It’s official: SeaWorld is getting another coaster that will debut in 2019
SAN DIEGO — SeaWorld will debut its second coaster in as many years as it begins construction next month on Tidal Twister, a compact, horizontal ride that will open next May, the San Diego theme park announced recently.
Like its more thrill-inducing predecessor, Electric Eel, which debuted earlier this year, the newest coaster will invert riders but because it is a horizontal ride, it will be just 16 feet tall and will reach a speed of 30 mph versus Electric Eel’s speed of 62 mph.
SeaWorld boasts, though, that the ride’s horizontal design, with its dueling trains traversing a figure-eight track, makes it a coaster like none other in the world.
Adding to the coaster’s intrigue is a 360-degree inversion that will occur when the two 16-passenger trains, which load at opposite ends of the figure eight, meet up and cross paths. At that point, the car on the lower track will invert.
Last week’s unveiling, while not a total surprise considering the project went before the California Coastal Commission in August, comes at a time when parent company, SeaWorld Entertainment, is trying to step up its rollout of big-ticket rides.
Although the Sea World branded parks continue to emphasize their connection to marine life and the oceans, the Orlando-based company has made it clear it wants to be introducing more high profile attractions at a more rapid pace, a move that can help build on SeaWorld’s more recent progress in growing attendances following years of slumping visitation.