SeaWorld Orlando threw a bone to roller coaster enthusiasts today, when they tweeted a photo of new coaster track staged outside the park, likely for a highly rumored 2023 coaster addition.
What’s Happening:
- Various different rumor websites have been reporting on SeaWorld Orlando’s “Project Penguin,” a redevelopment of the festival pathway to the right of the main entrance area, that would also include a brand-new roller coaster.
The grassy area between the Park Entrance and Bayside Stadium is the location of “Project Penguin.”
- Construction is underway on the project, with that area of the park completely closed off.
- The new coaster has been rumored to be a “Surf Coaster” from Bolliger & Mabillard, the same manufacturers behind three other coasters at the park: Kraken, Manta and Mako.
- This would be B&M’s first “Surf Coaster,” believed to be a launch-style coaster, complete with some inversions and swooping turns close to the water.
- BGWFans.com has an excellent article breaking down the various elements and layout of the proposed coaster, in addition to a video recreating the coaster’s layout based on the plans.
- SeaWorld’s official Twitter account tweeted the tweet embedded below today, jokingly calling more attention to the palm trees in the background:
- Based on the track design, this is definitely new Bolliger & Mabillard track. Now it could potentially be replacement track for one of the other three coasters, but it’s not the right color, and why bother calling attention to it?
- The project is rumored to be completed sometime in 2023. If it does open next year, this will be the second coaster in as many years to open at SeaWorld Orlando, following the opening of Ice Breaker this February.