SeaWorld opens Aquatica and Antartica; Universal raises prices
Sea World Entertainment is opening the doors of two new venues in the next two weeks: the 3.6-acre Antartica: Empire of the Penguin, being added to SeaWorld Orlando, and a new park with a South Seas tropical theme, Aquatica San Diego.
Aquatica is scheduled to open June 1, after seven months of construction work, on the site of the former Knott’s Soak City Chula Vista, about 20 miles from SeaWorld San Diego.
It will be SeaWorld’s third Aquatica park. The original opened in Orlando in 2008, and the second, at SeaWorld San Antonio, opened in 2012.
Antartica: Empire of the Penguin, meanwhile, is the largest expansion in SeaWorld history, designed to show visitors the South Pole through the eyes of a penguin.
It includes a ride, a habitat, a restaurant, and a retail store.
Its restaurant, Expedition Café, is designed to mirror the way international research teams come together at Arctic base stations; it will feature food from around the world.
Its Glacial Collections store is "the place to shop for penguin lovers." It has penguin-shaped shelves and souvenirs featuring Puck, Antartica’s new animated character.
SeaWorld also offers summer camp programs for children, both day camps and sleep-away.
Meanwhile, Universal Orlando, which just opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, has earned the dubious honor of having the highest price of any big theme park. It raised its single-day, single-park ticket to $92 plus tax.
Disney World and SeaWorld charge $89. Discounts at SeaWorld Orlando include a web special on the SeaWorld site, offering a $10 discount; group discounts for 15 or more; and discounts for any visitor wearing a convention badge.
By Cheryl Rosen
Cheryl
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