This doesn’t last long though as the ride plummets and then twists and turns through its most extreme section – the massive pretzel loop. Manta begins with a 140-foot lift hill that allows riders to take in the view below and to enjoy the blood in their body returning a more normal distribution.
First half - Lift hill, pretzel loop and corkscrew Although you’ll spend much of the time far too engaged in the ride experience to notice, it can be a little off-putting – real-life Manta rays certainly don’t have to contend with somebody’s verrucas when they are gliding around the ocean. Unless you are at the front – which is well worth the extra queuing time – you are likely to meet with the image of another guest’s dirty feet. The only downside of B&M’s flying coaster trains is that since riders are looking straight down at the floor, the immediate temptation is to look up to see where the ride is going next. Overall, the combination of shoulder harness and foot clasps is surprisingly comfortable, although you’ll probably notice the blood rushing to your head. This is in preparation for the seats swivelling up, leaving guests lying facing the ground – an exciting part of the ride in itself, especially for those who haven’t experienced a flying coaster before. The main difference is the foot clasps which close around riders’ ankles. Getting into Manta’s ray-themed trains is similar to boarding any other suspended rollercoaster.
#MANTA SEAWORLD NO COPYRIGHT FULL#
When the ride is at full capacity, with two loading stations in operation, it’s likely that you won’t have to wait much longer than 30 minutes to get on board. And there’s no doubt that seeing real rays gliding gracefully builds up the excitement for the ride to come.Īlthough Manta attracts big crowds throughout the morning due to its location, we found that by mid-to-late afternoon the crowds began to dissipate. While your impatience to get on the ride may not completely go away, the feeling that you are walking through a world-class aquarium and not just another dull attraction queue at least partially makes up for it. The queue area is air-conditioned and covered, and features walk-past tanks containing dozens of species of fish and, of course, rays. Once inside, they are kept both cool and entertained. Guests enter the queue through a hole in the rockwork that makes up part of Manta’s theming. It’s fortunate, then, that SeaWorld has created one of the best ride queues anywhere in the world for its new headliner. But is the ride itself any good? Queuing areaĪs a major rollercoaster located close to the entrance of SeaWorld, it’s inevitable that Manta will have to deal with hefty lines during peak seasons. Add to this a brand new aquarium featuring rays and hundreds of other sea-dwellers, and Manta represents a major new area that has the potential to soak up a large portion of any guest’s day at SeaWorld. Manta swoops and glides through a stunning artificial oasis, in a mysterious dance that will captivate guests.
However, SeaWorld’s ambitions with Manta go beyond simply adding a new thrill ride – the park has created a lavish new centrepiece that draws in visitors as soon as they enter the park.
The new rollercoaster is a beast – stretching some 3,359 feet, reaching a top speed of 56mph and featuring a 98-feet-tall first “pretzel” loop. Riders lie on their stomachs (or on their back through the coaster’s many inversions), simulating the feeling of flying, or in this case gliding. To do this, SeaWorld has selected Bolliger & Mabillard’s flying coaster system, which was first used for Air at Alton Towers and has since been replicated around the world. Following our review of the Rockit, we thought it only fair to share our impressions of Orlando’s other major new addition for 2009.Īs with all of SeaWorld's attractions, Manta has an aquatic theme – in this case, the coaster aims to simulate the gentle gliding of Manta rays through sea water. TPT finally got to experience the ride in August, shortly after catching rival Universal’s Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit on its opening day. SeaWorld Orlando opened its latest addition, flying rollercoaster Manta, to huge crowds back in May.
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