SeaWorld has a new coaster coming, catching up to Busch Gardens in thrill rides

Sharon Kennedy Wynne, Tampa Bay Times
·2 min read

SeaWorld Orlando’s seventh coaster is coming in the spring of 2023, to be called Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, a thrill ride that will give riders a sensation of surfing wild waves.

The Orlando theme park is catching up to its sister park Busch Gardens, which leads the state with 10 thrill rides. Busch Gardens is adding an 11th recently announced wild new pendulum ride called Serengeti Flyer that will also open next year.

“SeaWorld Orlando will be the only place in the world to ride a roller coaster like this,” said Kyle Miller, SeaWorld Orlando park president. “We are always looking for exciting ways to take thrills to a new level.”

SeaWorld said innovative design elements will make this a first-of-its-kind roller coaster with “wave jumping” motions. The unique surfboard-shaped ride vehicle will be secured on the roller coaster in a surfing position and will be launched at top speeds, allowing riders to feel “as if they are catching a wave,” an announcement said. “Riders will then feel like they are hanging loose when their seats rise and fall to mimic the sensation of riding on a wave while sending them through several gnarly twists and turns.”

The ride will reach heights of 110 feet in the air with wave curls along the 2,950 feet of track. Pipeline will reach speeds of 60 miles per hour, with five different airtime moments lasting a total of 1 minute and 50 seconds. The ride has a projected height requirement of 54 inches.

The ride is part of the recent strategy announced for SeaWorld Entertainment, the parent company of Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Orlando. While it used to be that years passed between major ride openings, the parks have recently announced a major new attraction each vacation season, helping SeaWorld separate itself from its signature animal shows starring Shamu and its pod of dolphins.

SeaWorld announced that its annual pass will give members a one-time Quick Queue for Pipeline: The Surf Coaster. This front-of-the-line access will be valid for a one-time redemption from the roller coaster opening date to Dec. 31, 2023. Starting in November, SeaWorld Orlando will also reveal monthly giveaways exclusively for annual pass members tied to Pipeline. For information see SeaWorld.com/Orlando/Annual-Pass.