Tallest, fastest, longest, trendiest: What to know about Florida’s roller coasters
With so many rollers coasters newly opened or under construction, it’s hard to keep them straight. Here’s a rundown of roller coasters in Central Florida’s theme parks, arranged by park and from newest to oldest.
BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA
Tigris: With its three launches and a twisting heartline roll across the top, Tigris is one of Florida’s scarier coasters. The ride starts with a forward launch, then shoots backward and up, then forward again. The top of the track twists riders around sideways, something like a loose corkscrew. In addition to a lap bar, a harness keeps the top of your body from flopping around too much, but not entirely, adding to the fear factor. Two other SeaWorld Entertainment parks have coasters based on the same structure. Height: 150 feet; top speed: 62; inversions: 1; length: 863 feet of track, ride is about 1,700 feet; ride time: 0:42; minimum height to ride: 54 inches; year opened: 2019; make: Premier Rides.
Cobra’s Curse: This “family thrill ride” with free-spinning cars is more “family” than “thrill.” Its gimmick is how the cars face as they move along the track. The cars start out going forward, then turn to face backward. Near the end, a mechanism unlocks and the car can spin as it moves forward. It flops back and forth, usually not more than a half-circle at a time, fun but not dizzying. Unlike most Busch coasters, it has a story — an archaeological dig that uncovered the legendary snake king — and a detailed queue. Height: 70 feet; top speed: 40 mph; inversions: none; length: 2,100 feet; ride time: 3:30; minimum height to ride: 42 inches; year opened: 2016. Make: Mack Rides.
Cheetah Hunt: Designed to simulate a cheetah chasing prey across the park’s Serengeti Plain, Cheetah Hunt is a launch coaster, yet surprisingly smooth. It uses the force of repelling magnets to launch uphill in three bursts of speed. The first, at the start, takes the train from zero to 38 mph in two seconds. Then twice more, on two hills, the trains rocket up to 60 mph in two seconds. Long and lean — almost a mile long — it has one inversion and one relatively long dive of 130 feet; a heartline roll; 4 Gs. Height: 102 feet; top speed: 60 mph; inversions: 1; length: 4,429; minimum height to ride: 48 inches; ride time: 1:20; year opened: 2011; make: Intamin.
SheiKra has an unnerving 90-degree drop — 20 stories, part of it straight down — at 70 mph, then a second, shorter drop through an underground tunnel. Called a dive coaster, it was the first of its kind in the nation when it opened in 2005. Two years later, Busch Gardens removed the floor from the trains — and the feet-on-the-ground sense of stability. It has only one inversion: an Immelmann loop, a simultaneous loop and roll. This reporter ranks it as Florida’s scariest coaster, mainly because of the way it stops and teeters before that 200-foot dive. Height: 200 feet; top speed: 70 mph; inversions: 1; length: 3,188 feet; minimum height to ride: 54 inches; ride time: 3 minutes; year opened: 2005; make: Bolliger & Mabillard.
Montu: Seven inversions, including a zero-gravity roll, a G-force of 3.85, and feet dangling free — all rolled into this inverted coaster, which is suspended below the track. As the train reaches the top of the climb, it swerves to the side and we’re flying, feet swinging, before we flip upside down. “My heart was beating sooo fast when we were in line,” the 10-year-old boy next to me volunteers. “What did your heart do when we went over the top,” I ask. “There wasn’t time for it to do anything,” he says, still looking dazed. Height: 150 feet; top speed: 60 mph; inversions: 7; length: 3,983 feet; minimum height to ride: 54 inches; ride time: 3:00; year opened: 1996; make: Bolliger & Mabillard.
Sand Serpent (formerly Cheetah Chase): Unlike most Busch Garden coasters, which were custom-designed for the space they were to fill, Cheetah Chase is more like a giant off-the-shelf toy. It spent its first eight years at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, then moved to Tampa in 1996. It is a “wild mouse” coaster whose thrill comes from a fast series of hairpin turns, back and forth on a mostly level rectangular platform, rather than steep climbs and dives. Heads up: Those 180-degree turns are not kind to a sensitive stomach. Height: 46 feet; top speed: 28 mph; inversions: none; length: 1,214 feet; minimum height to ride: 46 inches; ride time: 1:50; year opened: 1996; make: Mack Rides.
Kumba: According to Busch Gardens, kumba means roar in the Congo, and this coaster roars. Filling the metal supports with sand would calm the vibrations, so these supports were left empty, and the vibrations escalate into a roar as the trains tear along the track. Kumba turns riders upside down seven times, including a dive loop, a zero-gravity roll and a spiral that produces three seconds at zero gravity. Height: 143 feet: top speed: 60 mph; inversions: 7; length: 3,978 feet; minimum height to ride: 54 inches; ride time: 2:54; year opened: 1993; make: Bolliger & Mabillard.
Scorpion: Busch’s oldest coaster seems tame in comparison to the newer ones. It has only one inversion — a 39-foot-tall vertical loop — and a top speed of 50 mph, but with a 60-foot drop and a G-force of 3.5, it’s still a kick. Height: 65 feet; top speed: 50 mph; inversions: 1; length: 1,805 feet; minimum height to ride: 42 inches; ride time: 1:30; year opened: 1981; make: Schwarzkopf.
KIDS: Air Grover is a cute steel coaster with Monster Muppet Grover piloting us over the desert. It has an out and back layout with two helixes forming a figure-eight and is also palatable for coaster-averse adults. Height: 24 feet; top speed: 26 mph; inversions: none; length: 600 feet; minimum height to ride: 38 inches; ride time: NA; year opened: 2010; make: Zierer.
COMING: Iron Gwazi will be a remake of one of Florida’s last wooden coasters into a hybrid with a wooden structure and steel rails — one of the trendiest coasters being built today. Gwazi, a pair of dueling roller coasters, closed in early 2015, and was partially dismantled. The new track will be completely different. Busch Gardens says the coaster will be 206 feet high with a top speed of 76, which would make it the tallest and fastest coaster in Florida. Opening: spring 2020.
SEAWORLD
Mako: This shark-themed ride (the cars are shaped like sharks’ heads) is 21st century, sleek yet retro. Although it’s got steel rails, its design is reminiscent of old wooden coasters, a relatively simple out-and-back layout with no inversions but many hills that provide lots of air time. The first hill is 200 feet, and riders gently rise out of their seats as the car tops it, then are confronted with a long, steep drop, followed by eight successively smaller hills. It’s a hyper coaster — the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Orlando and the same height as SheiKra in Tampa. Height: 200 feet; top speed: 73 mph; inversions: none; length: 4,760 feet; minimum height to ride: 54 inches; ride time: 2:20; year opened: 2016; make: Bolliger & Mabillard.
Manta: Inspired by a manta ray’s glide through the water, this ride loops around 10 aquariums filled with rays and other water creatures. What makes it a standout is the position of the riders: suspended prone on their bellies, almost like flying. Manta has four inversions, including a pretzel-like loop, but is incredibly smooth. The unfamiliar angle gives rides an unusual perspective that is sometimes like looking through a camera mounted on the hood of a speeding car. Height: 140 feet; top speed: 56 mph; inversions: 4; length: 3,359 feet; minimum height to ride: 54 inches; ride time: 2:35; year opened: 2009; make: Bolliger & Mabillard.
Kraken: With a top speed of 65 mph, this is one of Orlando’s faster coasters and one of its oldest. Much of the ride — named for a mythological sea monster — is over water, and it makes three subterranean dives. Kraken is a floorless coaster. It has seven inversions, including a zero-gravity roll. SeaWorld briefly installed virtual reality goggles, with a story and visuals of a deep sea adventure, then removed the add-on because it took too long to clean and adjust each set on every run. Never mind, Kraken has plenty of thrills without the VR. Height: 151 feet; minimum height to ride: 54 inches; top speed: 65 mph; inversions: 7; length: 4,177 feet; ride time: 2:02; year opened: 2000; make: Bolliger & Mabillard.
KIDS: Super Grover’s Box Car Derby: This coaster opened in 2006 as Shamu Express in what was then called Shamu’s Happy Harbor. It closed in 2018 and reopened in 2019, rethemed to fit its surroundings, which were made over into Sesame Street. Height: 30 feet; minimum height to ride: 38 inches; top speed: 28 mph; inversions: 0; length: 853 feet; ride time: 1:16; year opened: 2006; make: Zierer.
COMING: Ice Breaker will be SeaWorld’s first launch coaster, with four launches, backward and forward. It also will have a 93-foot spike with a reverse launch at a 100-degree angle — which means a drop that is not only straight down, but bent backwards another 10 degrees. Opening: spring 2020.
UNIVERSAL ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure: Orlando’s newest coaster opened in June 2019, a replacement for Dragon Challenge in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s an exciting ride through the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts, topping out at 50 mph, but with seven launches (more than any coaster in the world) and a lot of side-to-side action on banked tracks, it feels faster. At just under a mile, it’s Orlando’s longest coaster. It has no inversions, but it has a surprise 17-foot free fall, as well as a ride up a 65-foot spike, then a fall backwards. Height: 65 feet; top speed: 50 mph; inversions: none; length: 5,053 feet; minimum height to ride: 48 inches; ride time: 3 ½ minutes; year opened: 2019; make: Intamin.
Incredible Hulk: The train moves forward slowly, then BAM! It is launched like a rocket, going from almost zero to 40 mph in just two seconds. The track twists and suddenly the car is upside down in a zero-gravity roll. The coaster has seven inversions, including corkscrews, vertical loops and what the industry calls a double inversion cobra roll — the silhouette looks kind of like mouse ears. The track was rebuilt and new trains added in 2016. Height: 110 feet; top speed: 67 mph; inversions: 7; length: 3,700 feet; minimum height to ride: 54 inches; ride time: 2:15; year opened: 1999; make: Bolliger & Mabillard.
KIDS: Flight of the Hippogriff: This junior twister coaster opened in 2000 as the Flying Unicorn, then was rethemed 10 years later and reopened as part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s a sweet ride that climbs higher than many junior coasters, giving riders great views of Hogwarts and the village of Hogsmeade before it speeds through turns on the way down. Height: 43 feet; top speed: 28 mph; inversions: none; length: 1,099 feet; minimum height to ride: 36 inches; ride time: 1:10; year opened: 2000; make: Vekoma.
KIDS: Pteranodon Flyers: This ride may look more like a sky ride than a roller coaster, but it’s pulled up a hill by a chain to a height of 65 feet, then released to glide down. The gondola-like seats are suspended below the track (and below the wings of a Pteranodon) and swing from side to side. No adults (or anyone over 56 inches) is allowed to ride unless accompanied by a child. Height: 65 feet; top speed: 15 mph; inversions: none; length: 800 feet; minimum height to ride: 36 inches; ride time: 1:28; year opened: 1999; make: Caripro, Setpoint, Spectra FX.
COMING: Mystery coaster in Jurassic Park area. Universal has not confirmed that any attraction is in the works, but construction walls went up at the start of the year, land has been cleared, the company has been storing roller coaster tracks on the site where its new theme park will be built, and some fan sites have published what they say are plans for the track layout.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is only partly a roller coaster. Escape uses a motion simulator and 3D projection technology for a harrowing ride through the vaults below Gringotts Bank. There’s a lot going on, including an attack by Gringotts’ trolls, appearances by Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort, and the taming of a fire-breathing dragon. The roller coaster stretches are short; the ride is more about storytelling and it stops or slows several times so riders can watch that story. Height: NA; top speed: NA; inversions: none; length: 2,000 feet; minimum height to ride: 42 inches; ride time: 5 minutes; year opened: 2014; make: Intamin.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit: Its gimmick is that each rider gets to pick her own tune to ride by. There’s also a camera on each rider, who can purchase a custom video of the experience, with the chosen music providing the soundtrack. The ride features the world’s first non-inverting loop — the rails twist around the loop so the car stays upright and the rider is never totally upside down. In fact, there are no inversions on Rip Ride Rockit, but it’s a fast coaster. Height: 167 feet; top speed: 65 mph; inversions: none; length: 3,800 feet; minimum height to ride: 51 inches; ride time: 1:45; year opened: 2009; make: Maurer Rides.
Revenge of the Mummy: This indoor coaster has an elaborate story and theming, based on the Mummy movie franchise. Imhotep, the Mummy, sucks out the souls of humans so he can rule for all eternity. The coaster ride through an Egyptian tomb is full of surprises: a blast of heat, a slide backward, a launch that accelerates the train from zero to 45 mph in two seconds, and a false stop — one last desperate trick by Imhotep. But it never turns upside down. Height: 45 feet; top speed: 45 mph; inversions: none; length: 2,200 feet; minimum height to ride: 48 inches; ride time: 2:57; year opened: 2004; make: Premier Rides.
KIDS: Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster is a junior sized coaster that is perfect for beginner thrill-seekers, offering a ride through Woody Woodpecker’s own Nut Factory. It’s very similar to the Barnstormer at the Magic Kingdom, although a bit slower. Height: 28 feet; top speed: 22 mph; inversions: none; length: 679 feet; minimum height to ride: 36 inches; ride time: 0:44; year opened: 1999; make: Vekoma.
DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Slinky Dog Dash appears as a coaster track that Andy built all over his backyard using his Mega Coaster Play Kit — as well as some of his other favorite toys. It’s a double-launch coaster — one as the train leaves the station, the second about halfway through after a brief slide backwards. It’s a very smooth ride, but as a family coaster, it doesn’t hit the high speeds of most launch coasters. Disney never revealed the height or speed of this coaster, but UltimateRollerCoaster.com pegs the top speed at 40 mph. Height: NA; top speed: 40 mph; inversions: none; minimum height to ride: 38 inches; ride time: 2:00; year opened: 2018; make: Mack Rides.
Rock n Roll Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: On this indoor ride, sometimes the darkness is total and first-time riders have no clue where the super-stretch limo is going next. It’s a launch ride, going from zero to 57 mph in 2.8 seconds, reaches a G-force of 5 Gs and has three inversions — lots of thrills. It’s an odd feeling, looking down through the darkness at the tops of neon palm trees while Aerosmith booms from 120 speakers in each 24-passenger limo. Height: 80 feet; top speed: 57 mph; inversions: 3; length: 3,403 feet; minimum height to ride: 48 inches; ride time: 1:22; year opened: 1999; make: Vekoma.
MAGIC KINGDOM
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: Part indoor, part outdoor ride, this is a family coaster with fun theming. The seats, made to resemble mine buckets, swing from side to side on curves, but it’s nothing extreme. Scary drops appear (one is about 40 feet), but the train takes them at a speed that will deliciously frighten, not terrify children. In terms of thrills, the ride is about midway between Goofy’s Barnstormer and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. If you’re familiar with the old movie, you’ll recognize details duplicated on the ride, including the dwarfs’ shadows striding along a mountain wall and Snow White and Dopey dancing. Height: NA; top speed: 34 mph; inversions: 0; length: 2,000 feet; minimum height to ride: 38 inches; ride time: 2:50; year opened: 2014; make: Vekoma.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: A classic runaway train ride, the setting is an abandoned mine in the American Southwest, where locomotives are reported to be running on their own. The ride goes through tunnels and a flyby with another train, and is threatened by rock slides and collapsing mines. Height: 45 feet; top speed: 36 mph; inversions: 0; length: 2,780 feet; minimum height to ride: 40 inches; ride time: 3:30; year opened: 1980; make: Disney.
Space Mountain: Orlando’s oldest operating coaster opened in 1975 and was updated in 2009, when it emerged as a much darker ride. Where riders used to make out a vague outline of what came next, now most of it is in total — and sometimes disorienting — darkness. Every dip and turn is a surprise. A sentimental favorite, this two-track ride remains one of Orlando’s mildest coasters with no inversions and a slow speed. Height: 90 feet; top speed: 28 mph; inversions: 0; length: 3,196 feet; minimum height to ride: 44 inches; ride time: 2:47; year opened: 1975; make: Disney.
KIDS: Barnstormer: This family roller coaster in Fantasyland was originally known as The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm when it was part of Mickey’s Toontown Fair, but was renamed and lightly re-themed as The Barnstormer featuring Great Goofini as part of the new Storybook Circus area in New Fantasyland. The Barnstormer has several small drops, dips, turns and a helix finale. Height: 28 feet; top speed: 25 mph; inversions: 0; length: 790 feet; minimum height to ride: 35 inches; ride time: 1 minute; year opened: 1996; make: Vekoma.
COMING: Tron: This coaster is under construction next to Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. It’s essentially a copy of the Tron Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disney Resort, based on a 1982 Disney science fiction adventure film. The coaster, which looks like a chain of motorbikes, will hit 60 mph. Opening: No date announced, except by the park’s 50th anniversary in October 2021.
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM
Expedition Everest: One of Disney’s tallest and fastest rides, Everest is a runaway mine train coaster, set in the Himalayas. The premise is that a yeti, a Bigfoot-type creature, guards the route to Mount Everest and has torn up the tracks. The train surprises riders when it suddenly runs downhill backward. With an 80-foot drop, it’s one of the most thrilling coasters for Disney, a company not known for its thrill rides. With Animal Kingdom now open at night, the pitch-black ride through the interior adds a new dimension. Height: 112 feet; top speed: 50 mph; inversions: 0; length: 4,400 feet; minimum height to ride: 44 inches; ride time: 2:50; year opened: 2006; make: Vekoma.
Primeval Whirl: Two coasters placed side by side, this is a wild mouse coaster like Busch Gardens’ Sand Serpent but with the added attraction of cars that spin. The biggest drop is a modest 30 feet. The uncontrolled spinning exerts a G-Force of 2.5 and is its biggest charm — except for people with sensitive stomachs. Height: 43 feet; top speed: 29 mph; inversions: 0; length: 1,378 feet; minimum height to ride: 48 inches; ride time: 1:30; year opened: 2002; make: Reverchon.
EPCOT
COMING: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. The coaster is under construction in a 12-story building near Spaceship Earth. Disney says it will be one of the world’s longest enclosed roller coasters, with a reverse launch and cars that turn riders up to 360 degrees to face the action. Opening: No date announced, but by the park’s 50th anniversary in October 2021.
LEGOLAND
All Legoland coasters were designed or retrofitted for kids.
Coastersaurus: This 15-year-old ride is one of the only wooden coasters remaining in Florida. Originally named Triple Hurricane at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, it was rebranded Coastersaurus when the old park reopened as Legoland in 2011. It was slowed down for kids, got new ride cars and new scenery — a prehistoric jungle of animated dinosaurs made of Lego bricks. It has an out-and-back design with no inversions. Height: 40 feet; top speed: 32 mph; inversions: none; length: 1,365 feet; minimum height to ride: 36 inches; ride time: 50 seconds; year opened: 2004.
Flying School: The inverted coaster was called Swamp Thing when it opened at Cypress Gardens in 2004 and renamed when Legoland bought the park and modified the coasters to make them child-friendly. Height: 52 feet; top speed: 25 mph; inversions: 0; length: 1,122 feet; minimum height to ride: 44 inches; ride time: 1 minute, 30 seconds; year opened: 2004.
The Great Lego Race: This is the former Project X coaster, redone with virtual reality. It’s a wild mouse coaster with tight, mostly flat turns. The optional VR goggles show a cartoonish race against several Lego mini-figures in whimsical vehicles, including a canopied bed and a windsurfing rig, speeding past an erupting volcano, a landslide and various other catastrophes. The story is well synchronized to the track’s turns and dives, but some kids (and some adults) will be happy to ride it without the goggles. The wild mouse coaster used to be at Legoland in Windsor, England, then was moved to Legoland Florida in 2011. Height: 52 feet; top speed: 35 mph; inversions: 0; length: 1,312 feet; minimum height to ride: 42 inches; ride time: 1 minute, 35 seconds; year opened: 2004 (in England).
Dragon: A “roller skater” coaster that opened at Cypress Gardens as Okeechobee Rampage. When Legoland bought the park, it extended the track by adding a dark ride section before a four-story lift hill that leads into a twisted layout. Height: 42 feet; top speed: 29 mph; inversions: 0; length: 1,099 feet; minimum height to ride: 40 inches; ride time: 1 minute, 6 seconds; year opened: 2004.
SOURCE: Theme parks, UltimateRollerCoaster.com, rcdb.com
