SeaWorld San Diego

[Rideguy70]

Okay, well, at least that's a bit more palatable.

I'm not sure if it had to do with the age of the building, but one issue with the indoor penguin exhibit it is would constantly steam/mist up on the glass, making it difficult to see things.

While I'd miss the "snowy" indoor environment, a more elaborate outdoor penguin exhibit with better viewing is okay with me. Good thing I've done the penguin experience backstage tour already (and got to see that baby penguin!).

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

Are there any actual sources to back up the idea they're planning to permanently remove all cold-climate penguins from the park and just keep a small outdoor exhibit for the ones that can live outside? That would be such an unfathomably dumb move, especially when they just named their biggest ride after Emperor penguins. It would make way more sense to me if this were a temporary measure while a new penguin encounter was built near Emperor. Also, would it really cost $60m to build a new one? I'm pretty sure that's more than the entire Antarctica realm in Orlando cost to build.

 

[Wild Atlantis]

I’m jugging off the Polk penguin center at the Detroit zoo witch is of comparable scale to a new Antarctica penguin exhibit and opened more recently than empire of the penguin did. And you are right it would cost more in the range of 40million not 60mill but that’s still a lot for modern sea world and the trip to Orlando for the emperor, Penguins would be way too much stress for the penguins just to move them back in a year or two when the new penguin exhibit would be ready if it were built they would almost certainly keep them in the main exhibit until a new one were built.

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

View attachment 26517I’m jugging off the Polk penguin center at the Detroit zoo witch is of comparable scale to a new Antarctica penguin exhibit and opened more recently. The empire of the penguin did. And you are right it would cost more in the range of 40million not 60mill but that’s still a lot for modern sea world and the trip to Orlando for the emperor, Penguins would be way too much stress in the penguins just to move them back in a year or two when the new penguin exhibit would be ready if it were built they would almost certainly keep them in the main exhibit until a new one were built.

Ah gotcha. I actually visited that (the Detroit Zoo penguin exhibit) last summer and kept thinking how much it reminded me of the one at SWO. I will say it's fairly large, definitely more extensive than the current exhibit at SWSD, but I also don't know how big/elaborate SeaWorld would hypothetically want a new penguin encounter to be. In any case, you'd think United Parks would recognize that this is a pretty essential attraction and be willing to pay the money needed to keep it around. Otherwise, that makes me worried about the future of the other animal encounters, like wild arctic, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins etc--are these all going to be phased out as soon as the facilities need maintenance/replacement?

 

[JaySalahi]

Long shot, but is there a part of Wild Arctic that can be repurposed for some of them at minimal cost or no?

 

[Wild Atlantis]

Long shot, but is there a part of Wild Arctic that can be repurposed for some of them at minimal cost or no?

No wild arctic is outdoors and penguins don’t live in the northern arctic

 

[Wild Atlantis]

Otherwise, that makes me worried about the future of the other animal encounters, like wild arctic, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins etc--are these all going to be phased out as soon as the facilities need maintenance/replacement?

They have already filed permits for an renovation of shark encounter next year and turtle reef is still relatively new and just got renovated back in 2022 it’s just the Penguins are more expensive to maintain and build a new exhibit for due to the requirement for cold weather.

 

[Wesker69]

Plus we just got the jelly fish exhibit this year

In a perfect (sea) world, every animal habitat would have a ride counterpart to have the perfect balance of education & thrill. Plus entertainment (which is harder to get at most parks nowadays)

With necessary thrill side quests like JTA & Shipwreck