News SeaWorld Orlando Project 2024/Toboggan: Penguin Trek (Multi-Launch B&M Family Coaster)

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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​

SWO_Penguin_Trek_1.jpg SWO_Penguin_Trek_2.jpg 383841480_324487100253050_2436261598420530153_n.jpg 750x422-SWO-Rides-Penguin-Trek-Interior-Track-Concept-Art.jpg 750x422-SWO-Rides-Penguin-Trek-Concept-Art.jpg

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.
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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 seaworld.com

Project Timeline​


Leaked Site Plan​

Site Plan.jpg

Speculative Layout Based on Leaked Plans​

Rough Layout Graphic REDUCED.png

NoLimits Recreation of Speculative Layout​

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Mushroom said:
I also don’t think that “amazing amount of detail for a regional theme park” is a reasonable standard for a SWO attraction. SWO isn’t a regional theme park. Orlando is the #1 theme park destination on the planet, SWO is one of the world’s most visited theme parks, and the park competes directly with Disney and Universal.
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Whatever aspirations it may have held in the past, SWO is absolutely at the level of a regional theme park now, regardless of the fact that destination parks like Universal and Disney are nearby. It's the same way that Knott's is a regional park even though Disneyland is down the road.
 
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SeaWorld has accepted their role as "local park" here in Orlando. Their primary audience is locals who come back for multiple events throughout the year. If people come in as part of the Orlando vacation its a plus, but not necessary for SeaWorld to succeed. They can't compete with Disney and Universal because they don't have the budget for it and most Orlando area people can't always afford Disney and Universal passes. They instead are going for the local/regional market with more aggressive thrills than the big competitors. A really large portion of their clientele that isn't local is locals from their other east coast parks, with tons of Sesame Place and BGW passholders visiting while on Orlando vacations. This was a big part of their strategy when they made the bid for Cedar Fair-- a passholder base from all over Universal and WDW's base of visitors who make a yearly drive or flight to Orlando from Ohio, Virginia, the Carolinas, etc. who could be enticed to spend some of their time and money in Orlando in parks that are part of their existing passes.
 
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Hey friends!

Here is the latest Penguin Trek & 2025 Project as of 4.15.24!

-Crews were moving more of the white gravel closer to the path!

-Welding continues inside the first launch area! Crews were still removing scaffolding from inside the show building.

-New framing has gone up for the doorway near the final brakes.

-The area by the men’s restroom is being enclosed by a fence.

-Pathing by the gift shop is starting to be framed out!

-Work is about 50% complete on the ramp leading to the Sealion and Otter stadium.

-over at Wild Arctic, Scaffolding has gone up to start work on the show buildings exterior and roofing. Tons of materials are staged right behind the food booths.

-a new sign has been placed on a door to a sim bay that has red tape. Unfortunately it’s too far away to read.

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This looks incredible! I'm hoping it will do more testing tomorrow for me to see in person. I'll try to get footage if so!
Episode 7 Nbc GIF by Law & Order
 
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Another vid from second launch
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Penguin trek clearing the second half of the layout
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The family B&M being the loudest B&M in the park with 4 others is hilarious. Need a Golden Ticket award for most intimidating sounding family coaster

I wonder if it will sound like that full time or if they’re just currently utilizing a certain wheel type for initial test runs and will eventually switch them out, dampening the roar. Not sure what the standard procedure is there tbh
 
That is surprisingly loud for such a relatively tame coaster lol. I would've thought they'd want it to be quiet to try to preserve the immersiveness of the Antarctica land as much as possible, but maybe the current coasterz "brand identity" SeaWorld's been trying to push dictates that all roller coasters should be as in-your-face as possible?
 
Hey all,

Linked below is the latest Penguin Trek update from 5-1-24!

Unfortunately, there is no testing in todays video as crews were not on site, but if you want see some testing, check out update #50 from a few days ago!

Watch testing footage here!

On 5-1-24:

Since testing wasn't happening, the path under the ride was reopened! When testing is in progress, they close off the path that leads to Pacific Point Preserve and guests will have to cut through the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium! This allowed me to get a closer look at the work crews are doing to the outside of the show building. Crews have also removed some work walls on the end closer to PPP and the re entry point into the show building. This gives us a fantastic look at the final brakes.

Work seems to be on pause on the for the ramp leading up to the stadium. This is most likely due to the fact that during testing guests wont be able to use the ada viewing platform in the stadium so there's no real rush to finish it, but that's just my own opinion.

Crews are installing new evac platform lights on the brake run. Wires can be seen hanging from the brake run for the incomplete lights.

Work continues with the refurbishment and installation of new rock work on the outside of the show building.

Tons of painting has been completed on the outside of the show building and throughout the land. Sadly, painting has yet to take place on the side of the show building where the ride enters and exits. There is still a lot of work happening to the entry and exit portals and emergency exit doorways so once that is complete I expect painting of the show building will occur!

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Update as of 5.8.24!

Note to self, stop going to film updates on Wednesdays as I sadly keep catching them on days they aren't testing! The site has seen some slight progress over the last week.

-The ramp leading to the ADA platform of the Sea Lion and Otter stadium has had work continue on it with most of the railing finally being installed.

-The small holes on the outside of the show building are finally being patched up!

-The exit and entrance to the show building has saw the addition of new framing pieces! Hopefully soon this means they will repaint the whole show building because it is looking ROUGH.

-Site clean up is happening outside of the Antarctica area near the first launch!

-Crews have begun installing the wiring for evac lights on the final brake run. Many lights have yet to be fully installed though.

-While we couldn't geta closer look due to the section of the park being closed, The gift shop looked like it hasn't seen any exterior work from the sky tower, but its hard to say for sure.

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I just want to see the showbox already, what is the hold up? I heard there were delays but I'm uninformed, what is delaying this much?
 
Hello! Time for another Penguin Trek update as of 5-11-23!

-No testing once again at the site. I heard a rumor but i'm not able to confirm it so many someone on here is that something blown causing a delay in testing. Now I heard this rumor right around the time that testing stopped but I don't know if the part broke before testing causing a delay for testing to start over all or if it broke right after testing began. Sadly from what i've heard, testing has not continued past the 2nd day, at least when the park is open. Does anyone have more info?

-Some of the re done rock work on the outside of the show building has been completed.

-Crews are working on patching up the many holes on the outside of the show building and are continuing to work on the exit and entry points for the coaster. The exit side steel beam that has been added has been painted the same color as the supports.

-Crews have been wiring up the evac lights for the catwalks.

-New poles have been added along the brake run, this could be for additional flood lights incase of an evac or maintenance work at night, or this could possibly be for ride cameras. Still a little to early to tell.

-The gift shop doesn't seem to have had any new major work going on to it. As of right now the siding has yet to still be installed and it seems like the interior is in the same state as last time.

-And finally, the ADA ramp for the stadium is still under construction. Crews are continuing to work on the hand railings for the ramp. Hopefully it will be completed soon.

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Kingdakev said:
Hello! Time for another Penguin Trek update as of 5-11-23!

-No testing once again at the site. I heard a rumor but i'm not able to confirm it so many someone on here is that something blown causing a delay in testing. Now I heard this rumor right around the time that testing stopped but I don't know if the part broke before testing causing a delay for testing to start over all or if it broke right after testing began. Sadly from what i've heard, testing has not continued past the 2nd day, at least when the park is open. Does anyone have more info?

-Some of the re done rock work on the outside of the show building has been completed.

-Crews are working on patching up the many holes on the outside of the show building and are continuing to work on the exit and entry points for the coaster. The exit side steel beam that has been added has been painted the same color as the supports.

-Crews have been wiring up the evac lights for the catwalks.

-New poles have been added along the brake run, this could be for additional flood lights incase of an evac or maintenance work at night, or this could possibly be for ride cameras. Still a little to early to tell.

-The gift shop doesn't seem to have had any new major work going on to it. As of right now the siding has yet to still be installed and it seems like the interior is in the same state as last time.

-And finally, the ADA ramp for the stadium is still under construction. Crews are continuing to work on the hand railings for the ramp. Hopefully it will be completed soon.

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We're going mid August, this has got to be open by then, right??
 
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