ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SeaWorld
Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS), a leading theme park and
entertainment company with 12 destination and regional theme parks,
today announced its extensive line-up of new attractions, shows and
events for 2017. The announcement includes major new ride additions
at three of its theme parks; a virtual reality experience in
Orlando, a new orca presentation
in San Diego, and new shows and
events at many other park locations. All totaled, the company
will invest approximately $175
million in capital spending, one of the largest new
attraction years in its more than 50 year history.
"We are extremely excited with the scope and depth of the new
attractions and events coming to our SeaWorld and Busch Gardens
parks in 2017," said Joel Manby,
President and Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Entertainment,
Inc. "In developing new experiences we want guests to have fun, but
also be inspired, and our parks are uniquely suited to create
meaningful and fun vacations." He added, "We want our guests
to share experiences that matter, and our 2017 additions truly
reinforce that mission."
Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster™, SeaWorld®
San Antonio - Summer
2017
A new generation of coaster, the first of its kind in
North America, combining the
thrill of the sea, the adrenaline rush of a multi-launch roller
coaster and the inspiration of animal rescue is coming to
SeaWorld San Antonio.
Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster boasts variety of
features inspired by the reality of jet skiing across a body of
water. The unique jet ski-style car design is the first such
coaster design in North America
and engages riders in a straddled seating position. The design will
allow riders to lean into a series of banked and serpentine turns,
and grip the handle bars as they race over hills designed for
maximum airtime, and a pair of high acceleration
launches. Inspired by the Emmy®
award-winning program, Sea Rescue®, the
coaster enables riders to feel what it's like to race alongside
SeaWorld's heroic animal care team and veterinarians as they spring
into action at a moment's notice to help rescue animals in
distress.
Reaching heights of up to 61 feet, the majority of the coaster's
2,600-foot track will be directly over water, creating the
sensation that riders are surging across the park's Ski Lake. With
a minimum height requirement of 48 inches, Wave Breaker promises to
be a dynamic coaster experience for the whole family.
The new coaster is unique to SeaWorld's mission. The coaster is
sure to thrill, but also brings awareness to the brave efforts of
the SeaWorld animal teams as they join forces with organizations
around the world to help ill, injured, orphaned and abandoned
animals, like dolphins and sea turtles. The queue line
experience will tell the story of rescue missions, and invite
guests to become involved in SeaWorld's efforts to protect
animals.
With the addition of Wave Breaker, guests can experience four
coasters in San Antonio, spanning
a range of ages and thrills. Wave Breaker joins The Great
White®, a floorless steel rollercoaster that
challenges riders to 360-degree flips, breathtaking loops,
corkscrews and thrilling curves at speeds of up to 50 mph; Steel
Eel®, a true hypercoaster featuring a 15-story
vertical drop, followed by a series of camelbacks that provide
periods of weightlessness and Shamu
Express®, a junior-sized coaster perfect for
families with younger children.
Ocean Explorer, SeaWorld San Diego - Summer
2017
SeaWorld San Diego will unveil Ocean
Explorer, a new 3-acre realm combining multiple aquariums,
exciting rides and digital technologies. The area is designed to
engage park guests in an experience centered on exploration and
adventure, inspiring them to protect the wonders of our oceans.
In the signature attraction for the realm, called Submarine
Quest, guests will be adventurers on a global expedition of
scientific exploration, travelling aboard submarines to see Ocean
Explorer's remarkable undersea animals. Embarking on these mini
submarines, visitors will become researchers on a mission to
collect data and learn how they can help protect animals. This
three-minute experience will include an onboard digital navigation
dashboard, as well as a few other surprises along the journey,
enhancing the riders' understanding of our fragile ocean
ecosystem.
The heart and destination of Ocean Explorer will be a series of
undersea research bases housing specially-designed aquariums and
interactive displays that showcase unique and elusive ocean
animals like giant octopuses and dozens of moray eels, as well as
huge spider crabs and spiny king crabs. Both crab species will be
new to SeaWorld San Diego.
The Ocean Explorer realm will feature five new family-friendly
rides in total, including an exhilarating wave swing ride where
guests will fly through thousands of real bubbles in chairs
suspended from the tentacles of a giant jellyfish.
New Orca Encounter, SeaWorld San Diego - Summer
2017
SeaWorld San Diego will introduce
new, inspiring, educational orca encounters, rather than theatrical
shows, as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine
science research, and rescue of marine animals. These live
documentaries will focus on orca enrichment, exercise, and overall
health. This change will start in its San
Diego park next year, followed by Orlando and then San
Antonio by 2019.
The new Orca Encounter will be based on orca behavior in
the wild: what they eat, how they hunt, how they navigate and how
they communicate, helping guests gain a deeper appreciation and
respect for the orcas and empowering them a sense of determination
and purpose to help preserve the future of these majestic
animals. This new encounter will look at broader themes such
as research, rescue, conservation, habitats and distribution,
husbandry and care, and social structures.
The new behavioral-based orca experience, will inspire as well
as educate guests about the majesty of these complex animals, and
reinforces the company's commitment to provide educational
experiences with the park's resident orcas.
Electric Ocean, SeaWorld Orlando and San Diego - Summer
2017
Electric Ocean will debut next summer at
SeaWorld parks in Orlando and
San Diego as a brand new,
end-of-day spectacle event. As the sun goes down, the lights and
energy go up, offering guests a different kind of fun after dark.
The ocean comes to life with bioluminescent lighting, music and
pathway entertainment, immersing guests in a glowing sea of
wonder.
Kraken® Virtual Reality (VR) Roller Coaster,
SeaWorld Orlando - Summer 2017
SeaWorld
will debut its first digitally enhanced ride experience as the
legendary Kraken roller coaster is transformed into a
virtual reality (VR) roller coaster experience. This thrill
ride will be the only VR coaster experience in Florida.
Guests will embark on a deep sea mission alongside sea creatures
inspired by extinct and legendary animals of the past, including
the mighty Kraken. A custom digital overlay with uniquely
designed headsets, fully integrated both mechanically and
electronically into the coaster train, delivers a new one-of-a-kind
adventure. The addition of VR to this fan-favorite brings a
new level of excitement and interest in Kraken, for both new and
returning guests.
Dolphin Nursery, SeaWorld Orlando - Summer
2017
SeaWorld Orlando's Dolphin Nursery will become
more interactive in 2017, giving guests the opportunity to see
mother and baby dolphins up close like never
before. Large-scale acrylic windows will be created offering
better guest viewing, including multiple levels to provide children
a face-to-face perspective with baby dolphins. New slide out
areas and a lifting floor will allow for easier access to mom and
baby for the veterinary and animal care teams.
The next generation of multi-purpose digital displays will allow
SeaWorld educators to share information about dolphin behavior,
biology and conservation with guests in new ways by interacting
with education and animal care video content.
InvadR™, Busch Gardens® Williamsburg –
Spring 2017
A new wooden roller coaster,
InvadR, will join Busch Gardens Williamsburg's
collection of world-class thrill rides. The family thriller will be
the park's first wooden coaster and eighth roller coaster in total.
A minimum height requirement of 46 inches make it an ideal ride for
adults and children to share together, but the coaster will still
feature exciting ride elements, including a more than 70 foot drop,
and nine airtime hills. Located in the New France village of
Busch Gardens, guests will travel more than 2,100 feet through a
wooded terrain and underground through a tunnel.
The attraction's theme will invite riders to choose their ride,
in a battle between a band of invading Vikings and the villagers.
In an unusual industry move, fans will help decide the ride
elements including opportunities to vote on attraction details and
theming.
The Wildlife Docs™: Live, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
- May 2017
A live
version of the great stories from the Emmy nominated weekly show,
featuring live animals, video production, live ambassador
presenters and performers in the park's Stanleyville Theater. The
show is directed by acclaimed Broadway director and choreographer
Jeff Whiting.
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer & Friends, SeaWorld
Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and
Williamsburg - 2016 Christmas events,
continuing in 2017
Beloved Christmas character Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer and friends, including Clarice, Bumble, the
Abominable Snow Monster and Yukon Cornelius, and Rudolph themed
attractions will be making their debut as part of the 2016
Christmas Celebration™ events at SeaWorld parks in Orlando, Fla., San
Antonio and San Diego, and
Christmas Town™ at Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg,
Va.
Rudolph & Friends will return for the 2017 season, with
additional Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer-themed experiences for
families to enjoy the Christmas spirit even more.
2017 Events
SeaWorld and Busch Gardens deliver
year-round fun with special events at each park. Seven Seas Food
Festival, a popular music and food event at SeaWorld in
San Diego and San Antonio, is now coming to Orlando in 2017. SeaWorld Orlando's
popular music and food events will expand to a total of 14 weekends
and roll-up under the Seven Seas brand. Other park events
include: Lunar New Year and Wild Days
at SeaWorld San Diego; Just for Kids and Summer Nights at SeaWorld
San Antonio; Food & Wine Festival and Bier Fest at Bush Gardens
Williamsburg, and the Red Carpet Series at Busch Gardens Tampa
Bay. For a complete list of park events, visit:
www.SeaWorldParks.com
About SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.
SeaWorld
Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) is a leading theme park and
entertainment company providing experiences that matter, and
inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our
world. The company is one of the world's foremost zoological
organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training,
husbandry and veterinary care. The company collectively cares for
what it believes is one of the largest zoological collections in
the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The
company also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial
animals that are ill, injured, orphaned or abandoned, with the goal
of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld® rescue team
has helped more than 28,000 animals in need over the last 50
years.
SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. owns or licenses a portfolio of
recognized brands including SeaWorld, Busch Gardens® and
Sea Rescue®. Over its more than 50-year history, the
company has built a diversified portfolio of 12 destination and
regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across
the United States, many of which
showcase its one-of-a-kind zoological collection of over 800
species of animals. The company's theme parks feature a diverse
array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic
appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value
proposition for its guests.
Copies of this and other news releases as well as additional
information about SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. can be obtained
online at www.seaworldentertainment.com. Shareholders
and prospective investors can also register to automatically
receive the company's press releases, SEC filings and other notices
by e-mail by registering at that website.
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SOURCE SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.