Penguin Trek

Last updated

Penguin Trek
Penguin Trek Logo.webp
SeaWorld Orlando
Location SeaWorld Orlando
Park section Sea of Ice
Coordinates 28°24′42.8″N81°27′35.5″W / 28.411889°N 81.459861°W / 28.411889; -81.459861
StatusOperating
Opening dateJuly 7, 2024 (2024-07-07)
Replaced Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin
General statistics
Type Steel  Launched
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
DesignerSeaWorld Orlando
Lift/launch system LSM launch
Height65 ft (20 m)
Length3,020 ft (920 m)
Speed43 mph (69 km/h)
Inversions 0
Height restriction42 in (107 cm)
TrainsSingle train with 9 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 18 riders per train.
Theme Antarctica
Website Official website
Quick Queue availability logo.svg Quick Queue available
Penguin Trek at RCDB

Penguin Trek is a family launched roller coaster located at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, United States. [1] Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the roller coaster is the newest expansion and attraction at SeaWorld Orlando, opening on July 7, 2024. Penguin Trek reaches a maximum height of 65 feet (20 m) with a maximum speed of 43 mph (69 km/h) and a total track length of 3,020 feet (920 m). [1] The ride features both indoor and outdoor sections, providing an experience simulating an Antarctic snowmobile expedition. [2] [3]

Contents

History

In March 2020, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, which was a motion-based, trackless dark ride, [4] closed indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans for a new family-friendly roller coaster to replace the then abandoned Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin began in 2022. [5]

In September 2023, SeaWorld Orlando revealed the name for the roller coaster, Penguin Trek. [6] [7] In November 2023, SeaWorld Orlando revealed the trains for the roller coaster at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Exposition. [8] [9] In February 2024, the track work for the ride was completed. [10] [11]

Ride experience

The ride starts in an indoor Antarctic themed section with glaciers, snow, and an LED display before leaving outdoors, utilizing a linear synchronous motor (LSM) launch [12] and taking a wide right turn. A series of twists and turns including a banked turn lead to another LSM launch. This second LSM launch leads to a overbanked turn. [13] The ride takes a left with a airtime hill and then a wide left turn before reaching its final brake run, slowing down the train before it reaches the station. [14] Riders have compared the ride experience to that of sledding and bobsledding due to the rides' use of airtime hills and turns. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Coasters International</span> Pennsylvania-based roller coaster manufacturer

Great Coasters International, Inc. is a Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based roller coaster manufacturer which has created several award-winning rides since its formation in 1994. Starting in 2006 with Thunderbird at PowerPark in Finland, the company expanded beyond the United States and began building coasters in Europe and Asia. Günter Engelhardt GmbH handles the company's marketing rights in Europe. In addition to building new roller coasters, GCI also refurbishes and re-tracks existing roller coasters, regardless of manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SeaWorld Orlando</span> Animal theme park in Orlando, Florida

SeaWorld Orlando is an animal theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Although separately gated, it is often promoted with neighboring parks Discovery Cove and Aquatica as well as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, all of which are owned and operated by United Parks & Resorts. In 2022, SeaWorld Orlando hosted an estimated 4.45 million guests, ranking it the 10th most visited amusement park in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Creative</span> Engineering, architecture and design division of Universal Parks & Resorts

Universal Creative is the division of Universal Destinations & Experiences responsible for designing, developing, engineering, and producing themed attractions, rides, and, resorts. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, the company operates at Universal Parks & Resorts locations around the world in the United States, Singapore, Japan, and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheetah Hunt</span> Amusement ride in Tampa, Florida

Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. The roller coaster was manufactured by Intamin and designed in collaboration with Mark Rose. Cheetah Hunt opened to the public on May 27, 2011, alongside a cheetah exhibit called Cheetah Run. Cheetah Hunt features three linear synchronous motor (LSM) launches and a single inversion. The roller coaster reaches a height of 102 feet (31 m), with a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) and a total track length of 4,429 feet (1,350 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin</span> Theme area at SeaWorld Orlando

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin was a motion-based, trackless dark ride at SeaWorld Orlando. There is a penguinarium that served as the ride's post-show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fun Spot America Theme Parks</span> Amusement parks in Georgia and Florida

Fun Spot America Theme Parks is a group of amusement parks. Since 1979, the group has owned and operated a number of small amusement parks over the years and currently has three locations in Orlando, Florida; Kissimmee, Florida; and Fayetteville, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mako (roller coaster)</span> Ride at SeaWorld Orlando

Mako is a steel roller coaster located at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the hypercoaster model opened to the public on June 10, 2016. Mako is named after the mako shark and is located in the Sea of Mystery section of the park. It reaches a height of 200 feet (61 m), a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h), and features a track length of 4,760 feet (1,450 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SeaWorld Abu Dhabi</span> Amusement park in the United Arab Emirates

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is a marine life theme park and animal researching, rescue & rehabilitation center that opened on May 23, 2023, on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is the first SeaWorld park outside of the United States and the first park without orcas. The Abu Dhabi–based company Miral Asset Management is the owner and operator of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi under a license from United Parks & Resorts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigris (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Tigris is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. Built on the former Tanganyika Tidal Wave water ride, Tigris officially opened on April 19, 2019 as the park's ninth roller coaster. Tigris is located within the Stanleyville section of the park. The roller coaster and surrounding area re-uses previous infrastructure and landscaping of the former attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orion (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster at Kings Island

Orion is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Orion became the seventh giga coaster in the world when it opened to the public on July 2, 2020. It is the largest investment in Kings Island's history, costing an estimated $30 million. The coaster stands 287 feet (87 m), features a 300-foot drop (91 m), and reaches a maximum speed of 91 mph (146 km/h). It is situated in the Area 72 section of the park on a site formerly occupied by Firehawk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice Breaker (roller coaster)</span> Ride at SeaWorld Orlando

Ice Breaker is a launched steel roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Premier Rides, Ice Breaker reaches a maximum height of 93 feet (28 m) with a maximum speed of 52 mph (84 km/h) and a total track length of 1,900 feet (580 m). Originally scheduled to open for the 2020 season, its opening was delayed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VelociCoaster</span> Launched roller coaster at Universal Islands of Adventure

Jurassic World VelociCoaster is a launched roller coaster at Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened to the public on June 10, 2021. It is themed to the Velociraptor dinosaurs depicted in the Jurassic World film franchise and is located in the Islands of Adventure's Jurassic Park area, occupying the site of the former Triceratops Encounter attraction. VelociCoaster features two high-speed launches powered by linear synchronous motors, a signature 155-foot-tall (47 m) top hat, four inversions, and a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kondaa</span> Steel roller coaster at Walibi Belgium

Kondaa is a steel roller coaster at Walibi Belgium in Wavre, Belgium. First unveiled at the IAAPA 2018 Expo, the coaster marks the end of a three-year park investment plan and upon opening became the tallest and fastest coaster in the Benelux region, as well as the park's ninth coaster. Kondaa features a top speed of 70.2 mph (113.0 km/h), a notable 15 airtime moments, and the world's first non-inverting cobra roll element.

This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that occurred in 2022. These various lists are not exhaustive.

Toutatis is a steel launched roller coaster located at Parc Astérix in Plailly, France. Toutatis was first announced at the IAAPA Orlando Expo in 2018 and upon opening became France's tallest and fastest coaster. It features four launches with a top speed of 107 km/h (66 mph) and a 51-metre (167 ft) top hat. It is named after Toutatis, a Celtic god who features in the Asterix books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pipeline: The Surf Coaster</span> Ride at SeaWorld Orlando

Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, or simply Pipeline, is a launched roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the roller coaster opened on May 27, 2023. Pipeline is a Surf Coaster model from B&M and is themed to surfing, featuring surfboard-shaped vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Bear Mountain (roller coaster)</span> Launch coaster at Dollywood

Big Bear Mountain is a launching steel roller coaster located at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States. Manufactured by Vekoma, the roller coaster opened on May 12, 2023, and is the longest in the park featuring a length of 3,990 feet (1,220 m).

Mission Ferrari is an enclosed roller coaster located at Ferrari World on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. An SFX Coaster developed by Dynamic Attractions, the coaster stages thrilling ride elements against highly immersive media. Originally intended to operate in 2015, Mission Ferrari became notorious for spending eight years under construction due to issues with the highly sophisticated prototype hardware and the COVID-19 pandemic. Its costly development ultimately pushed Dynamic Attractions to declare bankruptcy shortly after the ride opened.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Rush (Drayton Manor)</span> Steel roller coaster at Drayton Manor Resort

Gold Rush is a steel family roller coaster located at Drayton Manor Resort in Staffordshire, England, UK. The coaster opened as a part of a strategic multimillion-pound investment and the new Frontier Falls area, and features two different layout sequences in which the ride switches track routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix Rising (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Phoenix Rising is a family inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida, United States. The roller coaster was manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), and officially opened on July 21, 2024 as the park's tenth roller coaster. Phoenix Rising mimics the sensation of the legendary phoenix taking flight. The roller coaster reaches a height of 80 feet, and has a maximum speed of 44 mph (71 km/h) during a 1-minute 26 second duration.

References

  1. 1 2 "Penguin Trek – SeaWorld Orlando (Orlando, Florida, United States)". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  2. Bowyer, Kelsey (2024-07-01). "Penguin Trek at SeaWorld Orlando: An In-Depth Review". Orlando Informer. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  3. McLeod, Emily (2024-07-07). "Cool coaster: Penguin Trek opens at SeaWorld Orlando". WKMG. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  4. Bevil, Dewayne (May 23, 2013). "SeaWorld's Antarctica: Cool location designed for warm welcome". Orlando Sentinel . Tribune Company. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  5. Zone, Orlando Theme Park (2022-12-30). "Family-Friendly Roller Coaster to Replace Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin at SeaWorld Orlando?". Orlando Theme Park Zone. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  6. Mitchell, Bea (2023-09-29). "SeaWorld Orlando opening new Penguin Trek coaster". Blooloop. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  7. "SeaWorld Orlando's next coaster: Penguin Trek, set to open next spring". Orlando Sentinel. 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  8. Mitchell, Bea (2023-11-17). "SeaWorld Orlando unveils ride vehicle for new Penguin Trek coaster". Blooloop. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  9. "IAAPA: SeaWorld shares first look at Penguin Trek car". Orlando Sentinel. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  10. Mitchell, Bea (2024-02-02). "SeaWorld Orlando finishes Penguin Trek coaster track". Blooloop. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  11. "First look: SeaWorld's Penguin Trek coaster on track for spring opening". Orlando Sentinel. 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  12. "SeaWorld Orlando's Penguin Trek now open | Planet Attractions". www.planetattractions.com. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  13. 1 2 "SeaWorld's New Coaster, Penguin Trek Snowballs Into Spring!". theescapeeffect.com. 2024-03-28. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  14. Shane (2024-07-07). "Review: Penguin Trek at SeaWorld Orlando - Coaster101" . Retrieved 2024-09-26.