Antarctica / Empire of the Penguin

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This has been open for a few months now, but it doesn't look like there's been a thread on it.

Just wanted to hear the thoughts & opinions of those who have experienced it.
 
I was there on Thursday. It's an okay ride. It's freezing inside the ride, and we got stuck on the ride for about 15 minutes just before the doors open and we get to see the live animals. Kind of like the Finding Nemo ride at EPCOT with a cool ending.
 

OFTeric

Well-Known Member
I was there on Thursday. It's an okay ride. It's freezing inside the ride, and we got stuck on the ride for about 15 minutes just before the doors open and we get to see the live animals. Kind of like the Finding Nemo ride at EPCOT with a cool ending.

That is one thing... if you get stuck on the ride, it is COLD! lol
 

kap91

Well-Known Member
waste of a brilliant ride system. Its an extremely short ride with essentially no scenery, and some projection screens---cool idea (no pun intended) but not great execution, although I guess its still fun to go on, the penguin habitat itself is much nicer than the old one - although it can give the illusion of being smaller even if it isn't.
 

OFTeric

Well-Known Member
Personally I think it is incredible how close you can get to the penguins now

971356_183066271869382_1620528588_n.jpg
 

Nemo14

Well-Known Member
We did this Thursday, and as much as I loved seeing the penguins, I thought the ride itself was a big letdown. We did the "wild" side, and I kept thinking it would get better, but it didn't. The penguins were awesome though.
 

JimboJones123

Well-Known Member
There is a major difference in the ride depending on which gate you go in on.

I have only done Wild 3 and 4. 4 sucks. You lose a big chunk of ride time waiting for the other vehicles to launch. It has about half the rotations that 3 does.
 

luv

Well-Known Member
I was prepared to love this ride and was so excited about the whole Antarctica thing.

Kind of a let-down. I do still love the penguins, because I like penguins. But I think the penguin encounter area (whatever it is called) could be bigger. I also think it could be warmer on the people side!! I wonder if they don't make it cold on purpose, to keep people moving through and not hanging around to watch the penguins. It's freaking freezing in there if you're in shorts, flip-flops and a sleeveless shirt.

The ride is almost not a ride. The vehicles are very cool and when they bounce around, it's kind of awesome. If it were longer and more interesting, it would have been something to rave about. As it is, just when you think it's about to really start, it's over. Just way, way too short.

The Antarctica area is really more a themed ride area and less of a land. It's kind of cool. The area with the carved penguins, where people take pics, is nice. But it's all kind of cheap-looking, honestly.

I don't remember the gift shop that well and haven't been in there in a long time, but it didn't have me dying to go back. I never ate the fast food, but I'll assume it isn't very good, lol.
 

Clamman73

Well-Known Member
I went on it this past week and I really wasn't too sure what the point was. They could have incorporated more of the life of a penguin into the ride instead of some pretty and colorful stuff hanging from the ceiling and the like. Plus it's too effing cold in the penguin room to observe the penguins and ask questions of the curators.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
I also think it could be warmer on the people side!! I wonder if they don't make it cold on purpose, to keep people moving through and not hanging around to watch the penguins. It's freaking freezing in there if you're in shorts, flip-flops and a sleeveless shirt.
There are no sides. You're in the room with the penguins and they need it to be cold.
 

luv

Well-Known Member
There are no sides. You're in the room with the penguins and they need it to be cold.
There is glass between us and the penguins...or plexiglass or something. That's what I was talking about.

They used to have it less cold on the people side. That's what I'd like.

I've decided to wait until a cool winter day to visit them, when I can be dressed more appropriately for the penguins. (Maybe I should wear black and white ;))
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
There is glass between us and the penguins...or plexiglass or something. That's what I was talking about.

They used to have it less cold on the people side. That's what I'd like.

I've decided to wait until a cool winter day to visit them, when I can be dressed more appropriately for the penguins. (Maybe I should wear black and white ;))
The glass only holds in the water. You could reach right over and touch the water or a penguin. It's all one big open room.
 

luv

Well-Known Member
The glass only holds in the water. You could reach right over and touch the water or a penguin. It's all one big open room.
Are you sure? I know I took a picture through some kind of glass. But I was shivering and out of there quickly, so may have forgotten a lot. Like I said, not going back in until it's cooler out and I have real clothing on, not a sleeveless tank, shorts and flip flops. :)
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Are you sure? I know I took a picture through some kind of glass. But I was shivering and out of there quickly, so may have forgotten a lot. Like I said, not going back in until it's cooler out and I have real clothing on, not a sleeveless tank, shorts and flip flops. :)
Yes. Only the very last room where you can go down to see under water is seperated and heated.
 
Really GREAT attraction, IMO. The ride was obviously only meant to be a conveyor to the real attraction, the Penguins - and it works well to those means, again IMO. Too bad the ride seemed to garner so much pre opening hype. That was a mistake on SW's part, they should have stuck with promoting the penguins.

The technology of the new ride is really cool on it's own though. Hopefully we'll see an advanced ride using this system somewhere soon.
 

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