Manta – SeaWorld Orlando’s New Signature Attraction
After the eight hour drive down to Orlando for the Manta Grand Opening and Media Day, I was hoping to not be disappointed and thankfully I wasn’t. It was my first time to SeaWorld, but right away I recognized that I was at a Busch-owned theme park. The park was clean and beautifully-themed. Manta is the much-hyped flying roller coaster that I first blogged about some 13 months ago.
Manta’s station was integrated with a really cool manta exhibit. The exhibit was accessible guests without having to enter the ride’s queue. If you’ve never seen a manta in person, they’re quite unforgettable. They look like they’re flying as they swim hence the tag line for the coaster, “Ride the Flying Ray.” I recommend the exhibit whether you ride Manta or not. I will try to upload my short video of the exhibit. On to the ride.
As you reach the station, you can’t help but notice the tricked out trains complete with blue sting ray theming. The trains look like standard Bolliger & Mabillard inverted trains at first. They are positioned below the track with eight rows of cars that have four across seating. Then, after everyone is secured in the comfortable harnesses, the seats fold upward until the riders are facing the floor below in a superman-like position. SeaWorld did a nice job in spicing up this transition with a loud sound effect. Both the riders aboard the train and those waiting to ride cheer in excitement and the train begins its ascent.
140 feet later, with the tropical trees far below, the train begins its swooping 113 foot drop. After the drop, the train climbs back up and into the 98 foot tall pretzel loop. (Coaster Geek Analysis – In comparison, S:UF’s loop is 78′ tall and Tatsu’s is 124′ tall) Where other B&M flyers flatten out or gradually climb before entering this inside-downward loop, Manta makes a pretty sharp climb up into it. This causes what may possibly be the world’s first moment of airtime on a flying roller coaster. It’s brief, but noticeable and it’s the reason why I prefer Manta in the front more than in the back. At the bottom of the loop, riders are pressed against their seat as they’re now flat on their backs on the ground looking up at the sky. The g-forces are pretty strong and they seemed even stronger towards the back of the train.
Manta’s Signature Moment
After the pretzel loop, the train takes a left turn and is then thrown into an in-line twist (360 degree roll). I didn’t really enjoy this element, but I can’t really put my finger on why. It seemed kind of out place or something. Next, there’s another turn that sends the train through the pretzel loop and into a better inversion; a nice corkscrew which leads up to the brake run. The short brake run sets up the ride’s signature moment. Manta’s coup de grâce is a short dive to a pond that puts riders only a few feet from the water below. Manta gains a lot of points for the innovative dive. It froze onlookers in their tracks and had many waiting for another train to come by just to see it. As the train passes over the water a fountain-like splash is triggered which sprays the riders a little. You won’t get soaked, but if you sit on the far right seat you will get wet. I’ll have to add this maneuver to my Memorable Coaster Moments category.
An Excellent Near Miss
After Manta’s signature move the ride has one more trick up it’s wing(?). The train swoops right past a rocky wall with a water fall. If you sit on the far left side of the train you feel as if you’ll certainly hit the wall. I have no idea how close the train actually is, but it was very surprising and probably my favorite part of the ride. Manta finishes with another corkscrew and then hits the station brakes to applause from the hanging riders.
Manta Ride Guide – Back vs. Front & Left vs. Right
The back seems popular for its intensity. The pretzel loop did seem more intense in the back, but it wasn’t a cake walk in the front either. Again, with the front offering that unusual moment of airtime, I favor the front or towards the front. With regards to which side of the four across train to ride, the right side will put you right into the water during the dive. The far left side will throw you closer to the rocky water fall. My favorite here is the left side as that rock wall and waterfall come out of nowhere and you feel like you just may smack right into it. The water spray is much cooler for off-ride viewers than on the ride. Everything happens so fast, that suddenly you’re getting hit with water. When I rode on the far right, my right leg DID get wet.
As a complete attraction, Manta is excellent. If you’re a well-traveled enthusiasts, flying roller coasters are nothing new, but SeaWorld did as 
much as they could to make a pretty unique and memorable experience. Between the immense level of theming to the thrilling layout with few surprises, Manta delivers more than just a flight like experience. It delivers an unforgettable world-class ride. Final Rating – 9.0 (Excellent)
What’s Your Take?
Have you ridden Manta at SeaWorld Orlando? Do you agree with my rating? Leave a comment below.
Coaster Critic 
42 responses to “Manta @ SeaWorld Orlando | Roller Coaster Review”
I have ridden the ride dozens of times Im not well traveled , but the only coaster in central florida that I would say is better is Kumba. soo yes I think a 9 is fitting
I'm a big fan of Kumba too Matt. In my opinion, Manta's just a notch below it.
Thanks for reading!
great review manta was my first flying coaster and i really enjoyed it. man that little guy really packs a punch. quick question since you have ridden both this and tatsu which would you perfer without the themeing which coaster to you is best the better coaster?
im going on manta thursday, so i hope it will be as good as you say! the kraken i no is awesome, and atlantis. but i went on seaworld.com, went to orlando, and i thought i saw you an the front row seat. can you check to see if that was you?
manta manta manta manta TODAY!!!!!!!!!!! illl tell you guys what i thought and if i agree with the coaster critic. believe it or not, i do think it looks kind of short for the real coaster part than most coasters, so lets hope the flying element really boosts it up.
Hey TCC Thanks for making me like coasters.
and i'm making a new YouTube Show the "Roller Coaster Critic" that was inspired by you,Thank You!
From: Cole
youre right james, all flying coasters are short manta is the 2nd longest, tallest, and fastest flying coaster in the world so you its pretty long for a flying coaster if right behind tatsu by only about 75 feet more of track
Rode this a few weeks back on vacation. *LOVED* it! First off, it's a smooth, clean ride. We rode Kraken immediately after riding Manta, and felt as though we'd traded in the Caddy for a Ford Pinto with bad shocks. I understand there's sand in Manta's supports to dampen sound- is this a standard thing? It certainly seemed to work- Manta is remarkably smooth and quiet.
From the beginning: the waiting time was short- we rode 6 times with only one 20+ minute wait. The rest were nearly immediate seatings. The queue is nicely done, with plenty of aquariums to entertain, and SeaWorld keeps it nice & cool- a welcome relief from the blistering Orlando sun.
Moving on to the ride itself: I agree, I definitely preferred the front. With the smoothness of the ride, you really do feel like you're flying- I thought especially so during the corkscrews into the next element. It happened that for our last ride we were in front, at night, with the moon shining brightly right at the center of the corkscrew turn, giving me something to focus on and heightening the experience. The neat little dip down to the water was breathtaking, as was the waterfall trip- you do get relatively close!
If I had one critique it would be that unloading seems to take a while. You spend several minutes suspended SuperMan style on your belly waiting to re-enter the loading station, which feels longer than it is and can be uncomfortable despite the relative "give" in the harness system.
All in all, I felt SeaWorld really pulled together an amazing ride from start to finish. I'm no expert, nor am I a seasoned critic, but I was really impressed with this ride and consider it hands down my new favorite steel coaster.
IT WAS AWESOME! i dont know if it was just because it is my only flying coaster, but i would give it a ten. there were only two little flaws. one was the ride time. and the second was its technical diffulculties. but it was a great ride! i rode it six times, twice in the front twice in the back( so much Gs!) and once in row 4 and row7. slow ride load up, and i saw the funniest thing. on my last time, i saw the magic players, and the WHOLE TRAIN WERE SUPPORTERS AND FANS! it was rediculous. i loved the spray effect.
Manta is an excellent coaster. I was, other than the pretzel loop, completely unimpressed with Superman at Great Adventure, but I was still determined to get on Manta if I could while I was in Florida. However, Manta was not opening for a preview until the day after I left for home. I was really bummed, but later on in the day at Sea World, I saw a sign in front of Manta that said, "Now accepting riders", and I freaked out. I ended up riding this gorgeously themed, intense beauty of a coaster nearly a month before it was open to the general public. The pretzel loop nearly ripped my heart right out of my chest it was so intense, and I sat on the very left for that kickass "near miss" with the rock wall and waterfall. I know everyone is touting Diamondback as the best new ride of the year, but I truly believe Manta should at least be number two. Near perfection really.
Hi all. My hubby and 2 teen age sons LOVED Manta. I, however, have a different take on it. Don't get me wrong, i love LOVE coasters, especially The Hulk, Dueling Dragons, Rock-n-Rollercoaster, Kumba, Montu….
That being said….and will keep this G for family readers. I have saline implants (and not large ones either!) and it was most difficult to feel comfortable suspended on my abdomen with my chest weight on the flexible harness. I was fine before the ride began, even in the que, once the seat leans forward onto the flying position. Every time i took a deep breath, the chestplate tightened and made it more difficult to breathe and hang comfortably. Every inversion felt like i was being smothered and i have NEVER had that happen on any coaster before. The end of the ride, where you hang suspended for close to 3 minutes, was especially difficult.
I don't feel this would be a complication for most women who do not have implants however, women with them might want to consider this before riding. I truly felt like i was ripping inside my chest wall from the force of the ride.
Hope this helps!! Again, my boys and hubby LOVED it!! Next time, i will just walk thru the que with them because its AMAZING and beautiful. I just will pass on the ride!!
obgirlyn, I so wanted to laugh at this, but you know, I specifically remember feeling like my actual heart was pulled up towards the top of my ribcage in the pretzel loop, so I can imagine that for someone with implants, there'd be some definite discomfort. I'm glad that you could appreciate the ride for its good elements though…hope nothing was damaged. LOL
Hey, coaster critic, i just wanted to know. do you prefer this over tatsu?
I just went again, and the lift up is fast!!! Great for people scared of heights!
wow your lucky i want to go on this roller coaster. The sense like your flying in the air would be cool
I'M RENAMING ROLLER COASTER CRITIC TO CoasterNews
serves as a reason to go to seaworld =]
busch gardens does, however, have the best coasters around.
i have an front row onboard pic of sheikra from opening day in a photo contest for a scholarship. hit the link to check it out and vote for it pleeeease ?
[by link i mean my name heh heh] thankyouss !
I just remembered. I never noticed when i went to Carowinds but i didnt know they had so many roller coasters! 12 is a pretty big number
Hey, Im going back to seaworld and universal and islands of adventure sunday-wednesday. re-ride!
I rode manta in july 09. Prior to it ,the only other flying coaster i've rode is air at alton towers and i thought the pretzel loop and force just gave it an edge over air. i would also give it 9.
i've ridden manta, tatsu, and superman. tatsu is still my favorite, due to it being larger and having a higher average elevation from the ground while riding. manta def wins the theming category though, and probably unique ride experience as well. but i still gotta go with tatsu, the visuals during the lift climb and the pretzel loop are out of this world.
I just got back from seaworld. 3 train wait 4 front of manta, after walking up to it, 10 min. wait 4 kraken, and 75 FOR ATLANTIS! ridiculous. front was ok, I did'nt think it was much better, but it was ok.
sorry, ill do better in the future
Hi, Joel! I'm heading to Orlando next week and plan to make Manta my 200th coaster. I'm really hoping for the short lines that James wrote about!
Judy, seeing as it`s november ,would you mind posting.
I spent Oct. 22 at SeaWorld (first time trip there for me). Manta was a walk-on at 9:30 a.m. I took a back seat ride, then waited 1 cycle for a front seat ride. I had walk-ons for Journey to Atlantis and Kraken (6 rides on Kraken). The longest wait of the day was 3 cycles for Shamu Express. The observation tower was closed for most of the day due to "high winds" (?), but opened around 5. There was plenty of seating for the shows, with Shamu's Believe being the most crowded. I got 3 more walk-on rides on Manta just before closing. I've decided my favorite seat is in the back row on the left side. You don't get wet from the wing dip in that seat, but you do get wet from coming incredibly close to the waterfall tumbling off the rock wall after the wing dip.
The park closed at 6 p.m. in order to get ready for their evening Halloween festivities. With the low daytime attendance, though, there was plenty of time to ride everything I wanted.
BEST RIDE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! 19 TIMES IN A ROW!!!! I CANT GET ENOUGHT OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its good to know that it isn't just me that likes this ride alot, because every time i went there were people holding their backs after riding- that never happened to me
i know what you mean, after i got off batwing@SFAm i noticed the same thing, i didn`t get it, but i guess some people found it painful instead of just disorienting.
I can't say I disagree with the rating. I rode it on Wednesday and thought it was a solid ride and something I would easily ride again. Gives Sea World even more to do in a park I always have enjoyed. I approve.
[…] Coaster Class of 2009 The two huge roller coasters that opened in Orlando had very different fates. SeaWorld’s Manta opened early to rave reviews while Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit opened several months late with mixed […]
Looks alittle like Air at Alton Towers in the UK… I will be able to do a comparison, when i'm in the US in September!!!!!
I went this past summer with my mother.
She was terrified kept her eyes closed the entire ride.
But I couldn't get enough of it, honestly the best roller coaster I have ever been on next to the Shakira at Busch Gardens FL.
Anyways, overall 9.7
this is one or my fav rides it was the first i have ever been on its a smooth easy ride i have ridden a few since but still love this ride but i got to say the boobs thing gets annoying
I know it has nothing to do with the coaster, but there aren't any actual mantas in the aquarium. A manta is a type of ray that can get up to 200 ft long and (as far as I know) has never been a manta in an aquarium. What you saw was other rays including cownose rays, leopard rays, spotted eagle rays, some guitar fish, as well as some other sting rays I can't remember.
Alyssa is right in that there are no Mantas at Seaworld, but they don't get quite up to 200 feet long. A little over 20 is more like it. It's not a fish commonly found in aquariums but there are a couple around the world that can handle them. The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta has a few of the beasties (and whale sharks as well) and they're extremely impressive to look at in person.
As for this attraction, I think it's a great addition to Sea World and it and the surrounding pools and rocks make it in my opinion the most beautiful roller coaster in the world, bar none.
Roller Coaster is Amazing, but DO NOT PAY FOR THE SEA LION TOUR. I would give it no stars, but that was not an option. Save your money because you will not be up-close with a sea lion like the title and the picture suggest. First, you go to Pacific Point Preserve and they tell you the difference between a sea lion and a seal; which can be read on the signs around the exhibit. Next, you go to where the “Clyde & Seamore” show takes place. You are asked to sit in the first two rows and then are quickly taken up to the tank, a group at the time to have your picture quickly taken. You are not allow to look at the sea lion (you keep your back towards him) and have to take a large step forward before you can walk back to your seats. Then you head back to Pacific Point Preserve where you are given a bucket of fish to feed them with everyone else. Just save your money and get to the show early to sit in the first two rows and spend $20 and get five trays of fish to feed the seals/sea lions at Pacific Point Preserve for the same experience.
I love Manta and I agree with you it's no 10/10 ride but I can certainly say it's more smoother and better than Super the Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Great Adventure. The experience is amazing, but I can tell you it's more of a first experience roller coaster meaning; You feel like your are actually flying and the feel is exhilarating after that it's just a fun filled coaster experience. It also is better than most coaster I've been on. Sea World gives quality roller coasters and I can't wait for their next installment.
Tried this ride for 1st time yesterday. I’m no wimp – grew up around Cedar Point & would get quickly bored with each new scream machine they added (1970’s-90’s).
I have to admit, this ride was a bit too much for me. It was at the point going into pretzel loop that did it. I found this feeling most unpleasant, and one I had never experienced before. I thought it was because I’m nearing 50 y/o, but I heard the same feeling expressed by a much younger rider . The rest of the ride was great, but that one part kept me off it the rest of day, and I was happy to go over and drive the “Pinto” (Kraken) to redeem my confidence. Enjoy!
I rode this in the very back and lost my voice from the G-forces/my yelling! It was incredible, though. I also rode towards the front and it was amazing, but not as intense.
This is my favorite roller coaster ever!!:) I rode it 3 times while my family was in Florida about a month ago.
I love the ‘flying’ feeling, the themeing, everything! And I think the pretzel loop is cool.
10/10 for me.:)