ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s the moment thrill seekers have been waiting for.
SeaWorld Orlando’s long-awaited roller-coaster Ice Breaker held its grand opening event for the general public on Friday.
After a short “Ice, Ice, Baby” inspired dance by SeaWorld performers, leaders smashed the ice and cut an orange and blue ribbon.
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Over the past few weeks, members of the media and SeaWorld Orlando pass members have been given the chance to take a ride on the attraction before it opened.
See News 6′s Mark Lehman take a ride on the new attraction below.
Named after the icy Arctic summits, Ice Breaker features four airtime filled launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch into the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida — a 93 feet tall spike with a 100-degree angle. The thrills chill riders further as they fly over a near-vertical tophat maneuver into a series of exciting twists, turns and airtime hills.
The ride is SeaWorld Orlando’s first launch coaster.
“It’s a thrilling ride and it packs a punch that will exceed your expectations,” Vice President of Operations at SeaWorld Orlando, Rob McNicholas said during Friday’s event. “This could be a first coaster for a young child. It’s a family coaster. It’s smooth, repeatable and it’s a whole lot of fun!”
The ride has a 54-inch height requirement, which makes it the perfect coaster for families.
The brand-new coaster is the centerpiece of the theme park’s revamped Wild Arctic area and will also highlight its conservation partner, Alaska SeaLife Center, dedicated research, rescue, rehabilitation and education facility.
“When I first heard about the concept about this - I was a little skeptical. Ice? Florida? Alaska partnership? How much could SeaWorld Orlando and the Alaska SeaLife Center have in common,” explained Alaska SeaLife Center President, Tara Riemer. “But, what we have in common is the commitment to what really matters. The commitment to the oceans, the commitment to the animals who live in those oceans. And so, that’s a common mission of both SeaWorld and the Alaska SeaLife Center, and one that we consider very, very important.”
The attraction was originally scheduled to open in 2020 but faced several delays, including the park’s closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ice Breaker is one of several new attractions SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment plans to open across its theme parks.
Next month, at nearby Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, the company will open the record-breaking coaster Iron Gwazi.
Ice Breaker will be open daily at SeaWorld Orlando.
Facts about the ride:
Maximum height
- Rear spike: 93 feet
- Top hat: 80 feet
Length of track
- Track length: 1,900 feet
- Track traveled: 2,750 feet
Maximum speed: 52 mph
Ride duration: 80-90 seconds
Number of trains: Two
Number of coaches: Three per train, with three rows per coach
Minimum rider height: 54 inches
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