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Attraction Orlando — SeaWorld Parks, USA

SeaWorld Orlando: The Coaster Park That Keeps Whales

One day at Orlando's quiet thrill capital — Mako, Kraken and Manta before the queues build, marine habitats through the midday heat, Sesame Street for the kids, and orcas at the stadiums to finish.

SeaWorld Orlando: The Coaster Park That Keeps Whales
Photo: Jeremy Thompson · CC BY 2.0
Duration
1 day
Distance
8 km
Difficulty
Easy
Best season
Year-round (best October–April)
Print day cards

SeaWorld Orlando has pulled off one of the quietest reinventions in the theme-park business: while everyone argued about the whales, it built the strongest coaster lineup in Orlando. Mako is a 200-foot hypercoaster that runs the back edge of the park along the lagoon, all airtime and speed. Kraken is a floorless looper that has been scaring people since the turn of the century. Manta launches you face-down under a manta-shaped train and flies you low over the water. Add Ice Breaker, with its backwards-and-forwards launches, and Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, which you ride standing on a surfboard, and you have a thrill roster the two giant resorts up the road cannot match ride-for-ride.

The other half of the park is still what the name says. Wild Arctic puts beluga whales behind glass at closer range than most aquariums manage; Turtle Trek stands you in a dome beneath swimming sea turtles; the aquarium tucked under Manta and the walk-through tunnel at Shark Encounter are serious marine exhibits in their own right. Behind all of it sits the park’s rescue operation — decades of stranded manatees, sea turtles and dolphins rehabilitated and returned — which is the institution’s real spine, and the thing the shows keep coming back to.

How the day flows. Be at the gates at opening and go straight to Mako, then Kraken and Manta, before the queues build — the coaster circuit is the only part of the park where lines really matter. Late morning, switch to the animal habitats, which are indoors, air-conditioned and exactly where you want to be when the Florida heat lands. Families break for Sesame Street Land, a full children’s land with its own daily parade, while thrill-seekers pick off Ice Breaker and Pipeline. In the afternoon, take in the orca and dolphin presentations at the stadiums, then finish at Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, where the temperature drop alone justifies the walk.

The park sits on the International Drive corridor, minutes off I-4, with its two sister parks — Aquatica, the water park, and Discovery Cove, the reservation-only swim resort — directly across the road. Multi-park tickets cover all three.

Tips & Insights for this route Planning this route? Read our practical tips before you go — 12 tips. Read the tips
Download waypoints (GPX) Points of interest in walking order — not a trail trace.

Day by day

DayDistanceAscentDescentWalking time
Day 1 Hardest dayCoasters at opening, animals through the heat
Distance8 kmAscentNot recordedDescentNot recordedWalking timeNot recorded

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Day 1

Coasters at opening, animals through the heat

Main entrance → Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin 8 km
Navigate this day Print day

A loop around the lagoon: the big coasters at opening, the second coaster circuit late morning, animal habitats through midday, then Sesame Street Land and the stadium shows to close.

Segments

  1. The Coaster Circuit, Part 1: Mako, Kraken & Manta
    The Coaster Circuit, Part 1: Mako, Kraken & Manta 2 km Map

    Main entrance → Mako plaza

    Paved park paths

    Go straight to the back of the park at opening. Mako is a 200-foot hypercoaster named for the fastest shark in the sea, and it is the best coaster in Orlando on pure airtime. Kraken, next door, is a classic floorless looper; Manta hangs you face-down in a flying position and skims you over the water. Ride all three before the park fills. About 2 hours.

    About this place

    Mako is a steel roller coaster located at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the hypercoaster opened to the public on June 10, 2016. Mako is named after the mako shark and is located in the Sea of Mystery section of the park. It reaches a height of 200 feet (61 m), maximum speeds of 73 mph (117 km/h), and features a track length of 4,760 feet (1,450 m).

    Read more on Wikipedia Photo: elisfkc from Orlando, FL, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
  2. The Coaster Circuit, Part 2: Ice Breaker & Pipeline
    The Coaster Circuit, Part 2: Ice Breaker & Pipeline 1.5 km Map

    Mako plaza → Pipeline: The Surf Coaster

    Paved park paths

    The newer half of the lineup sits closer to the entrance. Ice Breaker launches you backwards and forwards four times before releasing you over its spike; Pipeline: The Surf Coaster stands you on a surfboard-style seat that rises and falls beneath you through the ride. Together with the big three, this is the strongest thrill roster in the city. About 90 minutes.

    About this place

    Ice Breaker is a launched steel roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Premier Rides, Ice Breaker reaches a maximum height of 93 feet (28 m), maximum speeds of 52 mph (84 km/h), and a total track length of 1,900 feet (580 m). The ride was originally scheduled to open for the 2020 season, but its opening was delayed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ride features the steepest drop on any roller coaster in Florida.

    Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Adog · CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. The Animal Habitats
    The Animal Habitats 2 km Map

    Pipeline: The Surf Coaster → Wild Arctic

    Paved paths and indoor exhibits

    When the heat lands, go indoors. Wild Arctic puts beluga whales a pane of glass away; Turtle Trek surrounds you with sea turtles in a domed theater-aquarium; the tank beneath Manta is a proper aquarium most riders never notice, and Shark Encounter walks you through a glass tunnel with the sharks overhead. This is the half of the park the rescue program built. About 2 hours.

    About this place

    Wild Arctic was a motion simulator attraction that operated at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego. The attraction also featured animal exhibits featuring beluga whales, walruses, and harbor seals as a post-show. It replaced Mission: Bermuda Triangle at both parks.

    Read more on Wikipedia Photo: Javier Yaya Tur / CIUDAD DE LAS ARTES Y LAS CIENCIAS from Valencia, España · CC BY 2.0
  4. Sesame Street Land 1 km Map

    Wild Arctic → Sesame Street Land

    Paved park paths

    A complete children's land, not an afterthought: a recreated Sesame Street with the brownstone stoop, family rides, a splash area and a daily parade with the full cast of characters. If you have small children this is their anchor for the day — check the parade time in the morning and plan around it. About 90 minutes.

  5. Antarctica & the Lagoon Shows
    Antarctica & the Lagoon Shows 1.5 km Map

    Sesame Street Land → Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin

    Paved park paths

    End with the stadiums and the cold. The orca presentation at the big stadium and the dolphin show at the lagoon are the park's set pieces — check times at the entrance and slot them into the afternoon. Then finish at Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, where a colony of real penguins lives at genuinely Antarctic temperatures; the blast of cold air on the way in is its own reward after a Florida afternoon. About 2 hours.

    About this place

    Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin was a motion-based trackless dark ride at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida. The ride featured a penguinarium as a post-show.

    Read more on Wikipedia Photo: zannaland · CC BY-SA 2.0

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