Wild Arctic (SeaWorld Orlando)
Encyclopedia
Wild Arctic is a motion simulator
and film
themed attraction currently operating at SeaWorld Orlando
. The attraction is combined with an animal exhibit featuring beluga whales, polar bears, and walruses.
Guests have the option to "travel by land" and bypass the motion simulator aspect of this attraction.
TV monitors that show various clips about the Arctic and it's animals running on a loop
. Guests then enter the show building.
Guests experiencing the actual ride are taken into a room with an information board showing the flight departure schedule, as well as a large projection screen in front of them which shows another random clip about facts of the Arctic. From here, guests next enter another pre-show room where they line about into multiple rows to prepare for boarding their helicopter flight, along with numerous overhead HD TV screens in front of them. Soon, a video comes on the screen in which the Operations Co-Ordinator for the Franklin Exploration Center explains that the center is a support facility for Base Station Wild Arctic in the Antarctic, and that both facilities were founded by Thomas Purcell in 1937, who strived to have man survive in the Arctic climate to research the area. The co-ordinator further explains that guests will be traveling to Base Station Wild Arctic in the Helicopter White Thunder. She then turns the show over to Co-Pilot Norm "Snowman" Miller, who explains that White Thunder is being piloted by Captain Emerson, to which White Thunder's computer is heard warning Miller of a nasty arctic storm in their path. Miller then explains the safety rules to guests, and closes the video. The doors to White Thunder then open, and guests board the ride vehicle via a drawbridge
.
s, the doors close, and Captain Emerson begins departing White Thunder from the Franklin Exploration Center, explaining to guests that he expects a short, comfortable flight to Base Station "Wild Arctic". Soon, Emerson begins flying the helicopter down to observe a polar bear
family and then pilots White Thunder to switch to a water mode to dive into the Arctic waters to observe some Narwhal
s. Soon after the helicopter is piloted above water again, where Emerson warns that the Arctic storm is picking up and he has a warning indicator on his computer. Emerson lands the helicopter on a glacier to check the problem, which soon begins breaking apart due to the weight of the jet. Emerson struggles to get the engine to start, and the helicopter is soon caught in a rock slide before it begins flying again. The computer then dies out, and Emerson decides to use a short-cut to Base Station Wild Arctic to avoid the storm. Soon, White Thunder is caught in an avalanche
and ice flow until Emerson narrowly escapes the storm by piloting through a narrow cavern, and to safety. The jet then arrives at Base Station Wild Arctic, and Emerson thanks guests and bids them farewell as they explore the research station. The doors then open, and guests exit the ride into Base Station Wild Arctic.
-themed merchandise can be purchased.
Motion simulator
A motion simulator or motion platform is a mechanism that encapsulates occupants and creates the effect/feelings of being in a moving vehicle...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
themed attraction currently operating at SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park, and marine-life based zoological park, near Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group...
. The attraction is combined with an animal exhibit featuring beluga whales, polar bears, and walruses.
Guests have the option to "travel by land" and bypass the motion simulator aspect of this attraction.
Queue area
Guests queue outside the "Franklin Exploration Center", where it is presumed that they are waiting to board a helicopter which will taken them to "Base Station Wild Arctic". The queueing area outside the attraction includes numerous murals of the Arctic animals and scenery as well as various HDHigh-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
TV monitors that show various clips about the Arctic and it's animals running on a loop
Loop
- Technology :*Loop , sending a signal on a channel and receiving it back at the sending terminal*Loop , a method of control flow in computer science*Loop device, a Unix device node that allows a file to be mounted on a directory...
. Guests then enter the show building.
Pre-show
Once inside the building, guests are divided into either traveling by helicopter (the ride portion) or traveling by foot (in which they view the ride film without the motion). Guest which require stationary seating are taken directly to a room where they view the ride film and then the interactive animal exhibit.Guests experiencing the actual ride are taken into a room with an information board showing the flight departure schedule, as well as a large projection screen in front of them which shows another random clip about facts of the Arctic. From here, guests next enter another pre-show room where they line about into multiple rows to prepare for boarding their helicopter flight, along with numerous overhead HD TV screens in front of them. Soon, a video comes on the screen in which the Operations Co-Ordinator for the Franklin Exploration Center explains that the center is a support facility for Base Station Wild Arctic in the Antarctic, and that both facilities were founded by Thomas Purcell in 1937, who strived to have man survive in the Arctic climate to research the area. The co-ordinator further explains that guests will be traveling to Base Station Wild Arctic in the Helicopter White Thunder. She then turns the show over to Co-Pilot Norm "Snowman" Miller, who explains that White Thunder is being piloted by Captain Emerson, to which White Thunder's computer is heard warning Miller of a nasty arctic storm in their path. Miller then explains the safety rules to guests, and closes the video. The doors to White Thunder then open, and guests board the ride vehicle via a drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
.
Ride
Once guest have been seated and secured seat beltSeat belt
A seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
s, the doors close, and Captain Emerson begins departing White Thunder from the Franklin Exploration Center, explaining to guests that he expects a short, comfortable flight to Base Station "Wild Arctic". Soon, Emerson begins flying the helicopter down to observe a polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
family and then pilots White Thunder to switch to a water mode to dive into the Arctic waters to observe some Narwhal
Narwhal
The narwhal, Monodon monoceros, is a medium-sized toothed whale that lives year-round in the Arctic. One of two living species of whale in the Monodontidae family, along with the beluga whale, the narwhal males are distinguished by a characteristic long, straight, helical tusk extending from their...
s. Soon after the helicopter is piloted above water again, where Emerson warns that the Arctic storm is picking up and he has a warning indicator on his computer. Emerson lands the helicopter on a glacier to check the problem, which soon begins breaking apart due to the weight of the jet. Emerson struggles to get the engine to start, and the helicopter is soon caught in a rock slide before it begins flying again. The computer then dies out, and Emerson decides to use a short-cut to Base Station Wild Arctic to avoid the storm. Soon, White Thunder is caught in an avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
and ice flow until Emerson narrowly escapes the storm by piloting through a narrow cavern, and to safety. The jet then arrives at Base Station Wild Arctic, and Emerson thanks guests and bids them farewell as they explore the research station. The doors then open, and guests exit the ride into Base Station Wild Arctic.
Post-Show
Following the ride, guests enter Base Station Wild Arctic, which consists of a re-created Arctic Research Station built around two sailing ships which are trapped in the ice. Numerous animals can be seen on exhibit at the base, including polar bears and beluga whales. There are also multiple interactive games and activities scattered throughout the station. At the end of the attraction, guests exit then a long series of ramps and into an arctic-themed gift shop.Gift shop
Following this area, is a gift shop for the attraction where arctic-themed and SeaWorldSeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
-themed merchandise can be purchased.