Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

See that roll up there? See how some of those people are facing down toward the ground and some of them are facing up toward the sky? Yeah, that’s pretty intense. And that intensity is part of Manta. Sure, it’s got a softly lit aquarium in the queue line, where 300 rays glide peacefully around you, but this is still a roller coaster. And that’s what Theme Park Mom wants all you moms out there to know: This ride is serious.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t go. I just don’t want you to get on with the wrong impression. SeaWorld Orlando’s Manta begins with a 140 feet climb into the air before dropping you, practically head first, down 113 feet. And then comes the twists and turns of the pretzel roll. Make it through all that, and you have a pretty smooth ride from there on out. This part near the end, where the coaster seems to touch the water (it’s an illusion) is really fun, even if you were just screaming your head off: (more…)