SeaWorld Orlando's cool new attraction: See the world from a penguin's perspective at Antarctica: Empire Of The Penguin
You expect to get splashed when Shamu the killer whale leaps magnificently out of the water at SeaWorld in Orlando. It's even advisable not to get too close to those pesky sea lions Clyde and Seamore. But penguins? Really? Yet that is the risk visitors take at the park's new Antarctica: Empire Of The Penguin attraction, which opened last month to rave reviews - and massive queues.
Forget the technological wizardry behind the thrilling ride section of Empire Of The Penguin ('trackless' vehicles take you on a four-and-a-half-minute journey through a realistic polar region) - it is the animals that grab your attention in a whole new way.
Chilling out: Some of the residents at the new Antarctica: Empire Of The Penguin attractionPreviously, penguins could only be viewed through thick Plexiglas and at more than arm's-length. That's due to the fact they need special treatment and their own 'space'.
But SeaWorld wasn't happy with this arrangement - staff wanted a better habitat, a more visceral 'connection' for people to understand the Antarctic reality that most will only ever see on David Attenborough documentaries. So instead of March Of The Penguins, we now have a whole empire to explore, set over four imaginatively themed acres - both indoors and out.
More... Want to see the whole world in one place? Head to Orlando, Florida's capital of fun The Keys to my heart: This Florida fan always returns to the Sunshine State Miami nice! How Florida's once retiring beachside city became an A-list playgroundOne of the highlights is that novel ride, with new-technology cars that follow the journey of gentoo penguin chick Puck through his introduction to the majesty and dangers of Antarctica.
Along the way, he braves the perils of a freezing blizzard (where riders feel the biting winds for real) and the menace of a hungry sea lion (the cars bob and weave, mimicking Puck's movements), as well as the beauty of an ice cave and its rainbow colours.
Then the ride dramatically shifts into the genuine penguin world - a 250-strong colony of gentoos, adelies, rockhoppers and kings - that live in freezing temperatures. And, instead of viewing them behind glass, you can look at these beguiling animals squarely in the eye over low walls and barriers. The effect of stepping into the polar wilderness is radical - painfully so if you linger more than five minutes in the usual Florida tourist uniform of T-shirt and shorts.
A cool place to hang out: The attraction's themed Expedition CafeIt is utterly enchanting as you experience the world from the penguins' perspective, complete with the raucous crowing and chirruping of their calls and the faintly fishy odour they emit. And, yes, if you are up close to the 4ft barrier that encloses the huge pool serving as their 'ocean' (and visitors are drawn in as surely as bees to honey), you are in distinct danger of an icy splashing as they dip and dive under the water.
To complete a magnificent exhibit, there is also a more traditional two-storey underwater viewing area at a human-friendly temperature - it's air-conditioned cool, rather than ice cold - plus a smart gift shop and cafe, making SeaWorld a must-see Florida option this year.
Tourist tip: remember those long queues we mentioned? Waiting times were topping four HOURS in the first week after the attraction's opening, so this is definitely a place where you need to get there early and stake your place.
SeaWorld factfileTickets cost £90 per adult for SeaWorld plus entrance to either the water park Aquatica or sister theme park Busch Gardens (£84 per child aged three to nine), valid for two weeks. For more information, visit seaworldparks.co.uk. Virgin Holidays (0844 557 3859, virginholidays.co.uk) offers seven nights at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld on a room-only basis from £899pp. This includes return Virgin Atlantic flights from Gatwick to Orlando and car hire based on a November 6 departure
