SeaWorld San Antonio has opened Catapult Falls, which it calls the "world's first launched flume coaster."
This Intamin flume ride features a launch into a hill, followed by a 55-foot vertical lift up to a 53-degree drop into another hill, which drops riders into Catapult Falls' final splashdown.
I wasn't able to make it over to San Antonio for the opening day on Saturday, but the park kindly supplied a front-row POV video for us to share with you.
The two hills appear to provide nice little airtime moments, bringing a beloved coaster element to a flume ride. But they also appear to minimize the splashdown a bit, which would be a plus for some fans and a minus for others.
For tickets to the park, starting at $61, please see our partner's SeaWorld San Antonio tickets page. And if you've had the chance to ride Catapult Falls, we would love to read your review in the comments.
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This looks fine, and I like the idea of a park adding a new and innovative flume attraction, a type of ride that's been around for decades without much change. However, the theming is pretty weak, particularly the hump and elevator lift. The least they could have done is created some type of tunnel or tower for those elements. I guess Sea World gets a C+ for trying by including some theming elements along the course, but it seems more like a check in the box than a commitment to a story/theme, which is pretty much the m/o for this park.
I mean I would go on it if I was there but definitely not something to attract me to the park. The thing I like most from flumes is the twisty turns and the up and down going above interesting scenery. All of which is missing from the POV.
This looks like a fun ride, but it is also a lot more about the drops than about the flume elements, which makes it feel a bit superfluous with the similar Journey to Atlantis across the park. Given the climate in Texas I'm sure a third water ride will draw a crowd regardless, but aside from the gimmick of a launch on a flume ride it's probably going to be pretty forgettable.
Yeah I'll echo the above sentiments, looks like a fine attraction but pretty weak that they had to punt an entire year building it. I remain extremely underwhelmed with SeaWorld's decisions post-pandemic.
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Looks fun, but its a "Do it if I'm already there" attraction, rather than a headliner.