Three Million rides on Ocean Park's 'Ocean Express'

Hong Kong's Ocean Park has reported that three million visitors have ridden their new 'Ocean Express' in the first ten months of its operation.
Created by internationally renowned theme park design company, Sarner, the Ocean Express, is the first and only themed funicular ride in the world. However, it is not just a ride, but a fully immersive show that captivates and entertains visitors while transporting them from the Waterfront to the Summit at Hong Kongâs Ocean Park.
Sarnerâs imaginative and creative execution of visuals and technology makes this simple method of transportation more than just a way to travel around the park and leaves visitors wanting more.
Once guests embark the submarine-like carriages, they are âtransportedâ below sea level and fully âsubmergedâ deep into the Ocean thanks to beautiful underwater visuals and cleverly created programming from Sarnerâs technical team who made use of sophisticated audiovisual technology, animation and surround audio effects. The mesmerising visuals are viewed on 42 ceiling mounted Samsung LCD screens which look like windows into a colourful and true-to-life underwater world.
Although the passengers feel that they are underwater, in reality, the funicular train travels through a 1,500 metre long tunnel created by digging through rock at Ocean Parkâs cliff top location and excavating over 71,000 metres2 of earth. It has been built to transport up to 5,000 people per hour in each direction and travels between the Parkâs two main lands in under three minutes.
Ocean Express contrasts with Ocean Parkâs current cable car ride, which takes 12 minutes and offers scenic views from a great height. The journey between the two lands is not passable by foot so, until now, visitors were only able to get to Ocean Parkâs summit by cable car.
Ocean Park Chief Executive Tom Mehrmann explains that âthis underwater adventure is a valued addition at Ocean Park. With visitor numbers expected to reach seven million by 2017, we realised that the capacity of our current cable car system would be inadequate and we required an alternative route for visitors. Sarnerâs creativity has enabled us to offer a truly unforgettable ride.�?
Ross Magri, Sarnerâs Managing Director, adds, âthe brief from Ocean Park was for us to bring the ride to life and the theme of the ocean works as a juxtaposition to the scenic views of the cable car ride which runs simultaneously. For us, the key was to ensure that the magic of the day continued through every aspect of a visit to Ocean Park and we feel honoured that so many visitors to the park are using this new and exciting way to travel to the Summit.�?