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Exciting SeaWorld Roller Coasters!"Atlantis" joins the San Antonio Coasters!
Hot News! The Atlantis ride is coming to SeaWorld San Antonio!
The Atlantis half-roller coaster, half-waterflume ride is scheduled to open at the end of May, 2007! The exact date is supposed to be May 24th...but to get such a great new ride, maybe we can forgive 'em if they run a little later... If you'd like to see a photo and read a discription of this ride (in its San Diego location,) just scroll a few paragraphs down this page! End Hot News! SeaWorld San Antonio has two rip-roarin' roller coasters that you'll LOVE riding with your older kids. On this page, we'll talk about those 2 terrific coasters---the Steel Eel and The Great White (named after the shark...) We'll also compare these two wild wonders with the tamer "family" rollercoaster you can enjoy at SeaWorld San Diego, called "Journey to Atlantis." Then after talking about these 3 roller coasters, we'll talk about 2 more rides you'll want to plan on experiencing San Antonio's Sea World...the Texas Splashdown water flume ride, and the Rio Loco wild-water rafting ride. SeaWorld Roller Coasters: The Steel Eel at SeaWorld San Antonio
If you love roller coaster thrills, then don't miss riding SeaWorld San Antonio's "Steel Eel!" This tall ride dominates the skyline in half of the park, twining in and out of Sea World's other attractions. (In the picture to your left, you see a view of the Steel Eel rollercoaster from across Sea World's lagoon. In the photo to your right, you see the Steel Eel coaster as it passes the Penguin Experience pavilion.)Added to Sea World San Antonio in 1999, the custom-designed Steel Eel became the park's tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster. This 15-story tall attraction gives riders a 150 foot first drop...while running at a speed of 65 MPH! If you're a would-be rider, you should make this one of the attractions around which you plan your day. Needless to say, with a coaster this outstanding, there can be quite a line up! The Steel Eel can move 1200 riders per hour...when all's going smoothly; but, even so, try to hit this attraction early before the lines build up, if possible. There's a minimum height of 48" to ride the Steel Eel. Guests in wheelchairs should enter through the ride's exit. There will be a transfer into the ride car to make and, in addition, your health should be hearty enough to withstand the rigors that this mean contraption will put you through. One escort is allowed per wheelchair visitor. SeaWorld Roller Coasters: "The Great White" (Shark) at SeaWorld San Antonio
"The Great White" roller coaster is named after a species of shark. Hopefully, everybody who attends SeaWorld realizes this. But, I'm not sure that everybody is well-versed on their knowledge of sea creatures...and I, therefore, don't think it was such a good idea to have named a ride "The Great White" (for reasons I'll let you imagine for yourself!)But, no matter by what name you call it, "The Great White" is one heck of a roller coaster! This suspension-style flyer was added to SeaWorld San Antonio in 1996, and became an instant hit with visitors. During the Great White's 2,500+ foot long course, you'll face 5 inversions if you choose to ride! Within the 2-minute ride time, you'll turn upside-down in 2 loops, 2 corkscrews and one Zero-G roll...the action never stops! In the picture to your left, you can see that the riders' feet nearly graze the heads of passersby at one point! This $10 million-dollar thrill ride will keep you moving at nearly 50 MPH. You'll hang downwards from the ride, sitting in a ski lift-style chair. Since your feet really WILL be dangling above the crowds of visitors, no shoes that could possibly fall off and hurl into the other guests are allowed; you'll ride bare-footed, instead. There's a minimum height of 54" tall required to ride "The Great White" roller coaster. Wheelchairs should enter through the exit; 3 guests are allowed for each guest using a wheelchair. SeaWorld Roller Coasters: "Journey to Atlantis," SeaWorld San Diego
The "Journey to Atlantis" ride at SeaWorld San Diego is a very beautiful ride...and it's unique in the fact that it's BOTH a water flume ride AND a "dry-land" roller coaster! However, if you're taking a cross-country road trip to both SeaWorld parks, be sure to ride the roller coasters in San Antonio to get your thrills...because the "Journey to Atlantis" is much tamer and more family-oriented. (Of course, if your kids are too young to ride the Steel Eel and the Great White, you'll love being able to all ride together on "The Journey to Atlantis" roller coaster at SeaWorld San Diego!)The Journey to Atlantis opened at the San Diego location in May of 2004, just in time for the summer crowds. Since it's the first (and only) roller coaster at SeaWorld California, you'd be right if you guessed that it became a smash hit right away! Lines were long for "Atlantis" that first year...and they STILL are! There's only a 42" minimum height requirement for the Journey to Atlantis rollercoaster, and here's why: the steepest drop is only 60 feet tall, and the maximum speed reached is merely 42 MPH. (Contrast these statistics with what you read in the above paragraphs about San Antonio's coasters!) On the other hand, you'll get nearly 5 whole minutes of ride time...and, after waiting in a long line, getting a nice long turn is a gratifying thing! Plus, you'll board a "boat" which takes you on a watery journey to a gets-you-wet splashdown...and THEN, your ride vehicle transitions onto a dry track...via a "roller coaster ELEVATOR"...to make your final moments whirl by in the coaster-segment of the ride! In addition, you'll glimpse the beautiful, rare Commerson's dolphins as you ride. Then, later, you'll be able to see these beauties more closely in the educational exhibit area of the attraction. These strange dolphins look like penguins at first glance! For more information about "Journey to Atlantis" and the rides in San Diego, use the following link to jump to the "SeaWorld San Diego Rides" page of this website. SeaWorld Roller Coasters and Rides: The Texas Splashdown Log Flume
It's really hot in San Antonio, Texas. I took these photos the Saturday before Easter, which---in 2006---fell in the middle of April. The temperature was well into the 90's, and the humidity...well, I don't know what level it was, but I sweated all day. (Despite having fewer rides at SeaWorld San Diego, one of its great benefits is NOT having to sweat most days of the year!)The SeaWorld folks knew by the success of their 1993 addition to the park---the Lost Lagoon Water Park---that their guests LIKE to get wet. It keeps them cooler! So, it was obvious to the management that giving the guests watery-rides ought to make a "big splash" (that was a pun!). When the Texas Splashdown log flume opened in 1996, the SeaWorld folks got to see that they guessed correctly! Lines formed for the Texas Splashdown...and they haven't quit forming ever since! What's a better way to cool down on a hot day than to go for a plunge...and get yourself sprayed! Actually, on the Texas Splashdown log flume, you'll get to drop down not one, but TWO plunges...one of which is as tall as a 5 story building! The "log" ride cars can hold up to 4 passengers...and the more weight you get into the log, the lower in the water it sits (and the bigger splashes you'll make!) Guests must meet the minimum height requirement of 46" tall to ride alone OR be accompanied by a responsible adult. Wheelchair guests should enter via the exit. A transfer into the wobbly log will be required; wheelchair guests may bring up to 3 friends along to assist and enjoy the ride. SeaWorld Roller Coasters and Rides: White-water rafting---come get drenched!
The Rio Loco opened at Sea World San Antonio in 1997, the year after the Texas Splashdown made such a success. Just like it's splasy predecessor, the Rio Loco made an instant hit with the hot & sweaty SeaWorld guests! You'll find good-sized lines for the Rio Loco still...on any day that's warm enough for guests to want a soaking!The Rio Loco's course winds through tall, shady---and very attractive---trees. It's like taking a beautiful nature walk! Needless to say, you'll get wet if you ride the Rio Loco---but, then, that's the point! Water will splash into the car and spray from overhead. Watch out---don't forget to keep your camera in a dry place! The minimum height requirement for the Rio Loco is 42" tall. Wheelchair guests should enter through the special entryway that they'll find to the left of the main entrance to the ride. Up to 5 guests may assist and accompany. So, in 1999 when the Rio Loco's sister, the "Shipwreck Rapids" ride debuted in SeaWorld San Diego, it started out with the large-capacity 9 passenger rafts. That was really great for moving through the opening-year crowds. One difference between the Texas and California SeaWorlds, though, is that if you get drenched in SeaWorld San Diego, you just might shiver for the rest of the day! Thus, in the photos of Shipwreck Rapids (to your right and below), you'll see that the rafts are running nearly empty. Actually, watching empty rafts float by in San Diego is not an unusual occurrence at all! Watch out for the water cannons to the side of the ride, though. For a small fee, passersby can drench you---and they do! Like its "sister" the Rio Loco, the Shipwreck Rapids ride requires a minimum height of 42" tall to ride.
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Discover the SeaWorld Roller Coasters and Rides of San Antonio! Updated February 28, 2007. Related info--- 
The Steel Eel doesn't depend on inversions for generating its thrill factor. Instead, this golden monster gives riders "air time," those periods of weightlessness which will make you feel that you're soaring like a bird. You'll drop time and time again along the 3,700 foot course, giving you a satisfying, nearly 3-minute ride.
And in the photo to your right, you see Great White riders making a wild turn, with feet flying in the air as they go!
When the SeaWorld folks decided to open a white-water rafting ride at their San Diego park, they thought, "Hmmm...we only have 6-passenger rafts in San Antonio, which makes the line more more slowly. We'll get 9-passenger rafts for San Diego, and the line will move along more quickly."
The Shipwreck Rapids ride will give you a relaxing 5 minutes of floating fun. You'll wind through a more "urban" atmosphere on the San Diego version...full of decorations themed to, well, a ship wreck...just like the name of the ride says! You'll float through the Shipwreck Rapids Cafe dining area as part of your journey. At lunch time, the smell of Bar-B-Que will make your mouth water! 
