The top 10 roller coasters in Orlando: Manta (#2)

SeaWorld's newest roller coaster, Manta, takes riders
to new heights. Photo by Ted Murphy

#2: Manta

Where: SeaWorld Orlando
Launched: May 5, 2009 (soft opening), May 22, 2009 (official)
Design: Lift Hill/Flying
Top speed: 56 mph
Inversions: 4
Duration: 2:35
Height restriction: 54 inches

Source: Roller Coaster DataBase

It's only been a month, but Manta has already made big waves at SeaWorld Orlando.

Manta is the latest thrill ride to open in Orlando, calling SeaWorld its home. The coaster arrived to much fanfare last month in the days leading up to its official opening on May 22 as a result of its groundbreaking theming, by blending in the wonder and awe of up-close animal encounters with the high energy of roller coaster thrills. The concept takes guests "from seeing to being".

Like Kraken, SeaWorld's other menacing coaster phenomenon, Manta takes its theme from an undersea creature, in this case, the manta ray. The objective of the coaster is to simulate the "flying" motions of manta rays as they glide through their undersea habitats.

The journey starts at the queue line, where visitors are surrounded by 10 aquariums presenting various forms of sea life in different perspectives. Over 3,000 animals are housed in these aquariums, including 300 species of rays and 100 species of tropical fish. Those who dread waiting in line will be relieved to find that the cavern housing the aquariums is air conditioned. This exhibit is a must-see even for people who don't particularly enjoy roller coasters; in fact, portions of the queue are open to non-riders.

Then the real fun begins once passengers board one of the coaster's manta-shaped trains in an upright position, tightly bound and secured before the coaster launches into a flight position. You have to see it to believe it. As passengers leave the station, a view of the park from above welcomes them as they begin their ascent. At first it feels like you're gliding through the air, but it gets faster once the track reaches the pretzel loop, taking you 98 feet down the track and leading into a 360-degree in-line twist around the loop. The wing dip touches down on a lagoon surrounding the coaster, carefully splashing water onto passengers. So you've been warned; if you ride Manta, you will get at least a little bit wet. Manta also experiences a near-collision with a waterfall before the coaster prepares for landing.

The coaster is 3,359 feet long and 140 feet high with a top speed of 56 miles per hour, making it second only to Tatsu at Six Flags Magic Mountain in length, height and speed for a flying coaster. Its top drop of 113 feet is the largest drop of any flying coaster in the world. It is also the most expensive attraction constructed by SeaWorld Orlando and its parent company Busch Entertainment Corporation. It's a must-ride if you ever wanted to know what it feels like to careen through the sea like a manta ray or soar through the sky like an airplane.

If you're a Florida resident who plans on visiting SeaWorld this summer to ride Manta, you might be interested in finding out how you can get a free one-day pass to Aquatica or Busch Gardens with the purchase of your SeaWorld admission.

#3

Back to main list

#1