greater than 50%, not close to 100%) They hired an additional crew for the trams a year ago if that shows anything.

 

[shiekra38]

Since they went to the year-round festivals, it has become used most weekends as well as weekdays during the height of summer and the holidays. (Most as in greater than 50%, not close to 100%) They hired an additional crew for the trams a year ago if that shows anything.

Hmm interesting...If this information is true, perhaps they are eyeballing somewhere else for expansion

There are other options and areas where they could update

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

It's heartening to know that I'm not the only person on this forum who thinks SeaWorld shouldn't be filling the parks with a bunch of roller coasters and letting theming/dark rides/family attractions/overall quality fall by the wayside. Going the Six Flags/Cedar Fair route of 'nuthin but coasters' seems like such a cop-out when they have the potential to be so much better and already put so much time and effort into creating high-quality theme parks. If it were Disney or Universal making the same move, I think there would be a lot more people saying the same thing.

Funny, I feel like a lot of people have the opposite extreme attitude about Universal.

 

[shiekra38]

Funny, I feel like a lot of people have the opposite extreme attitude about Universal.

WeLL SeA WoRlD iS A ReGiOnaL ParK

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

Agreed, yes SeaWorld should also put in family attractions and whatnot. But I honestly don't know why people want them to try another darkride, they've never been SeaWorld's forte. Antarctica was a wake-up call to them as that was their big headliner for their land, and it was a whiff which didn't deliver the gains they were hoping for. As for San Diego, look at the Submarine ride...

I really have to disagree about that. SeaWorld has made some really good dark rides in the past--just look at Curse of DarKastle or Battle for Eire. Journey to Atlantis (the Orlando version) had excellent dark ride elements before they ripped out the existing storyline and didn't implement the new one (which was going to tie in with Kraken Unleashed). Antarctica really isn't a bad ride, and the only negative feedback I've heard about it has come from theme park enthusiasts, which aren't really the target audience... Sorry, I know I'm using the word "really" a lot lol.
Also, I think there's a misconception that dark rides are some special thing that's only found at 'big league' theme parks like Disney and Universal. In fact, other than Busch Gardens Tampa, I can only think of a small handful of parks in this country that don't have dark rides. Even Six Flags and Cedar Fair have stuff like Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and Voyage to the Iron Reef at their parks. Not investing in indoor attractions at a park in Florida just doesn't seem like a smart business move to me. I'm not against roller coasters, but I think there needs to be variety. Otherwise SeaWorld Orlando will become Busch Gardens Tampa, where there's nothing to ride when it rains, very little to ride if you don't like roller coasters, and exactly one show of high quality (and right now it's not even showing). Plus, dark rides almost always come with a lot of immersive theming, which improves the perceived quality of the park tremendously. Antarctica is by far the most immersive, most impressive area of the park. Even the area around Akbar's Adventure Tours remains the best themed area of Busch Gardens. Roller coasters and flat rides just don't have nearly the same effect on atmosphere, because there will always be large metal structures dominating and detracting from sight lines. Imagine a new roller coaster being built on the lagoon-- not only would that probably jeopardize the use of the lagoon for nighttime shows, it would also look tacky and more or less eliminate the impression of a vast, natural "ocean" waterfront. There are exceptions like Expedition Everest, but I just don't see SeaWorld making that sort of investment on a single ride any time in the near future.
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WeLL SeA WoRlD iS A ReGiOnaL ParK

Well, that's basically what people have started to believe, and that's the problem (in my opinion). SeaWorld is going to stop drawing out-of-town visitors if it tries to become a regional park. Aside from the simple reality that regional parks invariably offer an inferior experience to destination theme parks, I just don't see enough of a market for one in Orlando, especially with Busch Gardens so close by, which is effectively (though regrettably and puzzlingly) a regional amusement park.


As for the discussion on expanding into the parking lot area, I'd be all for it, though what I'd really want to see is them carving out space for a fourth gate and resort. Considering the massive amounts of expansion happening at the other Orlando parks (with whom they will always be competing, no matter how they try to position themselves), I would think SWO needs to be looking for ways to sell itself as a multi-day destination. Replacing those surface lots with one or two large parking garages across the street would free up roughly 50 acres, arguably enough for a second, non-water park--DCA isn't much bigger--and I'm sure there's somewhere else on property where an official "SeaWorld Resort" could go.

 

[MakoMania]

^Exactly, Antarctica would not be a bad ride if it was located anywhere except Orlando. It is much better than any dark ride we have in the UK.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

^Exactly, Antarctica would not be a bad ride if it was located anywhere except Orlando. It is much better than any dark ride we have in the UK.

No, it’s a bad ride.

 

[Alicia]

No, it’s a bad ride.

It needs like, a few more scenes before I’d even classify it as a dark ride. Right now it’s 2 preshows, Load platform, scene 1, a screen scene, and unload.

It’s like a simulator ride that dances its way into the screen position and then exits into an animal exhibit. And the first scene is visible from load, so even the one tangible scene it has is still kinda part of the loading room.

It’s such a waste.

I like the penguins though. At least they added a separate entrance just to see the penguins.

 

[OrlLover]

Well kill me for finding Antarctica enjoyable but I understand that it isn’t the best ride in the world. :bored:

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Well kill me for finding Antarctica enjoyable but I understand that it isn’t the best ride in the world. :bored:

Penguins are fun! Great exhibit!

 

[Alicia]

Well kill me for finding Antarctica enjoyable but I understand that it isn’t the best ride in the world. :bored:

I love Puck! And I love the area, I even like the food court style quick service. If that ride had just a couple more scenes, it'd be one my favorite things at the park. I know lots of people that like it, I just wish it had a little more to it, but that's me. At least the penguins are cute.

 

[SWBGFan]

Looking at Antarctica for what it is, it really isn't that bad. I mean if you compare it to something like Mystic Manor or Pooh's Hunny Hunt, yeah, those are the best trackless dark rides in the world. But the themeing in the beginning sequences of the ride is actually pretty great, it's just short and uses screens, but that has not deterred my GP friends who think the ride is great.

 

[Chicagoshannon]

We really love the "penguin ride" as we call it. It's no thrill ride but it's fun for what it is.

 

[MakoMania]

It is a good ride, it's just a little short and is not a thrill ride.

 

[cwgator]

The only thing really wrong with it is the short ride time. I think it was hyped way too much. I usually skip it if the line is more than 15 minutes. It's not worth waiting any more than that in my opinion. I'm sure the vast majority feel the same way that waited an hour or more for such a short ride experience...lol