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May 30, 2013
Shamu Saves You a Seat

It's been a busy week for SeaWorld's staff. Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin has opened to 2-4 hour waits on the busiest of days. Part of that is the guest desire to experience the new, state-of-the-art attraction. The other part is that new state-of-the-art attractions take time to break in. Numerous reports of down time have been funneling in. That's not at all unusual. I'm quite sure SeaWorld's teams will get the kinks out. I'm looking forward to riding it myself soon.

All new attractions need to be tested and adjusted but Antarctica needed an unusual one. You may have seen on Local 6 News at 7 or in this adorable video on ClickOrlando.com. The attraction is meant to get you closer than ever to the penguins. Just not this close.

The little guy jumped a bit too far and ended up waddling in the people-only area -- looking confused and clearly eager to get back with his 250 feathered friends.
An animal handler quickly scooped him up and put him back in the pool.
 There have been a few similar incidents. While SeaWorld is quick to point out no penguin was harmed in the making of that video. As you can see in this photo tweeted by our friends at Attractions Magazine, SeaWorld is also taking action.

The sign reads "Please pardon the net while the penguins explore their new home"
The penguins were only released into their new habitat about two weeks before the attraction's opening. Naturally there would be fewer jumps over the wall as the penguins learn more about their habitat (its lighting mimics as exactly as possible the actual light from the South Pole) but SeaWorld tells Local 6 the net is the first step in a change to make sure the penguins stay safe. They are working on a final solution and we will keep you posted.

SeaWorld is famous for its shows, of course. The most famous being Shamu's One Ocean.

But did you know Shamu will save you a seat? A relatively new service  allows you to pay for reserved seating at Shamu Stadium, Blue Horizons, the Sea Lion & Otter Theater & the Nautilus theater.
Prices start at $29 per person, per day -- and goes higher on busier days.

Here's a link to more information.

Though I, personally, have been fortunate to see any show I wanted any time I've been in the park, I can understand why the peace-of-mind reserved seating can mean for families.

Expect more Theme World tomorrow. Optimus Prime is now atop the Transformers: The Ride-3D entrance at Universal Studios. Another sign (no pun intended) the attraction is almost ready for its June 20th official opening. Universal workers got a chance to try it out over the past two days (the next one is tonight). I am told the first soft-opening tests with guests could come as soon as tomorrow. Keep in mind -- there are no announcements of these things. It's a "right place at the right time" thing.

Though with Facebook and Twitter that's changing. I'll let you know as I learn more.
 More Theme World tomorrow!!!

Until then, keep your emails, questions, and comments coming!

Here's a link to my most recent Theme World Blog entries.

See you in the parks!