It definitely is a one-of-a-kind experience. Mike: This was an awesome take on a B&M stand-up coaster surf coaster! No seriously, I get why SeaWorld insists on this ride being called a “surf coaster”. I wasn’t really prepared for how much of a difference the adjustable seats would be, but it’s an incredibly fun twist on the model and adds a lot of re-rideability. The SeaWorld representatives were very adamant about this not being called a stand-up coaster, and after experiencing it I understand why. Shane: This is a ride experience unlike anything I’ve been on. Coaster101 writers Shane and Mike were on the scene for Pipeline’s media day, and have some thoughts to share on this revolutionary new coaster model.įirst things first, what are your initial impressions? Update: Another review, quoting yours truly.There has been much speculation and discussion on the topic of the world’s first surf coaster since its announcement, and now we finally have some answers. Manta opens to the public this Saturday, May 26. (SeaWorld has had a Journey to Atlantis water coaster, but Manta will be the park's first "proper" roller coaster.) Manta helps round out the San Diego park's ride line-up, and gives it a delightful coaster that's both accessible (no inversions!) and thrilling.
With Manta coming online at SeaWorld San Diego, now Walt Disney World's Epcot stands alone as the only of the nation's top 20 most-attended theme parks not to offer a roller coaster. On the day I visited, workers were still planting much of the ride's landscaping, so in the video you'll see people in construction vests instead of the foliage that eventually will cover much of the ground around the ride. Park president John Reilly joined me for my first trip on the coaster, and he explained several of its elements along the way. And remember, on this ride, you're the Manta.) (But no Manta rays - at up to 20 feet wide, they're too big for this pool. I didn't get a chance to walk the attraction's new queue, which was not completed, but it promised some amazing views of its own, as it will take visitors around and underneath the ride's adjacent ray pool, which houses California bat rays and diamond stingrays.
You'll "dive underwater" for a video view into the realm of the Manta ray, before blasting from the tunnel for your ride toward the shore of Mission Bay. And ride in the back, as well, for the best view of Manta's unique feature - a wrap-around high-definition video tunnel that starts the ride. Ride in the back for the most airtime, and the smoothest ride. Essentially, instead of leaning deep into turns, the track banking every so slightly leans you away from them, pulling you from your seat instead of pushing you into it. Part of the trick of making airtime on a terrain coaster is to use shifts in banking to achieve the zero and negative G-forces that lift you from your seat. I felt I spent more time pulling out of my seat than sitting in it, as Manta used its minimal vertical changes to maximum effect. If you want to air out your spine with a refreshing stretch, try Manta. I haven't ridden Cheetah Hunt, and was surprised to discover that a terrain coaster could deliver so much airtime. Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin production, but it also spends much of its time rolling from side to side as it skims the ground, powered by multiple launches that push it through its twists and turns. But if you're looking for an east-coast, SeaWorld-family roller coaster to compare with this Manta, I think Busch Gardens Tampa's Cheetah Hunt provides a better match. Frequent Theme Park Insider readers and SeaWorld fans no doubt are familiar with SeaWorld Orlando's Manta, a Bolliger & Mabillard Flying coaster that won our Theme Park Insider Award for World's Best New Attraction in 2009.
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