Mako Hyper Coaster Makes a Grand Debut at SeaWorld Orlando

© SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando's Mako has already given tens of thousands of rides to anxious visitors, having officially opened to the public this past weekend.  Standing 200 feet at its peak, and seen above, Mako is the Orlando area's tallest, longest and fastest roller coaster.

Mako's theme comes from its location in the park, known as Shark Wreck Reef, a two acre land that also features themed retail, dining and the existing Shark Encounter attraction.

© SeaWorld Orlando

Mako was designed for SeaWorld Orlando by Bolliger and Mabillard, and joins the ranks of 100+ coasters they have now created - all known for their comfortable ride experience.  The coaster starts with a 200 foot tall lift hill that gives riders a clear view of Orlando around them, then a first drop that sends the trains at 73 miles per hour.  In true hyper coaster style, Mako is filled with plenty of large air-time hills (9 to be exact) that give a floating sensation to riders over the 4,760 feet of track.

© SeaWorld Orlando

A journey on Mako begins with a queue that is themed to being in the water under a boardwalk, "winding through shipwrecks and shadows."  Riders cannot see most of Mako's layout as they pass through the area, complete with underwater theming like coral reef painted on the ride's supports.  Once in the shipwreck themed station, a dazzling display overhead shows sharks swimming around, moving in a frenzy as the trains dispatch.

© SeaWorld Orlando

In total, 1,864 feet of Mako's track are located directly over water, like the finale turn over the park's central lagoon seen above.  As the trains pass through this section of track - which includes two passes over the midway - an intelligent 48,000 watt sound system plays a custom theme track to add to the ambiance.

Mako joins the ranks of SeaWorld Orlando's other thrill rides, including Manta, a flying coaster, Kraken, a floorless coaster, Journey to Atlantis, a water coaster hybrid, and the family friendly Shamu Express coaster.