SeaWorld San Diego Planning New "Roller Coaster" for 2019

SeaWorld San Diego has filed plans to build what is described as a new roller coaster for the park's 2019 season.  The plans, which can be viewed at this link (while the agenda is live at least), describe the addition as follows:

The proposed new 22-foot high coaster will cover approximately 800 square feet, and includes the new coaster, two 250 square foot loading ramps sited on the east and west ends of the new attraction with attached open shade structures not to exceed 19 feet in height, and a new 300 square foot building housing the controls for the roller coaster.  New landscaping and hardscaping improvements are also proposed.  The ride is designed to conform to the aquatic and educational nature of SeaWorld by incorporating elements of its “Rising Tide” program which promotes sustainable aquaculture and protection of coral reefs.

© SeaWorld San Diego

The planning document also contains this look at the ride, and its location.  As you can see the attraction is small and the layout is a figure eight when viewed from above.  The ride will be built along side an existing tide pool, on the far Eastern edge of the theme park, below the Cirque Stadium and tucked next to one part of Shipwreck Rapids.

© Google Maps

Here is a comparable view of the park to go along with the plans.  The area in red will be cleared to allow the new ride to go in.  I'm not sure what is there currently, it looks like just landscaping and perhaps a small retail location - either way not much of a loss there.

So now for the ride itself, as many other sites have pointed out (Screamscape, for one), the dimensions and layout closely match the Skywarp Horizon model, created by Skyline Attractions.  Here is a snip of the manufacturer's website, showing this version:

© Skyline Attractions

The horizon is similar to the Skywarp that was added to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom this year, but obviously with a different layout.  That said, these are powered rides that work much like a Larson Super Loop, so most put these in the "flat ride" category more so than the "roller coaster" category.

Either way, it's great to see SeaWorld San Diego expanding again after building a large roller coaster, Electric Eel, this year.  Many parks have a very quiet year after adding a large ride, so it's nice to see SeaWorld San Diego continuing to push forward!