It’s been more than five years since SeaWorld’s Wild Arctic habitat lost the ride part of its make-up and became just the “Arctic.” But all that is now about to change, and we are fresh from the media preview of the new ride to share what visitors can expect at its imminent grand (re-)opening.
To start with, the “Wild” part of the experience is definitely gone. It shut down at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and never resumed once the scourge of Covid-19 had largely passed. The impressive animal exhibits for the walrus and beluga whales remained, though, albeit they felt somewhat disjointed by the lack of the context provided by the ride. Happily, that will all change on May 9 when Expedition Odyssey makes its much-anticipated bow after a year-long rebuild of the former ride.
Gone is the simulator ride through the Arctic terrain aboard a fanciful jet-powered helicopter called White Thunder in favour of what they call a “flying theatre” experience similar to Walt Disney World’s Soarin’ attraction. And, while it is a smaller version than the Epcot ride, the Odyssey is very much a scenic wonder, and there are no CGI elements to challenge the illusion of a real-world journey into this polar region.
In simple terms, Expedition Odyssey combines state-of-the-art visuals, dynamic motion technology, high-definition film screen and genuine animal encounters, as well as stunning scenery that takes riders on an exhilarating excursion that includes towering glaciers, vast tundra, awe-inspiring wildlife and even the icy depths of the Arctic Ocean.
It largely utilises the same queueing area and style of the former ride, but then takes a turn for the more dramatic with the boarding station for the new ride which, again, is very much like the Epcot version. Guests are asked to stand on numbered markers relating to their seat on the ride, and then, after a preliminary “safety briefing,” are guided through to the ride itself.
In a completely novel effect, riders are initially facing AWAY from the screen as the boarding process is completed, and then the ride mechanism completely revolves to put them in the middle of the 50-foot-high screen, with a Northern Lights effect filling their view. Then it is off in the most dramatic way possible, scaling a mountain roughly the size of the Alps, which could well be the Cordillera in Canada.
Surprisingly, there’s no commentary or narration of the sights across the broad swathe of Arctic territory the expedition covers, so it’s not clear if you’re seeing places like the Lofoten Islands or the northernmost parts of Canada, Alaska, Greenland or Norway, but it still makes for a coherent journey across the snowy wastes of the region, as well as highlighting some serious mountains.
The big bonus as the ride swoops over icebergs, glaciers and the vast, icy plains of the region is the series of encounters with the marine and bird life along the way, from beluga whales, walruses and orcas to seals and polar bears, all of which were filmed in the course of natural behaviours on land and at sea. No enhancements of any kind were used on the visuals and it all has a documentary-style feel, albeit, there is plenty of dramatic music and a few special effects (wind and a light sea spray at times).
The ride turns and dives occasionally, but for the most part just soars smoothly over the Arctic terrain. It also plunges under water at one point (just like Wild Arctic) to glide alongside a pod of orcas, and you might feel the need to hold your breath! It shouldn’t worry anyone who suffers from motion sickness or fear of heights, though, while the height restriction is a generous 3ft 3in (99cm).
Chris Baker, Vice-President of Park Operations for SeaWorld, told us: “Expedition Odyssey is this amazing experience that merges a fully immersive multi-sensory ride experience with an up-close encounter with various animals both on land and at sea. But what’s really cool about this attraction is that once you come off the ride, when you’ve just had experiences with beluga whales and walruses, you then step into the habitat section of this attraction where you’re going to see beluga whales and walruses face-to-face and learn their stories. It is designed to appeal to all ages, from pre-schoolers to their grandparents, and also enable people to learn about the conservation message that SeaWorld is so proud of.”
That is the real ‘Wow’ moment as riders exit into the impressive indoor habitat that was the former Base Station Wild Arctic, and has been spruced up to create a real-life effect of stepping into the world of the animals you’ve just seen on the big screen. The belugas are a major fascination in their own right, but the real star of the post-ride show is Ukiaq, a baby walrus that was found orphaned in Alaska and has been brought to live at SeaWorld after the US Fish & Wildlife Service deemed her unreleasable. While a youngster by walrus standards, she still weighs almost 180kg and is a super-cute element of the habitat, with above and below-water views of her antics. And, while the ride may take barely five minutes, we think visitors could easily spend an hour enjoying all the facets of these exhibits, where the air-conditioning is super-cool in itself!
There’s still a nod to the former ride just before you exit the habitat, with a large screen topped by a scrolling Flight Arrivals monitor that displays details of the latest helicopter “flights” to and from the base station. Inevitably – as proscribed by Florida law – everything ends in the gift shop and there is an eye-catching array of plush toys, apparel and other branded souvenir merchandise to tempt you into parting with some more holiday cash.
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