When it comes to roller coasters in the Orlando area, there’s only one that claims the title of “longest, tallest and fastest.” The honor goes to Mako at SeaWorld which certainly lives up to the description.
Longest? Yep, Mako has 4,760 feet of steel track.
Tallest? Oh yeah, you realize that when you plunge down the 200 foot drop!
Fastest? How does 73 mph sound to you?
The coaster is themed around the quick mako shark trolling the waters for prey. The ride tries to mimick some of the shark’s movements as the trains speed along the track. In the boarding area, which is designed to look like a shipwreck, you can see a light panel in the ceiling that shows shadows of sharks swimming above.
Once on the train, dramatic music starts to play as you begin the climb up the 200 foot lift hill before heading almost straight down at more than 70 miles per hour. It’s then where this coaster begins to deliver the thrills. Throughout the ride, there are several hills that literally lift you off your seat in moments of weightlessness.
There is no shortage of airtime on Mako!
Despite being such a fantastic roller coaster, Mako doesn’t quite get long wait times. Something I don’t understand. It could be the location in the park, it could be that it’s just too “thrilling” for some, or… well, I don’t really know.
I first rode Mako on opening weekend, and despite there being a huge queue area, the wait time was a mere 10 minutes. Over the Christmas holiday, I saw wait times around 20 – 30 minutes during my visits. This past weekend, the wait time was posted at 5 and I was able to walk right on with most of the train running empty. In comparison, the Manta roller coaster at the park’s entrance, was a 50 minute wait.
Now, I’m not complaining, in fact I kind of like the fact that the wait for Mako is never too long!
If you’re visiting the Orlando area, taking a ride on this roller coaster is a must-do. There simply isn’t anything like it at the other two parks. She’s smooth, she’s fast and she’s definitely one roller coaster you don’t want to pass up.
If you want to experience what it’s like to take a ride on Mako, check out this 4K HD front-row video I took this weekend. Pay attention to that first drop, it’s simply amazing!