SeaWorld Orlando is home to one of the coolest (literally) new attractions in Central Florida.
Penguin Trek, a family thrill roller coaster with an Antarctic-inspired setting, officially opens to the public on July 7. Theme Park Decoder was invited to check out the ride during a media preview on Monday.
The coaster doesn’t feature an big drops, but it does include two launches and plenty of twists and turns across more than 3,000 feet of track.
For this attraction, SeaWorld wanted to create an thrilling experience that adults as well as younger kids could enjoy. The minimum height requirement is 42 inches.
“We really wanted to build something that’s unique,” said Conner Carr, corporate director of rides and engineering for SeaWorld. “We wanted to build something that’s memorable and elevates the experience our guests have here at the park. So the first objective was to bring a family experience to the park.”
Penguin Trek takes over the space previously occupied by the Empire of the Penguin attraction and offers both a dark ride and coaster experience. It starts indoors with an air-conditioned queue that’s designed to look like a research facility.
Once visitors board the snowmobile-inspired ride vehicles, they will be taken through the indoor portion of the ride that features antarctic scenes, icy rocks and special effects. The coaster then launches riders outside for a ride reaching speeds of 43 mph.
“The indoor-outdoor section is something we’re so excited for and so proud of,” Carr said. “Our team worked so hard to create this great coaster experience but also immersive experience. There’s icy caverns, beautiful vistas, penguins, exciting energy inside the building, and some fun surprises that when you come out and ride it, you’ll get to experience.”
At the exit, there’s an large observation window that provides a view into the park’s penguin exhibit which has more than 300 penguins.
Penguin Trek is SeaWorld’s eighth coaster, following recent additions such as Pipeline:The Surf Coaster in 2023 and Ice Breaker in 2022.
