A key milestone of Emperor’s progress, ride testing started with water-filled dummies on board the seats of one of the trains. Each floorless train holds 18 riders in three, six-person rows. Testing will continue for several weeks. When Emperor opens this spring, it will be the tallest, fastest, longest and only floorless dive coaster on the West Coast.
Named for the world’s largest penguin, the Emperor roller coaster will climb to 153 feet in height, and with riders’ feet dangling in the air, the train will be suspended on a 45-degree angle at the crown of the ride before plunging down a 143-foot facedown vertical drop accelerating to more than 60 miles per hour. This new attraction will also highlight an important new animal-conservation partnership between SeaWorld and Penguins International, an organization dedicated to penguin conservation and research that will focus on penguin awareness and the conservation needs of this special aquatic bird.
The partnership will include collaboration on educational elements that will be integrated into the attraction experience to educate guests on everything from penguin behavior and the effects of climate change on their habitats, to the work that SeaWorld and Penguins International are doing to help the species.
The partnership with SeaWorld will help advance Penguin International’s conservation programs at several high-priority sites and their public awareness campaigns. A portion of the proceeds from sales of penguin merchandise will also be donated to Penguins International to support their important conservation, education and research efforts.