ORLANDO, Fla. — Get ready to soar to new heights at SeaWorld parks across the country.
This week SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment announced 11 new thrill rides and attractions that will open across 10 parks. SeaWorld said it’s the largest number of new attractions ever introduced in a single year by the company.
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“We have an ambitious goal of creating something new and meaningful in every one of our parks,” Marc Swanson, Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc., said in a news release. “These new rides and attractions are part of that commitment and as we look ahead to 2022, we have what we believe is our most significant and exciting lineup of new rides, attractions, events and upgrades in our history.”
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The list of rides and their new records, according to SeaWorld, is:
- Steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida: SeaWorld Orlando’s new Ice Breaker roller coaster, will feature four airtime filled launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch into the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida – a 93 feet tall spike with 100 degree angle. The addition of Ice Breaker will make the #1 Amusement Park in the U.S. even better by also making it home to the most coasters of any theme park in Orlando.
- The tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster in all of California: SeaWorld San Diego’s Emperor roller coaster will open for thrill seekers just in time for Spring Break. Riders plunge 90 degrees and soar up to 60 miles per hour through exhilarating loops on this exciting Emperor penguin-inspired adventure, feeling their feet dangle above the track on the state’s only floorless dive coaster.
- North America’s tallest hybrid coaster and the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s Iron Gwazi roller coaster takes thrills to new heights, plunging riders from a 206-foot-tall peak into a 91-degree drop and reaching top speeds of 76 miles per hour.
- World’s fastest multi-launch roller coaster: The record-breaking Pantheon™ roller coaster in Busch Gardens Williamsburg harnesses the speed and strength of five of the greatest Roman gods – with a top speed of 73 mph, and featuring a 95°, 180 foot tall drop, 4 launches, 15 air-time moments and 2 inversions.
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- The biggest screaming swing in the world: Tidal Surge is a breathtaking new attraction set to open in SeaWorld San Antonio. It will feature two pendulum-like arms, seating a total of 40 riders, that will soar progressively higher and higher with each swing. Starting slowly and progressively flying faster and higher, the ride will reach a staggering height of 135 feet at its peak.
- World’s first dueling saucer water slide: Two new attractions will be making a splash at Adventure Island Tampa, where the water is always warm and now open year-round. Guests can race down an all-new dueling water slide, Rapids Racer, featuring the world’s first dueling saucers. Wahoo Remix, formerly Wahoo Run, will also re-surface as a new experience, with exciting first-of-its-kind ride elements for Tampa’s Island Paradise.
- New thrills for the #1 water park in the U.S: Reef Plunge will open at Aquatica Orlando, sending guests on a splash, twist, and turn adventure through more than 330 feet of eye-catching translucent cutouts and rings. Guests can zoom past a dynamic new underwater habitat that’s home to a vibrant array of marine life, including Commerson’s dolphins, leopard sharks, sardines, and other cold-water fish. Get ready to plunge into this all-new, one-of-a-kind adventure this spring.
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- Heart-stopping dueling waterslide: Opening at Aquatica San Antonio guests can slide into excitement with the new Riptide Race, a splashy dueling racer that pits teams against each other in a splash to the finish line.
- New sensory special effects show: Aquazoid Amped, opening at Virginia’s largest water park, Water Country USA, is a full sensory immersive ride experience that includes an all-new special effects show, pulse-pounding music, and dynamic lighting effects. Riders plunge down 864 feet of fully enclosed twisting tube on this iconic attraction with vibrant new enhancements.
- Family-friendly fun: Big Bird’s Tour Bus ride will open at Sesame Place Philadelphia as an oversized, red double-decker bus that moves around and around , and up and down in a fun, surging motion with Big Bird and his furry friends.
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