Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin



Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin is a theme area at SeaWorld Orlando featuring a motion-based, trackless dark ride and a penguinarium. The attraction opened on May 24, 2013 as the largest attraction at any SeaWorld Entertainment theme park. The area was generally well received by critics and the public at its opening.

History
In August and September 2011, SeaWorld Entertainment filed trademarks for "Antarctica" to be used for a theme area, and "Empire of the Penguins" to be used for an amusement ride. This led to rumors that SeaWorld Orlando would replace its "Penguin Encounter" exhibit with a dark ride. A report by the Orlando Sentinel in October 2011 confirmed these plans, citing "government filings and interviews with people familiar with various elements". At the time, SeaWorld Orlando would not publicly reveal its plans.

On November 8, 2011, SeaWorld announced a multi-year expansion plan featuring the opening of Turtle Trek in 2012 and "Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin" in 2013. Although details of the ride were not released, creative director Brian Morrow said that the ride would be the coldest attraction in the world and would follow the journey of a tiny penguin. On April 24, 2012, the park revealed further details about the attraction: guests would ride in eight-person vehicles, choosing among two levels of intensity ("Mild" or "Wild"). The surrounding area would also feature a new penguin habitat, restaurant and store.

On February 19, 2013, SeaWorld Orlando announced that "Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin" would open on May 24. Unlike many attractions, the ride had no soft opening period; instead, it was open to a select number of employees and their families, travel media and bloggers before its public opening.

On May 24, 2013, SeaWorld Orlando opened Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin to the public. The opening drew thousands of guests to the ride, with some waiting more than four hours to board. On May 25, one of the penguins escaped the open-air enclosure by leaping out of the water and into the public viewing area; it was returned to the exhibit unharmed.

Ride experience
Guests enter the queue from the Antarctica-themed area of the park. Large groups of riders and non-riders are admitted into a pre-show room, where multiple projections of an Antarctic landscape are blended with 3D exhibits. In a narrated video, guests are introduced to a gentoo penguin colony in Antarctica featuring a newborn penguin named Puck. After the pre-show guests follow a path to a junction. Non-riders watch another, smaller pre-show before entering the penguin exhibit. Riders choose a "mild" or "wild" ride. They are then divided into groups of eight riders before boarding the ride vehicles at one of four stations. Riders are seated in two rows of four, and restrained by seat belts.

When the riders have boarded, the vehicle is dispatched. It travels around an indoor Antarctic environment, spinning to view a variety of scenery and projection screens. The story which began in the pre-show continues, with Puck venturing out into the sea. When he is underwater, Puck is chased by a leopard seal before resurfacing on land. The ride's theme song – "Antarctica: One World, One Family" by Lauren Alaina – is then played as guests watch a live penguin habitat behind glass before the vehicles return to a four-platform unloading station.

Guests disembark in an open-air penguin habitat with an air temperature of approximately 30 °F (−1 °C). This exhibit has minimal barriers between guests and inhabitants, and is designed so guests can hear sounds made by the penguins.