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SeaWorld Orlando confirmed Thursday that its proposed new attraction will be a "naturalistic water park" that will give visitors a chance to be in close contact with marine life while taking water rides.
"The key point of this park that distinguishes it is the animal encounters," said Jim Atchison, SeaWorld Orlando's general manager. "The park is very unique and very different compared to what we've ever done. While it is a water park, the animals will make it different."
Until Thursday, officials with the International Drive attraction had been mum about plans for the 58-acre site along the east side of International Drive, south of Sea Harbor Drive, but industry insiders had speculated the attraction would be a water park.
SeaWorld officials said one of the park's signature elements would be an attraction that would swoosh swimsuit-clad visitors down clear acrylic flumes amid a lagoon of jumping Commerson's dolphins, a rare species native to South America.
The black-and-white dolphins, which are extremely athletic, would come from the SeaWorld park in San Diego, where they are among only a small number on display anywhere in the world.
"The dolphins will be our main animal attraction," Atchison said. "We are building this as a high-service park area, from restaurant space to places where you can lie down in the sun."
The park, which is still unnamed, would join the main SeaWorld park and Discovery Cove, the attraction's smaller, reservation-only park. The company said the new attraction would add about 1,000 employees to the current work force of 5,000.
Officials did not reveal how many guests they expect to attract or how much they intend to charge. Construction is expected to begin next year, with an opening set for 2007.
"We will engineer this park with the guest in mind," Atchison said. "We will focus on very short lines. The culinary offerings of the park will be different from any other water park. We will have covered seating and air-conditioned seating."
The proposal has been criticized by nearby residents in the huge Williamsburg community They object to another attraction being built near their homes. They plan to meet Monday night to discuss alternatives.
The project also has met with complaints from Orange County planners, who say there has been a lack of detail in SeaWorld's plans. The county must approve the plans before the project can move ahead.
Abe Pizam, dean of the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, said the addition of a mass-market water park would enhance SeaWorld's appeal. He said it would expand on what is now a park that most people visit in a day.
"It will add to the SeaWorld experience," Pizam said. "SeaWorld would become a multiday park with multiday tickets."
Pizam said tourists want more to do when they visit attractions, and he said SeaWorld's preliminary information suggests the new park will have appeal.
"If it is done right, it could be very successful," Pizam said. "Tourists today are more demanding and more sophisticated than they were 10 years ago. They want more technology and more interactivity."
Atchison said that is what SeaWorld wants to offer.
"In this park, you will really be immersed in the sea," he said. "You will move fast in the water, and you will have a closeness to the animals. It will be a great vantage point."
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