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2016 SeaWorld's New Coaster Speculation

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SeaWorld doesn't need to worry about tourists coming in for Frozen and King Kong (altho honestly King Kong should be scared of Frozen too). They took enough of a hit that they'll be happy with more attendance from locals. I bet they're gonna really be gunning to sell annual passes too. Given that park's size, they don't need to bring in Disney/Universal size numbers to be successful on their own scale. You mention the "theme park wars" but really, SeaWorld isn't a part of that, they're just competing against their own standards.

Kong and Frozen are completely different demos

Sea World is trying to get anyone in the gates at the moment...Antartica was them 'competing'..this coaster is them 'surviving'
 
According to a document filed with the FAA, the height of this new attraction will be 201 feet, a whopping 1 foot taller than Sheirka:

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It also appears the ride will be constructed between June of this year and May of next year, putting it on track for an early summer opening. The lat/long coordinates from the document also confirm that this new coaster is going out over the retention pond behind Shark Encounter and Kraken.

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/searchAction.jsp?action=displayOECase&oeCaseID=250178937&row=2
 
Early Summer '16? Perfect! We'll be down in September/October of that year, so hopefully any kinks will be worked out and the crowds will have died down just a bit with local kids back in school. Though it never seems to work out that way for us, lol
 
We are going to know every little detail of this coaster before it is open...Sea World is going to pull a Disney and give us a 'behind the scenes' of every track piece placed I presume

Still, can't wait for it..
 
I know what you mean, but you can't look south from the Convention Center and see air time. You can see a 200' coaster. I think this is largely about reminding the traffic on I-Drive, "hey, we're still here!"

That is a good point. I still lean more towards ride experience (air time) vs height, but I DO catch myself looking towards Sea World whenever I'm passing by on I-4 East. I also remember, around the time Kraken was built, seeing it from the turnpike and me wanting to go to that park to ride it even though I hardly knew a thing about SeaWorld back then. So, I can see the coaster putting the park "on the map" for tourists here for Disney and Universal. However, I don't think it would make much of a difference whether the ride is 200' exactly or, say, 232', as long as the ride is designed well. Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain (built by Giovanola) in California is 235' tall and has a 255' drop, BUT, the ride provides very little airtime. However, Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia (built by B&M), is "only" 200' with a 170' drop, yet the ride provides TONS of airtime (especially in the front seat!).

Also, random I know, but I'm kinda disappointed in the location of the ride. Although it makes perfect sense logistically, especially for a hypercoaster, I always wished that SeaWorld would build a hyper coaster alongside of the SeaWorld entrance off of Central Florida Drive, similar to how Apollo's Chariot hugs the entrance to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Seeing a huge coaster as you drive into the park draws a huge sense of excitement to me. I know, given the constraint of having a little over a year to build, that the lake location provides a far better backdrop, but it would have been cool to use a portion of the parking lot in that area for building the coaster. It could have provided bigger kids and adults something else to do around Shamu Stadium. Maybe one day in the future, that can be a spot for a different big ticket attraction? A guy can wish, right?
 
Alright well I'm a little more interested in this project now...

Now if we could just get that Octopus Coaster Dark Ride, NOT joking...
 
The thing about the Mack Mega Coaster, the tallest they have gone is 135'. That's a good bit short of a hyper.

But a 200' B&M would be pretty anti-climatic these days. And I don't see SWP&E going with Intamin AG at this point in time. Premier could do it. But you know who would be totally out of the box thinking? Rocky Mountain Coasters.


They are building a 200' in China scheduled to open this year (though it will have 2 inversions). It's possible, but I think they will go the safe route on this with B&M still.
http://rcdb.com/6764.htm
 
Finally found the coaster I was looking for...Skyrush at Hershey Park..

200ft, 75mph..basically what I'm seeing going into SW

[video=youtube;kGE_w6jHDDo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGE_w6jHDDo[/video]
 
Finally found the coaster I was looking for...Skyrush at Hershey Park..

200ft, 75mph..basically what I'm seeing going into SW

[video=youtube;kGE_w6jHDDo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGE_w6jHDDo[/video]

Skyrush is a very good coaster. I rode it a few times. If they get something comparable, it will be a hit with the locals.
 
Finally found the coaster I was looking for...Skyrush at Hershey Park..

200ft, 75mph..basically what I'm seeing going into SW

[video=youtube;kGE_w6jHDDo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGE_w6jHDDo[/video]

I rode it in 2012 after it opened. One of the best airtime machines out there! My only concern is the restraint system. IDK if it is still being used or not, but when I went the restraints CRUSHED your legs. Afterwards, I rode with the modifications and while they were a little better, they still crushed my legs. If SWO gets something similar, I hope we have an improved restraint design.
 
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