This new Arctic ride is a ' visit the South Pole experience' and is part of a large area which has been made to give the feel of being in a large cold place.
As usual, leave strollers outside.
There are is a cafe. shop and exhibit area and then, of course, the new ride.
The ride itself is split into two ' thrill' levels, the Wild Ride and the Mild Ride. The Wild Ride is height restricted.
Having our two young grandchildren with us we chose the Mild Ride, which is suitable for any child who can walk (but not infants in arms, we were told).
The first part of the experience was in a dark and quite chilly room watching a film about a baby penguin hatching in the wild. Our 3 year old was a little unhappy at being in the dark with the loud soundtrack - but she is quite a nervous little girl, and our 18 month old didn' t bat an eyelid!
We then moved on to the next area which was a queue for a smaller room which held around 8 people, to see some more of the story.
Next was the ride. It was a car seating 8, and was a ride through the ' South Pole' . Be aware that infants have to sit in their own seat and must be strapped in - they can' t sit on your lap. The cars move quite slowly and twist round to see the various parts of the ' trip' . It was really quite a gentle ride, so younger child friendly. Our 18 month old grandson sat sill and completely enthralled for the whole ride!
When the ride finishes there is a large area where you can watch penguins that are in a large natural looking environment but safe behind glass - you could linger here for a while watching their antics!
The whole experience is made to feel very real. The scenery is snow and ice including long icicles. Please be aware that the authentic atmosphere includes the temperature! It is really quite cold! The cast members are all wearing warm coats - and they need them! This ride would probably be a welcome relief on a hot and humid Florida day, but take a sweatshirt or cardigan in with you!
All in all, a nice experience! We didn' t try the Wild Ride so can' t comment on that, but I' m sure there will be other reviews on here!
As usual, leave strollers outside.
There are is a cafe. shop and exhibit area and then, of course, the new ride.
The ride itself is split into two ' thrill' levels, the Wild Ride and the Mild Ride. The Wild Ride is height restricted.
Having our two young grandchildren with us we chose the Mild Ride, which is suitable for any child who can walk (but not infants in arms, we were told).
The first part of the experience was in a dark and quite chilly room watching a film about a baby penguin hatching in the wild. Our 3 year old was a little unhappy at being in the dark with the loud soundtrack - but she is quite a nervous little girl, and our 18 month old didn' t bat an eyelid!
We then moved on to the next area which was a queue for a smaller room which held around 8 people, to see some more of the story.
Next was the ride. It was a car seating 8, and was a ride through the ' South Pole' . Be aware that infants have to sit in their own seat and must be strapped in - they can' t sit on your lap. The cars move quite slowly and twist round to see the various parts of the ' trip' . It was really quite a gentle ride, so younger child friendly. Our 18 month old grandson sat sill and completely enthralled for the whole ride!
When the ride finishes there is a large area where you can watch penguins that are in a large natural looking environment but safe behind glass - you could linger here for a while watching their antics!
The whole experience is made to feel very real. The scenery is snow and ice including long icicles. Please be aware that the authentic atmosphere includes the temperature! It is really quite cold! The cast members are all wearing warm coats - and they need them! This ride would probably be a welcome relief on a hot and humid Florida day, but take a sweatshirt or cardigan in with you!
All in all, a nice experience! We didn' t try the Wild Ride so can' t comment on that, but I' m sure there will be other reviews on here!