Sean: We just moved into our new apartment close to SeaWorld and figured the very best way to celebrate was an afternoon at one of our favorite parks. In this park update we’ll discuss some projects and events around the park, as well as construction at Aquatica and Sesame Street of course!
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This was the last weekend for most parks in the country, but of course not for the Florida or California parks, which means we’re in good shape for some off-season crowds the next few weeks. This however is the time of year that all the holiday events end, including SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration. The Sea of Trees is cute, but I’m ready for the waters to look normal again.
That way I can enjoy the views of Mako, before walking right on with minimal off-season queues. 
Having said that, this Sunday was definitely not one of those days, with some schools not being in session ’til this week, SeaWorld Orlando was packed! There was no more space at One Ocean for example!
Though the park has certainly seen busier days, it was still more than we usually willingly get ourselves into, with hour lines throughout the day for major attractions such as Mako, Journey to Atlantis, Infinity Falls and Manta.
Kraken on the other hand did have a very manageable line all day, which is great, because that has certainly become one of my favorites over the past few months. Though it has an occasional shuffle, it runs wonderfully. Besides, the views of Mako are awesome too.
VR seems to be done for good on Kraken and we couldn’t be happier about that.
Let’s take a look at the Sesame Street construction! The foundation for midways, queues, and rides is being added at this time. The former Shamu Express has yet to see a repaint for its Super Grover’s Box Car Derby relaunch. The trains however have already been taken out for rehab a while ago. The area will be home to 6 new attractions, scenery, and SeaWorld Orlando’s first ever parade. 
At the neighboring SeaWorld’s Aquatica construction preparations are in place for the park’s new slide. With Volcano Bay just down the road SeaWorld seems to be investing two years in a row with Ray Rush last year and KareKare Curl this year. 
The slide pieces for the big new orange, blue and green family raft slide are located on a lot next to Aquatica. We’ll continue to track the construction of the new slide here on the website.
We love riding the park’s Sky Tower, especially as our Silver Passes grant us complimentary admission. My only complaint would be the process to ride. Paying guests will have to purchase a Sky Tower ticket at the concession stand next to the ride, which is understandable. Pass holders however have to acquire their free admission receipts in the same spot. Doesn’t sound like an issue? I did not think so either, ’til our visit yesterday. There is one point-of-sale in the stand, and the line to purchase snacks/drinks/Sky Tower tickets was ridiculous. After which you have to queue twice more before finally getting to board the ride. I am a strong believer in simplifying processes, especially in an international-tourism heavy region such as Florida. Perhaps some day pass holders can queue with their annual pass and skip the line at the concession stand.
After riding Journey to Atlantis and Kraken earlier in the day, while Manta hosted a wait of over an hour, we decided to ride the B&M Flyer as our final ride for the day.
Foreshadowing.
Manta is in great shape and ranked as our number 4 coaster in Florida this December. The full top 10 is available here. 
We recently rode Acrobat at Nagashima Spa Land near Nogoya, Japan. That roller coaster is a clone of Manta, but with a lot less impressive integration into the park’s infrastructure. 
Though both Acrobat and Manta‘s layouts are pretty long, they have nothing on Tatsu or Flying Dinosaur. Having said that, the integration of Manta‘s layout with the infrastructure, special effects and landscaping makes it such a spectacular coaster. Even Universal Studios Japan was unable to match the atmosphere, queue and integration of Manta.
As we made our way over to the ride, the sun set, so we took the opportunity to take some pictures of course.
The trains on Manta are beautiful!
I have a hard time picking my favorite element on the ride. It may be between this corkscrew or the waterfall fly-by. 
The Pretzel Loop is usually a little too intense for my liking, though when its not too hot out it’s definitely not as bad. 
Good night Manta!
Goodbye SeaWorld, ’til later this week!
Thank you for reading our new SeaWorld Orlando update, come back to thecoasterkings.com anytime for increased Florida coverage! To check out some of our recent Florida updates and reports, click here. To find out how we rank all 12 Disney parks in the world, click here.
SeaWorld San Diego is also getting a Mako, a different but spectacular kind of coaster, read more on that here.
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