Tuesday, August 16 was National Roller Coaster Day, and to celebrate we took a spin on some of Florida’s best coasters at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa as part of the “Coaster Crusade”. The day began at SeaWorld Orlando, which features five unique coasters with fun for all ages. There was a group of us there for the event and we were escorted through the park like VIPs. For each ride, they walked us to the front of the line and we could choose any seat we liked. We were also provided lots of water throughout the day to stay hydrated in the Florida heat.
The coasters were experienced at SeaWorld were Manta, Kraken, Journey to Atlantis, Mako, and the kiddie coaster, Shamu Express.
Manta is a blend of up-close animal encounters with a head first, face-down thrill ride. This is the only coaster of its kind in the world!
Kraken is Orlando’s only floorless coaster and is themed after the massive, mythological underwater beast that is unleashed from the depths of the sea. This coaster travels on a pedestal above the track, at highway speeds, and at heights greater than 150 feet.
Journey to Atlantis is part water ride, part roller coaster that plunges guests into the lost city of Atlantis. Riders encounter steep, fast drops that will leave you soaked, even if you wear a poncho.
Mako upped the thrills for SeaWorld Orlando this year. It is the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Orlando. It is a hypercoaster that reaches 200 feet high, 73 mph, and the track is almost a mile long.
And we can’t forget the kiddie coasters! Shamu Express is SeaWorld’s family oriented coaster.
Once we finished at SeaWorld, they transported us via bus to Busch Gardens Tampa to conquer Kumba, SheiKra, Cheetah Hunt, Air Grover, Cobra’s Curse, and Montu.
Kumba starts with a drop of 135 feet into a diving loop. Riders also feel a full 3 seconds of weightlessness while twisting 360 degrees, and go through one of the world’s largest vertical loops.
SheiKra is North America’s first dive coaster that sends riders through a 3 minute journey 200 feet up to the edge of a 90 degree drop! Floorless cars give riders an unobstructed view of the 70mph rush through an Immelmann loop (simultaneous loop and roll), under ground tunnel, and water feature finale.
Cheetah Hunt is Florida’s first triple launch coaster. It’s a 4,400 foot sprint that will take your breath away.
Air Grover is junior coaster full of fun turns, mini dives, perfect for parents and kids to ride together.
Cobra’s Curse is a spin coaster that is the only one of its kind in the world, featuring a vertical lift and taking riders on a whirl wind adventure of exciting explorations.
Montu is one of the tallest and longest inverted coasters in the world! Riders will feel the ultimate rush on the 60 foot vertical drop and travel more than 60mph.
Unfortunately, we got a code purple, aka inclement weather with lightning in the area, so we did not have the chance to ride Falcon’s Fury, Sand Serpent, or Scorpion. So at the end of the day we had conquered 11 coasters between SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa. If you have not been to either one of these parks and you are a thrill junkie, I recommend trying them out. They will definitely get the adrenaline pumping in any thrill seeker!
