Barely a year after the opening of Emperor in 2022, SeaWorld’s most intense Coaster, the news started flooding in they were opening another coaster in 2023. Replacing the old Wild Arctic Simulator that always got mixed reviews the rumors were for a pretty short but intense indoor coaster. This got scrapped and instead, a long family-friendly outdoor attraction was built.
This is Arctic Rescue a Triple Launced Family Coaster, where riders actually sit on their own Snow Mobile and ride off on a heroic adventure. The ride is aimed at families and is not too intense, but the Ride-on nature of a Stradle Coaster is really fun, a bit like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal Orlando.
- Location – Seaworld – San Diego
- Type – Triple Launched Straddle Coaster – Family
- Duration – 1:30 Mins
- Height Restriction – 48 In
- Average Queue time – 15 mins – 60 Mins
- Skip The Line – YES – $24.99 – One Skip
- Additional Info – 2,800ft Longest Straddle Coaster on the West Coast. 40Mph and 3 Launches.
Arctic Rescue Roller Coaster Review - Sea World San Diego
- Thrill Rating
- Fun
- Uniqueness and Theming
- Smoothness and Comfort
- Value For Time
What is Arctic Rescue
The Ride is the Longest Straddle Coaster on the East Coast. A Straddle Coaster is a regular Roller Coaster but instead of sitting in a seat, you ride on the carriage like you would a Motorbike, a Horse, or more apt for Arctic Rescue, A Snow Mobile.
This ride-on format makes the ride very unique. You are very upright and exposed and this makes the experience more thrilling. You still get a lap belt and are very safe, but it just feels a little more extreme than when you are triple-belted into a carriage.
Apart from this, the tech used by the manufacturer, Intamin, is incredibly basic. In the world of LSM Magnetic Launches, Hydraulic Catapults, and even self-propelled ride vehicles, the Rides 3 Launches are performed by spinning tires driving the carriage along, essentially fairground-level tech.
However, we should not be too snobby about this, Itermin uses this tech to great effect on other rides, and the old adage, Keep It Simple Stupid, means this ride should be super reliable…at least in theory…
Queue and Theme
The Overall concept is really nice. We love the idea of an Arctic Ride, and getting to ride a Snow Mobile is an excellent concept. The ride-loading area is brilliantly themed as a Search and Rescue Base where the mission is launched. There is also a really cool Auoro/Northern Lights Effect on the ceiling.
The whole area is situated in the Wild Arctic area of the park, surrounded by penguins, Walrus, and Beluga Whales. It works so much better than the Emperor’s theming which is just a ride above a parking lot.
However, the theme does fall apart quite a bit when the ride heads outdoors. It’s hard to fully feel like you are on an Arctic Rescue, on a Snow Mobile when you are in the San Diego Dessert. There is the use of some white stone, but it doesn’t cut it really, and the planting is definitely not arctic.
The Queue is also pretty dull, It’s simply a chain pen outside the Arctic Rescue Building. we really thought they would do better as they have a lot of inside space.
Overall the Theming is good, it is just a shame this was not the Indoor attraction it was originally billed as, They could have done WAY more with the theme in an enclosed space. Even outdoors they could have used more of the molded Ice blocks and some fake snow effects, There are a couple of elements such as a rescue Chopper, but it’s not great, however, on the whole, you don’t really notice it when on the ride.
Ride Experience
The Coaster is a Family coaster but it’s at the high threshold for this. There are no inversions or big drops and the accelerations are fairly mild, but the 40mpg top speed is achieved pretty quickly and in the more exposed and upright Ride-On position this feels pretty swift overall.
With no inversions and only small and mild drops and hills, the Coaster relies on turns to provide the thrills. And it does this very well. The biggest thrills come from the Wave Turns, These are great fun and occur near the beginning and end, the track twisting one way and then the other, it’s an excellent feeling. There are long, tight-banked turns and few sections of airtime.
The Coaster has enough to satisfy me as a coaster Junky, but it’s not big and scary to put off younger or more fearful riders. The Ride is nice and smooth, which we were not really expecting.
Overall
In our opinion, the addition of Arctic Rescue is a really welcome one to the line-up at SeaWorld San Diego, but it’s not a game changer. We still think the Park needs one more great coaster to be considered a coaster destination in its own right, But Arctic Explorer is a great site in the right direction. Of course, SeaWorld is still far more than just rides, but this is the path they are taking.
The Ride itself is very good for what it is. It’s a lot of fun and far more than the sum of its parts. The Straddle element really adds to the Ride character and while we can’t say it’s actually like riding a Snow Mobile, it’s still lots of fun as the Bikes weave through wave turns and hit the hard berms of the switchback turns. There is a lot to like and very little to dislike.
If you were expecting a top-thrill ride you will be disappointed, This is still a Family coaster, but really it’s probably more of a transitional coaster, a bit like Manta, one to get you used to the real Big Hitters of the Park, Electric Eel, and Emperor.
Tidal Twister was a major disappointment and we are now wary when every SeaWorld wheels out a new ride, but Emperor is a huge success and we think Arctic Rescue is too, especially if you take it for what it is.
Have Your Say
Have You Riden Arctic Explorer yet? What are your thoughts on the New Ride? Did it meet your expectations? Was it a letdown? What do you think it does to the Parks Ride Line-Up? Let us know in the comments whatever your thoughts and if you have any questions just fire away.
