SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio will each welcome new attractions to their portfolio in 2023. In San Diego, a new multi-launch coaster will open, taking guests into the Arctic while riding a coaster car inspired by the shape of a snowmobile. As for San Antonio, a water flume coaster including a launch and steep drop will be introduced to the park, combining thrills with the splash-filled joy typical of flume rides.
SeaWorld San Diego – Arctic Rescue
SeaWorld San Diego announced that the highly anticipated coaster, Arctic Rescue, will open in the spring of 2023. This family-friendly multi-launch ride invites guests to hop on a snowmobile and launch at up to 40 mph on a chilly adventure as they race through the unpredictable arctic climate to help animals in danger. With its 48-inch height requirement, adventure seekers of all ages will enjoy the thrills and chills of Arctic Rescue.
SeaWorld’s new coaster will feature a unique indoor launch station where passengers will start their journey inside of the Wild Arctic exhibit and launch outside straddling a snowmobile style vehicle. Guests will race through the Arctic and experience three launches, each faster than the last, at 34, 38 and 40 miles per hour. The straddle snowmobile-style seats allow for an immersive ride experience for each rider as they lean into banks and turns and glide up heights as tall as 30 feet along the 2,800 feet of track. Manufactured by Intamin Worldwide, each train will hold 16 riders in eight, two-person rows.
“We’re continuously looking for ways to add new experiences to the park for our guests and this new coaster is a great addition to our ride line-up and a perfect complement to the Wild Arctic exhibit,” said Jim Lake, SeaWorld San Diego Park President. “The ride is also an educational opportunity for guests to learn more about climate change, how it impacts animals in the Arctic and what they can do to help the issue. I truly feel that seeing these animals up-close at SeaWorld allows guests to build a stronger connection and encouragement to take action to help protect them.”
SeaWorld San Antonio – Catapult Falls
SeaWorld San Antonio announced the construction of a new water flume coaster, Catapult Falls, coming in 2023. The ride combines the thrill of a launched roller coaster, the excitement of a vertical lift elevator that lifts riders above the theme park, and a water flume ride with a steep drop, to produce multiple rushes of adrenaline as well as moments of exciting splashes to cool guests down.
“Catapult Falls will be the perfect addition to our already fantastic line up of family rides,” said Byron Surrett, SeaWorld San Antonio President. “Not only will it provide thrills for those wanting the exhilaration of a coaster-type ride, but being a water ride, it will give guests one more way to cool down in the hot Texas temperatures. It will be the perfect family adventure ride.”
Eleven boats, each with eight riders, will catapult through the launch at speeds of 30 feet per second, allowing riders to feel the rush of a coaster while experiencing the rocking and swaying of riding on a track of water. Angled at a staggering 53 degrees, the chute plummets riders at its peak into a watery splashdown at over 37 miles per hour. The duration of this attraction is in excess of five minutes.
After winding through a series of twists and turns, Catapult Falls uses an elevator to lift guests up seven feet per second to reach a height of over 55 feet. The breathtaking views don’t last long as the ride prepares guests for the plunge.
