SeaWorld Orlando Announces New Mega-Attraction Coming In 2009


ORLANDO Fla. (May 29, 2008) -- SeaWorld Orlando announced today the next generation of SeaWorld thrills with Manta -- a new mega-attraction which will seamlessly transition guests from the awe of encountering rays in underwater flight… into the sensation of actually being one. Swooping over sea and sky, Manta will inspire riders with amazing underwater animal habitats, then soar them face-down, in a horizontal position, aboard a manta-inspired flying coaster. Manta opens summer 2009.

The Manta flying coaster will create a new level of immersion into the animal world -- in a way only SeaWorld can do -- enveloping riders in a sensation of oneness with the ocean's most powerful and graceful creature as they soar, dive and plummet through the air.. and at times within inches of the sea.

The journey begins the second guests enter a mythical village filled with artisan-created engravings and artwork that celebrate ray legend and lore. No ordinary queue line – the attraction starts with the first step inside. Anticipation builds as guests wind through caverns adorned with ray-inspired art in marble, jewels, and mosaics, all hand-created and left behind by artists who were moved to pay tribute to the beauty, grace and intrigue of these animals.

Whether guests choose to ride or not, the attraction is a world unto itself. Floor-to-ceiling windows create mesmerizing face-to-fin encounters with 300 rays, as well as thousands of fish and mysterious creatures native to oceans all over the world. Shark rays, spotted eagles rays, leopard rays, cownose rays, and oscillate river rays float past guests with fluidity and grace in a view new to SeaWorld. Enhancing the feeling of awe, elaborate lighting, sound and rushing waterfalls further submerge guests into this underwater universe.

The experience then evolves from seeing ... to being.


Inspired by the underwater flight of these powerful creatures, guests will fly face-down, in a horizontal position, underneath the belly of a coaster train shaped as a giant manta. With a wing span of 12 feet, the giant manta will soar over sea and sky in the most graceful flying coaster ever created.

Gliding, swooping and diving up to nearly 60 mph, through four inversions on 3,359 feet of track, riders will feel as if they are a ray, taking flight effortlessly from sky to sea -- so close at times that the Manta's wings skim the waves.

"This ride is uniquely SeaWorld,” said Dan Brown, Vice President and General Manager of SeaWorld Orlando. "SeaWorld is famous for connecting guests with the sea and its amazing creatures, and Manta does this in a way that has never been done before, creating a true sense of oneness between human and animal.

"The sensation of Manta also will be like none other in the world – guests will be inspired by the grace and power of live rays, then feel as if they, themselves, are gliding through air and water,” said Joseph Couceiro, Chief Marketing Officer for SeaWorld's parent company, Busch Entertainment Corporation. "No one but SeaWorld can unite thrills and ocean animals into such a unique experience.”

The 4-acre, 140-ft tall attraction will be located inside the main entrance to SeaWorld, and become an icon in the park with its unique design. Towering over SeaWorld's 200-acres, the manta-themed coaster – cloaked in hues of dark purple, ultramarine blue, and cobalt – will lure guests into the world of the mysterious ray.

SeaWorld is working with the renowned Swiss coaster design company, Bolliger & Mabillard for the design of Manta.

SeaWorld Orlando is one of 10 Worlds of Discovery parks operated by Busch Entertainment Corporation. The other Florida Worlds of Discovery parks are: Aquatica, SeaWorld's waterpark in Orlando; Discovery Cove in Orlando; Busch Gardens Africa and Adventure Island in Tampa. For guests looking for the best value and flexibility when planning their vacation, multi-park tickets are available. Admission to Discovery Cove includes seven days of admission to either SeaWorld or Busch Gardens. For more information on multi-park tickets and vacation planning tips, guests may visit SeaWorld Home or call (800) 327-2424. Worlds of Discovery, based in Orlando, Fla., employs more than 21,000 people nationwide. On the Web at Worlds of Discovery.

Neat AP Thanks !!

Yowza!!
Can't wait!!

Again, I love the engineering that goes into roller coasters, and this one looks to be really cool, I will just never ride it.

I'm in the same boat as you Jeff, I love hearing about these cool new attractions, but would never go on them. I just hope they'd put the same effort into shooting out some awesomely themed dark rides without high speed thrills or chills

Yes more cool dark rides would be GREAT!

I'm with you guys about never riding them, but they are amazing. The best part about huge thrill rides is that they cut the wait times at other rides. I can do all the Disney coaster except RRC. I don't do upside down

I think the PR people at SeaWorld create unnecessarily high expectations for the things that are added to the park--they always release concept art that looks so much cooler than the actual theming ends up being. Then people go to the park and come away disappointed that it wasn't as lush or as exciting or whatever as they thought it would be. The Aquatica "ride a water slide tube through the dolphins" picture made it seem like you'd be able to watch sea life playing as you slid along. But reality isn't what you put in a press release.

Reminds me of the toy commercials at Christmas that show the dolls or toys doing something like flying...and at the bottom of the screen it says "Doll does not actually fly."

Things usually end up differently than they appear in concept art for several reasons, with budget issues as the main reason. Other reasons include they find problems during construction that weren't thought our planned out during the concept stages, such as the dolphin tubes. Yes, you do slide through a transparent tube in a dolphin tank, but it's at the end of the slide, and you fly through it so fast, you're in the tank for about 1 second, which isn't enough time to enjoy 'swiming' with the dolphins, that is if you're lucky to spot one while you're in there. They do have other ways to see the dolphins in the tank other than the slide. The other reason things don't end up as concept art is because the concept art is just that, an idea that they draw up to give everyone an idea of what they want to do. Most concept art I've seen comes pretty close to the actual final product, which is great, and then I've seen some other pieces of concept art for attractions that never made it because they either ran out of space to build, or ran out of funds to build it. Busch Parks aren't that great with theming as Universal or Disney, but they're not as bad as Six Flags, they're the in-between parks when it comes to theming. Just know that you're not visiting Disney and don't have such a high expectation of the place, but know that you're there to have fun, and you'll end up having a great day nomatter where you are.

It still sounds so cool to me! I love sting rays... They are one of my favorite animals. Hands down my favorite thing we did at Sea World when I was little was feed the sting rays. And out zoo has had Sting Ray Bay the past two years so we have gone to pet them, just like in Sea World. It is one of my favorite things to do. I think one of my dream vacation activites is to go snorkeling with sting rays!

This ride sounds cool, I hope it comes out as nice as it's being hyped up to be. My kids will flip for this attraction, they love roller coasters, especially well-dont themed coasters.

Junk in tennis shoes, now I have to go to a park I don't even like so my DD can do this ride. ARGHHHHH! I really. really have major issues with Seaworld, or closer to true, their employees.

Manta Construction updates as of 11/5!

ok that ride looks pretty darn awesome!

Even though I don't like roller coasters this does look cool!

I agree with you guys. The concept sounds really great, but I'd be using the Chicken gate!

We just might have to make our first trip to Sea World when this coaster opens. Looks like it will be a fun coaster. I like speed without too many inversions.

SWEET!!! I SO have to go on this one... since I've already been on Kraken...

Final track piece in place!!!

By Robert Niles: Here's another photo, e-mailed from the folks at SeaWorld Orlando, to keep roller coaster fans warm this winter:

(Photo courtesy SeaWorld)