SeaWorld San Diego will open its brand new coaster, Tidal Twister, tomorrow (May 24th). This coaster is the first of its kind: a horizontal infinity loop. We were able to get a sneak peek at an early morning media preview. Oh, and you’ll get a chance to see Dusty trying his best not to look scared on our Point of View video of the new ride. Priceless.
Tidal Twister
The new coaster is inspired by the power of the ocean. It is reminiscent of the push-pull cycle of the tides. The world’s first horizontal infinity coaster has two loading docks to fill the individual “cars” that “duel” when the coaster is in motion. As the coaster runs, the cars head towards each other, narrowly avoiding each other in the middle.
This is a Skywarp Horizon coaster from Skyline Attractions and is the first of its kind. The only other version of this coaster is the Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster in Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. However, that one is oriented upright, while Tidal Twister is laid out horizontally. While the coaster only has one inversion, it makes multiple cycles around the track with gradually varying speeds.
Dusty usually isn’t one for roller coasters, other than the tame Disney type, but this one had him pretty excited.
The attraction has been built in a tight little space between Shipwreck Rapids and the Bayside theater.
Tidal Twister opens to the public on May 24. It has a lower height requirement compared to other rides. In order to ride, you must be 48″ tall. This makes it the perfect attraction for families looking to get into roller coasters together.
Rising Tide Conservation
Whenever SeaWorld opens a new attraction, they also want a counterpart to involve guests in animal conservation efforts and environmental education. As Tidal Twister was inspired by the power of the ocean tides, its counterpart, RISING TIDE, focuses on ensuring the longevity of ocean fish. We were able to interview Mike Price, the curator of fishes about the relationship between the coaster and the revitalized aquarium next door.
Just around the corner from the coaster’s exit is the featured exhibit. There are some interesting posters inside that details SeaWorld’s commitment towards research as a result of the new attraction. The exhibit opens in tandem with Tidal Twister on May 24.
SeaWorld Ticket Offers
MiceChat offices are in Burbank, California, near the Disney Studios. For us, SeaWorld is at least a 3 hours long drive. Since we needed to be at the media event early in the morning, we reached out to our friends at Get Away Today to book hotel and park tickets.
As MiceChat’s official travel sponsor, they offer all sorts of deals on theme park tickets and hotel rooms. Here are some of the tickets they offer for SeaWorld. Be sure to check their website for their full selection!
SeaWorld
Length of Stay Tickets (up to 7 days)
- $75 per ticket, valid for any day of the year and includes admission for up to seven consecutive days.
- Good for unlimited visits up to seven consecutive days from the first day of use
- Save up to $15 off the 1-day regular gate price for up to seven days of admission! (over $100 in savings per ticket when compared to seven days’ worth of admission)
- $91 per ticket, valid for any day of the year
- Includes one-day admission and free All-Day Dining.
- All-Day Dining deal is valid at select restaurants and allows up to 3 items per hour until restaurant closing time.
- Restaurants include Shipwreck Reef Café, Calypso Bay Smokehouse, Mama Stella’s Pizza Kitchen, Pineapple Pete’s Island Eats, and Flatbreads & Fry Cones.
- This is great for families who only want one day in the park and don’t want to worry about meals!
Aquatica Water Park San Diego
Length of Stay Tickets + Aquatica
- $99 per ticket, valid for any day of the year and include admission for up to seven consecutive days for BOTH SeaWorld San Diego and Aquatica.
- Make sure to check Aquatica’s schedule, as they operate seasonally (May – October) and have different hours from SeaWorld.
- Savings of over $50 per ticket compared to 1-day regular gate price for both parks. (over $300 in savings per ticket when compared to seven days’ worth of admission)
- $45 per adult and $39 per child, valid for any day the park is open (typically May through October).
- Aquatica is about a 20-minute drive from SeaWorld, and perfect for families who love water parks!
Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn
Because our media preview was so early in the morning, we headed down the night before and stayed at Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn thanks to our friends at Get Away Today. This hotel is located on Shelter Island in San Diego, directly on the marina with views of the bay and Downtown San Diego. It’s a beautiful hotel and a tiki lover’s paradise. (Fun fact: Dusty is a tiki fanatic and an avid collector of all-things tropical) If we had more time, this would be the perfect spot for a weekend getaway.
When you use Get Away Today to book hotels, you are also able to purchase the discounted tickets to theme parks at the same time. They have a lot of fantastic hotels located all around the popular US theme parks. Be sure to take a look at their website before making any travel plans!
Are you interested in trying SeaWorld new coaster?
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