New 2016 coaster at SeaWorld to be Orlando’s tallest, fastest, longest.

[gad198]

Orlando finally gets its speed coaster!  I couldn't be more happy to see this addition.

 

There have been some comments posted here and elsewhere that believe that this won't draw visitors away from the other major parks in Orlando.  Please keep in mind that this will be the tallest, longest and fastest coaster in the largest theme park mecca in the country!  I might understand that viewpoint if Sea World markets this like they did with Tempesto at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (i.e., pretty much not at all), but that seems VERY unlikely to happen given how large of an addition this is.  This coaster will absolutely - at the very least - prompt people to think about portioning off one of their days at the other parks and going here instead.  There are literally no other coasters like this in that area, and the general public is going to absolutely love this coaster.  You know it's going to open on time and will be extremely re-ridable.  How exactly is this not a good investment?

[TheCandyManCan]

THANK YOU! 

 

I totally agree with everything you say. People near Carowinds, Cedar Point, SFMM, etc. are not the target markets. I will say if I'm ever in the area though I will be riding this. 

 

My favorite part is the interaction over the water, I miss that from a certain park near a certain lake in Ohio. Now it sits next to a parking lot and a rumbling rock with track spewing out the top.

[jsus]

It sounds like a solid ride and an overall great investment.  True, it won't be anything terribly innovative or groundbreaking, but that won't make it any less enjoyable.  As has been said, it will still be the tallest and the fastest in Orlando, a rather impressive title to have.  It'll bring guests to the park and keep them there.

 

Will I trek to SeaWorld Orlando for Mako like I hope to do with Carowinds for Fury 325?  Nope, but it might make me look closer at the park, and city, as a whole.  Manta sounds like a great ride, so right there, they've got two solid rides to try out.

[faeriewench]

Guess I'll make SeaWorld and Busch Gardens my targets next year. Dunno if I will actually ride it more than once, but seeing it gives me another excuse to go and to also more importantly see the animals of course Recent pics of Nalani...gosh she's growing up, haha.

 

faeriewench...whom just realized she has yet to ride any coaster or thrill ride of any kind this year so far.

[APE]

Another snoozer of an addition.

[thekidd33]

Some of you people need a new hobby.

The concept art looks really good, if the final product is anything close it will be a great addition. It will be interesting, as others have said, to see all the different marketing strategies that emerge for the 2016 Orlando additions. Hopefully this ride will help Sea World refocus and move forward to a bright future.

[faeriewench]

^it make me happy if the theming in the concept art actually does come to fruition. I love the theming for both Manta coasters and hope this will look just as good.

[vortexfan]

Plus, this is the first B&M off hand I can think of that has a neat twist right after a MCBR. Usually they just drop straight down and then go into an element, so I'm all for it.

 

Behemoth goes directly into a helix after the MCBR. 

[TheCandyManCan]

Ape, how can you say so if you haven't even ridden it? Sigh...

 

And ah yes, I had forgotten about that one...goes into two helixes actually, and man are they awesome.

[faeriewench]

Another snoozer of an addition.

Well there are those of us who like the tamer thrills as opposed to nauseating twists, turn, backflips and spins. I am actually glad for a B&M rather than a Intamin for SeaWorld.

[TheCandyManCan]

I was actually hoping for a Mack Hypercoaster, I'd love to see more of those come to fruition, but I'll take a B&M that's proven to do what it does well

[bkroz]

Solid ride. The issue people are (or, should be) raising with it is that if you live within reasonable distance to a Cedar Fair, Six Flags, or Busch Gardens park (which, I'm certain, many if not most of the residents of the continental US do), you've seen this pony before, or taller.

 

SeaWorld continues to operate under a cloud of confusion. It's not a zoo. It's not a theme park. It's not an amusement park.

 

This coaster will strengthen the "amusement park" angle with a nod to the "theme park" angle. But it's not going to draw people from the area's outright theme parks (Universal and Disney). At least rides like SheiKra offer something you probably won't find at a local amusement park, whereas, to the general public, if you've been on Diamondback, Intimidator, Behemoth, Kumba, Millennium, Nitro, Raging Bull, etc., then you aren't going to be drawn to SeaWorld by this single attraction.

 

I have long argued that SeaWorld needs to de-emphasize its marketing as a "really, really, really good zoo," because even the best zoo can't reasonably charge $65 for one day. I have said that SeaWorld ought to re-emphasize itself as a winning theme park. This is more toward the "amusement park" angle, but it's still better than constantly harping on Blackfish and bringing its zoo practices back into the public eye.

[silver2005]

I dig the purple along with the typical aqua color scheme you'd expect on a marine themed coaster.  Also loving the 0 car for this (the car in front without the seats and has the shark head).  It looks super sharp (in more ways than one).  I'm kind of surprised they didn't decide to add a splash with this.  Guess they left that to Manta.  I hope the over-bank hill after the first drop stays true to the angles it shows in the renderings, it looks to be amazing.

 

It does come as a surprise to me that Sea World is breaking the 200 ft barrier.  I initially thought Busch Gardens Tampa would have been the first in Florida to go with a hyper of some sort.   I also find it weird they aren't going with 3 trains for this unless they are running cycles not unlike Leviathan and Banshee, both with no MCBR and 3 trains.  

 

EDIT: After seeing the rendering again, it does in deed have a brake run.  I call it a LCBR (late course brake run) since its so close to the end but has an element or two before the final brakes, kind of like with Gatekeeper and Shambhala (a B&M hyper at PortAventura in Spain). 

[gad198]

 

I am actually glad for a B&M rather than a Intamin for SeaWorld.

 

This is a key point that I haven't seen mentioned.  Cheetah Hunt - Sea World/Busch's last big coaster installation in Florida and an Intamin creation - is a nice ride that is very popular with the public.  Falcons Fury just opened at BGT.  It would have been very easy for Sea World to go back to Intamin having already done recent work with them, and they chose not to.  Cheetah Hunt has had problems with reliability since it opened.  Falcons Fury opened months late and missed nearly the entirety of the busy Summer season.  Sea World couldn't afford to take the chance that either of those problems came with this new addition.

 

 

Solid ride. The issue people are (or, should be) raising with it is that if you live within reasonable distance to a Cedar Fair, Six Flags, or Busch Gardens park (which, I'm certain, many if not most of the residents of the continental US do), you've seen this pony before, or taller.

 

This coaster will strengthen the "amusement park" angle with a nod to the "theme park" angle. But it's not going to draw people from the area's outright theme parks (Universal and Disney). At least rides like SheiKra offer something you probably won't find at a local amusement park, whereas, to the general public, if you've been on Diamondback, Intimidator, Behemoth, Kumba, Millennium, Nitro, Raging Bull, etc., then you aren't going to be drawn to SeaWorld by this single attraction.

 

This is an interesting point.  I decided to take a look at Orlando's visitor demographics, and I came across this 2013 article from the Orlando Sentinel.  Here's what it says:

 

About half of all visitors to Orlando come from elsewhere in Florida. An additional 7 percent come from other countries, while the remainder are from other parts of the U.S.

 

The article says that approximately 55 million visitors came through Orlando in 2011.  If that's true, that's over 30 million visitors that came either from other parts of Florida or overseas (50% Floridians and 7% international travelers).  I realize that not all of those travelers are thrill-seekers, but the reality is that the overwhelming majority of people visiting Orlando do not live near an area where there's a coaster like this, nor have they probably ridden one unless they've been to one of the other big parks in other parts of the US.  I have a difficult time believing that Sea World isn't going to find a way to capitalize on building the area's tallest and fastest attraction by advertising on everything both in Orlando and on Orlando-related print materials.

 

This won't be Harry Potter-ish as far as grabbing attention for sure, but anyone who would have probably passed visiting Sea World while in Orlando prior to this addition now likely will have this on their radar now.  If this coaster pushes people to spend even one day there instead of Disney or Universal then it's a success.  You also have the added bonus of the ride being really fun.  B&M hypers at regional parks are huge draws, so just imagine one in the Orlando area with way more visitors that likely have never ridden a coaster that tall.         

[faeriewench]

Every time I visited SeaWorld Orlando I felt like the internationals outnumbered us, lol. ^

I think it'll do well in Orlando. My friend who does work at the park is pretty excited for it cause now she doesn't have to worry about finding the time for Carowinds, lol. And she is the kind of person who is leery with all coasters cause she thinks they'll treat her the same way Gwazi did.

[APE]

When I say snoozer I mean it being yet another B&M announcement. I'm tired of them getting put in everywhere. I want to see parks expanding into different types of coasters. They make good stuff but variety is the spice of life.

I like the colors and the name though.

[faeriewench]

When I say snoozer I mean it being a B&M in general. I'm tired of them getting put in everywhere. I want to see parks expanding into different types of coasters. They make good stuff but variety is the spice of life.

I like the colors and the name though.

With what's been going on with SeaWorld I'd rather they built something that''s proven reliable and won't put them back in the news yet again for "knowingly putting peoples lives at risk" when the ride breaks down or has a serious mishap (thinking of Xcelerator at the moment). Honestly I can't even remember the last time I have seen Diamondback down for any other reason besides weather.

[Steph88]

The closest hypercoaster to Florida that I am aware of is Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia (correct me if I'm wrong because I might be). Over a 6 hour drive from Orlando. I think Mako fills a much needed niche for the locals in that area. There's plenty of time to expand into new things in the future.

[silver2005]

It probably wasn't going to be a Mack hyper because, going with what faeriewench is stating for B&M, Mack hasn't gone to 200 ft yet.  Do they have the capability?  Certainly, but B&M has already been there and you know what you're getting.  Now, SEAS does have experience with Mack and their new trains at the San Diego park, so I'm guessing Mack had a bid on the table (along with Morgan I imagine since SEAS has one of those), but B&M stood out more to them. I imagine CF's recent work with B&M and the reactions to each of those additions were a big part of that decision.  It is a type that will be unique to the region.  

 

And if you do some reading around these forums, you know why they probably didn't go with Intamin.  

[McSalsa]

Well, looking at this again...and having more time to think about it...here are more thoughts and stuff, and other thoughts gone into deeper:

1. The ending of this ride is pretty unique with how it twists and turns and goes over/under itself. Kinda reminds me of Voyage @ Holiday World's ending.

2. The ride will probably be excellent with lots of airtime, but (as stated) it probably won't draw in guests from other markets that have B&M Hypers nearby. For Orlando however- whom previously the closest hypercoaster was Goliath @ SFOG, this will be a great addition to an already solid coaster lineup that includes Manta (widely considered one of the best B&M Flying Coasters), Kraken (a top-rated Floorless coaster), and Journey to Atlantis (a very cool and interesting dark ride/water ride/coaster hybrid). Disney and Universal have nothing like this.

3. Purple and Blue? Not the most common paint scheme but it looks good.

4. As a B&M, It will probably be super reliable and open day 1. And the GP should eat it up since it has zero inversions, something you can't say about Manta or Kraken. They should make a very solid B&M coaster trio together.

5. That animation looks pretty lousy outside the coasters themselves. The real ride should be much prettier near the lake and with Orlando in the background.

6. I take back my "It looks like Diamondback and Fury 325" statement- at least the Diamondback part. The turnaround actually seems much more like Intimidator's, also at Carowinds. So this seems like a Mini-Mix of Carowinds B&M's, with a Voyage-like ending.

7. I'm still curious as to the train selection- the streak of all B&M Hypers since Behemoth having the V-Seated Trains is over. And only 7 cars per train when most of the B&M's with this train style ran 8 or even 9?

 

Also, To faeriewench: I can remember Diamondback went down for a week or so in I think 2012 or so. There was a bad footer or something, it wasn't really B&M's fault since they don't make that part of their coasters. Other than that though DB has been pretty reliable since it opened in 2009 so I expect the same from Mako.

[jcgoble3]

I believe someone said on here once that the V-seated trains like Diamondback produced lower capacity. That fits because the operators have a longer distance to cover while checking restraints. The big year-round parks like SeaWorld need big capacity, so it makes sense that they would go with the higher capacity model.

[TheCandyManCan]

When I say snoozer I mean it being yet another B&M announcement

 

 

That's what happens when a company for just a few million more delivers a ride that's built on time, works perfectly, flawless safety record, high capacity, and operates easily.

 

See Cheetah Run, Falcons Fury, Inferno, etc. The list can go on and on and on sadly.

[McSalsa]

^^

Yeah that would make sense...the one thing that confuses me still though: 7 cars per train when some of the other B&M Hypers with 4-across seating had up to 9? I wonder why SeaWorld wouldn't just go for 8 or 9 cars. Still, with the increased speeds of checking the trains (and thus quicker dispatch) and a slightly shorter track I wouldn't be too shocked if this "out-capacities" the V-Seater Hypercoasters, even being down 1 car per train.

[Dieseltech20]

While Cheetah Hunt is indeed a very fun Coaster, getting on it is a chore. It has the longest wait times of anything else in the park. Not lines, wait times.

 

I miss Kings Island.............a LOT. That said I am very happy to see a B&M Hyper being installed an hour and fifteen minutes from my house.

 

50 percent of visitors are those of us that live here. Well, we don't have anything like this here so I foresee lots of happy folks. Except of course for the enthusiasts, just another reason for me to ignore them.

 

As for it being a B&M, I expected nothing else. They already have two that are very good rides. The other SEAS park has three of them. They really like their reliable, easy to maintain, steel monsters. Tomorrow we will be told about the Mack being installed at BGT and maybe some folks will be happy.

[Merthecat]

That actually looks pretty cool, particularly the first hill following the drop.  Certainly not the craziest thing possible, but a great ride nonetheless, I'm sure.

[marth555]

Looks awesome and between this and Cobras Curse at BGT I am glad I delayed my orlando trip until 2016 so I will get a chance to ride them

[JTW]

As an enthusiast this makes me kind of roll my eyes and yawn, but that's because I have Diamondback in my back yard. It's taller, faster, longer, and IMO has better elements.

Then the industry nerd that I aspire to be remembers that there aren't any other rides like this in Florida, it's a proven ride concept from a reputable company, and it is record setting in its region. This ride is the smart choice for Sea World and it truly won't be half bad when it opens.

I actually love the color scheme and placement in the park.

[APE]

General public will eat this up and that's fine and that's good for Sea World, that doesn't mean I have to be excited for them or the ride. Will it be fun? Yes of course. Will I go out of my way to ride it? No way.

My favorite thing is when someone voices an honest opinion on these coaster announcements people get butthurt like we are supposed to praise every thing every single park does.

[KI FANATIC 37]

The first half reminds me a lot of Intimidator! 

 

It looks like a nice ride! I like the look of it too.

[silver2005]

General public will eat this up and that's fine and that's good for Sea World, that doesn't mean I have to be excited for them or the ride. Will it be fun? Yes of course. Will I go out of my way to ride it? No way.

My favorite thing is when someone voices an honest opinion on these coaster announcements people get butthurt like we are supposed to praise every thing every single park does.

So people having an opinion opposing yours as to liking B&M's being added to parks equates to people being 'butthurt'?  Those are honest opinions, too.