Press release from the San Diego Zoo:
San Diego, CA – Hold on to your seats because this is going to be a bumpy, breezy and snowy ride! The San Diego Zoo, in conjunction with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products and SimeEx-Iwerks, will unveil the new Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - The 4-D Experience. The completely immersive attraction takes the Ice Age action from the big screen and brings it directly to the viewer by combining 3-D film elements from the third film in the franchise with an exhilarating array of synchronized physical effects. This is the first time this attraction will appear in the U.S.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to see this amazing attraction debut in the U.S. after a strong premiere in Europe. The San Diego Zoo is the ideal location,” said Jeffrey Godsick, president of Fox Consumer Products. “Ice Age is the biggest animated family film franchise in the world and by establishing a home at one of the country’s top family destinations we’re allowing fans to immerse themselves with their favorite characters in all-new ways.”
Actress Keke Palmer, who voices Peaches, a young wooly mammoth, in the upcoming feature film Ice Age: Continental Drift, will be joined by San Diego Zoo Director of Operations Bob Dillon and Elephant keeper Ron Ringer for the opening.
The theater is adjacent to the 7.5-acre Elephant Odyssey, home to Peaches’ descendants and more than 35 species of animals. Asian elephants meander a 2.5-acre exhibit that includes a 137,000-gallon pool, gentle rolling hills, hidden drinkers and feeders to entice foraging, and the half-acre Conrad Prebys Elephant Care Center.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - The 4-D experience is a 14-minute thrill ride featuring sub-zero heroes Manny, Ellie and Diego, who venture into a mysterious underground world after Sid the Sloth stumbles across three abandoned eggs and decides to raise them as his own. Once the eggs hatch, the adventure begins in the lost world of the dinosaurs. Viewed in eye-popping 3-D, the film features an all-star voice cast, including Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary and Queen Latifah. The attraction first opened at Alton Towers in the United Kingdom and Gardaland in Italy – the number one theme park resorts in their respective territories.