![]() Park president John Reilly joined me for my first trip on the coaster, and he explained several of its elements along the way. And remember, on this ride, you're the Manta.) (But no Manta rays - at up to 20 feet wide, they're too big for this pool. I didn't get a chance to walk the attraction's new queue, which was not completed, but it promised some amazing views of its own, as it will take visitors around and underneath the ride's adjacent ray pool, which houses California bat rays and diamond stingrays. You'll "dive underwater" for a video view into the realm of the Manta ray, before blasting from the tunnel for your ride toward the shore of Mission Bay. And ride in the back, as well, for the best view of Manta's unique feature - a wrap-around high-definition video tunnel that starts the ride. Ride in the back for the most airtime, and the smoothest ride. Essentially, instead of leaning deep into turns, the track banking every so slightly leans you away from them, pulling you from your seat instead of pushing you into it. ![]() Part of the trick of making airtime on a terrain coaster is to use shifts in banking to achieve the zero and negative G-forces that lift you from your seat. I felt I spent more time pulling out of my seat than sitting in it, as Manta used its minimal vertical changes to maximum effect. If you want to air out your spine with a refreshing stretch, try Manta. ![]() I haven't ridden Cheetah Hunt, and was surprised to discover that a terrain coaster could deliver so much airtime. Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin production, but it also spends much of its time rolling from side to side as it skims the ground, powered by multiple launches that push it through its twists and turns. But if you're looking for an east-coast, SeaWorld-family roller coaster to compare with this Manta, I think Busch Gardens Tampa's Cheetah Hunt provides a better match. Frequent Theme Park Insider readers and SeaWorld fans no doubt are familiar with SeaWorld Orlando's Manta, a Bolliger & Mabillard Flying coaster that won our Theme Park Insider Award for World's Best New Attraction in 2009. ![]()
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