Attraction Penguin Trek

On September 28th, 2023, SeaWorld Orlando officially announced Penguin Trek, a new, prototype, Bolliger & Mabillard-made, multi-launch, indoor/outdoor, family coaster slated to replace the Antartica: Empire of the Penguin darkride in 2024. Official details regarding the stats of this new coaster are in short supply, but we do know that it will feature a darkride segment at the start, two launches during the course, a top speed of 43 miles per hour, and a total track length of 3,020 feet. Per the press release, Penguin Trek will accommodate rider heights between 42 and 77 inches.

Though confirmed layout information is limited, leaked SeaWorld Orlando Project Toboggan site plans from June 2023 have given us a lot of information to work with. An in-depth breakdown of the leaks can be found here.

Official Concept Art​

Press Release​

SeaWorld Orlando Announces the Arrival of The Ultimate Antarctic Adventure: “Penguin Trek” – The New Immersive Family Coaster Coming Spring 2024

· Unique snowmobile styled ride cars transport riders on an unforgettable expedition through the Antarctic wilderness with two launches, a 3,020-foot track that traverses both indoors and outside, and a grand finale arrival at the penguin habitat where riders can experience the enchanting world of these remarkable animals
· Exciting for the whole family, the coaster accommodates rider heights from 42-77 inches
· Become a 2024 Pass Member and be the first to ride before the coaster opens to the public; 2024 passes on sale now

ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 28, 2023) – SeaWorld Orlando, already recognized as the Coaster Capital of Orlando with an impressive array of heart-pounding rides, is about to take your breath away once again with its all-new attraction coming in Spring 2024 – “Penguin Trek” – the eagerly awaited eighth coaster to join the park's ever-expanding ride portfolio. Designed as THE ultimate family launch coaster experience, “Penguin Trek” features a unique snowmobile styled ride car where once aboard, riders will embark on an exhilarating journey through the breathtaking vastness of Antarctica as they join a penguin research mission unlike any other.

Featuring two exhilarating launches and a maze of twists and turns, this unforgettable coaster moves at speeds of up to 43 mph across a 3,020-foot track that traverses both indoors and outside. Yet, what sets this experience apart as truly extraordinary is its unparalleled finale: as the coaster comes to a halt, guests find themselves not in a simulated penguin colony, but in the very heart of SeaWorld Orlando’s own penguin habitat. An experience for the whole family, the ride accommodates rider heights from 42-inches to 77-inches. 2024 Annual Pass members can be the first to ride before the public and passes are on sale now.

"We are incredibly excited to unveil our newest addition to SeaWorld Orlando's outstanding coaster lineup in Spring of 2024," said Jon Peterson, President of SeaWorld Orlando. "This family launch coaster embodies the spirit of adventure and exploration, offering an immersive journey through the wonders of Antarctica while further connecting our mission and commitment to our animal care, education and research. We know our guests were ready for a new thrill that the whole family could enjoy, and we’re excited to redefine the family launch coaster experience alongside our longstanding partners at B&M.”

Once aboard, riders will embark on an unforgettable expedition on this one-of-a-kind immersive family launch coaster that catapults them through the Antarctic wilderness at speeds of up to 43 mph across a 3,020-foot track. As they step into the shoes of intrepid researchers, they’ll navigate in a unique snowmobile ride car across the icy expanse, narrowly escaping an ice cave's clutches. This family-friendly adventure intensifies as they burst onto an outdoor coaster track, featuring two exhilarating launches and a maze of twists and turns. With adrenaline pumping, riders navigate this treacherous coaster, emerging from the looming danger of falling ice to finally reach the safety of a penguin colony, a journey that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of adventure and discovery. Yet, what sets this experience apart as truly extraordinary is its unparalleled finale: as the coaster comes to a halt, guests find themselves not in a simulated penguin colony, but in the very heart of SeaWorld Orlando’s own penguin habitat. The exhilaration of the ride seamlessly transitions into a heartwarming encounter with these charming, feathered inhabitants. This unique and immersive blend of family coaster thrills and authentic animal interaction offers an opportunity for the whole family to connect with the enchanting world of these captivating penguins, making it a one-of-a-kind adventure that will forever remain etched in their memories.

This family coaster's engineering prowess and world-class design are credited to Bolliger & Mabillard, the renowned design and manufacturers known for their excellence in roller coaster engineering. With five other remarkable coasters already at SeaWorld Orlando, including the park’s most recent thrill ride, "Pipeline: The Surf Coaster," which opened to rave reviews in May 2023, Penguin Trek is set to tie the park for the record of the most B&M coasters in one location.

SeaWorld Orlando's commitment to providing diverse thrills for all family members is evident in "Penguin Trek's" unique indoor/outdoor coaster experience. This latest addition to the coaster family promises to be another crowning jewel in a park already celebrated for its coaster excellence. Joining the ranks of award-winning rides such as "Mako," voted the #1 Best Roller Coaster by the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice poll for five consecutive years, and "Ice Breaker," which secured the #1 New Attraction spot in the same poll, "Penguin Trek" is poised to continue SeaWorld Orlando's legacy of pushing the boundaries of coaster innovation for the whole family.

Be Among the First Family to Ride “Penguin Trek” with a SeaWorld Annual Pass

Guests can experience the best of SeaWorld Orlando with a 2024 annual pass including unlimited visits, unbeatable benefits, and the opportunity to be among the first family to experience “Penguin Trek” before it opens to the public. 2024 annual passes are on sale now and start at $14 per month with no down payment. Membership includes unlimited admission, access to vibrant seasonal events, and exclusive Pass Member benefits like FREE guest tickets, FREE parking and special savings on merchandise, and food and beverage. Plus, Pass Members receive special monthly rewards throughout the year such as exclusive Pass Member merchandise, behind-the-scenes animal experiences, festival-exclusive food & beverage deals, and discounts on admission to SeaWorld’s separately ticketed Howl-O-Scream event. The SeaWorld Orlando Annual Pass program features the bronze, silver, gold, and platinum annual pass, which grants access to all 11 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment locations nationwide including, three SeaWorld parks, two Busch Gardens parks, two Sesame Place parks and several award-winning water parks. Annual Pass Members also get exclusive discounts at Discovery Cove. The program is structured in a guest-friendly way that allows visitors to choose the pass, the benefits, and the parks that are the best fit their needs. Restrictions apply.

For more information, park hours and to purchase tickets, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com. Follow SeaWorld Orlando on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news from SeaWorld.

Official Website​

Penguin Trek | Roller Coasters | SeaWorld Orlando

Prepare for Penguin Trek, an unforgettable launch coaster adventure through the breathtaking vastness of Antarctica.

seaworld.com

Project Timeline​

• 2/10/2023: BehindTheThrills Discovers a Permit for Modifications to the Antartica Building
• 3/23/2023: Documentation Discovered by BehindTheThrills Confirms Project Codename (Toboggan) & Ride Type (Coaster)
• 6/29/2023: ParkFans Publishes Leaked Project Toboggan Site Plans
• 7/16/2023: Instagram User chippewa_coasters Spots Project Toboggan Track at Clermont Steel Fabricators
• 7/20/2023: Twitter User EthanHershaft Spots Project Toboggan Track at SeaWorld Orlando
• 7/21/2023: SeaWorld Officially Teases Project Toboggan & Confirms Arrival of Track
• 9/28/2023: SeaWorld Officially Announces Penguin Trek

Leaked Site Plan​

Speculative Layout Based on Leaked Plans​

NoLimits Recreation of Speculative Layout​

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[CodeHark]

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Antarctica land opening, not Penguin Trek. @Midway_Mayhem on X

 

[Kingdakev]

Hello again friends!

Here is my latest update as of 5/25/24!

Antarctic has finally reopened and it looks great! Some of it was for sure rushed and you can tell. Hopefully work continues to perfect the land.

The Good:

-The Penguin Exhibit looks great! Lots of work went into refreshing the environment. New videos were playing in the pre shows.
-South Pole Sips is an all new bar located inside the land right next to Expedition Cafe seems to have a good drive offering!
-The areas Ice has been repainted and it looks fantastic!

The Bad:
-Expedition Cafe needs to be repainted. The faded paint job sticks out like a sore thumb next to the bright red bar attached to it.
-No new theming pieces in the land.
-Penguin Treks/Exhibit Sign. Lord. I hope they put up a good one where the old Empire of the Penguin sign used to sit.
-The name South Pole Sips is a weird name for a bar. Should have named it the Sipping Container if anything.
-The new gift shop's Sign. Its small and very very basic. I wish they went with something like over at Glaciers gift shop.

Now onto Penguin Treks Construction Update!

-No Testing today, but i have heard a rumor it was testing last.
-Almost all of the work walls have no been removed. The only remaining work walls are along the first launch to the final brakes & by the mens restroom and the haunted house.
-Ramp to the ADA platform for the Sealion and Otter stadium is complete. Just not open yet.
-A lot more theming can be seen for the inside of the show building. The first launch is having lots of rock work added & the unload platform is visible from the path and new decals can be seen.
-The lockers have been installed near the old attraction exit.
-New quick queue and stand by line signs have been installed.
-Confirmed by park staff: Lines for both Penguin Trek and The Penguin Encounter will be right next to each other. Penguin Trek will re use the old ride entrance while the Penguin Encounter will be off to the right if you are looking at the rides entrance.
-Rockwork is still happening outdoors in the rides queue line.
-Show building has been repainted a dark blue.

Feel free to watch if want to see more!

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[Coasternerd]

Penguin Trek’s entry sign has gone up!

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[Mr. Porkchop]

The rock work looks awesome!


Photos Source:

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A test dummy was missing from the front, middle, and back row. Midway Mayhem thinks that somebody from B&M might have been test riding.

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[Thatguyoverwhere]

What a relief to see they kept the first pre-show room! I also didn't see any obvious scars or mismatched pavement where ice walls were removed from the area so that's good.
I must be the only person who's bothered by the ICEE blue color scheme they repainted the ice with; it's funny that the ride experience switched from animated to photorealistic visuals while the surrounding land changed from a realistic to cartoonish aesthetic. The new gift shop could use some decorative finishes to the inside and outside so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, like maybe some frost and corrosion. The show building wall could also really use some painted accents to look more like a wall of ice, but that's probably asking too much.

 

[AIR]

A test dummy was missing from the front, middle, and back row. Midway Mayhem thinks that somebody from B&M might have been test riding.

This is standard setup in the industry for accelerometer testing. An accelerometer will be placed at limits and in a central location. (Like here, the front, center, and back.) This is to create average overall force data and to see the forces on ends of the train in relation to the center.

On a dive coaster, for instance, the outside, or near outside seats would be used for this testing because the train is short. But the outside wings of the train are where the force on riders would have the most changing forces along the track, if that makes sense.

All in all, accelerometer testing and manufacturer human rider testing, from what I've seen, can happen within a few days of each other.

 

[CodeHark]

Why do you think they are waiting so long to announce the opening date? It doesn't seem like they have much else to work on. They most likely have all the showbox rockwork finished and testing is underway. The only thing that might need work is the queue. I just find this timeline awkward if they want to open end of june.

 

[mtpelepele]

Firmly announced dates have a bad habit of becoming missed dates. Which one do you think upsets customers more?

 

[Diamond Dave]

I just want to say that's one expensive-looking family coaster

 

[CodeHark]

I just want to say that's one expensive-looking family coaster

Budget was like 30 mil right?

 

[GAcoaster]

I think closer to 20 than 30

 

[Kingdakev]

Hi Friends!

It's time for another Penguin Trek construction update from 6/15/24!

Penguin Trek:
-ADA ramp leading to the stadium has been completed.
-Penguin Trek sign is now installed.
- New Awning? outside of the A/C dinning building near the gift shop.
-New Theming elements around the land.
-The removal of the snow mobile.
-Tons & Tons of testing! The ride is consistently cycling two trains and honestly, it looked like training may have been happening on the coaster! I can't quite tell, but at one point, on the unload platform, there looked to be an employee wearing the old teal Seaworld shirt. (you can see it in the video) Now this could be anyone. From construction crews, to B&M, to control programmers. But just something to keep an eye out on.

Park update:
The rumored Chick-fil-a site, the old haunted house, is still being worked on pretty heavily. Work walls are still around the site and work seems to be continuing with the roof and sides of the building.

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[themeparktribune]

We're more than a month past when SeaWorld had initially planned to hold its media preview for this coaster. Clearly whatever timetable had been worked out didn't come to fruition.

 

[Coasternerd]

PENGUIN TREK HAS THREE TRAINS?!?!?

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[Unagi]

PENGUIN TREK HAS THREE TRAINS?!?!?

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Yes, the second launch can be considered a block section that easily allows for three train operation.

He posted a video showing them testing. The park was running the hell out of them!

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[ironicgwazi]

Think media day/passholder previews around July 4th weekend is realistic? Testing ramping up like this especially with a third train added tells me they’re trying to get it open ASAP

 

[Zachary]

Think media day/passholder previews around July 4th weekend is realistic? Testing ramping up like this especially with a third train added tells me they’re trying to get it open ASAP

Show install/programming is the big question mark here I think. Definitely seems like B&M is probably prepping to turn the ride over to SWO, but I don't think we have any way of knowing how scenic is coming along.

 

[tursiops]

I'm starting to question if this will actually be open when I go in August.

 

[GoHokies87]

I would have said July 4, not sure they'll make that now, but August should be pretty safe. It's normally a couple weeks after they do Ambassador rides.

 

[ironicgwazi]

I'm starting to question if this will actually be open when I go in August.

If it’s not open by August, then something has gone terribly wrong. Granted it is a prototype model and there’s gonna be kinks that need to be worked out, but still. Other than @Zachary mentioning that we might not know if they’re working inside the building on the pre-show, maybe stuff in the queue? I’m not really sure what else the hold up could be. The ride and surrounding area looks pretty much as complete as it can get.

In Midway Mayhem’s latest update video, Dan noted that they’re cycling the ride hundreds of times a day now to meet their testing quotas, thus indicating that contractors are off site and the ride has officially been turned over to the park from B&M. My money is on sometime in July and I think we’ll hear an announcement sometime in the next couple weeks on the opening date. I don’t know if they’ll even hold passholder previews now at this point just based off how pushed back the timeline ended up, they might just want to get it open to the public ASAP after media day.