SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[chargersmichael]

Why do rides like this even have a trim? From every review I've read so far, everyone agrees the trim ruins the ride and the ending is slow. I guess what I'm asking is why do rides have the many trims? I became really excited once I saw the video of the test run as it looked really promising!! But now hearing the reviews, it doesn't seem to deliver...

[djcoastermark]

^ I too don't care for trims. If it's a MCBR, ok, but I still like the old style (mostly) wooden coasters that had no trims. I've always thought that if a coaster needed trims, why now build engineer it in the first place to not need one?

[coasterbill]

Why do rides like this even have a trim? From every review I've read so far, everyone agrees the trim ruins the ride and the ending is slow. I guess what I'm asking is why do rides have the many trims? I became really excited once I saw the video of the test run as it looked really promising!! But now hearing the reviews, it doesn't seem to deliver...

 

I think any answer you get would be pure speculation. B&M seems to love trimming their hypers for some reason though. I'm not sure if it's because they want it to run the same speed regardless of conditions (they don't kick on when it runs slow due to something like an empty train, low temperatures or high winds) or if there's some other reasoning behind it but sadly I doubt we'll ever get a definitive answer.

[Invertalon]

I think any answer you get would be pure speculation. B&M seems to love trimming their hypers for some reason though. I'm not sure if it's because they want it to run the same speed regardless of conditions (they don't kick on when it runs slow due to something like an empty train, low temperatures or high winds) or if there's some other reasoning behind it but sadly I doubt we'll ever get a definitive answer.

 

Intamin trims plenty, too... Maverick, I-305 and many of the new POV's I watch have trims on many of the hills.

 

It's not just B&M! I think RMC and GCI may be the only ones not putting trims all over the place these days!

[dwfan42]

Trims or not, most people say the first half of the ride is phenomenal. I hope they're just running the ride with the trims on hard now to see how people react, and maybe they'll turn them down after the official opening when they see all the negative feedback- but chances are it will stay this way. Regardless, I am still super excited to ride.

 

Edit: found this on twitter saying the trim has been turned down. Thank God!

twitter.com/MrBrianORL/status/739482699698733061

[coasterbill]

^I'm sure the ride is getting outstanding reviews so people really won't "react". The only people who care about trims are enthusiasts which probably make up approximately 0.01% of their attendance.

 

And while we're on the subject of things only enthusiasts care about. DOES IT RATTLE?????

[prozach626]

DOES IT RATTLE?????

 

It's even rougher than Banshee. So bad that it gave me a migraine...

[DoubleDown]

I've always thought that if a coaster needed trims, why now build engineer it in the first place to not need one?

 

Well that way you can build a ride that still looks intimidating and tall, while still controlling the speed of the train, with something that besides the enthusiasts, most of the general public probably has no clue. I don't like them either, and I don't get it.

 

Especially when I see a ride like Lightening Rod absolutely killing it through a course with insane forces on insane elements, and it makes no sense why a B&M which is so tame in comparison can't run their rides similarly.

[prozach626]

Maybe it doesn't make sense to you, but giving their long standing reputation of low maintenance, longevity, high ridership, and positive reviews from guests, they're doing something right. Like Bill said, they're probably in place to keep the speed of the trains consistent, regardless of temperature and weight variations. Not every coaster has to be "out of control."

[robbalvey]

Edit: found this on twitter saying the trim has been turned down. Thank God!

twitter.com/MrBrianORL/status/739482699698733061

That's not what I'm hearing from people riding today. Going to try to get on it again tomorrow. We'll see...

[dwfan42]

Edit: found this on twitter saying the trim has been turned down. Thank God!

twitter.com/MrBrianORL/status/739482699698733061

That's not what I'm hearing from people riding today. Going to try to get on it again tomorrow. We'll see...

Let us know please. Enjoy the ride

[BigBad]

I think the trims are there so that they can set the forces for when the ride is running slow and then trim in down to that speed.

 

Like most here, I would argue that they should let the coaster go over hills at higher speeds, but I posted something about this on the NoLimits Exchange; the parabolic hills are very sensitive to changes in speed.

 

http://forum.nolimits-exchange.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=3395&page=105

[sirspud]

It sounds like Mako isn't gonna be a world-class hyper, not that we expected it to be, but for someone who has been an enthusiast in this area for nearly twenty years, one thing we sorely lacked was a hypercoaster, and it's easy to forget just how much darn fun nearly every hypercoaster is.

[dwfan42]

I think the trims are there so that they can set the forces for when the ride is running slow and then trim in down to that speed.

 

Like most here, I would argue that they should let the coaster go over hills at higher speeds, but I posted something about this on the NoLimits Exchange; the parabolic hills are very sensitive to changes in speed.

 

http://forum.nolimits-exchange.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=3395&page=105

 

Awesome breakdown. I still hope they'll tone down the trim, or just turn it off completely. I'll wait to make a judgement after I ride

[italianstallion]

Lurker here, first post, figured I could contribute to the discussion.

 

I rode five times Saturday (6/4) and three times Sunday (6/5). Between those eight rides I've ridden in every row, and I've ridden in the front twice.

 

I've ridden Fury 325, Nitro, Intimidator (Carrowinds), and Apollo's Chariot so I have those for a baseline.

 

The first drop is perfectly designed for the height of this coaster: the way the coaster crests the top then gets to its maximum angle throws you out of your seat and keeps you out of it regardless of the row you are sitting in. This is something that I always felt was been missing from the other three B&M hypers I've been on. The back row is the best row for the first drop, providing the closest thing to ejector air that I can think of from B&M.

 

After that the coaster paces very nicely through to the turnaround right before the hill trim. The first airtime hill gives a great pop of air to the front seat over the top all the way to the bottom, a bit more than floater air for the middle seats, and nice air after the top of the hill in the back. The hill with the trim provides the most air in the front and floater air for every other row. Even with the hill trim the two hills directly after leading up to the MCBR provide better air than I can remember on the three B&M hypers mentioned above (with the speed hill being my favorite element on the ride). You do get a good pop of air into the MCBR if you're sitting towards the front of the train.

 

After the MCBR you barely get anything even resembling floater air over the next airtime hill, and the twists before the final brake run are taken at an absolute snail's pace...no forces even remotely worth mentioning other than to mention that they are completely forceless.

 

For the exception of the hill trim, the pacing for the first half of the ride into the MCBR is absolutely amazing and the airtime is the best I've felt on a B&M hyper. Based on the reactions of people on the train (and my constant giggles) the first half of the ride is all anybody really cares about right now and it alone is good enough for people to get back in line.

 

But we need to discuss the trims. There's got to be a calculated reason for them, but man I can only dream of riding this thing like the official POV shows. Each ride I've heard audible groans from people on the hill trim...there's nothing worse than losing quality momentum right before what would otherwise appear to be a perfectly designed airtime hill. While there's still plenty of air on the next two hills after that hill, I certainly wouldn't mind even more without the trim. The mid course brake run in my opinion ruins the ending of the ride...again there's no forces to speak of over the 'airtime hill' after the MCBR and the little curves before the station have no kick to them at all. I will note that between Saturday and Sunday, the ONLY time I noticed less trim force was when I somehow ended up on a train that was less than half full. Other than that the trims felt consistent between both days.

 

Mako is now my favorite roller coaster in Florida based purely on the first half of the ride. In my opinion it's a better ride than Nitro, Apollo's Chariot, and Intimidator. But it really pains me to know that this ride could be even better...and dare I say...a near perfect coaster...without the trims.

[prozach626]

It sounds like Mako isn't gonna be a world-class hyper, not that we expected it to be, but for someone who has been an enthusiast in this area for nearly twenty years, one thing we sorely lacked was a hypercoaster, and it's easy to forget just how much darn fun nearly every hypercoaster is.

 

WTF defines "World Class???" Seems plenty "World Class" to me.

[chargersmichael]

Lurker here, first post, figured I could contribute to the discussion.

 

I rode five times Saturday (6/4) and three times Sunday (6/5). Between those eight rides I've ridden in every row, and I've ridden in the front twice.

 

I've ridden Fury 325, Nitro, Intimidator (Carrowinds), and Apollo's Chariot so I have those for a baseline.

 

The first drop is perfectly designed for the height of this coaster: the way the coaster crests the top then gets to its maximum angle throws you out of your seat and keeps you out of it regardless of the row you are sitting in. This is something that I always felt was been missing from the other three B&M hypers I've been on. The back row is the best row for the first drop, providing the closest thing to ejector air that I can think of from B&M.

 

After that the coaster paces very nicely through to the turnaround right before the hill trim. The first airtime hill gives a great pop of air to the front seat over the top all the way to the bottom, a bit more than floater air for the middle seats, and nice air after the top of the hill in the back. The hill with the trim provides the most air in the front and floater air for every other row. Even with the hill trim the two hills directly after leading up to the MCBR provide better air than I can remember on the three B&M hypers mentioned above (with the speed hill being my favorite element on the ride). You do get a good pop of air into the MCBR if you're sitting towards the front of the train.

 

After the MCBR you barely get anything even resembling floater air over the next airtime hill, and the twists before the final brake run are taken at an absolute snail's pace...no forces even remotely worth mentioning other than to mention that they are completely forceless.

 

For the exception of the hill trim, the pacing for the first half of the ride into the MCBR is absolutely amazing and the airtime is the best I've felt on a B&M hyper. Based on the reactions of people on the train (and my constant giggles) the first half of the ride is all anybody really cares about right now and it alone is good enough for people to get back in line.

 

But we need to discuss the trims. There's got to be a calculated reason for them, but man I can only dream of riding this thing like the official POV shows. Each ride I've heard audible groans from people on the hill trim...there's nothing worse than losing quality momentum right before what would otherwise appear to be a perfectly designed airtime hill. While there's still plenty of air on the next two hills after that hill, I certainly wouldn't mind even more without the trim. The mid course brake run in my opinion ruins the ending of the ride...again there's no forces to speak of over the 'airtime hill' after the MCBR and the little curves before the station have no kick to them at all. I will note that between Saturday and Sunday, the ONLY time I noticed less trim force was when I somehow ended up on a train that was less than half full. Other than that the trims felt consistent between both days.

 

Mako is now my favorite roller coaster in Florida based purely on the first half of the ride. In my opinion it's a better ride than Nitro, Apollo's Chariot, and Intimidator. But it really pains me to know that this ride could be even better...and dare I say...a near perfect coaster...without the trims.

 

Wow thank you for this review! I'll be at SeaWorld on June 13th and am really looking forward to riding. One thing you mention about the ride irks me...that it COULD be better. It does make me a bit frustrated but I know I'll still enjoy the heck out of the ride! The same thing happened with Cheetah Hunt for me. After seeing how fast it was in the animated POV, I got my hopes up and it never tested at such a speed...yet I still enjoy the ride (even though I know it COULD be better).

 

(Should've, Could've, and Would've...and it would be Christmas every day)

 

The whole area itself looks absolutely amazing and I can't wait to get on it soon!

[BigBad]

ItalianStallion said what I thought would be the case when I first saw the ride flying through most of the layout!

 

Annoying...

[dwfan42]

Lurker here, first post, figured I could contribute to the discussion.

 

I rode five times Saturday (6/4) and three times Sunday (6/5). Between those eight rides I've ridden in every row, and I've ridden in the front twice.

 

I've ridden Fury 325, Nitro, Intimidator (Carrowinds), and Apollo's Chariot so I have those for a baseline.

 

The first drop is perfectly designed for the height of this coaster: the way the coaster crests the top then gets to its maximum angle throws you out of your seat and keeps you out of it regardless of the row you are sitting in. This is something that I always felt was been missing from the other three B&M hypers I've been on. The back row is the best row for the first drop, providing the closest thing to ejector air that I can think of from B&M.

 

After that the coaster paces very nicely through to the turnaround right before the hill trim. The first airtime hill gives a great pop of air to the front seat over the top all the way to the bottom, a bit more than floater air for the middle seats, and nice air after the top of the hill in the back. The hill with the trim provides the most air in the front and floater air for every other row. Even with the hill trim the two hills directly after leading up to the MCBR provide better air than I can remember on the three B&M hypers mentioned above (with the speed hill being my favorite element on the ride). You do get a good pop of air into the MCBR if you're sitting towards the front of the train.

 

After the MCBR you barely get anything even resembling floater air over the next airtime hill, and the twists before the final brake run are taken at an absolute snail's pace...no forces even remotely worth mentioning other than to mention that they are completely forceless.

 

For the exception of the hill trim, the pacing for the first half of the ride into the MCBR is absolutely amazing and the airtime is the best I've felt on a B&M hyper. Based on the reactions of people on the train (and my constant giggles) the first half of the ride is all anybody really cares about right now and it alone is good enough for people to get back in line.

 

But we need to discuss the trims. There's got to be a calculated reason for them, but man I can only dream of riding this thing like the official POV shows. Each ride I've heard audible groans from people on the hill trim...there's nothing worse than losing quality momentum right before what would otherwise appear to be a perfectly designed airtime hill. While there's still plenty of air on the next two hills after that hill, I certainly wouldn't mind even more without the trim. The mid course brake run in my opinion ruins the ending of the ride...again there's no forces to speak of over the 'airtime hill' after the MCBR and the little curves before the station have no kick to them at all. I will note that between Saturday and Sunday, the ONLY time I noticed less trim force was when I somehow ended up on a train that was less than half full. Other than that the trims felt consistent between both days.

 

Mako is now my favorite roller coaster in Florida based purely on the first half of the ride. In my opinion it's a better ride than Nitro, Apollo's Chariot, and Intimidator. But it really pains me to know that this ride could be even better...and dare I say...a near perfect coaster...without the trims.

They promised 9 to 10 moments of airtime. I only counted 6 from your review.

[dwfan42]

Lurker here, first post, figured I could contribute to the discussion.

 

I rode five times Saturday (6/4) and three times Sunday (6/5). Between those eight rides I've ridden in every row, and I've ridden in the front twice.

 

I've ridden Fury 325, Nitro, Intimidator (Carrowinds), and Apollo's Chariot so I have those for a baseline.

 

The first drop is perfectly designed for the height of this coaster: the way the coaster crests the top then gets to its maximum angle throws you out of your seat and keeps you out of it regardless of the row you are sitting in. This is something that I always felt was been missing from the other three B&M hypers I've been on. The back row is the best row for the first drop, providing the closest thing to ejector air that I can think of from B&M.

 

After that the coaster paces very nicely through to the turnaround right before the hill trim. The first airtime hill gives a great pop of air to the front seat over the top all the way to the bottom, a bit more than floater air for the middle seats, and nice air after the top of the hill in the back. The hill with the trim provides the most air in the front and floater air for every other row. Even with the hill trim the two hills directly after leading up to the MCBR provide better air than I can remember on the three B&M hypers mentioned above (with the speed hill being my favorite element on the ride). You do get a good pop of air into the MCBR if you're sitting towards the front of the train.

 

After the MCBR you barely get anything even resembling floater air over the next airtime hill, and the twists before the final brake run are taken at an absolute snail's pace...no forces even remotely worth mentioning other than to mention that they are completely forceless.

 

For the exception of the hill trim, the pacing for the first half of the ride into the MCBR is absolutely amazing and the airtime is the best I've felt on a B&M hyper. Based on the reactions of people on the train (and my constant giggles) the first half of the ride is all anybody really cares about right now and it alone is good enough for people to get back in line.

 

But we need to discuss the trims. There's got to be a calculated reason for them, but man I can only dream of riding this thing like the official POV shows. Each ride I've heard audible groans from people on the hill trim...there's nothing worse than losing quality momentum right before what would otherwise appear to be a perfectly designed airtime hill. While there's still plenty of air on the next two hills after that hill, I certainly wouldn't mind even more without the trim. The mid course brake run in my opinion ruins the ending of the ride...again there's no forces to speak of over the 'airtime hill' after the MCBR and the little curves before the station have no kick to them at all. I will note that between Saturday and Sunday, the ONLY time I noticed less trim force was when I somehow ended up on a train that was less than half full. Other than that the trims felt consistent between both days.

 

Mako is now my favorite roller coaster in Florida based purely on the first half of the ride. In my opinion it's a better ride than Nitro, Apollo's Chariot, and Intimidator. But it really pains me to know that this ride could be even better...and dare I say...a near perfect coaster...without the trims.

They promised 9 to 10 moments of airtime. I only counted 6 from your review.

[coasterbill]

It sounds like Mako isn't gonna be a world-class hyper, not that we expected it to be, but for someone who has been an enthusiast in this area for nearly twenty years, one thing we sorely lacked was a hypercoaster, and it's easy to forget just how much darn fun nearly every hypercoaster is.

 

WTF defines "World Class???" Seems plenty "World Class" to me.

 

"World Class" is determined by how much it rattles times the percentage of the ride that was manufactured by Intamin or RMC divided by how many trims it has.

[italianstallion]

They promised 9 to 10 moments of airtime. I only counted 6 from your review.

 

Its interesting that they would promise that, considering there's only 7 places where one can get airtime...max.

[Password121]

I count anywhere between 8 and 12 potential locations for airtime. Whether or not they all deliver notable airtime is a different story, but it doesn't matter how intense a moment of airtime is for it to be considered airtime.

 

I haven't ridden it, just looking at the layout in comparison to other B&M hypers.

[coasterbill]

They promised 9 to 10 moments of airtime. I only counted 6 from your review.

 

Its interesting that they would promise that, considering there's only 7 places where one can get airtime...max.

 

This is the most "coaster enthusiast-y" thing that's ever been bitched about in the history of coaster enthusiasm.

[Password121]

They promised 9 to 10 moments of airtime. I only counted 6 from your review.

 

Its interesting that they would promise that, considering there's only 7 places where one can get airtime...max.

 

This is the most "coaster enthusiast-y" thing that's ever been bitched about in the history of coaster enthusiasm.

 

This. It really doesn't matter.