Antarctica ride

[ChanaC]

I used intern at SeaWorld and was there a few weeks after Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin and the whole Antarctica area in general opened back in 2013. I thought it was a cool (literally) ride, and the new ride system was great. I haven't been following SeaWorld that closely but I know the ride closed and didn't open after the pandemic park closures. I assumed they just didn't want to run the ride in attempt to keep people distanced, and by having people walk through the attraction they could better control the amount of people inside at one time. But is it true it never reopened? I just saw something yesterday on SeaWorld's Facebook teasing a new Antarctica ride in the penguin exhibit/building. They are calling it "Project Penguin". Does anyone know what happened to the previous ride? Was there some sort of mechanical issue? I assume with the new technology a lot of things could easily go wrong, but still the ride is only ten years old and while it wasn't the most exciting ride, it was still really popular and great for families.

 

[leiaorgana]

Yes, it’s true that it’s never reopened since the park closed due to the pandemic and I agree that it’s a shame because there’s barely anything to do there now ride-wise that isn’t some sort of coaster.

From what I’ve heard from other places, apparently it’s because the batteries are ruined in the ride vehicles because they weren’t running the ride still during the closure and they completely drained during that period or something like that. I’m sure someone else has more details on the specifics.

It looks like the new ride is some sort of coaster though that goes past Pacific Point. When we were there in July they had the usual entrance to the Sea Lions blocked off for the construction and the only ways you could get round to them was either through the Sea Lion Stadium or through a backstage entrance by Kraken.

 

[ChanaC]

Yes, it’s true that it’s never reopened since the park closed due to the pandemic and I agree that it’s a shame because there’s barely anything to do there now ride-wise that isn’t some sort of coaster.

From what I’ve heard from other places, apparently it’s because the batteries are ruined in the ride vehicles because they weren’t running the ride still during the closure and they completely drained during that period or something like that. I’m sure someone else has more details on the specifics.

It looks like the new ride is some sort of coaster though that goes past Pacific Point. When we were there in July they had the usual entrance to the Sea Lions blocked off for the construction and the only ways you could get round to them was either through the Sea Lion Stadium or through a backstage entrance by Kraken.

Interesting about the batteries. The trackless ride system is pretty new, but Disney just opened Rise of the Resistance right before the pandemic and they seemed to be able to keep their vehicles going, although something tells me Disney keeps a better eye on that stuff. I get batteries are expensive, but compared to building a completely building a new ride I assume it would still work out to less money.

I get SeaWorld is trying to be a rollercoaster park, but it really needs to have some options between big intense coasters and the little kiddie rides. I guess they have Infinity Falls and Atlantis (side note: talk about an attraction that needs a renovation, at least when I was there ten years ago). I even liked the Antarctica has "mild" and "wild" versions of the ride (not that wild was too wild), it's like getting two rides in one. I personally am not a big coaster fan and the most intense ride I'll actually go on is Everest at Animal Kingdom, and even that is a little too much for me sometimes. It would be nice if this is a more "fun" themed coaster closer to something like Thunder Mountain that has a little intensity but is not scary.

 

[Jrb1979]

Interesting about the batteries. The trackless ride system is pretty new, but Disney just opened Rise of the Resistance right before the pandemic and they seemed to be able to keep their vehicles going, although something tells me Disney keeps a better eye on that stuff. I get batteries are expensive, but compared to building a completely building a new ride I assume it would still work out to less money.

I get SeaWorld is trying to be a rollercoaster park, but it really needs to have some options between big intense coasters and the little kiddie rides. I guess they have Infinity Falls and Atlantis (side note: talk about an attraction that needs a renovation, at least when I was there ten years ago). I even liked the Antarctica has "mild" and "wild" versions of the ride (not that wild was too wild), it's like getting two rides in one. I personally am not a big coaster fan and the most intense ride I'll actually go on is Everest at Animal Kingdom, and even that is a little too much for me sometimes. It would be nice if this is a more "fun" themed coaster closer to something like Thunder Mountain that has a little intensity but is not scary.

Apparently it's going to me more of a family coaster. Similar to this

 

[keishashadow]

Looks like a great family ride 42 inch height requirement

 

[zavandor]

Interesting about the batteries. The trackless ride system is pretty new, but Disney just opened Rise of the Resistance right before the pandemic and they seemed to be able to keep their vehicles going, although something tells me Disney keeps a better eye on that stuff. I get batteries are expensive, but compared to building a completely building a new ride I assume it would still work out to less money.

I get SeaWorld is trying to be a rollercoaster park, but it really needs to have some options between big intense coasters and the little kiddie rides. I guess they have Infinity Falls and Atlantis (side note: talk about an attraction that needs a renovation, at least when I was there ten years ago). I even liked the Antarctica has "mild" and "wild" versions of the ride (not that wild was too wild), it's like getting two rides in one. I personally am not a big coaster fan and the most intense ride I'll actually go on is Everest at Animal Kingdom, and even that is a little too much for me sometimes. It would be nice if this is a more "fun" themed coaster closer to something like Thunder Mountain that has a little intensity but is not scary.

Rise of the Resistance is a masterpiece of imagineering, Antarctica was a waste of time before the real attraction, the penguins habitat. It's not all that surprising that it's being replaced.

 

[Jrb1979]

Rise of the Resistance is a masterpiece of imagineering, Antarctica was a waste of time before the real attraction, the penguins habitat. It's not all that surprising that it's being replaced.

That's not why its being replaced. It's being replaced due to the batteries dying from not being charged during the COVID closure

 

[zavandor]

That's not why its being replaced. It's being replaced due to the batteries dying from not being charged during the COVID closure

Which means at Sea World they're a bunch of incompetent people, or they knew the ride was a fail with visitors and it was going to be replaced soon, to the point that paying someone to run the vehicles once a day was not worth it.
Also, I guess new batteries cost less than a new coaster. If they wanted to save it, they would have. The ride is just awful, that's why it's being replaced, regardless of what save facing excuse they're rumoring.