SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[gatorchomp83]

Stopped by the park again this evening and hung around for about an hour of non-stop testing. They were running the lift very slow today, and occasionally stopping trains on the mid-course, but were dispatching each train (were running all three) right before or right as a train hit the mid-course.

 

I took a bunch of pictures of the zero-car and took a video of two trains cycling (the second one is the one with the graphics). It was dusk so I didn't get too many good non-blurry shots but you get the idea.

 

Close-Call

 

Graphic train at top of the lift

 

Turn after the 'splashdown'

 

 

Over the new walkway

 

Bottom of the pretzel loop

 

 

Thru the new area

 

New footer rock theming

 

Manta at dusk

 

And one last train picture

 

And here;s the video taken with my Blackberry Bold:

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=VID_00013-20090409-1931_w7lq[/coastertube]

[Eric_Smith]

That zero-car is AWESOME! I wonder if the other train will get the same painting...

[gatorchomp83]

All three of them will have the same design, yes.

[justint87]

The zero car design looks great. Thanks for getting out and getting those pictures for us. Oh and the video, I been waiting for the longest time to see a video from that angle (right under the first drop going towards the pretzel loop). It looks great. Thanks again gatorchomp83!

[CD]

Thanks for the update Gatorchomp.

 

The zero car looks fantastic!

 

 

I am very impressed with SWO for putting so much outstanding theming into this attraction. The attention to detail is amazing. I am very excited for this entire attraction.

 

 

Great Job Seaworld!

[sam06pr]

I love the designs!!! ahhh!!! I can't to ride this coaster

[themeparkman25]

Thanks for the update to both of you, esspecially gatorchomp for getting the zero car! It looks fantastic! But I also want to say that the station slash aquarium look great with the addition of the rocks! SWO is doing fantastically.

 

I am not worried about this, but when some friends and I rode tatsu they were wondering if it was possible if the harness could come undone. I told them absolutely no chance, the harnesses can only be undone at the station and it is locked mechanically and not electrically (meaning that it is a pin locking the seats and not an electrical lock). Is this true? How do the harnesses stay locked, with no seat belt as backup, and not every come undone?

[UberBeavis]

The zero car looks like a reject from a Wyland mural.

[jjune4991]

thanks for the zero car update! can't wait to ride this thing! only 1 1/2 months away!

[jkwan]

The zero car looks awesome, but I think it looks weird that only the zero car has the new graphics and not the smaller rays behind it.

[gatorchomp83]

Those are the 'baby rays', they haven't 'earned their stripes' yet.

 

Absolutely BSing here...

[BeemerBoy]

The zero car looks like a reject from a Wyland mural.

Wow, a Wyland reference. Cool!

 

I'm on the fence with the design though. I'm sort of thinking it looks worse now.

[rawrtotheargh]

How do the harnesses stay locked, with no seat belt as backup, and not every come undone?

 

When they seats rotate into flying position there is a little pin that slides out to prevent the restraint from opening all the way. When you are sitting in seats one and 3 it will be on your right hand side. And in 2 and 4 it will be on your left hand side. It looks like it can still open a lot but i'm sure B&M knows what they are doing. Not like they haven't been around for a while.

[bgeguy]

Manta is looking absolutely stunning. Leave it to Busch...

[DiSab]

Looks great. I really like the way the zero-car came out, though I will agree it does look a little weird with only the zero-car pimped out like that (for lack of a better term). Maybe they'll add a small something to the rest of the train to make it blend in better with the zero. We'll just have to wait and see.

[justint87]

This is only a guess but maybe they just haven't added the designs onto the baby rays just yet. Considering only one of the zero car has the designs, they aren't finish just yet...

[Kalepi_Konei]

The zero car looks like a reject from a Wyland mural.

Wow, a Wyland reference. Cool!

 

I'm on the fence with the design though. I'm sort of thinking it looks worse now.

 

I agree, I mean your not really going to see the design when its zooming by you at 60 MPH but it still looks pretty nasty to me. I liked the old zero car with no design on it, it looked more like a manta ray then then it does now.

[UberBeavis]

The other thing it kind of reminded me of is this

[netdvn]

The Zero-car looks beautiful!! Busch did an excellent job theming the ride.

 

It's looking better and better every day.

[Lenaapple1974]

Wow... nice! Thank you for posting that video! That angle is awesome. It is funny, because as you panned back the other way, I was watching the first train disappear, I then noticed a second train already making its way up the lift as mentioned. I hope they can keep that up once the GP starts to board. I must watch it again when I get home! (I am at work, and I was watching it... OOOOooo!!! lol) I am so in love with this ride! That pretzle loop looks yummy! I think the Zero car paint job is ok. Not the best, IMO. I actually was hoping for a different design for each car. I like when they can stand out on their own.

 

Yes, there are some sort of pin mechanisms at work there. On Superman: UF, I remember seeing them. But everything locks into place nicely. There is also a safetly mechanism that stops the train even if say your foot is not in the correct place up the lift. That kind of sucks for the GP waiting in lthe queue because it can take a bit for them to get the "trolly" (I do not know the name of it) up to fix it (This one probably has the same system I would imagine - which starts at the base of the lift, and it rises up under the lift for such situations), but better safe than sorry, right? I am a total nut when it comes to feeling safe on coasters. I actually only started riding in 2005 as partially a result of that. I always felt super safe on Superman: UF.

[Wes]

I'm on the fence with the design though. I'm sort of thinking it looks worse now.

 

I agree, I think it looks tacky as all hell. Are they gonna paint wizards and busty barbarian chicks with broad swords on the sides of the trains too?

[coolcalicoaster]

I have to say, I love the design of that zero car! Looks sweet!

 

Tacky, to me, is all the unnecassary improvements Six Flags is doing to their rides. Examples: adding speakers to cars- Music on a coaster is more of a distraction, I like to hear the screams from the riders and roar of the coaster. Color changes are cool at first but does it really change the ride?...NO! Flame throwers on X2. This is one gimmick that will be gone in a year from now! Cool to see the first few times, then its like "who cares!"

I know its not six flags but those monitors on Blue Fire are so tacky. The ride looks awesome enough without them. Who wants to watch a monitor while you are traveling through such a beautiful course?

 

Manta is anything but tacky.

 

Only my opinion

[netdvn]

^ SF doesn't have the money to invest in 20 new coasters so instead they upgrade their older rides by giving new life to them. It kinda like the Disney parks and all the rehab that their rides go through. And why not improve on an already good coaster?

 

Like RCT, repainting a ride and upgrading it with a new soundtrack/adding theming causes the GP to think its a new coaster, thus flock to the park.

[RCFreak]

I'm on the fence with the design though. I'm sort of thinking it looks worse now.

 

I agree, I think it looks tacky as all hell. Are they gonna paint wizards and busty barbarian chicks with broad swords on the sides of the trains too?

 

Yeah I'm going to agree with this, it looks like a bad acid trip. They should have just left it as it was. But if they add a Lady of Guadalupe maybe some busty chola's with machine guns add in a Mayan temple in the background then it will appeal to the low rider culture bringing in a whole new demographic! Good job Sea World for reaching out to new groups of people!

[coolcalicoaster]

^ SF doesn't have the money to invest in 20 new coasters so instead they upgrade their older rides by giving new life to them. It kinda like the Disney parks and all the rehab that their rides go through. And why not improve on an already good coaster?

 

Like RCT, repainting a ride and upgrading it with a new soundtrack/adding theming causes the GP to think its a new coaster, thus flock to the park.

 

 

Why is SFMM getting two coaters in two years if they don't have the money for new coasters at other parks?