SeaWorld Orlando has released a virtual POV video that gives fans their first official look at what a ride on the park's upcoming Ice Breaker roller coaster will look like.
The Premier Rides Sky Rocket was supposed to open this year, but SeaWorld delayed the ride's opening due to the pandemic. It's now slated to open next spring.
Do keep in mind that this is a stylized CGI video, and a ride on the coaster won't take through snow flurries and above drifts. You will be riding in the Central Florida sun and heat on this one, as with any other coaster at the park.
The LSM multi-launch sequence over the same piece of track will remind fans of the Sky Rocket II models at SeaWorld's sister parks in San Diego, Tampa, and Williamsburg, Va. But this Sky Rocket layout is more about length than height, taking visitors on a 1,900-foot ride — more than double the Sky Rocket II length, even though Ice Breaker tops out at just 93 feet and 52 mph.
Those stats, along with the lack of inversions, should make Ice Breaker an appealing coaster for fans working their way up from kiddie coasters to major thrill machines. Or for coaster veterans looking for a different experience.
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@80sMan - The "beyond vertical drop" is on the backwards spike, not on the top hat.
Sea World can't officially provide the height restriction until it goes through the state's inspection process, but I would hope they can get it down to at least 48", if not all the way down to 42". This looks like a decent course, similar to Manta in San Diego minus the trenches, and the switch track should help keep capacity up. Now if they could only figure out a way to actually blow snow on guests during the ride like the virtual POV suggests.
For those wondering, Sea World has noted that they are back on track with all of the coasters around the country (Emperor, Pantheon, Iron Gwazi, and Ice Beaker). From reports, it sounds like they reworked their debt to the manufacturers to complete all of the installations for 2021, and there are no outstanding complaints against the company.
Looks like a fun ride. My concern is capacity as the ride layout doesn't allow more than one train on the ride, kind of like Electric Eel at Sea World San Diego. Nevertheless as the previous poster noted, the loading of the vehicle and switch track thing should keep things as brisk as possible for this type of ride. Great ride, but I would hope to one day see a more themed-adventure type of coaster from Sea World. Something in the vein of Hagrid at IOA, Revenge of the Mummy at USF, Big Thunder at MK.. you know what I mean. An "underwater" zip where you see animal animatronics, or a replacement for Wild Arctic in which you board a snow cruiser machine thing and see and maybe feel the Arctic. It's expensive and ambitious but some food for thought for their next attraction. I know Wild Arctic is closed for something in the future out in San Diego.
One of the bigger holes in SeaWorld Orlando's lineup was the lack of a proper family coaster (Journey to Atlantis doesn't count). Ice Breaker looks to nicely fill that spot, providing a stepping stone between Super Grover and the B&Ms, plus it will be more accessible with a 48" height restriction (confirmed at IAAPA last year). It's a little on the short side and isn't something most enthusiasts would go out of the way for, but should be a fun ride that can be enjoyed by all audiences.
@Russell Meyer, thanks for clarifying. I’m assuming that only the back portion of the train will experience that element, because the POV doesn’t show it.
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I might be missing something, but the video states a “beyond-vertical drop”. I didn’t see anything that looked like that.