SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

I know I keep saying this, but what I like the most about this whole thing is that we don't know the official layout yet. It's a nice change of pace to have to wait till supports and track go up to know what it will look like.

Edit: BTW, thanks for the pics Todd.

I know I keep saying this, but what I like the most about this whole thing is that we don't know the official layout yet. It's a nice change of pace to have to wait till supports and track go up to know what it will look like.

 

Edit: BTW, thanks for the pics Todd.

No problem. They aren't the greatest since I'm using my cell phone during a lunch break, but least its easy to keep up to date As for the layout, I did get to see it and I was pleasantly surprised with it. The ending, especially, looks fun and very much interacts with the entire area.

- Todd

Great pics Todd! Thanks for them. If you do get a chance to get more pictures tomorrow, I would love to see pics of the area they block off and pictures of the new supports up.

Very steep lift, and just like Diamondback, it really looks like there is no way that track could possibly be at the right angle to come even close to the top support. It may look like just the angle the picture was taken at, but when I saw it in person today, no matter where you stand it looks like that.

Obviously it will clear the supports just fine, they know what they are doing, but it's such a weird illusion.

 

It's not an illusion at all. That's just the support where the track curves toward it's first drop. That will be the coasters highest point.

I don't know why that never came to mind. I was trying to figure it out for the last few days and as soon as I scrolled below your post I would have figured it out if you hadn't said it.

I know I keep saying this, but what I like the most about this whole thing is that we don't know the official layout yet. It's a nice change of pace to have to wait till supports and track go up to know what it will look like.

 

Edit: BTW, thanks for the pics Todd.

 

No problem. They aren't the greatest since I'm using my cell phone during a lunch break, but least its easy to keep up to date As for the layout, I did get to see it and I was pleasantly surprised with it. The ending, especially, looks fun and very much interacts with the entire area.

 

- Todd

I am curious to know how you got to see the layout, but I would still like to keep it a secret. I'm having a blast not knowing what each update is going to look like, and especially not knowing for sure what the 4 inversions are. I'm pretty sure that it is a safe bet that it will be pretzel loop, flat spin, and zero G roll, or something like that, but I don't want to know if I'm correct, and I'm going to love trying to figure out what stuff is as it goes up.

Oh my...SeaWorld's gettin' a revisit next time I'm in Orlando.

 

For the record, the color scheme of this (and Griffon) is by far one of my favorites. I just love the two tones of blue together.

Manta's track color looks to be more akin to the supports on Kraken while Griffon's shade of blue resembles DF's color scheme but you've gotta give the AB parks credit for the choice of colors they use on their ride projects when compared to SF & most noteably CF these days....that & the AB parks actually put forth the big bucks needed to really theme their rides well when compared to the competition.

Wow, those supports look really weird... haha, its sort of neat to look at how B&M supports change between the years. This looks liek a totally new support concept....but then again it might just be a weird angle of the picture messing with my head.

do some of you remember the height restriction was stated to be 52in?

well looks like they changed it...

SeaWorld Manta

Wow, those supports look really weird... haha, its sort of neat to look at how B&M supports change between the years. This looks liek a totally new support concept....but then again it might just be a weird angle of the picture messing with my head.

If your talking about the second highest support, its because it is shaped differently. The reason is because at the bottom of the support, there is actually a building in the way (a gift shop to be exact) so one side of the support is angle differently than what it usually would have been in order to fit the support.

RCPro has posted an update, topped lift and beginning of drop, www.rollercoasterpro.com

RCPro has posted an update, topped lift and beginning of drop, www.rollercoasterpro.com

Awesome, thanks for the link!

I'm looking forward to pictures from the sky tower this week!

I like that it's going over that pathway. Kraken is a great coaster, but one thing I don't like about it is that the major parts of the coaster aren't near any pathways. I like coasters like Sheikra, where the track is all located close to pathways. It looks like this will be a ride like that.

Here are a few pics from about 2 hours ago....I didn't get to ride Sky Tower though.

- Todd

Is it just me or does the lift look steeper than the drop?

^Looks that way to me.

it looks great. and yeah the lift looks steeper than the drop

Hey everyone!

Here are some new photos in from Sea World from the topping off of the coaster.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA (OCTOBER 29, 2008) SEAWORLD REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

 

Construction crews at SeaWorld Orlando secured into place the highest track portion of the park’s new flying coaster, Manta. Upon fitting the piece into place 140 ft above ground, a ceremonial evergreen, a symbol of good luck in the high-steel trade, was placed atop the track segment. SeaWorld will unleash the next generation of thrills with Manta when it opens in summer 2009.

Video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwj8A2U6kqY

ps. Sorry for having to delete posts and clean up this thread a little bit, but I personally find if VERY rude for someone to take photos given to you from the park, then watermark them with your website logo, then post them to other site just to drum up traffic.

I hope you guys can all understand.

--Robb

I had no idea that the evergreen was a good luck thing.

They placed one at the top of "my" bridge when they were done erecting it, but it was at christmas time, so I thought it was a christmas decoration.

The trackwork is moving along faster than I thought it would.

^Yeah, track is flying up. Pun intended.

We get closer to figuring out the layout day by day.

/\ I always love a bad pun.

The beauty of B&M twisted steel is coming to be! In the coming years, I'm definitely going to want to make a trip out to Florida.

Manta looks fun. I don't no if my class is going there during my Senior Trip to Orlando in June but I hope that is better than Superman: Ultimate Flight.

I too just learn about the tree being a good luck thing today. At first, I thought it was a tree poking up from the background but then I thought that it would had to be some tall tree. I took a closely look and realize it was placed up there and now I understand why.

Those pictures also gives us an idea of the view we might be getting at the top of the lift, how exciting.

ALRIGHT!

I CAN'T WAIT TO GERT STUNG BY THIS MANTA

^Mantas don't sting.

Man, I wish Rip, Ride, and Rockit had the same construction crew Manta has. Apparently HRRR is really behind schedule.