SeaWorld Orlando's Future Plans

[shiekra38]

I think it might go over the pathway and over where SeaPort Market currently is close to Manta. That pathway has remained closed since Howl O Scream. They still haven't removed the house lol

I think you may be right

Also, the haunted houses staying up would be quite common, BGT does that

 

[ParkRumors]

Unsurprisingly, new notes have been added to that permit filed earlier this month that confirm a new ride is coming to replace Antarctica.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Unsurprisingly, new notes have been added to that permit filed earlier this month that confirm a new ride is coming to replace Antarctica.

I know they won't, but they should clone that Sesame Street Ride from Port Aventura.

 

[shiekra38]

I know they won't, but they should clone that Sesame Street Ride from Port Aventura.

Honestly Wild Arctic may work for this if they chose to redo it

 

[GAcoaster]

Wild Arctic is the logical location for a Sesame dark ride if/when it becomes something they want to do. The park that developed it may have an exclusive with Sally for it.

 

[Nick]

Unsurprisingly, new notes have been added to that permit filed earlier this month that confirm a new ride is coming to replace Antarctica.

I haven't kept up with this thread too well so not entirely sure if this has been discussed or not, but talked to a friend a few weeks ago who said the plan is to use the Antarctica building as the station/queue for a new coaster.

 

[Alicia]

I haven't kept up with this thread too well so not entirely sure if this has been discussed or not, but talked to a friend a few weeks ago who said the plan is to use the Antarctica building as the station/queue for a new coaster.

Why am I not surprised

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

I haven't kept up with this thread too well so not entirely sure if this has been discussed or not, but talked to a friend a few weeks ago who said the plan is to use the Antarctica building as the station/queue for a new coaster.

Sounds like this is gonna be another wave breaker clone. Placing my wager on the ride details now lol:

• Name: Antarctic Rescue
• Logo: the same one as Arctic Rescue, but with "Ant" prepended to it
• Premise: for some reason you're in Antarctica, now ride around through the permafrost in a snowmobile chasing down penguins to rescue from... I guess, the uninhabited ice of Antarctica
• Theming: whatever they charitably leave intact from the original ride

Definitely sad that they'll be losing their only indoor ride and only dark ride though. What doesn't make sense to me is, was this really easier or cheaper than just replacing the batteries in the ride vehicles?

 

[GAcoaster]

It was a ride that was widely panned and wasn't particularly reliable either-- very few will miss it when they're getting a family coaster to replace it.

And, it really wasn't a "bad" ride, they just spent way too much on it and it was hyped as such a great ride when in actuality it was psychedelic penguin ice cave ride vehicle dance. Spending money to fix it would have been a waste for the few people who wanted to ride it.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Sounds like this is gonna be another wave breaker clone. Placing my wager on the ride details now lol:

• Name: Antarctic Rescue
• Logo: the same one as Arctic Rescue, but with "Ant" prepended to it
• Premise: for some reason you're in Antarctica, now ride around through the permafrost in a snowmobile chasing down penguins to rescue from... I guess, the uninhabited ice of Antarctica
• Theming: whatever they charitably leave intact from the original ride

Definitely sad that they'll be losing their only indoor ride and only dark ride though. What doesn't make sense to me is, was this really easier or cheaper than just replacing the batteries in the ride vehicles?

The ride wasn't great, it was less dark ride and more of a well-done flat ride honestly lol

 

[Magic-Man]

I understand why they're building this (the park desperately needs a lower height requirement coaster due to Ice Breaker not working out), but good lord can the next few additions be something other than coasters?! The park needs a flat ride package and a dark ride.

 

[SkiBum]

I understand why they're building this (the park desperately needs a lower height requirement coaster due to Ice Breaker not working out), but good lord can the next few additions be something other than coasters?! The park needs a flat ride package and a dark ride.

While I understand and agree, my guess is that Sea World is trying to spur growth and coasters probably bring in more new guests than other ride types. Flat rides and dark rides are great once you have a strong enough base of coasters when you're in Sea World's state. Disney built their reputation on dark rides and thus coasters aren't necessarily as necessary, although it is telling that they have opened two coasters in a row. My guess is that the coaster boom at Sea World will slow after this rumored one but I honestly have no insight into that situation. I only say that because other parks will be next on the list for major capital expenditures and management might also want to reflect on how the park is doing with all the new coasters.

 

[MakoMania]

I'd be amazed if they didn't open a BIG coaster in 2025 for Epic Universe's year. For example, this new patented top hat type thing from Intamin would provide a crowd-drawing icon for the park:

On the most recent earnings call the company announced one new hotel for 2025 and a second in 2026 - seems like one of the two may be Orlando. There are also people within the company pushing for a SeaWorld Abu Dhabi-fication of the US parks, with new themed integrative animal experiences and rides, however if this happens it seems it will be more a second half of this decade type of thing.

 

[MrRoamer]

I understand why they're building this (the park desperately needs a lower height requirement coaster due to Ice Breaker not working out), but good lord can the next few additions be something other than coasters?! The park needs a flat ride package and a dark ride.

Completely agree, we haven't had SeaWorld passes in a minute and only got them because of a good deal and all our friends have passes. Our problem is that my son is in this middle area where he's too big and old for anything Sesame Street, but too short to do almost anything else at the park. I think the only things he can do are Atlantis and Infinity Falls, and to be honest most days we aren't looking at getting wet.

Wild Arctic and Penguins were both not great rides but at least they were something to do. I am much happier now that I don't have to ride that ride in order to see penguins anymore though

 

[Tobias]

I understand why they're building this (the park desperately needs a lower height requirement coaster due to Ice Breaker not working out), but good lord can the next few additions be something other than coasters?! The park needs a flat ride package and a dark ride.

Agreed, at least a flat ride package to balance things out. Though I can't say a dark ride just because Seas's record with them is really not the best, case in point...*gestures to Antarctica*.

What doesn't make sense to me is, was this really easier or cheaper than just replacing the batteries in the ride vehicles?

Getting a brand new ride that'll involve altering/demoing the ride building and whatnot is probably not cheaper than getting a new set of batteries for the vehicles...but I think that's ultimately a moot point. The fact we have the rumors of them building a new coaster rather than getting a new set of batteries tells us plenty on how they feel about Antarctica...it's not worth saving.

 

[wutisgood]

While I understand and agree, my guess is that Sea World is trying to spur growth and coasters probably bring in more new guests than other ride types. Flat rides and dark rides are great once you have a strong enough base of coasters when you're in Sea World's state. Disney built their reputation on dark rides and thus coasters aren't necessarily as necessary, although it is telling that they have opened two coasters in a row. My guess is that the coaster boom at Sea World will slow after this rumored one but I honestly have no insight into that situation. I only say that because other parks will be next on the list for major capital expenditures and management might also want to reflect on how the park is doing with all the new coasters.

I feel like I have seen way more young families at Sea World than Universal. It had the shows/animals that could fill out a day and was a much easier add on to Disney than Universal. They are adding coasters but cutting entertainment and not building rides that take advantage of the family market they had a leg up on. The shows are not as good as they used to be. I think sea world is making somewhat of a mistake here in the selection of rides they are adding. The new coaster is probably going to be one of the most unpopular rides in the park. If families come here and see the investments are just coasters they aren't coming back anytime soon.

 

[AnyNameYouWish]

seems like one of the two may be Orlando

I don't know about the other one, but one of the two is BGT.

 

[SkiBum]

I feel like I have seen way more young families at Sea World than Universal. It had the shows/animals that could fill out a day and was a much easier add on to Disney than Universal. They are adding coasters but cutting entertainment and not building rides that take advantage of the family market they had a leg up on. The shows are not as good as they used to be. I think sea world is making somewhat of a mistake here in the selection of rides they are adding. The new coaster is probably going to be one of the most unpopular rides in the park. If families come here and see the investments are just coasters they aren't coming back anytime soon.

I know. Sea World's shows used to be the "why" to visit but the infamous movie "Blackfish" and subsequent bad press has pretty much ruined that part of Sea World. I mean, what is Sea World without the Sea? So, they have to decide what to do next. They can't compete with Disney or UNI for dark ride dominance. They don't have the deep pockets, related IP's, or willingness. Without those, the other remaining option is to be the coaster park in Orlando and maintain a decent kids area as well. Universal has a several good coasters, spread across the parks (three top tier coasters at IoA alone). Sea World can claim the same but at one park and then also have the remaining shows and animal exhiblts to fill out a visitor's day., whereas it used to be the opposite( shows with rides to fill in time between shows).

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

I know. Sea World's shows used to be the "why" to visit but the infamous movie "Blackfish" and subsequent bad press has pretty much ruined that part of Sea World. I mean, what is Sea World without the Sea? So, they have to decide what to do next. They can't compete with Disney or UNI for dark ride dominance. They don't have the deep pockets, related IP's, or willingness. Without those, the other remaining option is to be the coaster park in Orlando and maintain a decent kids area as well. Universal has a several good coasters, spread across the parks (three top tier coasters at IoA alone). Sea World can claim the same but at one park and then also have the remaining shows and animal exhiblts to fill out a visitor's day., whereas it used to be the opposite( shows with rides to fill in time between shows).

I understand this is all true, but then I see European parks with lower or comparable attendance (like Toverland or Efteling) managing to do much more elaborate rides and wonder what prevents SeaWorld from doing the same.

 

[Jake S]

I understand this is all true, but then I see European parks with lower or comparable attendance (like Toverland or Efteling) managing to do much more elaborate rides and wonder what prevents SeaWorld from doing the same.

I'd say that seaworld can build comparable attractions but it's worth considering that these are different companies with different ownership models [privately vs. publicly owned] and as such have different objectives.