Mako (roller coaster)

Coordinates: 28°24′34″N 81°27′33″W / 28.40955°N 81.45915°W / 28.40955; -81.45915
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
)

Mako
Coordinates
28°24′34″N 81°27′33″W / 28.40955°N 81.45915°W / 28.40955; -81.45915
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateJune 2, 2016 (2016-06-02)
Opening dateJune 10, 2016 (2016-06-10)
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
ModelHyper Coaster
Track layoutOut and back
Lift/launch systemChain
Height200 ft (61 m)
Drop200 ft (61 m)
Length4,760 ft (1,450 m)
Speed73 mph (117 km/h)
Inversions0
Height restriction54[1] in (137 cm)
Trains3 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 28 riders per train.
MusicRick McKee
Quick Queue available
Mako at RCDB
Video

Mako is a

mako shark
and is located in the Sea of Mystery section of the park. It reaches a height of 200 feet (61 m), a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h), and features a track length of 4,760 feet (1,450 m).

The roller coaster was marketed as the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Orlando and has been well-received, ranking every year since its opening in the top 50 of the annual

Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today. It attained its highest ranking of 15 in 2019. The ride is one of six roller coasters at SeaWorld Orlando and was the first since Manta
opened in 2009.

History

In April 2015, SeaWorld officials began teasing an upcoming announcement of a new thrill ride for their flagship park in Orlando, Florida.[2] At the time, the only detail revealed was that the roller coaster would be 200 feet in height and would become the longest, tallest, and fastest roller coaster in the city.[2] A month later on May 13, 2015, SeaWorld filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the name "Mako" along with "Reef Hunter".[3][4] On May 27, 2015, SeaWorld officially announced the construction of Mako, which was named after the mako shark. The mako has been identified as the fastest species of shark in the ocean.[5][6] During the time of announcement, a simulated point-of-view shot was released depicting the ride's intended route along the park's lagoon.[7]

On August 17, 2015, the first pieces of track began to ship from Ohio to Orlando,

topped-out.[10][11] The first car of the train was shipped and revealed on February 16, 2016, with the car design exhibiting the face of a mako shark.[12][13] On March 15, 2016, the last piece of track was put into place.[14][15]

In April 2016, SeaWorld began showing a presentation called "Mako Rising" previewing the upcoming roller coaster in their Nautilis Theater,

Aquatica Orlando.[24]

Ride experience

Entrance and queue area

The roller coaster is themed to the mako shark. Similarly the 2-acre (0.81 ha) park area around it, entitled "Shark Wreck Reef", is themed to sharks. The area features recycled art, a mural created by Guy Harvey,[25] and educational pieces about human and shark interactions.[26][27]

As guests go through the queue area, various educational displays and an additional Guy Harvey exhibit can be seen.[28] The queue of the ride consists of a wooden pier, where the riders are situated under while waiting.[29] During the queue, guests take on the point of view of a mako shark as it traverses through preying grounds.[28] The theme of Mako's station is a shipwreck.[26] Different sections of an original musical score is played throughout the queue and loading station, as well as the plaza area beneath the coaster's climactic loop.[30] SeaWorld commissioned the 32-minute score, which was composed and produced by Rick McKee.[30] Before the ride's train dispatches, a panel located above the riders shows scenes of shadowy figures consisting of a group of sharks migrating forward with accommodating visuals and sound.[29]

Layout

After leaving the station, the train makes a small right turn to a 200-foot (61 m)

brake run.[31]

Characteristics

Track

Mako's train as it traverses through the final turn over water.

The steel box track of Mako is 4,760 feet (1,450 m) long and the lift is approximately 200 feet (61 m) high.[31] The track pieces were shipped on flatbed trucks from Clermont Steel Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio to Orlando, Florida where they were assembled.[26] The track of the roller coaster is purple with the supports colored blue.[26] The roller coaster was designed to have nine airtime moments and a third of the layout traverses over water.[5][26]

Trains

Mako operates with lead and fiberglass trains each containing seven cars.[12][31] Every seat has its own lap bar restraint[26] and each car seats four riders in a single row for a total of 28 riders per train.[31] The trains were designed with the physiology of a mako with gills on either side of the train,[26] and feature polyurethane wheels that help to reduce friction on the track.[32] They were manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard in Switzerland.[26]

Reception

View of Mako from across park's lake showing the lift hill and end of layout.

Mako has been positively received among guests and critics. Dewayne Bevil from the Orlando Sentinel described the ride as "breathtaking" and stated "SeaWorld has delivered on its marketing promise with the fastest, tallest, longest coaster in the Orlando market".[33] Marjie Lambert from the Miami Herald commented that the ride was like a "retro coaster" and mentioned "its design is reminiscent of old wooden coasters where the track couldn’t be shaped into the pretzels and upside down loops that are so popular in today’s steel coasters".[34] Sharon Wynne from the Tampa Bay Times suggested "it will likely to take two or three more trips on this coaster to appreciate all its tricks" and coaster enthusiast Jim Terry attending the soft opening had acclaimed it was the best roller coaster in Florida.[35]

Arthur Levine of USA Today remarked that "it's more than enough to get pulses racing and senses heightened, but not so much as to cause tunnel vision, grayouts, or other unpleasant side effects".[36] Elle Gordon of the Irish Independent likened the "weightless airtime" as a highlight of her park visit and added it was well worth a night time ride.[37] Russell Meyer of Theme Park Insider observed the themeing of the roller coaster and its surrounding area was "excellently done" with the accommodating effects and music a "nice touch".[38]

Awards

Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride
for 2016
Ranking
3[39]
Golden Ticket Awards
: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023
Ranking 35[40] 31[41] 17[42] 15[43] 17[44] 16[45] 17[46]

See also

References

  1. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  2. ^
    Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  3. ^ "Mako". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  4. Orlando Business Journal
    . Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  5. ^
    Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  6. ^ "Isurus oxyrinchus". Florida Museum of Natural History. May 9, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  7. ^ Niles, Robert (May 27, 2015). "SeaWorld Orlando Announces New Coaster, Mako". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  8. ^ Niles, Robert (August 17, 2015). "SeaWorld's Mako Makes its Move to Orlando". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  9. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  10. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  11. ^ Busdeker, Jon (January 7, 2016). "SeaWorld's Mako taking shape before summer opening date". WESH. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  12. ^
    Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  13. ^ Batchelor, Amanda (February 16, 2016). "SeaWorld Orlando unveils new Mako roller-coaster car". WPLG. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  14. ^ "Final piece of Mako roller coaster in place". KTTV. March 15, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2017 – via WOFL.
  15. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  16. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  17. ^ Sangalang, Jennifer (April 4, 2016). "SeaWorld's Mako roller coaster opens in June". Florida Today. USA Today. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  18. The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original
    on September 9, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  19. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  20. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  21. ^ Kubersky, Seth (June 2, 2016). "Summer of Mako event starts June 10 at SeaWorld Orlando". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  22. ^ "SeaWorld introduces hyper coaster 'Mako'". WFTV. June 9, 2016. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  23. ^ Kubersky, Seth (June 10, 2016). "Mako now open at SeaWorld Orlando". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  24. ^ Kubersky, Seth (June 2, 2016). "Summer of Mako event starts June 10 at SeaWorld Orlando". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  25. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  26. ^
    The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original
    on September 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  27. The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original
    on September 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  28. ^ a b Winningham, Cathleigh (May 10, 2016). "News 6 gets inside look at new SeaWorld roller coaster". WKMG. Archived from the original on May 11, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  29. ^
    Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  30. ^ a b Bevil, Dewayne (2019). "Mako soundtrack tells 'musical story' of sharks". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  31. ^ a b c d e f Marden, Duane. "Mako – SeaWorld Orlando  (Orlando, Florida, USA)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  32. ^ Veness, Simon; Veness, Susan (February 18, 2016). "Florida's biggest, fastest and longest rollercoaster". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  33. Tribune Newspapers
    . Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  34. The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original
    on September 9, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  35. ^ Wynne, Sharon Kennedy (June 9, 2016). "Review: SeaWorld's Mako, open Friday, full of high speeds and weightlessness". Tampa Bay Times. Times Publishing Company. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  36. Gannett Company
    . Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  37. Independent News & Media
    . Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  38. ^ Meyer, Russell. "Mako at SeaWorld Orlando". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  39. ^ "Amusement Today – Golden Ticket Awards 2016" (PDF). Amusement Today. 20 (6.2): 8. September 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
  40. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today
    . September 2016.
  41. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today
    . September 2017.
  42. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today
    . September 2018.
  43. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today
    . September 2019.
  44. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived
    from the original on November 15, 2021.
  45. Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived
    from the original on September 12, 2022.
  46. ^ "2023 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Amusement Today. 27 (6.2): 66–70. September 2023. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mako (roller coaster).


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mako_(roller_coaster)&oldid=1198892760"