Sean: SeaWorld San Antonio recently opened their brand new wooden coaster: Texas Stingray! The brand new Great Coasters International coaster is made of special Ipe wood and is the state’s tallest, fastest and longest wooden coaster. Not only is this the perfect fit for the marine theme park, it also happens to be one of the best wooden coasters in the United States! Let’s take a look:
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The 96 ft. tall coaster is part of a Texan coast themed area and fits in very well. The ride makes for a nice backdrop behind some older vegetation and foliage and connects the park’s Rio Loco water ride with the Orca Stadium.
Also part of that area is the new-for-2019 expansions with the Turtle Reef aquarium.
Along with that new-for-2019 expansion came the park’s Sea Swinger ride:
As well as one of our favorite little flat-rides: Riptide Rescue!
The perfect addition? A giant wooden roller coaster, complete with an educational and beautiful queue and landscaping! 
Texas Stingray is the tallest wooden coaster in the state with a drop of 100 ft., dipping into a small valley. The coaster’s top speed is 55 miles per hour. 
The first drop is uncurved and heads straight down, an unusual move for a big GCI coaster, filling the first drop with some solid airtime! 
The ride’s unique superstructure is made of steel, while the track is an ultra-durable Ipe wood. Making this ride easy to maintain and despite its location in a rough climate, a coaster that will run well for years to come. 
The 3,379 ft. long coaster is actually a terrain coaster with quite some changes in elevation and was designed well ahead of the name being chosen. The waving wings of the ride’s sprawling layout made it a no-brainer to name the ride Texas Stingray.
After the fantastic first drop, riders get thrown into an airtime-filled hill that quickly turns into a right-banked drop into a few great transitions and high turns. The ride’s pacing is some of the best we’ve ever seen on a wooden coaster.
The sharp turn has a nice mix of forces and marks the start of a series of wild transitions. 
After another high-banked turn, the coaster quickly presents itself with one of the best moments of any wooden coaster in the world: a rapid left banking turn throwing you out of your seat.
The ride’s best quality is the fact that with a 100 ft. drop, the majority of its elements are close to the terrain. Simply meaning that the speed is maintained meticulously well and the pacing throughout the ride is top-notch.
The combination of a few large ride-elements, and a ton of small ones meant that lateral Gs and vertical Gs got an even representation. It’s almost refreshing how well these important forces are balanced throughout the ride.
AND Texas Stingray is filled with small drops, creating awesome pops of airtime when you least expect it!
Like most custom coasters, Texas Stingray used the park’s terrain very well and even moves away from the ride’s main-plot to jump around the Rio Loco rapids ride for a few moments.
Did I mention airtime? I must have.
To top it all off, the ride also features a 100 ft long tunnel that perfectly disguises yet another rapid transition. While we’re at it, look at the gorgeous trains! 
A few more airtime hills before you slam into the ride’s magnetic brakes:
Overall, Texas Stingray is a very pleasant yet out-of-control wooden coaster. Clearly no corners were cut in the design process as this Great Coasters International coaster does not feel like the others out there, rather it combined some of the best moments of previous wooden coasters designs and put them all together to create one masterpiece. We’re incredibly impressed with SeaWorld San Antonio’s newest addition.
Texas Stingray is the complete package. A banging logo and name that fit the park, themed area, region, and ride type; a unique layout with incredible pacing; nice landscaping; and one breathless overall coaster experience. Believe it or not, Texas Stingray belongs in our top 5 coasters chain-wide for SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment (including Busch Gardens). Make your way to SeaWorld San Antonio some time soon to experience this coaster for yourself. 
Thanks for checking out this Texas Stingray review! We’ve got a lot more Texas coming your way, but also other reports, podcasts, and articles from around the world. Check out some of these recent articles and more:
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