SeaWorld Orlando

For the SeaWorld chain of parks, see SeaWorld.

SeaWorld Orlando
Location	Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Coordinates	28°24′39″N 81°27′45″W / 28.41083°N 81.4625°W / 28.41083; -81.4625Coordinates: 28°24′39″N 81°27′45″W / 28.41083°N 81.4625°W / 28.41083; -81.4625
Website	SeaWorld Orlando
Owner	SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Opened	1973; 38 years ago (1973)
Previous names	SeaWorld Florida
Operating season	Year-round
Area	200 acres (0.81 km2)
Rides	10 total 4 roller coasters
Slogan	As real as it gets.

SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group. When combined with its neighbor Discovery Cove and the Aquatica waterpark, it forms a larger entertainment complex devoted to Earth's oceans and the array of life that inhabits them.

In 2010, SeaWorld Orlando hosted an estimated 5.1 million guests, ranking it the ninth-most visited amusement park in the United States.^[1] 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.^[2] A spokesman for then-owner Busch Entertainment Corporation disagreed with the report, saying, "They are wrong across the board."^[3]

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, and American Alligator. 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 six family rides (including Shamu Express, a junior rollercoaster), a net climbing structure, and a water play area.

The Waterfront at SeaWorld

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

Further information: Wild Arctic (SeaWorld Orlando)

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 walruss. 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.

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.

Live Entertainment

SeaWorld Orlando hosts a number of live shows, many featuring trained animals. During peak seasons (such as summer), the park will offer special seasonal shows in addition to regular daily performances.

• Shamu Stadium is the seven-million gallon home to the park's killer whale performers. The park's current production is One Ocean, which is joined by Shamu Rocks during busier seasons and Shamu Christmas Miracles during the holiday season. In 2011, Believe was replaced with another killer whale show, One Ocean.
• The Whale and Dolphin Stadium features dolphins, a false killer whale, macaws and even an Andean condor in Blue Horizons, which also adds human acrobats and divers.
• 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. During the summer months, the pair lampoon the park's other shows during Sea Lions Tonite. During the Holiday the duo perform in "Countdown to Christmas."
• 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.
• The Nautilus Theatre is home to A'lure, an acrobatic show similar in style and presentation to the works of Cirque du Soleil.
• 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 Elmo & Abby's Treasure Hunt. During the Halloween and Holiday seasons, other Sesame Street shows are located in this theatre.
• 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. In the summer, this venue also hosts Wild Things at Seafire, an educational display of several various exotic animals being handled by an animal trainer.
• 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.

Rides

Kraken roller coaster

Sky Tower

• Kraken, a floorless roller coaster themed after the legend of the Kraken sea monster.
• Journey to Atlantis, a boat ride with roller coaster elements themed to the mythical Atlantis.
• Shamu Express, a Zierer-Vekoma family roller coaster with cars themed as Shamu.
• Sky Tower, 400-foot tall rotating observation tower, built in 1973.
• Sea Carousel, a carousel themed with caricatured marine mammals and fish without the organ music
• Jazzy Jellies, a balloon tower style ride that lifts up and spins controlled by riders with a disk
• Swishy Fishies, a Mad Tea Party-themed ride themed as fish.
• Ocean Commotion, a rockin' tug ride.
• The Flying Fiddlera kiddie crab themed Frog Hopper-style freefall attraction
• Net Climb, a four story net climb play areawith tire swings and slides.

Animal exhibits

Dining with the sharks at the Sharks Underwater Grill

• Penguin Encounter, an indoor exhibit that also includes puffins and murres.
• Shark Encounter, which features an underwater tunnel and a wide array of sharks, rays 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 you can feed and touch Bottlenose Dolphins.
• Turtle Point, an outdoor exhibit that features rescued sea turtles in a shallow pool with a beach.
• Manatee Rescue, home to rescued Florida manatees and also showcases alligators.
• Stingray Lagoon, a covered exhibit where you can touch stingrays.
• Dolphin Nursery, a covered exhibit where new-born Bottlenose Dolphins reside.
• Flamingo Pond, an outdoor exhibit where flamingos are exhibited.

Combined attractions

• Manta, a flying roller coaster and aquarium exhibit featuring rays, sea dragons and other species.
• Wild Arctic, 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. During the Christmas season, Wild Arctic is replaced by the Polar Express Experience, a temporary overlay based on the popular 2004 feature film.

Future expansions

In November 2011, SeaWorld Orlando announced its expansion plans for 2012 and 2013, which will replace and renovate a number of existing park attractions.^[4] "TurtleTrek", scheduled to open in the spring of 2012, will replace the existing manatee exhibit.^[4] Visitors will pass through two separate aquariums — sea turtles in one, manatees in the other — before entering a theatre dome to watch a 3D computer-animated film about sea turtles.^[4]

In 2013, the Penguin Plaza area of the park will be renovated into "Antarctica", a new themed section inspired by the titular continent.^[4] Subtitled "Empire of the Penguin," Antarctica will feature a rebuilt exhibit to replace the existing Penguin Encounter and a new ride where guests experience the life of a penguin chick, an attraction the park claims will be the "coldest theme-park attraction in the world".^[4] Antarctica will also include unique shopping and dining experiences, similar to the recent developments of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the planned New Fantasyland and Avatar Land projects at its local competitors, Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.^[4]

Animal Inventory

The following is a current list of animals at the SeaWorld Orlando park:

Beluga Whales Wild Arctic - Aurek (M), Klondike (M), Maple (F) and Whisper (F) Juno moved to Mystic Aquarium

Atlantic & Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins

Animal Care - Bailey (F), Hekili (M), Sabrina (F)

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

Dolphin Cove - Ajax (M), Alpha (M), Damara (F), Gala (F), Griffith (F), Gus (M), Jackson (M), Jag (M), Jenever (F), Lagos (F), Liko (M), Lily (F), Nate (M), Neo (M), Oscar (M), Potter (M), Roka (F), Scott (M), Schooner(M) Soleil (F), Starkey (F), Tasha (F), Tiger (M), and Turk (M)

Dolphin Nursery - Alia (F), Ariel (F), Ariel's calf (?), Bossa (F), Calla (F), Calla's calf(F), Doba (F), Dash (F), Frankie (F), Khloe (F), Naia (F), Nueces (F) and Yar (F)

False Killer Whales

Whale & Dolphin Stadium - Jozu (F)

Pilot Whales

Whale & Dolphin Stadium - Fredi/ 301 (F)

Animal Care - 300/ Caroline (F)

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 - Dozer (M), Garfield (M), Kaboodle (F)

Polar Bears

Wild Arctic - Johnny (M), Klondike (M), Snow (F)

See also

• Incidents at SeaWorld parks

Notes

1. ^ "TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report 2010". www.themeit.com. 2011-06-17. http://www.themeit.com/etea/2010Report.pdf. Retrieved 2011-06-17. 
2. ^ Scott Powers (2008-03-14). "Attendance at theme parks continues to skyrocket". www.orlandosentinel.com. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-parks1408mar14,0,5698343.story. Retrieved 2008-03-14. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Jason Garcia (2009-04-16). "Report: Theme-park attendance growth stalled in 2008". Orlando Sentinel. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-bk-theme-park-attendance-041609,0,7938051.story. Retrieved 2009-04-16. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Dewayne Bevil and Jason Garcia (2011-11-08). "SeaWorld Orlando announces details for massive expansion including themed land Antarctica". Orlando Sentinel (Tribune Newspapers). http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/seaworld/os-seaworld-expansion-20111108,0,7462015.story. Retrieved 2011-11-09. 

External links

• SeaWorld Orlando
• Photos of SeaWorld Orlando published under Creative Commons License
• Aquatica Website