SeaWorld to add ‘tallest, fastest, longest’ rollercoaster
SeaWorld Orlando is to get a new attraction next year, described as the ‘tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster in Orlando’.
The ride will be 200 foot tall and will have a sea creature theme, SeaWorld said in a brief media release.
More details will be announced in late May, the company said.
SeaWorld teased with the announcement: "Get ready for the frenzy of SeaWorld Orlando’s new 200-foot-tall coaster. In 2016, this thriller will take its place atop the food chain as Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest coaster."
The ride will reach speeds of 70 mph and measure more than 4,400 feet in length.
However SeaWorld’s new attraction won’t be the tallest ride in Orlando for long.
It will eventually be eclipsed by the proposed 570-foot vertical coaster ‘The Skyscraper’ which is planned for International Drive in 2017.
SeaWorld said it continues to aim for a more diverse range of attractions but will still focus on marine mammal experiences despite the post-‘Blackfish’ hostilities.
The news raised investor sentiment with SeaWorld Entertainment stock up 1.7%.
Scott Smith, a hospitality professor at the University of South Carolina doesn’t believe a single roller coaster addition on its own will be able to turn around SeaWorld’s fortunes.
"Building a roller coaster is not going to make enough of a splash to offset the competition," Smith said.
"SeaWorld needs to really figure out what their brand is and what it stands for. If they want to switch and become a rides park, we’re talking millions, if not billions, of dollars in investment to get them to the level of the Disney and Universal parks."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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