SeaWorld Sets Opening Date for Its New Theme Park
The world's next - and first indoor - SeaWorld theme park now has an official opening date.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi will open May 23 on the Yas Island Resort, developer Miral announced today. The park will be SeaWorld's first park outside the United States and its first indoor theme park, at 183,000 square meters (about 45 acres) across five stories.
"Across all eight realms, the enthralling One Ocean story comes alive through realm designs that simulate the natural and dynamic environments found within the ocean alongside fun and educational experiences that inspire guests of all ages to take an interest in our ocean’s future," SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Chairman Scott Ross said. "Years in the making, SeaWorld's world-renowned team of animal care specialists, scientists, and engineers have worked alongside the visionary team at Miral, leading architects and designers to develop a next-generation SeaWorld park. By leveraging a fundamental SeaWorld design principle of putting animal well-being and care at the core of the design, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is set to redefine the standards of excellence for marine life theme parks across the world."
As Ross alluded to, the park will include eight themes zones:
- One Ocean - The park's central hub
- Animal Care Center
- Abu Dhabi Ocean - Featuring animals native to the emirate and wider region as well as the Matbakh Ummi signature dining experience and the enrollment point for the park's S·E·A Guardian interactive game.
- Polar Ocean - featuring penguins, walruses and "an immersive ride."
- MicroOcean - Featuring the park's children's play area.
- Endless Ocean - Featuring what SeaWorld is calling the largest multi-species aquarium in the world, with more than 68,000 animals, viewable through a 20-meter window named the Endless Vista.
- Tropical Ocean - The park's largest realm will include dolphins, flamingos and tropical birds, as well as the park's Manta multi-launch roller coaster, from Intamin.
- Rocky Point - Themed to the US's Pacific Northwest, this realm will feature sea lions.
SeaWorld joins Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld on Miral's Yas Island resort, which is located conveniently near Abu Dhabi's international airport.
"SeaWorld Abu Dhabi's opening will mark an exciting new chapter in Yas Island and Abu Dhabi's ongoing efforts to promote tourism, showcase the emirate's truly unique offerings and position it as a top global destination," Chairman of Miral, His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, said. "Through its innovative programs and its state-of-the-art facilities, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi aims to inspire the next generation of conservationists and marine life scientists while fostering a deeper appreciation for the natural world."
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Replies (2)
I cant wait to go visit! This new park opening was the deciding factor to taking time from my Dubai Holiday to take the 1 hour drive to Yas Island for 4 days staying at the WB hotel and doing the 3 parks and water park there rather than the Dubai Theme Parks. Yas now has a great line up and offering.
With it being so close to Dubai which is very popular with us Brits I can see more of us now having a two centre holiday or making the short drive from Dubai to Yas.
BTW My Husband and I have been to Dubai several times and NEVER had any issues with us being a same sex couple. Will be interesting to see what happens in Abu. I have been told its very much like Dubai and they dont mind, just watch the PDA's . Which wont be a problem.
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I'm excited for this park. It combines two of my favorite things in theme parks and aquariums. From my count the park will have 3 rides, a childs area, and several animal exhibits. I hope to make it out to the UAE by the end of the decade but this along with the rest of Yas Island is on my to-visit list. In the short term I'm looking forward to checking out photos from the completed project.