SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[SharkTums]

I guess I'll throw my two cents in here...

 

I rode Mako for the first time last week. I felt it was a pretty standard B&M Hyper. The one sad thing was that I felt the ride might actually have some real potential on the back half if it wasn't for that evil trim. I noticed the trim on our first ride on a half full train. On our second ride with a full train the trim tried to give me the Heimlich Maneuver it was so strong!!!

 

Fun ride though, really good fit for the park.

[TB305]

^Interesting! I only rode in the front row, so by the time the trim engaged we were already floating. From what I've gathered, it appears that people prefer the front row, and I suppose that could be a possible reason. Oh well, everyone's got an opinion and different experiences on different rides, and you're certainly a more seasoned enthusiast than I. Personally, I thought it was a really fun, well rounded coaster with stronger airtime than I've experienced on other B&M hypers.

[prozach626]

We have a few hours to kill in the area on Saturday night on August 13th. We would probably only get 4-5 hours in at the park, with BGT the following two days. The extra money for a 3 day pass including both parks as opposed to a two day pass is pretty minimal. However, with it being Saturday night, would it even be worth spending a few hours in the park or would it be a waste of time? The park closes at 8 and I think we can get there around 3 or 4.

 

We usually spend a day or two at parks, so I'm not really used to touch-and-go style visits. I figured it might be fun as opposed inevitably to spending money on expensive food and booze in Tampa to kill off our night in Tampa. But with it being Saturday I'm apprehensive despite it being late in the season. With that said, it would either be Saturday night or not at all. I have full intentions of relaxing and enjoying BGT for two days, with our hotel being very close to the park.

[bert425]

We have a few hours to kill in the area on Saturday night on August 13th. We would probably only get 4-5 hours in at the park, with BGT the following two days. The extra money for a 3 day pass including both parks as opposed to a two day pass is pretty minimal. However, with it being Saturday night, would it even be worth spending a few hours in the park or would it be a waste of time? The park closes at 8 and I think we can get there around 3 or 4.

 

We usually spend a day or two at parks, so I'm not really used to touch-and-go style visits. I figured it might be fun as opposed inevitably to spending money on expensive food and booze in Tampa to kill off our night in Tampa. But with it being Saturday I'm apprehensive despite it being late in the season. With that said, it would either be Saturday night or not at all. I have full intentions of relaxing and enjoying BGT for two days, with our hotel being very close to the park.

 

I'm about to update my trip report (probably later this evening) with the day we spent at SeaWorld.

 

if you mainly care about the rides at SW (not any shows, or doing any of the sealife exhibits). .then that should be enough time, after all, there are only 3 coasters there (unless you count Shamu Express).

 

Now, keep in mind, we didn't get to do Journey to Atlantis (they shut it down for weather while we were there), or Turtle Trek 360 movie (it broke while we were in line). . so not sure how long lines would be for them. . .but despite the park being crowded and the huge line for Journey. . right next door, Kraken was a walk on. Mako was only a 20 minute (if that) wait, and Wild Arctic was a walk on.

 

the only things I suspect you'd have to wait on would be Manta (the wait time for that spiked very quickly after opening), Journey (if you wanted a water ride), and Antartica Penguin ride (but you can walk and see the penguins if you want w/out waiting for the ride).

 

I'd say go for it. .and swing by Disney Springs for evening snack on your drive to Tampa after!

[Mr. Corn]

Hi everyone, I have heard extremely negative things about the dark ride Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, are those things true or is the badness of the ride being overhyped?

[X2coasterfreak]

I've even heard Behemoth talked about as better than Leviathan.

 

I'd agree with that statement, I found Leviathan to be a tad short while Behemoth was filled with heavenly sustained floater.

[bert425]

Hi everyone, I have heard extremely negative things about the dark ride Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, are those things true or is the badness of the ride being overhyped?

 

it's targeted at the very young.

 

and it's only really 3 or so senes, so not really a dark ride in the way I'd normally consider one.

 

we thought it was a waste of time, and wished we had just walked thru to see the penguins.

[djcoastermark]

Mr Corn, It's not that it is a bad ride per say, It is a real waste of potential. It is sort of like and escalator or an elevator. It gets you from point a to point b with a bit of scenery. I never got off an escalator and said , oh that was fun, let's do it again. (well maybe as a kid horsing around) Likewise that sums up the Penguin ride.

[robbalvey]

Hi everyone, I have heard extremely negative things about the dark ride Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, are those things true or is the badness of the ride being overhyped?

For me the ride was a major letdown. When it was being built it was being hyped as the next generation of dark rides and the concept art really sold you on a ride that was going to be traveling through a penguin themed world...

 

It's a super elaborate trackless dark ride system that it's potential is completely wasted by using it as a "motion simulator" vehicle watching a fairly uninteresting movie for a good 2/3 of the attraction.

 

For many of us locals we really thought this ride was going to be something to give Disney & Universal a run for their money and it could have been "Orlando's Winnie the Pooh" (referencing the Tokyo Disneyland ride) but really the whole thing was just sort of a mess. The park played it off by saying "Well, the ride is aimed at a VERY young audience" which I interpret that to mean "A young audience that has never ridden any other ride before and therefore wouldn't notice the amount of wasted potential with this attraction" because at no point before the ride opened was this even mentioned until it started getting negative reviews.

 

Seriously, it's really bad.

 

That being said, once you get off the ride the penguin enclosure is REALLY NICE! And the actual ride system is very cool. That very first room you're in when you board the vehicles makes you think you're in for a high-tech amazing experience...but then you just watch a movie.

Edited July 23, 2016 by robbalvey

[ArgoZ]

We have a few hours to kill in the area on Saturday night on August 13th. We would probably only get 4-5 hours in at the park, with BGT the following two days. The extra money for a 3 day pass including both parks as opposed to a two day pass is pretty minimal. However, with it being Saturday night, would it even be worth spending a few hours in the park or would it be a waste of time? The park closes at 8 and I think we can get there around 3 or 4.

 

We usually spend a day or two at parks, so I'm not really used to touch-and-go style visits. I figured it might be fun as opposed inevitably to spending money on expensive food and booze in Tampa to kill off our night in Tampa. But with it being Saturday I'm apprehensive despite it being late in the season. With that said, it would either be Saturday night or not at all. I have full intentions of relaxing and enjoying BGT for two days, with our hotel being very close to the park.

 

Speaking of booze in Tampa, I would highly recommend Cigar City Brewing (CCB). The brewery, which has tours and tasting and Brew Pub are relatively close to Busch Gardens. Puppies Breath Porter is my fav!

[prozach626]

Thanks, Bert. My main goal would be to get a few laps on Mako, since I'm a pretty big B&M hyper fan. I'm hoping that the park will be even less busy than the Saturday you went, since it will be later in the season.

[coasterbill]

Hi everyone, I have heard extremely negative things about the dark ride Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, are those things true or is the badness of the ride being overhyped?

 

Robb nailed it. They have a non-riders line. If the standby line is over 15-20 minutes just get in the non-riders line. It's worth a short wait for the exhibit because it's really good, but the ride is very mediocre. It's cute I guess but there's no real point to it.

 

By the way, on a similar note is there a way to bypass the asinine pre-show at Wild Arctic? I know you can skip the simulator but you still have to watch the stupid movie. Is there a way to bypass all of it?

[bert425]

By the way, on a similar note is there a way to bypass the asinine pre-show at Wild Arctic? I know you can skip the simulator but you still have to watch the stupid movie. Is there a way to bypass all of it?

 

Go on a day with no line?

 

we walked right thru the room, where I assume the movie was supposed to be.

 

I mean, they grouped us in, closed the back doors, and then immediately opened the front doors and had us line up on the lighted circles. (so we still had no real idea what the "ride" was at this point).

 

maybe it was just broken, but that 1st room was obviously staging for some sort of pre-show, and we just didn't get it.

[jynx242]

I finally got to ride Mako this weekend. I enjoyed it and it did have airtime. I do, however, fall into the camp that it is a good B&M Hyper. Nothing blew me away, but it was fun. It also seems to be a capacity monster. While it only had a 15 minute wait on a Saturday morning in July - manta was already at 40 (needless to say, I skipped Manta this time.)

 

As for the Penguin ride - meh. It's cute and the ride technology is very cool, but I'll agree that the actual ride itself is not worth more than a 10 - 15 minute wait - and the majority of that time is because the Penguin exhibit is so good.

 

David

[dwfan42]

The penguin ride isn't worth the wait. It said 45 minutes, and about 90 minutes had gone by before we even got to see the vehicles. It's an okay ride, it's not that fun really, but there are some good visuals and the penguins at the end are awesome. I'd give it a 6/10. Okay ride, awesome exhibit.

 

I finally got the chance to ride Mako yesterday.... What a phenomenal ride. Wait time said 40 minutes, we were in the station after 15 minutes. I rode in the front row the first time, and in row 3 on my second ride- I only got to ride twice, but here's my review: The lift was steep and fast, and the ride has an awesome view coming out of the station. The drop was fantastic! It felt way longer than 200 feet and really threw you out of your seat. There was a short, straight section after the drop that really helps you feel the speed and power of the ride. The overbanked turn was great, and you get a little lateral airtime coming off of the top. There are some nice positive g's between the turn and the first hill. The first airtime hill was insane- If that's not ejector air then I don't know what is. The turnaround was pretty fast and it was really smooth. The hill with the trim had weaker air than the previous one, but it was still good, and the trim didn't hit that hard. The next hill had some really strong air coming up into it that contrasted well with the strong positive g forces in the curve up. The speed hill was awesome, and in row 3 the air coming down the hill was much stronger than in row 1, and there were more strong positive g-forces coming up into the break run that are followed by a nice pop of air. The drop after the MCBR was pretty good, and the next hill was weak, but still good. The turns were nice and gave good laterals. Overall, Mako is one of my favorite rides ever. Fantastic airtime, smooth ride, great speed and g forces, and a really well paced ride. If only the ride time was a bit longer... 10/10

 

Manta was a great experience. It's a pretty scary ride at the beginning because you think you're going to fall out of the ride. The drop was cool, the pretzel loop was forceful, and the inversions were nice. I loved the splashdown and the theming, as well as the feeling of flying. 9/10

 

Kraken was great as well. Great positive g forces, but there was a noticeable rattle along the ride. 9/10

[viking86]

I can only echo what others have said about Antarctica. It's not a terrible ride by any means, but with the cool technology available it's just so much wasted potential for what could have been an awesome ride!

[Hilltopper39]

The funny thing about Antartica is that even though I'm not a huge fan of it it always seems to have a decent line even 3 years after opening. We usually skip it only because the wait is usually 45 minutes plus so hey glad someone is riding it.

[dwfan42]

The funny thing about Antartica is that even though I'm not a huge fan of it it always seems to have a decent line even 3 years after opening. We usually skip it only because the wait is usually 45 minutes plus so hey glad someone is riding it.

Yeah. They say 45 minutes, but it's really about double that until you actually get into a car. They show you some animations of the penguins after the "line" is done, but you still have to wait a very long time before getting in a vehicle. I don't think it's worth the ride.

[CoasterGoddess]

Hi everyone, I have heard extremely negative things about the dark ride Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, are those things true or is the badness of the ride being overhyped?

The ride was over-hyped, sadly, and this ride fell way short. They could had made it more fun with more spins and a longer ride. The mild ride could had added a few slow moving maneuvers also for them as well. The only reason they call the one ride "wild" is due to the end video watching part where the car you are in shifts aggressively side to side and back and forth. This movement is not wild nor fun and is not needed in my opinion. I do enjoy the couple spins they have, but I wouldn't call that wild. It's milder than the spins on Men In Black at Universal Studios.

I do enjoy this attraction as it's a nicely thought out family ride / attraction for all ages and educational as well. Maybe, some day, they could make improvements to enhance the enjoyment of the ride experience, but my friend's 9yo daughter loved it and this is her favorite ride at SeaWorld.

 

Question: I came here to see if anyone heard anything about the mimes? I heard the park plans to bring them back in 2017, but no word since then if any of the mimes were contacted at all. I really enjoyed the mimes and we were hoping to hear about their return. I checked the facebook mime pages and groups and no updates about them. Thanks Rob, and anyone else who may know something. I enjoy the air-time from their roller coasters, but I also enjoy good entertainment and a good laugh. Any word about another Cirque style show to replace Allure? I can't say I'm pleased with the many negative changes going on at SeaWorld and no hyper coaster can fix that. Can anyone seriously think of SeaWorld without the Shamu show and allowing the whales to die off? The only people who are happy with the changes are the animal activists who don't go and will never go. Very sad as my family has been loyal to this park for years!

[CoasterGoddess]

I'm gonna keep this as short as possible- what if the 400 ft tall Skytower at Seaworld Orlando was converted to a drop ride? The infrastructure is there, cables to lift the car, emergency brakes (which should be strengthened for regular use) and the tower is already built. Busch and Seaworld share many things in common- 200 ft tall roller coasters (Sheikra and Mako) Inverted coasters (Montu and Manta) and classic B&Ms (Kumba and Kraken). Why not add a drop tower to that list? Seaworld Orlando always seems to make more extreme versions of BGT thrill rides ie. Flying and floorless coasters. Falcons Fury could be matched with that 400 ft drop tower, making it the 2nd tallest drop tower in the world, and 4th tallest thrill ride overall after Kingda Ka, Top Thrill, and Zumanjaro and would be twice as tall as the next closest ride in Florida, Sheikra. It could have a similar facedown mechanism to Falcons Fury, but be held at 30 seconds to a minute at 400ft to raise the intensity, and then drop, not lowering the seats until it reaches the station. Honest thoughts: Is this viable? It seems far fetched, but maybe if we generate some buzz around this idea and spread the word, there's a possibility that Seaworld might build it! After all, it would be a low risk proposition, much, much cheaper than building any such thrill ride from the ground up, even after the cost of new hydraulics and an open rider gondola. Spread the word, 1000 miles starts with one step

 

I've been to the best parks in America for thrill rides and I love them, but what concerns me most is how many lose sight at the unique treasure we have in SeaWorld. We have so many great theme parks with top thrill rides, but we only have 3 Seaworld parks and I shudder to think of their demise, which has already begun. I remember the days going to SeaWorld without rides and enjoying it then. Now it's better with rides, more attractions, shows, entertainment, concerts, you name it, but in the past few years, starting shortly after the sell off from Anheuser-Busch, this park's top attractions have been under attack and now the animal activists have seem to won. Many I know believe the new park owners and management are activists themselves or believe they will make money teaming up with them at the expense of the killer whales and the next animal to come under their attack which I hear are all the whales in the park. This subject upsets my family and friends who have enjoyed SeaWorld through the years. What SeaWorld needs is not to become another top thrill ride park at the expense of what makes them well loved and needed in importance to education and conservation. SeaWorld is mostly a sea life zoo with educational and entertaining attractions, shows, and some rides thrown in for variety. It was never meant to be the #1 thrill ride park, but in so many ways Seaworld is unmatched and that's why many of us love the park. I enjoy their slow observation tower and it's a nice view and rest in A/C on hot days. Falcon's Fury is 60-80 mins away depending on traffic for those who must have a drop ride. Drop rides are okay, but roller coasters are much more fun. Drop rides are not a must have for every park like roller coasters are. The skytower is scenic and fits in best with SeaWorld, well when it's working. I also read about having a tall drop tower stay up for a minute before dropping and I think that could be a serious problem. Many people could suffer an unforeseen panic attack or heart attack with being stranding up there that long. I have seen someone who rides roller coasters have a panic attack on a drop tower when the ride operator at a fair waited a few minutes before dropping it. The last thing any park needs is having someone die or nearly die on one of their rides. Thrill rides were never a top priority with their park and honestly I hope rides always remain secondary to their animal attractions. The more SeaWorld slowly tears away the attractions and experiences that made them special, the more likely they will shut down or go bankrupt. Some I know stopped renewing their passes and visiting the park annually. The more SeaWorld loses their sights on what made them great, the more I believe they should sell their park to someone who will carry the torch that Anheuser-Busch started. I love roller coasters, but SeaWorld is a unique treasure that true fans must speak up against the negative changes that have happened in recent years or this park will become only a memory. Some say the park is on it's death bed, they stopped going, and the future looks grim. A drop ride will not help, they need to update what worked and keep what the pass members love about SeaWorld, namely Shamu.

[bert425]

^ we were just there and really loved the park (even tho we didn't get to do Journey to Atlantis (weather came in), Turtle Trek (it broke while we were in line) or the Skytower (it wasn't operating ). . but we loved the aquariums, and in particular the shark walkthru.

[dwfan42]

Anyone else think that Kraken is a really awesome ride? It's intense, lots of fun, and it's fast paced. There's a very noticeable rattle- it's an old ride- but I like it a lot. The pullout from the Cobra Roll that curves up to the MCBR is really intense, as well as the vertical loop and the dive loop.

[DILinator]

Anyone else think that Kraken is a really awesome ride? It's intense, lots of fun, and it's fast paced...- it's an old ride- but I like it a lot. The pullout from the Cobra Roll that curves up to the MCBR is really intense, as well as the vertical loop and the dive loop.

 

 

I love it! A top 10 coaster for me, and that's with over 200 under my belt! It's just SO much fun, with a great set of elements, and environmental interaction!

 

There's a very noticeable rattle

 

No, not the mythical B&M rattle!!!

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Question: I came here to see if anyone heard anything about the mimes?

They haven't said a word.

[CPmillenia94]

Kraken is probably the only floorless IVE ridden that feels like it has the same level of intensity and snappiness as one of the inverts. I would say it is still the most "thrilling" coaster at the park, even with mako and manta.