The rides will debut at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
SeaWorld Orlando will open its first launch roller coaster in the new year.
Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando will swap out a traditional train lift for magnetically powered motors that launch riders into a 93 foot drop at a 100 degree angle.
Vice President of Design and Engineering Brian Andrelczyk says the 1,900 foot long, 52 mph roller coaster will be family friendly.
“This coaster has a forty-eight inch tall minimum rider height requirement, so really the whole family can enjoy Ice Breaker which helps differentiate this coaster from the rest of our collection.”
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Separately, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, which owns SeaWorld Orlando, says it will open a hybrid steel and wooden roller coaster called Iron Gwazi at its Busch Gardens Tampa Bay property around the same time.
Rocky Mountain Construction Chief Operating Officer Jacob Kilcup says his team used the original wooden structure of the ride and then added a steel track system on top to strengthen it.
“So, what we’re doing is we’re able to spread the load out among all the wooden supports. And that allows us to do what we’re able to do and, like I said, we go fast and we go upside down and we go negative gs.”
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The ride which hits 76 mph along its 4,000 foot long course features a 91 foot drop.
Both coasters are scheduled to open in Spring 2020.
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