2/20/2023 0 Comments Journey to atlantis![]() Even if the 1980s and '90s had seen a wave of movie studios try to break into the “studio park” business, the international brewing company (producers of Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob, Rolling Rock, Shock Top, and dozens of other recognizable alcoholic beverages) seemed to have no connection to the world of animal parks. Epic adventuresĪt first glance, Anheuser-Busch must seem an odd operator for a chain of parks. So to tell the story of Journey to Atlantis, we need to start in medias res – right in the middle of SeaWorld's history… In 1989, the four SeaWorld parks (in San Diego, Cleveland, Orlando, and San Antonio) were acquired outright by a company that may initially seem out of left field. That’s because – quite unlike Disney or Universal’s parks – SeaWorld has been handed from owner to owner over the course of its nearly 45-year life, bending continuously to the changing whims of changing powers and changing times. Frankly, isn’t SeaWorld a thrill park, with its anchor attractions all being bare, behemoth steel roller coasters to rival any Six Flags or Cedar Fair park?Īnimal park? Theme park? Amusement park? The uncomplicated answer is that SeaWorld is all of those, and more. ![]() SeaWorld stands apart from your local amusement park in so many ways.īut in just as many ways, it doesn't stand apart. After all, time, money, and care have been spent crafting themed “lands” with notable detail, some well-designed dark rides, and entertainment (both animal and acrobatic) quite unlike anything else in Orlando. and a very, very expensive one, many times costlier than your local zoo. Folded in here is SeaWorld’s commendable animal rehabilitation and release program (which has rescued well over 25,000 animals in its history) and its AZA-accredited zoological practices (including enrichment, veterinary care, exhibit design, etc.) that, observably, make it a very, very good zoo. Maybe you’d label it a zoo, given its emphasis on animal enclosures and encounters. If it weren’t for SeaWorld, after all, many Americans might never see a sea lion, dolphin, orca, or shark in person in their entire lives… A competing (and recently vocal) group suggests that SeaWorld is a catastrophe of animal rights violations and moral reprehensibility that should be shut and buried.īut today, we’ll avoid that (important) discussion in favor of a simpler thought… Morality and philosophy aside, what is SeaWorld – as in, literally? On a grand, philosophical level, some view SeaWorld as an inspiring animal park that provides up-close encounters with living creatures that, otherwise, would feel a world away. SeaWorld. Given just that word – SeaWorld – what comes to your mind? What images? Thoughts? Sounds? Feelings? What is SeaWorld? But this intense look at the ride has to start with a simple question. Today, we'll dive deep into the story of SeaWorld's Journey to Atlantis and dissect the making of, experience of, and 2017 changes to this would-be E-Ticket in an in-depth, full-fledged history. But the ride designed to exemplify a new direction for an ever-changing park is – today – all-but-sunk. Journey to Atlantis was poised to be the perfect blend, matching Disney note-for-note in thrills, theme, score, special effects, and story. They wanted to transform the animal park into a destination for theme- and thrill-seekers alike. In the 1990s, an unexpected company took the helm of SeaWorld, determined to grow and expand the park to compete with Disney and Universal down the road. ![]() Image: Jeremy Thompson, Flickr ( license) And that brings us to our Declassified Disasters series, examining failures and flops from Stitch’s Great Escape to Superstar Limo the Rocket Rods, to Epcot’s Journey into YOUR Imagination and many more. And when it comes to “forgotten” rides, there’s perhaps no better example than a would-be E-Ticket languishing away at the unfortunately troubled SeaWorld Orlando. ![]() including those that taught us what not to do. We’ve made it our mission here at Theme Park Tourist to chronicle the in-depth, full stories behind landmark attractions across the world. ![]() And for theme park fans, it seems like the perfect foundation for a dark ride. The story of Atlantis has endured for centuries and centuries, a mythological marvel as celebrated as the gods of old. For thousands of years, explorers, adventurers, and globetrotters have sought remains of an ancient civilization swallowed by the sea a lost continent abandoned by the gods. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |