Gabrielle Russon
Surf’s up in Orlando.
SeaWorld Orlando’s surfing-themed roller coaster Pipeline officially opens May 27 to the general public, the theme park announced Monday on social media.
Passholders can get an early chance to ride starting May 12.
Riders will board the coaster resembling a giant surfboard that travels up to 60 mph and goes up to 110 feet in the air. Passengers wear over-the-shoulder harnesses but are standing up, mimicking the surfing motion. SeaWorld described the ride as having “innovative dynamic seats that give you unparalleled freedom of movement.”
Pipeline is labeled an “extreme thrill” and people must be at least 54 inches tall to ride.
SeaWorld has billed itself as Orlando’s roller coaster capital since Pipeline’s debut will mark the seventh coaster at the theme park. The park is already home to Mako, Orlando’s tallest and fastest roller coaster that goes up 73 mph and travels 200 feet high at its highest point. Until Pipeline, Ice Breaker was the newest coaster to open. The launch coaster debuted in 2022.
Company leaders have said they are pushing for more rides and attractions at the park that was previously best known for its orca shows.
The Orlando-based SeaWorld Entertainment company, which operates SeaWorld Orlando and 11 other parks across the country, is holding its first-quarter earnings call May 9.
The other theme parks in Orlando are also debuting new rides this year.
Universal Orlando is building a new Minions-themed attraction set to open sometime this summer. Universal has not released the official opening date for the interaction experience, called the Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast, where visitors use blasters to compete against each other. Villain-Con Minion Blast will be part of a new Minions-themed land at Universal Studios and will be located in the old building that housed the Shrek 4-D attraction.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney World officially opened up its latest roller coaster, TRON Lightcycle/Run at the Magic Kingdom last month. Visitors cannot use a standby line but must snag a spot in a virtual queue or pay for Lightning Lane in order to ride the coaster. TRON travels nearly 60 mph which Disney called one of the fastest rides at its parks.
