The ride emulates the hunting style of the cheetah with sudden bursts of speed, accomplished with linear-synchronous-motor launches similar to the accelerated launch systems of The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal and Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster at DHS. A complete experience both tactilely and visually, Cheetah Hunt hurls you through the scenic, wildlife-rich Serengeti Plain section of the park. CHEETAH HUNT, BUSCH GARDENS With a 4,429-foot track, Cheetah Hunt is the longest coaster in Florida.

Because this is an inverted coaster, your feet dangle throughout.ĥ. Though both trains have identical lift hills, their respective layouts are different, and Chinese Fireball offers the superior ride, with a 115-foot drop, five inversions, and speeds of 60 mph. DRAGON CHALLENGE: CHINESE FIREBALL, UNIVERSAL’S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE Dragon Challenge has two trains, Chinese Fireball and Hungarian Horntail, which are launched in short succession, creating a sense of chase between the two. And for those of you who hate rough coasters, Expedition Everest is oh-so-smooth.Ĥ. When you can see, there’s plenty to look at: The mountain, with its caverns, cliffs, and crags, is a work of art then there’s that pesky yeti who menaces you throughout the ride. Though you begin the segment in reverse, you soon succumb to an almost disembodied and dreamlike state of drifting in a void, with an exhilarating sense of speed but with no certain sense of direction. The segment where the train corkscrews downward in the dark may be the most unusual in roller-coaster annals. EXPEDITION EVEREST, DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM This coaster offers such a complete package, with something to dazzle each of the senses, that it overcomes its lack of loops and inversions. The mako shark is one of the fastest predators in the sea, and the coaster layout is designed to emulate the fast, sweeping motions of the shark on the hunt.ģ. There are no inversions, and the ride is downy-smooth-so smooth, in fact, that the only restraint is a lap bar. This combination of length, height, and speed translates into near continuous air time. Mako has, count ’em, nine drops that induce this sensation of flying. At 4,760 feet long, Mako plunges from a soaring height of 200 feet and reaches a speed of 73 miles an hour. Mako is a hypercoaster, meaning its sole purpose is to serve up air time-that weightless feeling on downhills that lifts you out of your seat. MAKO, SEAWORLD As the tallest, fastest, longest coaster in Florida, Mako makes a strong case for being number one. After a first drop of 113 feet, it zooms through a pretzel loop, a 360-degree incline roll, and two corkscrews while reaching a height of 140 feet and speeds of 56 mph.Ģ. Many coaster fans consider the most memorable moments a sweeping loop in the first half of the ride and near-misses of a pond or rock wall (depending where you’re sitting) in the second half. Technically, Manta has it all. An inverted flying steel coaster, Manta gently lowers you into a suspended Superman position and you, well, fly. Manta is clearly among the latter: a super smooth experience that leaves you grinning from ear to ear. MANTA, SEAWORLD There are coasters you barely survive and coasters you savor.

Bob Sehlinger, coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to SeaWorld, Universal Orlando, & the Best of Central Florida, shares with us his top 16 Central Florida roller coasters.ġ.

Manta seaworld seats