Atlantis Submarine Voyage
Atlantis Submarine Voyage (known in development as Project Atlantis) is a Sea-Life attraction in LEGOLAND Windsor for the 2011 season. It is the latest addition to both the park and Adventure Land. It is named after the 2010 and 2011 underwater theme of the same name.
Location[edit | edit source]
The Atlantis building is be located on what was the picnic green between the two Dino rides in Adventure Land. Half of Adventure Land was closed from September 2010 for construction to take place. The Dino Dipper was moved to another area of the park and re-branded as Knights' Quest. The Orient Expedition crossing was moved slightly.
Planning Permission & the Building[edit | edit source]
LEGOLAND submitted planning permission to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead on May 25 2010.
The building itself is 1,230m². Outside is be a vast amount of queue line, as well as a quick, Q-Bot entrance. In front of the building a terrace over looking Adventure Land Lake will be built.
The inner-park service route is to be rerouted to follow the back of the building. The building itself (or a part) will be a moorland green to minimise visibility from outside the park.
At the back of the building, out of public access, is to be rooms common to all sea life attractions. This will be maintenance rooms including food preparation, quarantine tanks, a workshop, diver changing room, shark holding tank, plant room, life support and water testing rooms.
The entrance of the building has a triangle themed cladding, in which the entrance is situated. It has ATLANTIS written on it. The rest of the building has a stone effect at the front.
The project cost £8 million, the highest investment into the park since Merlin's take over and will create over fifty jobs in the park.
Attraction[edit | edit source]
The attraction in the building is a smaller SEA LIFE centre which is another Merlin Entertainment franchise. These have already been added to other Merlin theme parks, such as Chessington and Alton Towers. Unlike these ones, Atlantis Submarine Voyage is a dark-ride-style transit system, of eight railed vehicles. The track is in a loop shape and the ride is an omni-mover which means that the ride continuously moves. Over one hundred new models have been included, including King Neptune.
The main tank will be a 1 million litre tropical fish tank, as well as touch pools and other interactive areas. The tank is due to hold over fifty species of sharks, rays and fish.
The ride is built by Mack and consists of eight vehicles, themed as LEGO submarines which travel in a loop. Each submarine is capable of holding fourteen passengers.
Guests watch the preshow hosted by Professor Samatha Rodes and learn about safety before moving onto the loading dock.
Ride experince guests are loaded onto a submarine and are directed to the red zone or the blue zone before captain Ace Speedman starts the sub and dives to the coral reef where hundreds of tropical fish are in the scene. Then the guests are moved on to the Atlantis scene with sharks around the submarine. Next, the computer falls asleep, and Captain Ace Speedman instructs the guests to push there buttons to surface the sub before returning to base.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Development drawing
Drawing of the front.
The front of the building under construction, February 2011.
A model for the attraction.
Another shot of the attraction.
A model submarine.
Another shot of the submarine.
Ride under construction.
References[edit | edit source]
- Atlantis Submarine Voyage at LEGOLAND Windsor
- Atlantis Construction at Go Merlin
- Atlantis Opening Day Pictures at Go Merlin
- Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Planning Permissions
- Atlantis Submarine Voyage at Completely LEGOLAND Windsor
