SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[boldikus]

Kraken is fantastic, I really fell for it the last time we visited.

[DoinItForTheFame]

Here are a few of Kraken under construction in spring 2000

 

Thanks for those awesome photos!! I forget how awesome Kraken is. After having re-rode it this year, it's for sure one of my top floorless coasters. I love the "buried loop" and the "surprise" corkscrew after the tunnel. It's by far one of my favorite B&M's in Florida!

[Canobie Coaster]

SeaWorld Orlando received a shipment from B&M late last month. At first this may not seem like much since the park has three other B&Ms, but the description says it's for roller coaster SF-A.

 

B&M identifies its coasters with a 3 letter code. The first two letters are the model and the last letter is the installation/sequence number. So the fact this coaster is A suggests it's the first in the SF line. Could the "SF" model represent the Surf Coaster that B&M filed a trademark for last year?

 

https://www.importgenius.com/suppliers/bolliger-mabillard

https://www.importgenius.com/suppliers/bolliger-mabillard

United States Patent and Trademark Office

[SharkTums]

Interesting find!

[jedimaster1227]

Very interesting for sure. Given the rumor that a wing coaster was headed towards the festival path... I'm curious to find out what a "surf coaster" could mean for B&M and for park if true.

[Canobie Coaster]

Maybe an updated version of a stand-up coaster with better restraints?

[SharkTums]

^I always liked StandUp coasters more than most and Florida could use one as it's marketable.

[Canobie Coaster]

I used to hate the B&M stand-ups, but in the past few years I've realized the key to riding them is to get your ears above the OSTR and the bike seat as low as possible. I like the leg-numbing forces, but I know not everyone does.

 

I think the most comfortable stand-up is probably Georgia Scorcher and I don't think it's a coincidence that was the last one built. I'm just interested to see what type of ride position the surf coaster puts riders in.

[thrillseeker4552]

I am indifferent to stand-up coasters. I have learned how to ride them comfortably, but I will never prefer stand-up trains to regular sit-down trains.

 

When I hear "surf coaster," I think of a low-to-the-ground, motorbike-esque ride. Perhaps B&M is dipping into the launched family coaster market? This could be very interesting. Assuming we even make it to 2021... lol

[SharkTums]

This could be very interesting. Assuming we even make it to 2021... lol

 

Too soon too true!

[Hilltopper39]

Wasn't a "surf coaster" from B&M reported as being part of the expansion for Ocean park Hong Kong a a little while back? Seems like I remember seeing some concept art somewhere that looked like traditional B&M sit down trains just with 2 people across instead of 4, and a bunch of wave like turns. It's just concept art so take it with a grain of salt, but exciting project nonetheless.

 

SeaWorld may get 2 new for 2021 coasters!

[A.J.]

I did some digging and found the concept art in question. Here's the source article.

 

[Canobie Coaster]

^ Was that confirmed to be a B&M? I'm getting Cheetah Hunt vibes from that photo.

[Hilltopper39]

I did some digging and found the concept art in question. Here's the source article.

 

 

Yeah that was the one I was thinking of, I don't believe anything was ever confirmed but another concept art in that article clearly shows a B&M Dive machine, so maybe that was what threw people onto this also potentially being B&M.

 

*Also, if you just removed the mountains and the gondolas from that art and moved it to Sea World it would totally look like it belongs there.

[SharkTums]

^I can't decide if that looks like the worst coaster I've ever seen or just too bizarre!!!??

[DBru]

Looks like the last 30 seconds of Fujiyama.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Does seems like an incredibly boring section of the ride, hahaha.

[crash1984]

At first I was thinking the Surf Coaster could be a next-gen standup coaster. The more I have thought about it though the less and less likely it seems. First of all B&M is a business and they want something they can sell. Standup coasters have a bad reputation and many if not most stand-ups have either been relocated/sold, scrapped completely, or converted into a different type of coaster (i.e. floorless) If B&M was to bring back the standup coaster I doubt there would be a lot of interest in it even if it has a new name.

 

There are two big things missing from B&M's portfolio of coasters and I think the surf coaster will fill one of these gaps. The first option is a spinning coaster. It could be a horizontally spinning coaster like Time Traveler or it could be a vertically spinning coaster like X2 and the free-spins. The second option is a launched coaster. Yes I know B&M does have two launch coasters out there but these are cases of adding a launch to an existing model, this would be a dedicated launch coaster model.

 

As much as I would love to see it be a launched model, I am leaning toward it being a spinning coaster along the lines of X2. B&M wing coasters are a popular model and adding rotating seats is the next obvious move and a name like surf coaster would fit this better than it would a launch coaster. Also with SWO getting Ice Breaker this year I doubt they would be so quick to add another launch coaster so soon.

[AmyUD06]

The second option is a launched coaster. Yes I know B&M does have two launch coasters out there but these are cases of adding a launch to an existing model, this would be a dedicated launch coaster model.

 

I fail to see the difference between a "dedicated launch coaster" and the "launch added to an existing model." If it launches, it's a launched coaster. If it has a lift and then gravity does the work, it's not.

 

I'm also gonna laugh and laugh if B&M's "Surf Coaster" ends up being just like like Intamin's Surfrider model.

[grsupercity]

I would love to see them attempt a copy of the Intamin blitz model

[KarlaKoaster]

Seaworld hoping to reopen on June 11th

 

Seaworld is planning to reopen on June 11th according to their presentation to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force meeting today. There was nothing too unsurprising in that rides will operate with reduced capacity, masks will be required, markings will emphasise social distancing in queues and around viewing areas.

 

The waterpark will also be reopening as the CDC say there is no link to the virus being spread in treated water.

 

 

Full live stream (skip to 1:05:00 for Seaworld presentation)

 

[A.J.]

To add to this, one of the things they mentioned during the presentation was reduced capacity and abnormal seating arrangements for rides. As a reminder, here's what Midway Mayhem posted two weeks ago:

 

 

I would anticipate that it will be "end seating only" for every ride in the chain with four-across seating. SheiKra, not sure.

[Canobie Coaster]

^ I'm fine with whatever seating arrangements are necessary for the parks to reopen.

[KarlaKoaster]

From what I saw they were trying lots of different formations (and types of masks). I think the best option for four-across seating would appear to be alternating rows, filling however many seats with each party (so if it's a party of four, the whole row would be occupied), but obviously the parks know best.

[thrillseeker4552]

^That is what Lagoon appears to be doing with Cannibal and Wicked. They seem to primarily be filling rows 1 and 3 on Cannibal by party. Since Wicked only has two rows, they are basically doing just one party per car, even if it's just 2 people or a single rider.

 

Given that Mako has seven rows, I imagine they would fill rows 1, 3, 5, and 7 - splitting up parties of 4 or more into smaller groups. Similar with Kraken even though it has 8 rows.

 

I wonder if Manta will be any different. Each row seems sufficiently far apart given it's a flying coaster, but maybe it's easier for them to implement the rule across the board. I am interested to see what happens.