Earlier this month, Busch Gardens® Williamsburg announced an all-new virtual reality attraction that will enable guests to ride through the magical Irish Otherworld in an epic adventure filled with dragons, fairies, and other legendary creatures. The new attraction will introduce innovative virtual reality technology specifically designed to offer hygienic and high-capacity solutions for theme park operations.

 

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment™, owner and operator of Busch Gardens parks, has selected Falcon’s Creative Group to design and develop the immersive virtual reality experience and storyline for the attraction.

Falcon’s Creative Group has been telling stories through omni-directional media since the early 2000’s, with accomplishments that include Macau’s “Dragon’s Treasure” attraction, the world’s largest 360 ° dome theater, as well as “Heroes and Legends featuring the U.S Astronaut Hall of Fame” at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which features a custom 3D screen and projection system. Falcon’s Creative Group has also worked with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to develop some of their most iconic attractions which include “Curse of DarKastle” 3D dark ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, “Manta” launch coaster at SeaWorld San Diego, and “TurtleTrek” 3D 360 ° Spheron™ Theater at SeaWorld Orlando.

“Our team is beyond proud and honored to be collaborating with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment once again,” says Cecil Magpuri, President and Chief Creative Officer at Falcon’s Creative Group. “We are innovating the next generation of attractions that will transform how guests experience reality. We now hope to revolutionize how the themed entertainment industry embraces VR technology.”

Falcon’s Creative Group has contracted CAVU Designwerks, a provider of attraction ride systems and VR hardware technologies, to supply the custom integrated virtual reality system.

“This attraction will be unlike anything we have seen in the theme park world, and will incorporate VR technology that is just now emerging on the market,” said Peter Schnabel, Chief Executive Officer at CAVU. “Aside from the technology behind the ride, our partnership with Falcon’s Creative Group will ensure that the integration of the design, hardware, and media are also top-notch. We’re excited to be a part of this truly unique experience.”

Falcon’s Creative Group has also contracted Electrosonic, a leader in audio-visual design and engineering, to provide AV and programming systems for the attraction.

“Electrosonic is working as part of a team to transform an existing motion based themed attractions into an innovative VR experience. We are using our expertise to transform the existing projection and control systems to augment the newly envisioned VR experience,” says Chris Conte, Vice President New Business Development at Electrosonic.

The new attraction is set to open in 2018 and will replace the “Europe in the Air” motion simulator ride located in the Ireland Village area of the park.

About Falcon’s Creative Group:

Falcon’s Creative Group delivers innovative, powerful experiences with breakthrough solutions. We design immersive experiences that challenge the limits of reality and fire the imagination. Our passionate, award-winning team of artists, filmmakers, engineers, architects, designers, and writers transform everyday reality, every day.

Falcon’s Creative Group is home to Falcon’s Treehouse, Falcon’s Digital Media and Falcon’s Licensing.

For more information visit: www.falconscreativegroup.com

About CAVU Designwerks:

CAVU Designwerks provides attraction ride systems for a variety of entertainment applications. The company’s original designs, engineering experience and cutting edge fabrication, combined with uncompromising quality standards, allows CAVU to offer attractions that deliver an exceptional guest experience, ride performance and ROI. CAVU’s global headquarters is in Victoria, BC, Canada, with offices in the US, China, Malaysia, and Korea.

For more information visit www.cavudw.com.

About Electrosonic:

Electrosonic is an international audio-visual company that creates tailored, state-of-the-art solutions for a wide range of markets. Since its founding in 1964, Electrosonic has built a strong reputation for working on complex projects, both large and small, and has developed lasting partnerships with customers and suppliers. Beyond complete integrated systems, Electrosonic provides a comprehensive scope of services including technical design, projector lamp sales, maintenance and operational support.

Learn more about Electrosonic. Visit http://www.electrosonic.com

About SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment™ is a leading theme park and entertainment company providing experiences that matter and inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our world. The company is one of the world’s foremost zoological organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry and veterinary care. The company collectively cares for what it believes is one of the largest zoological collections in the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The company also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial animals that are ill, injured, orphaned or abandoned, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld^® rescue team has helped more than 29,000 animals in need over the last 50 years.

The company owns or licenses a portfolio of recognized brands including SeaWorld, Busch Gardens^® and Sea Rescue^®. Over its more than 50-year history, the company has built a diversified portfolio of 12 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States, many of which showcase its one-of-a-kind zoological collection of over 800 species of animals. The company’s theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company. Visit www.seaworldentertainment.com for more.