Manta, Steel roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando, US
Manta is a steel flying roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, built by Bolliger & Mabillard and opened on May 22, 2009. Riders are seated upright, then tilted so their faces are parallel to the track, and travel 3,359 feet (1,024 m) at up to 56 mph (90 km/h) through four inversions: a pretzel loop, two inline twists and a corkscrew. The lead car is shaped like a manta ray with a 12-foot wingspan, and the track is dark blue on light blue supports.
The coaster opened in May 2009 and was the first in the park to position riders in a flying posture. Construction took more than a year and added a new form of entertainment to the grounds that linked the theme of marine animals with motion.
The queue is built to look like a seaside village, decorated with mosaics and ray-inspired artwork. Along it, ten aquaria hold about 3,000 animals of over 60 species, including more than 300 rays such as cownose and spotted eagle rays, plus seahorses and leafy seadragons. Riders can look through a Plexiglas pop-up window into the aquarium.
Riders must be at least one hundred thirty-seven centimeters tall (54 inches) to board, and the ride lasts about two minutes. The queue can grow long, especially on weekends and holidays, so arriving early or returning later in the day can help.
The lead car is shaped like a manta ray with a 12-foot wingspan. Designers at Bolliger & Mabillard first planned to have its wing touch the water, but judged the idea unworkable, so fountains in the lagoon now fire jets as the train passes to fake the splash. SeaWorld can adjust the height and duration of the effect, and with it how wet riders get.
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