Photo TR: Drayton Manor (Page 19)

[Jerrykoala2112Jo My Oh!]

From February 2nd to the 10th, I took a nice family vacation down to Florida. We went on a Royal Caribbean Cruise for 4 days to the Bahamas, and afterwards, we went to Sea World and Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure. I gotta admit, everyday was boat loads of fun and everything went soothingly! If you are a picture person, you can skip the the pictures, but here's a nice (but long) written up review for everything!

Reviews

Cruise: I'll try to keep this short since I want to focus on Sea World Orlando mostly, but Royal Caribbean had some really nice deals for cruises in February. (I'm talking 150 dollars a person for 4 days!) I was sailing on Monarch of the Seas, which was a pretty decent sized ship for my first cruise. We departed from Cape Canaveral and we stopped in Nassau and at Royal Caribbean's private island. It was a blast, especially because Chicago received over 2 feet of snow when we drove down to Florida, so it was a nice break from all the snow! I totally recommend Royal Caribbean to anyone who wants to plan a very affordable cruise, the service was great, restaurants were delicious, and even though the rooms were small, you don't want to spend time in there when you're on a ship full of fun things to do!

Now onto Sea World Orlando! This was my first visit to the park (February 7th) and I had no idea what to expect! It was also my first Sea World park, and I have yet to read one person that does not like Sea World! On the website, it said Journey to Atlantis would be down for Winter rehab, but the ride was up and running, which is a total plus in my book! The crowds were very minimal, it was a Monday and there were clouds up all day, which didn't turn out nicely in my photos, and it did eventually start to rain 5 minutes after the park closed. The animals were great, I didn't even have enough time to see all of them. But the rides were fantastic, and am glad Sea World did it's best to operate the rides even with the passing storms.

The shows, I would say, are average. We first saw the Shamu Show, the now defunct "Believe" and I couldn't be more disappointed! The whales did a couple of tricks, and most of the show was talking, and the only thing keeping me awake was the wind blowing from the top of the stadium. We next saw the Sea Lion, Otter, and Walrus show, and oh my god, the best show I have ever seen at any park, no joke! It was extremely funny, had a great plot line, cute animals, and the tricks were definitely amazing! How can someone not like sea otters?! The last show we saw that day was the dolphin show by Manta. It was alright, it was pretty cool, I didn't really get the whole show, but the kids I was with loved it.

Journey to Atlantis - Walk On - Now, this ride was suppose to be down for today, at least according to their website, so I was not expecting to ride this baby! It was pretty chilly that day, (mid - 60's), and was glad I did not get very wet on the first drop, but I can't say the same for the second "dip"! The ride was pretty interesting and I like the hidden drop at the end, wonder how the other Journey's compare at other Sea World parks.

Kraken - Walk On - Our first attempt at riding this was shot down because of a lightning strike somewhere in the area, but the ride did eventually open. I'd say it is above average. I've ridden Dominator, Batman: The Dark Knight, and Bizarro, and I'd say it's the 2nd best floorless behind Dominator. I liked the tunnels and the great ending, and the cobra roll was pretty intense! Rode it twice in the front and back.

Manta - 10-25 minutes - We first waited 25 minutes for the back, they were running one train all day. Before riding, I really did not like B&M Flyers, especially cause Superman: Ultimate Flight at SF Great America could have been a whole lot better, but Manta changed my mind a bit! I loved the layout and the many inversions, and I sat on the edge closest to the water splash down and it was a very interesting, but good experience! I rode it again in the back, and it confirmed that Manta is definitely a really great flyer!

Sorry for all that typing and my overuse of the word "and"... Here are the photos and feedback is appreciated!

[The SETGO GuysMy Dumps Smell Like Cantaloupe]

Really glad that you enjoyed Manta!

I had the chance to ride it recently and I really enjoyed it too! I really also enjoy the fact that Manta just doesn't seem to have a line! I am glad to report that Manta is running 2 trains now and that the capacity is a heck of a lot better now!

I agree with the Shamu comments and can't wait to see the new one!

However the one credit you missed...Shamu Express...don't worry about....its a "WHORE"ible coaster.



Thanks!
-Zach

[InukazaWhat would donkeys be like on the moon?]

HOLY CRAP, Those Orange umbrellas are totally new to the park. I've never seen them before!


No, just kidding, while I really haven't seen them before, I'll leave a positive post like you asked! I really enjoyed this Photo TR, nice photos, and it makes me feel like I should get to the park more often. Thanks for posting it.

[griffonj2022I wrote the book about donkeys!]

Manta was my first B&M Flyer when I rode it back in September and I loved it too...All of the twists and inversions, not to mention the at the top of the pretzel loop.

Thanks for the photos, can't wait to go back now

[Mr. StarrMy transgendered dreams have come true!!!]

Awesome report! Manta looks amazing, and I remember a lot of the park and shows from when I was little, but apparentely a lot has changed!

Can't wait to see more of your reports

Awesome P:TR Jer! Take me to Holiday World the next time you go!

Will do Ryan! Thanks! I'll make sure you ride the Voyage in the front.

Oh, of course

[AJClarke0912Newton2 fondles my manhood.]

I loved Manta when I went to SeaWorld (it was my first flyer). The whole thing from the get-go is amazing, from the aquariums, to the layout, to the colors of the ride. They really hit a home run with that ride.

Nice report! I should check back more often.

[Skycoastin SteveFive babies drowned in a fire]

Manta and Kraken are my top coasters in the flyer and floorless categories for good reason. You can't really judge B&M flyers on the Superman clones, just ride Tatsu and/or Manta and you'll see just how good they can be. Manta in the back row is so damn good. If Kraken's ending was a little better, it would probably be my favorite B&M.

[BaMiTsPaTBonafide Donkey Expert]

Nice pictures! SeaWorld is such a beautiful park! I'm glad you liked Manta and Kraken, as I would put them both in my top 25 coasters!

[Jerrykoala2112Jo My Oh!]

Manta and Kraken are my top coasters in the flyer and floorless categories for good reason. You can't really judge B&M flyers on the Superman clones, just ride Tatsu and/or Manta and you'll see just how good they can be. Manta in the back row is so damn good. If Kraken's ending was a little better, it
would probably be my favorite B&M.

Yeah, I really knew that the Superman clones were lacking the extra "umph" that other flyers being built had, especially Manta and that new one in China! So I really looked down upon B&m Flyers until I got my chance to ride Manta.

Nice pictures! SeaWorld is such a beautiful park! I'm glad you liked Manta and Kraken, as I would put them both in my top 25 coasters!

Thanks! And I agree... Sea World is definitely a park where quality beats out quantity... And it definitely worked out well!

Great TR! These photos are making me want to get to Orlando even more! I can't wait to ride Manta, Kraken and JTA this summer!