SeaWorld Orlando

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For the SeaWorld chain of parks, see SeaWorld.
SeaWorld Orlando
Slogan The Voyage Begins...
Location Orlando, Florida, United States
Coordinates 28°24′39″N 81°27′45″W / 28.41083°N 81.46250°W / 28.41083; -81.46250Coordinates: 28°24′39″N 81°27′45″W / 28.41083°N 81.46250°W / 28.41083; -81.46250
Owner Blackstone Group
Operated by SeaWorld Entertainment
Opened December 15, 1973[1]
Previous names SeaWorld Florida
Operating season Year-round
Area 200 acres (81 ha)
Rides
Total 11
Roller coasters 4
Website seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-orlando

SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, in Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Entertainment, a subsidiary of Blackstone Group. When combined with its neighbor Discovery Cove and Aquatica, it forms Seaworld Parks and Resorts Orlando, an entertainment complex consisting of the three parks and many neighboring hotels and eateries.

In 2010, SeaWorld Orlando hosted an estimated 5.1 million guests, ranking it the ninth-most visited amusement park in the United States.[2] However, SeaWorld's owners have challenged the estimated figures in the past; in 2007, the estimate was 5.8 million guests, while the park's internal data, normally not released to the public, was closer to 6.2 million guests.[3] A spokesperson for then-owner Busch Entertainment Corporation disagreed with the report, saying, "They are wrong across the board."[4]

Park, theme and design

Unlike most other theme parks, SeaWorld Orlando is not fully divided into dedicated themed "lands" or sections. There are instead individually themed attractions and select themed areas of the park including the following:

Main Entrance

The main entrance of the park features a Florida-inspired theme with lush tropical landscaping and a large artificial freshwater marina with a Shamu-themed iconic lighthouse. The theme of the main entrance area integrates into the nearby Key West at SeaWorld area with similar architecture and landscaping. The Manta attraction and aquarium exhibit is also near the main entrance area.

Key West at SeaWorld

Key West at SeaWorld is designed to mimic the appearance of the city of Key West, Florida with architecture and landscaping reminiscent of the area. Animal exhibits in this portion of the park include cownose rays, southern stingrays, green sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, greater flamingos, West Indian manatees, American alligators and brown pelicans. The stingray and dolphin habitats offer opportunities for guests to feed the animals.

Shamu's Happy Harbor

Shamu's Happy Harbor is a children's area hosted by Shamu, the park's killer whale mascot. The area is located adjacent to Shamu Stadium and features family activities including Shamu Express (a junior rollercoaster), a net climbing structure, and a water play area.[5]

The Waterfront at SeaWorld

Sky Tower

The Waterfront is the newest themed area of the park, the area resembles a seaside Mediterranean village and contains shops, restaurants, and a pearl dive exhibit, as well as the park's iconic Sky Tower ride which was integrated into the theme of The Waterfront village when the new area opened in 2003.

Wild Arctic

Main article: Wild Arctic

The Wild Arctic indoor pavilion serves as a combined attraction which includes a motion simulator or film followed by an indoor animal exhibit hosting Polar bears, Beluga whales, and Pacific walrus. The area is themed after an exploration base camp located in the cold elements of the arctic with features including ice walls and a sunken ship trapped in ice that leads to an underwater viewing area of the animal exhibits.

During the Christmas holiday season, SeaWorld Orlando's Wild Arctic is transformed into the Polar Express Experience based on the Warner Bros. film of the same name. Guests ride the Polar Express to the North Pole where Santa Claus waits to greet them in front of a towering Giant Everest tree from Christmas Lights Etc.

Attractions

SeaWorld Orlando has a vast array of live shows and attractions including rides and animal exhibits. Two of these attractions actually combine the two, with both a ride component and a separate animal exhibit.

Rides & Attractions

# Name Opened Description
1 Kraken 2000 A floorless roller coaster themed after the legend of the Kraken sea monster.
2 Manta 2009 A flying roller coaster and aquarium exhibit featuring rays, sea dragons and other species.
3 Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin 2013 A themed area headlined by a motion-based trackless dark ride featuring live penguin exhibits.
4 Journey to Atlantis 1998 An indoor boat ride with roller coaster elements themed to the mythical Atlantis.
5 Shamu Express 2006[6] A Zierer family roller coaster with cars themed as Shamu.
6 Sky Tower 1973 400-foot tall rotating Gyro tower.
7 Wild Arctic 1992 An indoor zoo featuring polar bears, beluga whales, and walruses that is designed to resemble a research station in the Arctic Ocean. Guests can take a motion-simulated helicopter journey to the exhibit, or may bypass the ride and watch the film without the motion and proceed directly to the exhibit.
8 Turtle Trek 2012 An outdoor/indoor exhibit featuring sea turtles, West Indian manatees, and American alligators. The highlight of the exhibit is a theater dome where a 3D computer-animated film details the average journey of a sea turtle. The theater is a 360° dome with 3D content completely surrounded the audience. The theater and media was developed by Falcon's Treehouse, LLC.
9 Sea Carousel 2007[7] A carousel themed with caricatured marine mammals and fish.
10 Jazzy Jellies 2006[6] A balloon tower style ride that lifts up and spins controlled by riders with a disk.
11 Swishy Fishies 2006[6] A spinning teacup ride themed with fish.
12 Ocean Commotion 2007[7] A Rockin' Tug ride.
13 The Flying Fiddler 2007[7] A kiddie crab-themed Frog Hopper-style freefall attraction.
14 Paddle Boats Flamingo-themed paddle boats that can travel all around the park's central lake. Additional fee is required.
15 Net Climb 2006[8] A four story net climb play area with tire swings and slides.

Live Entertainment

# Name Opened Description
14 Shamu Stadium 1984 The seven-million gallon home to the park's killer whale performers. The park's current production is One Ocean, which is joined by the seasonal Shamu Rocks and Shamu Christmas Miracles night shows.
15 The Whale and Dolphin Stadium Features dolphins, macaws and an Andean condor in Blue Horizons, which also adds human acrobats and divers. False killer whales were once part of the show until the eventual death of the park's two specimens.[9] Four rescued pilot whales are also housed here and can be seen occasionally during the preshow (about 15-20 mins before the show) for Blue Horizons. [10]
16 The Sea Lion and Otter Stadium Hosts "Clyde and Seamore," a pair of California sea lions in the comical presentation Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island. Otters and a Pacific walrus also partake in the show.
17 Bayside Stadium Formerly hosted water skiing shows on the park's central lagoon. Today, the stage is used for SeaWorld's numerous music concert series and other special events as well as the official viewing area for the seasonal Reflections firework show.
18 The Nautilus Theatre An acrobatic show similar in style and presentation to the works of Cirque du Soleil.
19 Seaport Theatre Features dogs, cats, and other animals that have been rescued from local animal shelters in Pets Ahoy!. This venue is also home to Abby's Treasure Hunt.
20 Seafire Inn Is both a restaurant and a theatre in the style of a dinner theatre. This venue is home to the Makahiki Luau, a Polynesian festival offering authentic cuisine, fire dances, and island chants and songs.
21 Reflections A seasonal firework show on the park's central lagoon featuring fireworks, dancing fountains, and mist screens synchronized and inspired by the musical soundtracks of the park's shows and attractions. The show was formerly called Mistify. During the Holidays, there is a Holiday Reflections.

Animal exhibits

Dining with the sharks at the Sharks Underwater Grill
  • Shark Encounter, which features an underwater tunnel and a wide array of sharks, stingrays, barracuda, and venomous fish. At Sharks Underwater Grill, guests can dine while observing the sea life in the main exhibit tank.
  • Pacific Point Preserve, home to the park's sea lions and seals.
  • Dolphin Cove, an outdoor exhibit where guests can feed and touch Bottlenose Dolphins.
  • Stingray Lagoon, a covered exhibit where guests can touch stingrays.
  • Dolphin Nursery, a covered exhibit where new-born Bottlenose Dolphins reside.
  • Flamingo Point, an outdoor exhibit where flamingos are exhibited.
  • Pelican Preserve, an outdoor exhibit where brown pelicans are exhibited.

Future expansions

No new expansions are in progress.

Animal inventory

Tilikum with orca trainer Dawn Brancheau in 1998.

SeaWorld Orlando maintains a large number of marine mammals that take part in the park's shows and are displayed in its exhibits. One of its more controversial residents is Tilikum, a male killer whale connected to the deaths of three people during his history in captivity.

Beluga Whales

Wild Arctic - Aurek (M), Klondike (M), Maple (F), and Whisper (F)

Atlantic & Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins

Whale & Dolphin Stadium - Starbuck (M), Phil (M), Clyde (M), Bubba (M), Baretta (M), Jenson (M), Alejandro (M), Marble (M), Frankie (F), Nueces (F), Damara (F), and Gala (F)

Dolphin Cove - Jenever (F), Lily (F), Bailey (F), Ariel (F), Bossa (F), Naia (F), Oscar (M), Tiger (M), Jag (M), Neo (M), Alpha (M), Nate (M), Scott (M), Potter (M), Jackson (M), Schooner (M), Lagos (M), Turk (M), Soliel (F), Roka (M), Gus (M), Liko (M), Haley (F), Aurora (F) and Starla (F).

Dolphin Nursery - Tasha (F), Yar (F), Calli (F), Griffith (F), Gertrude (F), Yar's Calf (?) and Tasha's Calf (?).

Killer Whales

Shamu Stadium - Katina (F), Tilikum (M), Kayla (F), Trua (M), Nalani (F), Malia (F), and Makaio (M).

Pacific Walruses

Sea Lion & Otter Stadium - Bruiser (M), Slowpoke (F)

Wild Arctic - Garfield (M), Kaboodle (F)

Polar Bears

Wild Arctic - Johnny (M).

Short-finned Atlantic Pilot Whales

Whale and Dolphin Stadium - Fredi (F), Ace (M), Piper (F) and Ava (F)

Aquatica

See also

  • Incidents at SeaWorld Orlando

Notes

  1. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/SeaWorld/info
  2. ↑ "TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report 2010". www.themeit.com. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 
  3. ↑ Scott Powers (2008-03-14). "Attendance at theme parks continues to skyrocket". www.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 2008-03-14. 
  4. ↑ Jason Garcia (2009-04-16). "Report: Theme-park attendance growth stalled in 2008". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2009-04-16. 
  5. ↑ "Shamu's Happy Harbor". seaworldparks.com. Sea World. Retrieved January 26, 2013. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "SeaWorld Florida". Screamscape. August 11, 2006. Retrieved October 8, 2013. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "SeaWorld Florida". Screamscape. May 29, 2007. Retrieved October 8, 2013. 
  8. ↑ "Photo TR: SeaWorld, IOA/Universal Updates!". Theme Park Review. May 24, 2006. Retrieved October 8, 2013. 
  9. ↑ Garcia, Jason (5 June 2012). "False killer whale Jozu dies at SeaWorld Orlando". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 25 March 2013. 
  10. ↑ Kirley, James (16 September 2012). "Too soon to tell if surviving pilot whales can be released". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 25 March 2013. 

External links

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