Riders aboard SeaWorld’s new first-of-its-kind Arctic attraction will race alongside beluga whales, weave through glaciers and plunge beneath the frigid sea in a family-friendly adventure at the top of the world – all without getting cold or wet.
The new Expedition Odyssey flying theater attraction debuts on May 9 at SeaWorld Orlando with passholder previews starting on Thursday, May 1.
Expedition Odyssey will take riders on a journey across frozen tundra, past icebergs and under water where they will experience up-close encounters with humpback whales, orcas and walruses.
The twin Mack Rides Airific flying theaters — similar to the Soarin’ rides at Disney parks around the world — will feature rotating turntables that will allow SeaWorld to increase attraction capacity.
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The turntables will have two sets of seats — allowing one group of riders to experience the attraction on the domed theater screen while another group exits and a third loads.
Once the ride experience is over, the turntable rotates 180 degrees to start the unload and load process again with the next batch of riders.
The flying theater seats will be capable of soaring, diving, twisting and gliding in sync with the filmed scenes. Wind, mist, scent and water effects will be built into the overhead canopy.
The family-friendly thrill ride will have a relatively low height requirement of 39 inches.
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Riders will exit Expedition Odyssey through an Arctic animal exhibit with beluga whales and walruses.
SeaWorld has been boasting that the real-world Expedition Odyssey footage shot by a camera crew is not computer generated — a dig at Disney’s Soarin’ attractions that blend reality and fantasy.
A clone of the Expedition Odyssey flying theater ride is expected to debut next at SeaWorld San Diego, according to Screamscape.
“Chances are that the next major attraction to come to SeaWorld San Diego in 2026 or 2027 will be a copy of the Expedition Odyssey flying theater attraction opening this summer at SeaWorld Orlando,” according to Screamscape.
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SeaWorld San Diego only needs to buy and install the Mack ride system and use the already edited and programmed flying theater film, according to Screamscape.
“As long as guests enjoy the new Expedition Odyssey flying theater in Orlando, it won’t be long before the budget is approved to move forward with a clone for San Diego,” according to Screamscape.
SeaWorld San Diego has not yet made any announcements about any upcoming rides.
Concept art of the Expedition Odyssey flying theater attraction at SeaWorld Orlando. (Courtesy of SeaWorld)The new Expedition Odyssey flying theater at SeaWorld Orlando takes over a space that was previously home to a pair of motion simulator attractions — Wild Arctic and Mission: Bermuda Triangle.
SeaWorld San Diego also has a shuttered Wild Arctic attraction that was partially reused for the Arctic Rescue roller coaster that debuted in 2023.
The former Wild Arctic attraction at SeaWorld San Diego still has two unused simulator bays that could be adapted for an Expedition Odyssey flying theater, according to Screamscape.
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Soarin’ Over California was the world’s first flying theater attraction when it debuted in 2001 at Disney California Adventure.
Disney exported versions of the Soarin’ ride to Epcot, Shanghai Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea. DCA runs Soarin’ Around the World most of the year with Soarin’ Over California playing during the annual Disney Food & Wine Festival.
Today there are more than 40 flying theaters around the globe that take riders soaring over San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, Italy, Holland, China, Indonesia, Taipei, Iceland, Malta and Uzbekistan.
The first Mack Rides Airific flying theater opened in 2023 at a small theme park in Vietnam.
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