If your clients think SeaWorld Orlando’s Manta roller coaster is high-adrenaline, tell them to get ready for next summer, when Mako, a 200-ft.-tall hypercoaster reaching 73 mph along 4,760 ft. of steel track, debuts at the theme park. Named for one of the ocean’s fastest known sharks, Mako will be Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster.
According to press material, Mako’s tight turns and speed are inspired by reality: Mako sharks—also called “blue pointers”—are known for their top speed, making extreme jumps and the ability to quickly change course as they pursue their prey.
The new coaster will become one of the world’s few true hypercoasters, a group of roller coasters known for high speeds and steep drops and hills that create a feeling of weightlessness or “air time.” As the sleek coaster cars crest each hill, riders float, nearly weightless.
Mako uses a unique sound system to enhance the experience, and not just for those on the ride. The full score of Mako can be heard and follows riders out of the station and up the lift hill. Custom surround effects and musical scores fill the realm, changing as the coaster dives through the area.
At night, specialty lights will accent the coaster trains, realm and track, flickering and shimmering, simulating fish being scattered by a mako on the hunt.
SeaWorld’s new hypercoaster will be the centerpiece of the newly themed surrounding realm. The 2-acre plaza now will be fully shark themed including Mako, Shark Encounter, Sharks Underwater Grill, shops, shark and shipwreck theming and educational experiences featuring sharks. The entire realm is created to make guests feel they’re underwater, part of the group of sharks and toothy animals that have taken over a shipwrecked reef.
In the plaza, guests will learn about the impact humans are having on sharks and why these animals are critical to the environment. Sharks are hunted for their fins—considered a delicacy in certain countries—and thousands are caught accidentally in nets. Several species of sharks are on the verge of extinction. For more information, visit seaworldorlando.com.
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