SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[bejackso]

any idea/predictions on when penguin trek will open? thinking about planning a trip to SWO in april/may.

[thrillseeker4552]

I would estimate mid-late May at the earliest, similar to Pipeline last year. The two rides seem to have a similar construction timeline so far. Testing will likely begin in March and commissioning/final touches to the area and theming in April and passholder previews starting in May. Of course the park hasn't announced anything officially yet so the later the better if you're planning a trip.

[DoinItForTheFame]

On 2/14/2024 at 8:52 AM, bejackso said:

any idea/predictions on when penguin trek will open? thinking about planning a trip to SWO in april/may.

2025.

[YoshiFan]

Penguin Trek is opening on July 7th

Pass Previews start on July 2nd. The e-mail was just sent out with the dates for pass holders:

https://www.wesh.com/article/seaworld-orlando-opening-date-penguin-trek/61195796

"Ready to be among the first to ride the ALL-NEW Penguin Trek? As a Pass Member, you can join us for previews from 8 a.m. – park close on select dates based on your tier:

Platinum Pass Members: July 2–3

Platinum and Gold Pass Members: July 4 

Platinum, Gold, and Silver Pass Members: July 5 

Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pass Members plus Fun Card holders: July 6"

 

I'm hoping the previews wont be too crowded with it being a holiday week and schools on summer break. Ice Breaker and Pipeline were 5 minute waits for me during those previews but they were in the winter and spring on days when local schools were open.

[YoshiFan]

I went to SeaWorld today for the first day of Platinum Pass previews.

There are new kiosks at the park entrance that work much better than the old ones. The old ones always were out of service or freezing up. As with past previews, they were checking to make sure everyone entering the line had a Platinum Pass. The wait time sign was posting a 15 minute wait but it was a walk on unless you wanted the front or back rows.

The queue starts outdoors but is mostly indoors which is a welcome addition with the air conditioning. The queue is themed well with some props and then there are stairs and a walkway over the track in the station. It reminded me a little of Kingda Ka's walkway entering and exiting the station.

The first launch was good and the ride is mostly a lot of twists and turns without too many drops. The ride isn't forceful at all but I wasn't expecting it with it being marketed as a family coaster. The second launch is close to the end of the ride before a large banked turn. There was a little bit of a rattle but not too bad.

Penguin Trek is a great addition to SeaWorld and really needed. The park has so many thrill coasters and something much tamer really adds some variety to their lineup. I think it's going to be very popular with it appealing to almost everyone, especially with the low height requirement of 42"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hilltopper39]

Everything I've seen so far on Penguin Trek has been pretty impressive, looks like a really solid edition. I'm not gonna have a chance to make it down for the previews but have a day trip planned in a few weeks with some friends and their kid who is over 42 In but still under 48, so this will be his first "bigger" coaster, so looking forward to that.

[Skysthelimit]

I went for previews yesterday as well and got 3 rides. One in the front, one in the middle and one towards the back. 
 

It’s a little obvious that they had to get creative when shoe-horning the ride into a building that wasn’t meant for this attraction, but I thought SW did an A+ job with what they had to work. The ride fills a void in the park’s lineup and we agreed that the dark ride section into the first launch was the highlight. 
 

That said, I can’t get over how rattly this thing is. Sitting in the front seat, you see B&M track in front of you but it feels like you are on a family coaster from the mid-90s given the level of jank it has. Further back in the train it isn’t quite as noticeable, but it’s still pronounced. If I was a SW exec riding this for the first time, I probably would have been pretty pissed with B&M. I’m not sure what they or Clermont Steel have been doing lately, but their work has been less than stellar. On a brighter note, Mako in the front seat still smooth and gracefas can be. 

[prozach626]

I love to see old office desks, chairs, and inoperable computers being the standard for themeing. 

[YoshiFan]

There are reports that they keep changing the exit procedure for the ride. When I rode the coaster on Tuesday, they allowed everyone to go through an emergency exit that goes right outside. More recently, they are now forcing people to wait in line for the penguin exhibit after the ride and it is taking people up to 25 minutes to exit after waiting and walking through the exhibit. I hope they are just testing different policies and that won't be a permanent policy. Having to wait in line to exit each time you ride the coaster is going to be very frustrating.

[prozach626]

I'm surprised they aren't making people wait in the giftshop. 

[abovethesink]

On 7/3/2024 at 5:12 PM, Skysthelimit said:

That said, I can’t get over how rattly this thing is. Sitting in the front seat, you see B&M track in front of you but it feels like you are on a family coaster from the mid-90s given the level of jank it has. Further back in the train it isn’t quite as noticeable, but it’s still pronounced. If I was a SW exec riding this for the first time, I probably would have been pretty pissed with B&M. I’m not sure what they or Clermont Steel have been doing lately, but their work has been less than stellar. On a brighter note, Mako in the front seat still smooth and gracefas can be. 

I might just be missing it, but I feel like this is kind of an underdiscussed development in the industry. I haven't ridden any of them myself yet, but a lot of people have gotten off Penguin Trek, Pipeline, Iron Menace, and Dr. Diabolical noting that they are pretty rattly out of the gate. This did not use to happen with B&M. The rattle that developed over time used to take years. 

[Hilltopper39]

1 hour ago, abovethesink said:

I might just be missing it, but I feel like this is kind of an underdiscussed development in the industry. I haven't ridden any of them myself yet, but a lot of people have gotten off Penguin Trek, Pipeline, Iron Menace, and Dr. Diabolical noting that they are pretty rattly out of the gate. This did not use to happen with B&M. The rattle that developed over time used to take years. 

I've seen some discussion about this recently and I swear I've ridden Pipeline 30 times and never once did I think it was the slightest bit uncomfortable. Is there a little bit of a rattle? Kind of, I mean you can sort of feel vibrating a little bit also I think that the only reason I even noticed it was because in my head I thinking to look for it. 

I'm gonna try to ride Penguin Trek in a few weeks so I'm interested to see what that one feels like but I feel like this whole discussion about the rattle is WAY overblown. Maybe it's just my tolerance for roughness on coasters and all of the Arrow looping coasters I've ridden as a younger man in this hobby lol, but I have still yet to ride a B&M that I thought was even remotely uncomfortable. 

 

[abovethesink]

2 hours ago, Hilltopper39 said:

I've seen some discussion about this recently and I swear I've ridden Pipeline 30 times and never once did I think it was the slightest bit uncomfortable. Is there a little bit of a rattle? Kind of, I mean you can sort of feel vibrating a little bit also I think that the only reason I even noticed it was because in my head I thinking to look for it. 

I'm gonna try to ride Penguin Trek in a few weeks so I'm interested to see what that one feels like but I feel like this whole discussion about the rattle is WAY overblown. Maybe it's just my tolerance for roughness on coasters and all of the Arrow looping coasters I've ridden as a younger man in this hobby lol, but I have still yet to ride a B&M that I thought was even remotely uncomfortable. 

 

Again, no first hand experience, but what I have read from others isn't that these are necessarily rough, it is just that you can feel a noticeable rattle which is a departure for how most B&Ms used to stay glass smooth for years after install. 

[prozach626]

Banshee, Diamondback, Fury, and all the slight to moderate head banging on the B&M's of the 90's. All standups and floorless conversions beat the piss out of you. 

A lot of the 2000's into the early teens seemed to be the most smooth B&M's, but nerds complained about them not being intense enough.

[Hilltopper39]

On 7/10/2024 at 9:02 AM, Hilltopper39 said:

I've seen some discussion about this recently and I swear I've ridden Pipeline 30 times and never once did I think it was the slightest bit uncomfortable. Is there a little bit of a rattle? Kind of, I mean you can sort of feel vibrating a little bit also I think that the only reason I even noticed it was because in my head I thinking to look for it. 

I'm gonna try to ride Penguin Trek in a few weeks so I'm interested to see what that one feels like but I feel like this whole discussion about the rattle is WAY overblown. Maybe it's just my tolerance for roughness on coasters and all of the Arrow looping coasters I've ridden as a younger man in this hobby lol, but I have still yet to ride a B&M that I thought was even remotely uncomfortable. 

 

Okay I got a few rides on Penguin Trek yesterday and in regards to the "rattle" I didn't feel anything that was even the slightest bit uncomfortable, it's barely even noticeable. It's a family coaster with a 42 inch height restriction that goes like 40 mph and felt absolutely fine to me.

 

Other than that, it's a pretty great attraction but just kind of an okay ride? Nothing wrong with it at all, the ride itself is just kind of forceless but again for a 42 inch kiddie coaster that's fine. The indoor que and dark ride sections did look fantastic so kudos to SW for doing that. For a non-existent as the themeing is on Ice Breaker and Pipeline (which I think is fine honestly) Penguin Trek really is the perfect little mix of just enough to make it feel like a real attraction. So all around pretty solid addition IMO.

A far as the exit procedures, both rides we were routed through the exhibit and had a small wait but it really wasn't that big of a deal? 

[thepoint4life23]

I feel like at this point Rattle is more like a door panel sound in your car. Its not doing anything you just hear it.