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The Manta had me flying!
Until today, I had only been on one rollercoaster in my life. I was 12 years old. It was the Scream Machine at Expo 86 and not only did I scream, but I practically drew blood from Susan’s hand as I dug my fingernails deep into her flesh.
I hadn’t been on a rollercoaster since.
Ladies – I may be terrified of being whipped around the sky, with no one heeding my cries for mercy, but a blogger must do what a blogger must do.
(Especially if it involves a free trip to SeaWorld with the chance to hang out with blogging buddies!)
Yes, I jumped at the chance to see SeaWorld. Luckily for me, Susan is still nursing Sophia so I keep getting to go on all the fun trips. This time, Susan missed the chance to peek into the oceanic wild of Manta Rays, Killer Whales, Dolphins, Polar Bears, Alligators, Manatees, Sharks, Penguins, and more.
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I had a ton of fun with my cameras, switching between my DSLR, my video camera and my iPhone. (We were all tweeting like crazy!) I will post more pictures soon and I have some of my shots up at Flickr.
(By the way, everyone is welcome to take copies of those shots from my Flickr Manta Media Day set.)
But let’s get back to the reason SeaWorld flew us bloggers to Orlando.
May 22nd is the official opening day for the Manta and we were included in the Media Day to test the experience firsthand. The Manta is “the only flying roller coaster of its kind in the world.” You ride head-first, face-down and you feel like you’re flying. And if you can keep your eyes open, you’ll feel the thrill of the up-close animal encounters.
Photo courtesy of SeaWorld
So, despite my stomach churning fears, I strapped on a microphone and took my seat. It was time for me to ride the Manta.
SeaWorld filmed and provided this video of us riding the Manta. Riding (and screaming) with me is Katja Presnal, Gwen Bell, and Melissa – one of the fabulous SeaWorld reps.
We laughed, we screamed (and Gwen likened the experience to something I won’t type here! LOL)
It was a BLAST! And much to my surprise, I can’t wait to ride it again!
Written by Janice, co-founder of the mom blog 5 Minutes for Mom.
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Nadia says
WOW! Looks like you all had a blast!
Adventures In Babywearing says
OH MY GOSH how fun was that!? I loved the video!
Steph
Marie {Make and Takes} says
Janice, what an incredible roller coaster!!! I’ve got to go to there! I hope I would be able to keep my eyes open, but I don’t know! Fun video!
Mikki says
OH my!! How fun!! And Janice!! I was right there today.. well .. somewhat close. I was at the convention center at a homeschool convention!!!
If you ever need a ‘partner’ for something like this again while here in Orlando.. THINK OF ME!!!
Mel says
Oh I am so jealous. We were in SeaWorld in April and it wasn’t open yet. I was so bummed and now that I see what I missed I’m even more upset. Congrats to you for being so brave! Thanks for posting the video. I enjoyed watching it.
BlapherMJ says
Oh my goodness — I love roller coasters and that is one of my favorites! The video was great!
Stefanie says
I rode Manta on Wednesday and it was the best roller coaster I have ever been on! Amazing!
Angie (Losing It and Loving It) says
Oh my goodness, that looks like it was a total blast. I absolutely LOVE roller coaster and all rides for that matter. What a great opportunity you had to go and try that out. Can I go next time? LOL
Hilarious video, I’m so glad you shared that with us.
Melinda says
Looks like so much fun! I’ve been hooked on roller coasters ever since I went on Space Mountain when I was 12 years old. But I must admit, I think I’m getting old. I used to want to ride them 10 times in a row. Now once is enough, thank you very much. More than that usually makes me want to toss my cookies. ;0)
Michelle says
Oh Wow , Janice How much fun did you have on the manta.My husband would love it.
Cascia says
That looks like a lot of fun. I’ve never been to Sea World. Ever since I had kids I haven’t been able to handle roller coasters. Have a wonderful weekend!
Therese says
WoW, I could feel my heart dropping just from watching LOL. I am not sure I could do that, I too have not been on many rollercoaster’s. Thanks for sharing your experience.
BenSpark says
Looks like you had an incredible time. You’re one of the only bloggers from the group who has posted anything so far. It was nice to see your perspective. Hope to meet you at IZEAFest.