ORLANDO
— There's nothing quite like being among a huge colony of cold-weather
penguins as they plunge into the water in fine torpedo-like fashion,
waddle to and fro and chatter with one another. For starters: It's
really noisy.
"If you listen close, each species has a different type of vocalization," says Mike Boos, vice president of zoological operations at SeaWorld Orlando.
Some make dolphin-style squeaks, others honk with gusto, and many let out sounds reminiscent of Chewbacca. On top of that, they are quite curious. "They all greet you in their own unique way," he says. "They just want to come over and see what you're doing."
Typically, people have to travel to far-flung locales to score this type of quality time with Gentoo, King, Adelie and Rockhopper penguins. But come May 24, when SeaWorld opens its new Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin attraction, they need only to head to Orlando.
By then, 245 web-footed fowl will have moved into their fancy new abode: a 6,125-square-foot habitat kept at a brisk 30 degrees. But what's more impressive is what's missing: the glass partition that typically separates guests from the animals. Instead, only a 2-foot-high rock wall will keep the penguins from hopping into the crowd.
With a footprint of nearly 4 acres, this new "realm" of 50-foot glaciers and hand-blown icicles also includes an underwater viewing area, a high-tech ride, a restaurant and a gift shop that collectively create the wow factor. It's the largest expansion project in the park's history, and USA TODAY got the first look inside.
Cooled off
"Antarctica is a huge, vast and sometimes alien world that most humans have never seen in person, nor will they ever get to," says Brian Morrow, senior director of attraction development and design at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. So with painstaking detail, SeaWorld has replicated it.
Once inside the ride area, things start to feel much more frozen tundra and much less hot, humid Florida. It's all thanks to a sophisticated system that zaps the moisture from the air and cools the space. Guests are slowly acclimatized to the real cold of Antarctica via air chilling, air movement and air recycling as they move through decreasing temperature chambers that prep them for the chilliest temps at the end of the ride.
The heartwarming story begins with a pre-show on large screens featuring digitized mother and father Gentoo penguins and their newly hatched chick, Puck. Then, it's decision time when the line splits into two lanes. Opt for the wild expedition if you're seeking twists, turns and bumps, or the mild expedition when, for example, you bring your toddler along. Notably, nearly everyone can ride this gentler option; they just need to be able to sit up on their own.
Once guests hop aboard the eight-person, circular-ride vehicle (which juices up by resting on floor-mounted charging units while in place), the hyper-realism ends and the reverie begins. Giant fake ice droplets dangle from the ceiling. A rainbow of pastels reflects off nearly every surface. And an original score of infectious orchestral music pumps through the speakers.
The sleek vehicles themselves add to the awe. "They don't ride on tracks," Morrow says, which allowed engineers to create 32 different ride scenarios. Plus, not only do riders see the world through Puck's eyes, but they also feel his harsh environment (read: blizzard-like conditions) and experience his movements, too.
"When he stumbles, your vehicle follows that," Morrow says. "And when he slides across the ice, you feel that, too."
When guests step off the ride, they are smack-dab in the middle of a drafty penguin habitat. To add to the chill factor, about 5 tons of snow will be pumped in daily. Plus, the room next door has space for visitors to gawk at the birds from a different angle: A 144,300-gallon tank gives the penguins plenty of room to dart about like miniature Ryan Lochtes.
Every last detail has been carefully orchestrated — even the lighting will mimic that of Antarctica, letting the penguins know when it's time to breed. "Since the Antarctic seasons are opposite of those in Orlando, we will be going into the winter season when the attraction opens," Boos says. "Guests will experience several hours of bright light, but also dimmed light. During the Orlando winter, it will be bright in the penguin habitat for almost 20 hours a day."
This, he says, is a big reason why SeaWorld has such a successful breeding program. Since 1990, SeaWorld Orlando has hatched 452 chicks from seven different species of penguins.
'The Next Chapter'
So, how do the penguins feel about their new open-forum environment?
"They are very accustomed to seeing guests," Boos says. The noise level won't bother the animals, either, he says, since they are fairly rowdy themselves.
After exiting the penguin habitat, the Expedition Café is a few steps away. The menu, which is several notches above typical theme-park fare, includes a mix of crowd-pleasing, cooked-to-order and quick-serve meals ($7 to $10), such as chicken and vegetable stir fry and lasagna with freshly baked breadsticks. Many of the dishes incorporate "freshies" (aka, herbs grown in the cafe's hydroponic garden). Outside, dome-shaped Quonset huts were built in true Antarctic base-camp style. With picnic tables and shade, they make for a good mealtime spot.
Overall, it's clear that SeaWorld has kicked it up a notch. "Antarctica tells a very different visual story of scale, realism and detail yet to be seen at SeaWorld," Morrow says. "It's really the next chapter for our company."
Duncan Dickson, who teaches theme-park management at the University of Central Florida, agrees. "All 10 of our major theme parks create a synergy in the region," he says. "It is the reason we attracted 56 million visitors last year. With all the new attractions in the parks, we should have a year that takes us back to the (pre-recession) summer of 2008."
If you go...
Cost: Single-day gate admission is $89 plus tax for adults and $81 plus tax for children (ages 3-9). Pass members receive a one-time, front-of-the-line access pass to Antarctica from May 28 to June 30 by registering online at seaworldparks.com/orlandopassmembers.
Extra penguin time: Starting in June, Penguins Up-Close tours give guests a behind-the-scenes look at the animals. (Seasonal price starting at $59 ages 10 and up, $39 ages 3-9 plus tax. Park admission is not included and is required.)
Attire: If you plan to stay in the chilly penguin habitat for more than five minutes, bring a jacket along.
Info: seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/antarctica
"If you listen close, each species has a different type of vocalization," says Mike Boos, vice president of zoological operations at SeaWorld Orlando.
Some make dolphin-style squeaks, others honk with gusto, and many let out sounds reminiscent of Chewbacca. On top of that, they are quite curious. "They all greet you in their own unique way," he says. "They just want to come over and see what you're doing."
Typically, people have to travel to far-flung locales to score this type of quality time with Gentoo, King, Adelie and Rockhopper penguins. But come May 24, when SeaWorld opens its new Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin attraction, they need only to head to Orlando.
By then, 245 web-footed fowl will have moved into their fancy new abode: a 6,125-square-foot habitat kept at a brisk 30 degrees. But what's more impressive is what's missing: the glass partition that typically separates guests from the animals. Instead, only a 2-foot-high rock wall will keep the penguins from hopping into the crowd.
With a footprint of nearly 4 acres, this new "realm" of 50-foot glaciers and hand-blown icicles also includes an underwater viewing area, a high-tech ride, a restaurant and a gift shop that collectively create the wow factor. It's the largest expansion project in the park's history, and USA TODAY got the first look inside.
Cooled off
"Antarctica is a huge, vast and sometimes alien world that most humans have never seen in person, nor will they ever get to," says Brian Morrow, senior director of attraction development and design at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. So with painstaking detail, SeaWorld has replicated it.
Once inside the ride area, things start to feel much more frozen tundra and much less hot, humid Florida. It's all thanks to a sophisticated system that zaps the moisture from the air and cools the space. Guests are slowly acclimatized to the real cold of Antarctica via air chilling, air movement and air recycling as they move through decreasing temperature chambers that prep them for the chilliest temps at the end of the ride.
The heartwarming story begins with a pre-show on large screens featuring digitized mother and father Gentoo penguins and their newly hatched chick, Puck. Then, it's decision time when the line splits into two lanes. Opt for the wild expedition if you're seeking twists, turns and bumps, or the mild expedition when, for example, you bring your toddler along. Notably, nearly everyone can ride this gentler option; they just need to be able to sit up on their own.
Once guests hop aboard the eight-person, circular-ride vehicle (which juices up by resting on floor-mounted charging units while in place), the hyper-realism ends and the reverie begins. Giant fake ice droplets dangle from the ceiling. A rainbow of pastels reflects off nearly every surface. And an original score of infectious orchestral music pumps through the speakers.
The sleek vehicles themselves add to the awe. "They don't ride on tracks," Morrow says, which allowed engineers to create 32 different ride scenarios. Plus, not only do riders see the world through Puck's eyes, but they also feel his harsh environment (read: blizzard-like conditions) and experience his movements, too.
"When he stumbles, your vehicle follows that," Morrow says. "And when he slides across the ice, you feel that, too."
When guests step off the ride, they are smack-dab in the middle of a drafty penguin habitat. To add to the chill factor, about 5 tons of snow will be pumped in daily. Plus, the room next door has space for visitors to gawk at the birds from a different angle: A 144,300-gallon tank gives the penguins plenty of room to dart about like miniature Ryan Lochtes.
Every last detail has been carefully orchestrated — even the lighting will mimic that of Antarctica, letting the penguins know when it's time to breed. "Since the Antarctic seasons are opposite of those in Orlando, we will be going into the winter season when the attraction opens," Boos says. "Guests will experience several hours of bright light, but also dimmed light. During the Orlando winter, it will be bright in the penguin habitat for almost 20 hours a day."
This, he says, is a big reason why SeaWorld has such a successful breeding program. Since 1990, SeaWorld Orlando has hatched 452 chicks from seven different species of penguins.
'The Next Chapter'
So, how do the penguins feel about their new open-forum environment?
"They are very accustomed to seeing guests," Boos says. The noise level won't bother the animals, either, he says, since they are fairly rowdy themselves.
After exiting the penguin habitat, the Expedition Café is a few steps away. The menu, which is several notches above typical theme-park fare, includes a mix of crowd-pleasing, cooked-to-order and quick-serve meals ($7 to $10), such as chicken and vegetable stir fry and lasagna with freshly baked breadsticks. Many of the dishes incorporate "freshies" (aka, herbs grown in the cafe's hydroponic garden). Outside, dome-shaped Quonset huts were built in true Antarctic base-camp style. With picnic tables and shade, they make for a good mealtime spot.
Overall, it's clear that SeaWorld has kicked it up a notch. "Antarctica tells a very different visual story of scale, realism and detail yet to be seen at SeaWorld," Morrow says. "It's really the next chapter for our company."
Duncan Dickson, who teaches theme-park management at the University of Central Florida, agrees. "All 10 of our major theme parks create a synergy in the region," he says. "It is the reason we attracted 56 million visitors last year. With all the new attractions in the parks, we should have a year that takes us back to the (pre-recession) summer of 2008."
Cost: Single-day gate admission is $89 plus tax for adults and $81 plus tax for children (ages 3-9). Pass members receive a one-time, front-of-the-line access pass to Antarctica from May 28 to June 30 by registering online at seaworldparks.com/orlandopassmembers.
Extra penguin time: Starting in June, Penguins Up-Close tours give guests a behind-the-scenes look at the animals. (Seasonal price starting at $59 ages 10 and up, $39 ages 3-9 plus tax. Park admission is not included and is required.)
Attire: If you plan to stay in the chilly penguin habitat for more than five minutes, bring a jacket along.
Info: seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/antarctica
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