If the prospect of getting soaked by Shamu and friends in the “splash zone” at SeaWorld Orlando is not exciting enough for your brood of thrill seeking offspring, then get ready to kick your trip up a notch by boarding Manta.
Seaworld’s newest attraction is the park’s first roller coaster in a decade. The high-concept thrill ride incorporates real-life sea creatures and enough twists and turns to make a real dent in the highly competitive theme park capitol of the world. Which is not to say that SeaWorld is trying to create the fastest, tallest or scariest new theme park rides known to man; rather Manta stays true to the park’s animal theme while providing some added thrills.
The flying roller coaster emulates the movement of a giant manta ray in a way that won’t alienate older guests who shy away from crazy coasters. The ride begins by rotating passengers forward, headfirst and horizontal to the ground below, in the “prone” or “Superman” position. However, riders don’t stay that way for the entire trip. Rather, Manta includes inversions, spins and pretzel loops whereby passengers are placed face up, on their backs.
The thrill ride tops out at 56 mph, and makes two close calls with a lagoon. In one, passengers and those waiting to board the ride come within feet of one another, and the waterfall separating them. Meanwhile, in the other, Manta’s wing seems to skim the lagoon surface, shooting up a 14-foot spray of water.
Manta also offers younger riders an alternate route. Guests who don’t meet the 54-inch height requirement can take a separate tour through the stone Manta building, home to 300,000 marine animals. While there kids can crawl under an acrylic tank and poke their heads up into an aquarium filled with clown fish and sea anemone. Other highlights of the Manta building include the pop-up clown fish feature, a giant Pacific octopus, and a 220-square foot overhead window, which gives a bottom-up view of the rays and a coral exhibit.
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