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SeaWorld San Diego planning new 2025/26 coaster?

Lori Marie Loud

Lori Marie Loud

Giga Poster
While trying to read up on the SFOT Log Flume rumors I ended up finding this on the front page:

SeaWorld California

screamscape.com screamscape.com

So, allegedly, SWSD is looking at B&M to give them a layout for a new 2025/26 coaster, and there is a possibility it could be a wing. This would be fairly big as California as a whole does not have a Wing at all. Screamscape also mooted the possibility that it could be a surf coaster like Pipeline.

Watch this space
 
Wing doesn't make much sense since emporer has floor lessons trains on a multilooper. Surf could work, nice gimik for the GP. My only issue is for one riddler up the road, but multilaunches are most of the park, a traditional airtime machine would go a long way.

Not sure if it helps, but there is a small fenced off area behind emp and artic rescue. Looks like enough room for a screaming swing or drop tower.

Jellyfish experience sounds like a good return of indoor aquariums for swsd. We got rid of 3 in the last 5 years, so getting one back would be nice. They where all very immersive and visually very nice. Also AC in parks is always a bonus.

I still want a raptor or gtx hopefully in the back or middle of the park. Most major.coasters are on the parking lot side shoved towards the back. Tidal Twister is gone so watch out for that area. Park has to go with what the coastal commission says so height and location limits are very strict.

The midway district (where swsd is located in San diego) is in the planning to remove its 150 ft height limit in the next few years so hypers and such are possible.
 
Feels like the park is prepping for large capital in 2025. They just fixed up all but one of the bathrooms, and are very nice. Family coaster this year, exhibit next year. Seems like staffing is back to normal. They added a new pirate show over the summer, and howl o scream is getting better each year.

My engineering teacher is the head of electrical instalation on swsd new attractions so I may try to dig up some dirt.
 
Sorry, that was a long title. Back in November, I attended a Q&A with park president Jim Lake. Mr. Lake worked for Disney for over 15 years before jumping ship to SWSD. He did say that pin trading was a priority to him, coming from Disney merchandising this makes sense. SWSD was the first SW park to get pins in 2018. It was popular amoung pass members for a short time, but was essentially phased out. He also said that new animal experiences ground up are a priority. As an example, he pointed to the new jellyfish exhibit opening this year. From the renders, it looks very similar to the animal areas of SW Suadi. He addressed some other concerns such as employment issues, saying that training of the employees was not up to his or the company's standards. He also said that they are and have been understaffed since the pandemic. As a San Diego resident, I can attest that they send people to hire high schools at least once a year. This issue slowly seems to be getting better.

Now for what people actually want to yell about...the 5% surcharge. He claims it was necessary to improve the profit, but didn't have an answer when my family as well as others questioned why they don't advertise it more clearly, or just raise the prices by 5%. He also pulled some corporate bs out of his but, most notably when asked why they removed toilet seat covers from the park, he stated "Florida doesn't have them, they are our model." The most interesting question of the day was when a small kid asked about the then still SBNO Tidal Twister. When asked, Mr. Lake admitted that it was to be demolished soon after, and admitted that the ride was a technical nightmare, and more Hassel than it was popular. After responding to the small child, he stated "Tidal Twister will close permanently, but you can look to that area for future attractions of a similar style." He also said that three aquariums on site where not cleared by state inspectors, and would be demolished. Two of those aquariums are located right next to and behind Tidal Twister. TT has been completely demolished, and the tidepool area around it is blocked off. I would personally love to see something like pipeline here, but I am not sure with the zoning issues of San Diegos Midway District. There is also a large cement patch located behind Emporer and AR. They paved about 1/3 of it, then stopped. At first I was thinking a screaming swing, but it doesn't seem too likely at the moment.

Mr. Lake also stated that he wanted better food options at the park. In my opinion, they have in the three months since that Q&A. SWSD turns 60 on March 21st, so while I doubt it, some kind of anaversary celebration like they did for the 50th. Unfortunately, the Q&A was limited to a little over an hour, but Mr. Lake did stay long after to individually receive feedback and answer questions. This was a really nice gesture, and shows that he, and the rest of managment actually care. I know people don't really care about SWSD, and most people on this site will never get down here, but it is a very pretty park, and the only SW park to actually be located on the water. Overall, if you are in Cali, make to two hour trip down here, and support an underappreciated park. Thanks, have a nice day.
 
LightningColossus46 said:
I know people don't really care about SWSD, and most people on this site will never get down here, but it is a very pretty park, and the only SW park to actually be located on the water. Overall, if you are in Cali, make to two hour trip down here, and support an underappreciated park. Thanks, have a nice day.
Click to expand...

Last Summer I spent a week hitting a lot of the California parks and enjoyed SWSD as well as Belmont Park. Unfortunately Arctic Rescue was down the day I was there so I will need to revisit at some point. If they added yet another coaster that would be a bonus. I will also need to revisit KBF for Xcelerator and MM for several of their coasters.
 
I went to SW a few times this year. As a teacher, I get a free Fun Card (essentially, free admission). It's sad to hear the two aquariums will be demolished, but as they've been SBNO for years, it's not exactly a surprise. I do think the upcoming jellyfish exhibit is a step in the right direction, but with those aquariums out of the picture, there's no real small, intimate sea life display. I hope they find a way to accomplish that somewhere in the park in addition to the jellyfish.

While the coasters are certainly a good draw, in terms of rides, what they're really missing now are some flat rides. Aside from the kiddie flat rides in the former Seasame Street Bay of Play area, a chair swing, and the woefully dull Riptide Rescue/Huss Airboat, there's really no other offerings. Gryphon would be a terrific idea... thrilling, but still largely family friendly.

As far as food, while I don't necessarily feel it's bad, what makes it bad is the usually very slow service. Honestly, since you can leave and reenter the parking lot for free, I typically drive out of the park to any one of the myriad of better food choices that are nearby. Pacific Beach area, just north of the park (just drive straight up Ingarham Street until you hit Garnet), has a great selection of food (World Curry is my absolute fave!), while just south of the park is Phil's BBQ, and a bit west of that is the Ocean Beach area, which also has good food options.
 
Some big updates from over the weekend...

Their 10 year old front entrance is getting demolished, and replaced. The whole front and security area is in utter shambles right now.

Journey to Atlantis is getting a much needed retrack on its first turn, and possibly some new paint.

The aquarium behind TT is completely destroyed. While walking past, I listen in on a few managers. They never said "ride or coaster", but one asked what was going there to Wich another manager gestured with his hands something big, with a turnaround over tt's old station. Just food for though.

Being an inside look weekend, I was able to go behind the scenes behind TT and the rescue and rehabilitation area behind shipwreck rapids. I don't have the pics immediately since I am writing this on a computer, but I will post them later. It shows full demolishion of TT and the aquarium. Once I post them, some help deciphering them would be greatly appreciated.

Oh and the jellyfish exhibit is under construction, with multiple cranes and workers over there
 
On the topic of this, there's been some recent kerfuffle in San Diego, all of it unrelated to one another and kind of touched on above.

For one, Riptide Rescue (Huss Airboat) is about to be relocated as per ParkFans, likely onto Tidal Twister's plot of land. For reference it's currently situated on the North Edge of the park, far from the entrance.

For another, much of the track after Journey to Atlantis' first lift hill has been removed for replacement;
IMG_3382.jpg

Elsewhere, their very spectacular coral entrance gate has been tarped off and will be torn down for this banger of a gate;
1705876030028.png

While the immediate reaction might be what the bloody hell, rumors have it that is is either temporary or apart of a bigger plan... perhaps to interact with some front gate coaster like a B&M Wing? Give restrictions, if they absolutely had to build one then this is where it'd be allowed. Time will tell.
 
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Ugh, not a fan of having Riptide Rescue being relocated there. That's a much bigger plot of land, and you'd think there'd be a better use for it. And it would also leave behind a small plot of land that has no real serious development options, other than maybe a deck or yet another store/food location.
 
I sort of like the entrance. My theory is that sw waiting for the Orcas to die of natural causes so they can replace the stadium. They aren't allowed to breed them anymore, and there aren't any in Saudi. In about 15 years, they will rip it out, and stick a coaster that runs to the front entrance.
 
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