Today is an exciting day for SeaWorld fans in San Diego. The park has officially broken ground on the next big expansion, the new Ocean Explorer area! For the first time, SeaWorld brings cutting edge digital technologies and state of the art aquariums to bring this attraction to life in an new indoor/outdoor dark ride style attraction where guests board mini submarines to collect data and help animals in need. This three-minute experience will include an onboard digital navigation dashboard, as well as a few other surprises along their journey, enhancing the riders’ understanding of the ocean ecosystem.
“This newest, fully immersive attraction at SeaWorld San Diego is the next chapter in creating experiences that can create both wonder and curiosity for the oceans,” said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment’s vice president of theme park experience design. “Park guests will trek through sea-base stations, make special connections with incredible animals and discover how they too can take action to protect the oceans.”
Ocean Explorer will also feature an exhilarating wave swinger ride where guests will literally fly through thousands of real bubbles in chairs suspended from the tentacles of a giant jelly. Three family-friendly rides will round out the fun of this immersive, new attraction.
“Our guests’ response to new attractions has always been tremendously positive,” said Hannes. “The scope of Ocean Explorer demonstrates our ongoing commitment to creating new and fresh attractions, exhibits and events that provide the exciting, educational and entertaining experiences SeaWorld is known for.”
Construction on Ocean Explorer will begin in summer 2016 on a 3-acre site where the Animal Connections exhibit and the Circle of Flags are currently located on the southeast side of the park. This multi-million dollar attraction is scheduled to open in late spring of 2017.
This is huge news for SeaWorld San Diego, as they move towards a more educational chapter in the park’s history. Later this year, the Killer Whale Shows will cease in their current state, and will also return in 2017 in a new, more educational form. 2017 is looking to be a huge year for the park, and we can’t be more excited!
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