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SeaWorld's ambitious Antarctica feature opens in May

 
Published Feb. 19, 2013

An opening day of May 24 has been announced for SeaWorld Orlando's ambitious new attraction Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin.

The South Pole will be recreated in steamy Florida with a family ride over ice flows that will empty into a massive penguin colony. The park also announced a new free Antarctica app that can be downloaded at SeaWorldOrlando.com/Antarctica with create-and-share videos and photos, penguins games and a way to place your face onto an Antarctic explorer.

Antarctica is the biggest expansion project in the history of SeaWorld Orlando. It will include a mobile simulator ride that follows a penguin as he jets around the icy glaciers. That attraction will end in an exhibit with penguins in a 20-foot-deep underwater viewing area. Also in the area: a themed restaurant, gift shop and an educational area.

Last October SeaWorld boosted its single-day ticket price in anticipation of Antarctica. The price jumped to $89 per adult, the same price charged by Disney and Universal. Annual passes also got a hike, ballooning by $30.01 — a 25 percent increase — to $119.99.