Seaworld San Diego announced their iteration of Manta today, and it is clearly not aiming for a hardcore thrill seeker fan base. The coaster does have elements that we have been hearing our coaster here in Williamsburg will have, multiple launches, low to the ground. The ride is also a Mack, one of the manufacturers that’s been rumored to be building the new coaster. Apparently the coaster in San Diego had to deal with some stricter requirements than BGW has historically been subject to and the park is also not known for having great rides like BGW is. My guess is that the new coaster in San Diego is akin to the child-friendly version of the ride we will be getting. We know a couple things about our coaster that make it different from the San Diego ride, one is that ours will be taller. That means the launches will need to be faster. Also, based on the survey the park sent out about the names and theming of the ride, it appears they are touting it as a speed machine. The San Diego coaster certainly isn’t that.
That being said, the park has a void left over from the removal of the Big Bad Wolf. The Wolf was a first for many kids, including yours truly, and the coasters now operating in the park might be either too intense, or too tame. This coaster may end up being the ride to fill that need for a kids first.
Here is a video put out by Seaworld. Yes, the park actually made a NoLimits simulation of the ride, and it’s pretty bland.

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