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Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin grand opening draws huge crowds for icy new realm and ride at SeaWorld Orlando

in Entertainment, Events, SeaWorld, Theme Parks

Posted on by Ricky Brigante 2 Comments
Guests experience the grand opening of SeaWorld Orlando’s Antarctica exhibit, stepping beneath a bold blue entrance sign as artificial snow falls around them.

Just a day after SeaWorld Orlando unveiled their new Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin realm in a sneak preview, the theme park held its official grand opening.

It was a brief ceremony, with words spoken by SeaWorld president Terry Prather along with a musical performance before hundreds of guests poured in to experience the new area. Country singer and former “American Idol” contestant Lauren Alaina sang “Antarctica: One World, One Family,” the theme song written for the SeaWorld realm.

Video: Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin grand opening highlights at SeaWorld Orlando

A live singer performs on stage with the band during the Antarctica Grand Opening celebration at SeaWorld Orlando.

Immediately following the grand opening moments, guests hurried into the icy Antarctica realm, immediately filling its Empire of the Penguin ride queue with wait times reportedly as high as 4-5 hours during the day for the roughly 3-minute ride.

Guests line up outside SeaWorld Orlando’s Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin attraction, surrounded by icy rock theming and a partly cloudy sky, excitedly anticipating the grand opening experience.

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin is now officially open at SeaWorld Orlando, including its signature ride, a penguin habitat, restaurant, beverage area, and store, all set amidst glacial scenery.

Tour through Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin

Click here to explore Antarctica with an in-depth look at the new realm, including a full ride through video of Empire of the Penguin, interviews, and plenty of photos.

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