Seaworld Orlando is home to some of Florida’s most exciting rides with more than 19 attractions set across its different themed lands and 8 incredible rollercoasters including the worlds first surfing coaster.
Some of our favourite theme park rides are here, which might be why it’s known as the coaster capital of Orlando, so we couldn’t wait to revisit after a fun filled day here last year.
With two teenage adrenaline junkies to keep satisfied, we set off to complete as many of the parks attractions as possible and in particular try out their brand new coaster for 2024, Penguin Trek.
The park is incredibly spacious and beautiful, and well designed with some really cool theming and plenty of spots to shelter from both the Florida summer heat and rain, and we encountered both during our visit.
As it was Halloween season, the park was beautifully decorated with lots of autumnal theming and characters dotted around the park.
Before we got started on rides, we spent the morning at the Dolphin and Orca Encounter presentations. This is something that has changed dramatically over the 60 years that Seaworld has been in operation with a strong focus on conservation now, and is always one of the highlights for Holly.
First up we made our way to the Antarctica realm to experience the parks 8th coaster, Penguin Trek which I was told was the ultimate family launch coaster experience. I don’t share the same thrills from these coasters as my kids, but being a family coaster I decided to join the family on the trip through our journey across Antarctica in our snowmobile styled ride car.
I loved the theming of the ride which really set the scene to embark on our penguin research mission. I was wrong to think that this was like a family coaster that you would find at Disney such as Big Thunder Mountain, this was much more extreme but it was a really fun and an unforgettable experience even though once was more than enough for me.
Featuring two incredibly fast launches, we found ourselves hurtling at top speeds of 43mph with the track weaving through a maze of twists and turns, the kids loved it so much they made the most of the low wait times to ride it several times.
What sets this ride apart is once you leave the snowmobile you reach the freezing penguin habitat, which is one of our favourite animal experiences at the park and home to hundreds of playful penguins.
The new Expedition Café in Antarctica we thought offered the best choice of quick service dining at the park, again with some great theming and plenty of seating and there was also a new bar called South Pole Sips serving a range of drinks, which are needed to cool down in the August heat.
After taking in some of the shows on offer at the park and getting up close to some of the animals – the highlights were the stingray touch pool, the playful dolphins at dolphin cove and feeding the sea lions at Pacific Point – we made our way to take on the next family coaster Ice Breaker, one of the kids favourites from last year.
With four launches both backwards and forwards including a launch into the steepest vertical drop in Florida, Ian and I gave this one a miss, so we left Chloe and Holly to it whilst we took in one of my favourite areas, the Wild Artic Encounter. As we walked around the frozen arctic lands we came face to face with harbour seals, walruses and our personal favourites the incredible belugas.
After a quick lunch at Dockside Pizza and Lakeside Cantina, mainly to escape the incredible thunderstorms, we were back on our mission, taking on the worlds first surfing coaster, Pipeline.
This was one of Ian and Chloe’s favourites last time and is one of the many world class rides here at Seaworld. The inclement weather delayed things whilst the constant thunderstorms passed through but when it reopened, Chloe couldn’t wait to experience this iconic ride once more.
What makes this ride so memorable and unique is the fact that it’s a stand up coaster which launches you 110ft up at a top speed of 60mph so you really do feel like you are riding the waves along every turn especially on the inversion.
If rollercoasters are your thing, there is no better theme park in Orlando than Seaworld with Manta, the floorless Kraken coaster and their most extreme Mako, which is 200ft tall reaching top speeds of 73mph – the fastest and tallest rollercoaster in Orlando.
Seeking some respite from the heat we had an absolute blast on Atlantis, the part coaster part water drop ride but this year we skipped Infinity Falls. Even a poncho didn’t keep Ian and Chloe dry last year, it is the world’s tallest river rapid drop after all, but it is great fun and the jungle theming of the ride is so well done.
While the big thrill rides understandably grab the headlines here at Seaworld, one of my favourite areas is Sesame Street Land which is perfect for younger families and was one of our highlights when the girls were younger.
The theming is so well done here it’s like walking through the set of the show, with lots of child friendly rides and attractions including the Super Grover’s Box Car Derby mini rollercoaster.
I’d recommend arriving early in the day to beat the queues and complete the rides first over the shows, that’s the mistake we made on this visit – we left a lot of the rides until the afternoon which were interrupted with the inclement weather.
Overall
If you are visiting Orlando, a visit to SeaWorld should definitely be on your list – especially if you are looking for the best rollercoasters in Orlando. There is really something for everyone here at Seaworld, the park offers a perfect mix of educational shows, animal encounters and rides for all the family.
Ready to Book
For UK customers, there are a great range of ticket options available. If you are planning a trip to SeaWorld Orlando, tickets are priced from £146 per adult or £142 child for a 3-Park Bonus Ticket including 14 days access to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Aquatica and includes all-day dining at each park.
For more information on SeaWorld Orlando and the range of experiences on offer it’s well worth visiting the official SeaWorld Orlando website.