Ice Breaker, SeaWorld’s first launch coaster, opens this Friday, February 18th! The newest addition to the SeaWorld park, Ice Breaker will add a fun, family-friendly ride to its already impressive coaster line up. As Annual Passholders, we got to experience a special preview for this ride, and it is awesome! Here’s what you can expect when Ice Breaker officially joins the SeaWorld family:
Ice Breaker Stats
Ice Breaker is known as a “moderate” coaster, meaning it is thrilling enough to satisfy experienced coaster fans while also being gentle enough for young families and growing enthusiasts. There are no inversions, but it does feature a total of four launches, some of them backwards.
The coaster hits a maximum height of 93 feet and speed of 52 mph. Unique features include a 100° spike and near vertical top hat maneuver. It takes about a minute and 20 seconds to travel the 13 twists and turns over 1,900 feet of track.
Ice Breaker Queue
The attraction queue and ride building feature an open air waiting area with minimal theming throughout. There are some frozen tundra-themed items and written information about the Arctic biome, but it is not overwhelming.
The Coaster Experience
While Ice Breaker is considerably shorter than some its in-park counterparts (Manta is three minutes long as opposed to Ice Breaker’s one minute 20 seconds), it’s an enjoyable ride and completely different from anything else in the park!
After boarding the train, the entire vehicle will move – via sideways conveyor belt – onto the actual track. It’s a genius trick that allows ride attendants to run two simultaneous trains (keeping the wait as short as possible), even though the beginning of the ride features backwards movement.
I very much enjoyed the backwards launches and large spike at the beginning of the ride. It was a great way to start the coaster off and build anticipation for the top hat feature. While I didn’t get much memorable air time during the remaining twists and turns, that may have something to do with my size, position on the train, or some other factor. Just because I didn’t get any airtime doesn’t mean that you won’t.
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Another thing that I loved about this ride was the scenery. Located next to SeaWorld’s sizable lagoon, there was always something pretty in view of the coaster. It made the ride that much more enjoyable to be looking at the lagoon, intricate landscaping, or guest facing buildings as opposed to back of the house, functional spaces.
Freaky Thoughts: Ice Breaker
While Ice Breaker may not reach the dramatic heights and speeds of some of its sister coasters (For example: Mako reaches 200 feet and 73 mph), it is the perfect moderate coaster for families and a perfect introductory coaster for young thrill seekers. My kids are still slightly too short to make the height requirement (48″), but I can’t wait for them to join me!
Ice Breaker opens Friday, February 18th! Visit Seaworld.com for more about SeaWorld’s attractions, seasonal events, and ticket options.
