SeaWorld Orlando has unveiled the rides for the upcoming SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep. This ride is an indoor attraction that allows you to experience a simulated underwater experience while moving forward and swinging from side to side.
The vehicle, unveiled Tuesday on the exhibit floor at the IAAPA Expo at the Orange County Convention Center, recreates the behavior of a submarine without the cramped quarters. Open-air vehicles are suspended from rails using gravity to assist in programmed movement.
“We’re really excited about all of the dynamics,” said Connor Kerr, corporate vice president of rides and engineering for United Parks & Resorts, the parent company of the SeaWorld Orlando theme park.
“One of the really great things about this is that the movement is very fluid, so when it’s suspended it actually feels like it’s flying through the water,” he said.
The ride, announced in September, is under construction at the theme park and is expected to open to the public sometime in 2026. The experience will last four to five minutes, Kerr said.
“You board at the station and then you set off. You’ll go deep into the ocean and pass through different types of underwater environments,” he said. “You’re going to experience all sorts of mysteries and discoveries…and obviously the most important thing you’re going to see are all the animals that you’re going to see along the way.”
The vehicle will be equipped with speakers and the ability to rotate 360 degrees.
The vehicle is manufactured by Vekoma, a Dutch company with offices in downtown Orlando. This will be the company’s first project at SeaWorld Orlando.
“This ride system is such a perfect fit,” said Ricardo Etges, Vekoma’s vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas. “You’ll be able to float in the air and see everything that’s at the bottom of the ocean.”
Vehicles seat 4-5 people and have low height requirements. These factors will make SEAQuest a family-friendly attraction, executives say. Each vehicle moves independently.
“Subsequently, conveyor belts will be installed at the station, which will significantly speed up the loading and unloading of luggage,” Etges said.
“There’s going to be some excitement and adventure built into it as well. It’s a theme park ride,” Kerr said. “The real basis of the ride is exploration. … We’re not on a mission. It’s really about going where no one has gone before and seeing things at the bottom of the ocean that no one has ever seen before.”
IAAPA Expo runs through Friday.
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