Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin is a theme area at SeaWorld Orlando which featured a motion-based, trackless dark ride[1] and a penguinarium. The ride was removed in 2020. The Antarctica-themed area is spread across 4 acres (1.6 ha) inside SeaWorld Orlando.<br /><br />Announced in 2011, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin opened on May 24, 2013. At the time it was the largest attraction at any SeaWorld Entertainment theme park. As part of a campaign to promote the attraction, SeaWorld released a promotional video in July 2012. The area was generally well received by critics and the public at its opening. <br /><br />Guests enter the queue from the Antarctica-themed area of the park. Large groups of riders and non-riders are admitted into a pre-show room, where projections of an Antarctic landscape are blended with 3D exhibits. In a narrated video, guests are introduced to a gentoo penguin colony in Antarctica featuring a newborn penguin named Puck. After the pre-show guests follow a path to a junction. Non-riders watch another pre-show before entering the penguin exhibit. Riders choose a "mild" or "wild" ride. They are then divided into groups of eight to board a ride vehicle at one of four stations. Riders are seated in two rows of four, and restrained by seat belts.<br /><br />The vehicle travels around an indoor Antarctic environment, spinning to view a variety of scenery and projection screens. The story which began in the pre-show continues, with Puck venturing out into the sea. When he is underwater, Puck is chased by a leopard seal before resurfacing on land. The ride's theme song – "Antarctica: One World, One Family" by Lauren Alaina – is then played as guests watch a live penguin habitat behind glass before the vehicle returns to a four-platform unloading station.<br /><br />Guests disembark in an open-air penguin habitat with an air temperature of approximately 32 °F (0 °C). This exhibit has minimal barriers between guests and inhabitants, and is designed so guests can hear sounds made by the penguins.<br /><br />A total of 245 penguins and alcids live in the exhibit; species include gentoo, king, Adélie and rockhopper penguins, as well as their Arctic counterparts, the puffins, and the murres. The park can change the lighting to control the penguins' seasons. A 20-foot (6.1 m) glass window allows guests to see them in their 45 °F (7 °C) pool from an underwater viewing area. The entire experience takes about 25 minutes. To minimize odors in the open-air environment, staff clean the exhibit several times daily and replace the 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) of snow each day.<br /><br />#MikeInvadesTheWorld<br />#seaworld<br />#travelvideos<br />#touristvlog<br />#themeparks
