Orlando Theme Park Evacuates Guests Off New Coaster, Forced To Manually Unlock Restraints - Inside the Magic

Orlando is home to some of the most iconic attractions and theme parks in the world.

Walt Disney World Resort– which houses four unique theme parks in Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT– and Universal Orlando Resort– which houses Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay– are the two biggest in the area, but there is also much more to explore when thinking about Orlando tourism.

SeaWorld Orlando and Legoland Orlando both have much to offer and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is located just a couple of hours away, as well.

Just a few months ago, SeaWorld Orlando opened its newest roller coaster, Ice Breaker. The attraction boasts a 93-foot tall spike with a 100-degree angle, making it the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida.

However, just as any attraction might have, it seems Ice Breaker was suffering some technical difficulties recently.

A Guest who visited SeaWorld Orlando this week described an incident where they were evacuated from Ice Breaker. After an earlier temporary closure, the attraction had some “test runs” prior to Guests boarding. However, when they were boarded, they found themselves stranded.

“Had been waiting for about 20 minutes when Ice Breaker went down for a temporary delay. Maintenance came out, they cycled a couple of trains and one tech got in for a ride, then they reopened. Another couple of cycles and I’m in the train, we’re advancing onto the transfer table. We stop and begin to shift sideways, but the track stops short,” User U/ghostofdreadmon said in a recent Reddit thread.“It didn’t take long for the techs to return and one manned the manual override on the transfer table, bringing us back into the first position…This happened three or four times before they finally gave the “extended delay” spiel and cleared the queue.” 

After about 15 minutes, the Guest said they were manually released from their seats and evacuated. The SeaWorld Orlando Team Members are highly-trained in Guest safety and ensuring that all Guests are evacuated safely. They also gave everyone on the train a re-entry pass that doesn’t expire so they can experience the attraction later.

“Finally, after about 15 minutes, they brought out a long silver bar and unlocked each individual seat starting with the back row, let each of us out and directed us to walk down the track away from the station,” the Guest said. “The whole time, dispatch was on the mic talking to the train, letting us know that they were working on getting us out, and that they’d “hook us up.” The lights in the track bay underneath made for a really cool visual during evacuation and the maintenance crew was cool, letting people take backstage pictures as we exited. They also gave everyone a re-entry pass that doesn’t expire.”

SeaWorld Orlando describes Ice Breaker this way:

Named after the icy Arctic summits, Ice Breaker will feature four airtime filled launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch into the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida – a 93 feet tall spike with 100 degree angle. The thrills continue as riders fly over a near vertical tophat maneuver into a series of exciting twists, turns, and airtime hills. The brand-new coaster will be located across from Wild Arctic and opens February 18, 2022.

In addition to Ice Breaker, SeaWorld Orlando Guests can enjoy rides like Infinity Falls, Mako, Kraken, Manta, Journey to Atlantis, Sesame Street Land, Sky Tower, Turtle Trek, and much more. If that weren’t enough, you can enjoy world-class shows featuring stunning marine life, including Dolphin Adventures, Orca Encounter, and Sea Lion & Otter Spotlight. And, don’t forget about the many animal encounters located throughout the theme park.

SeaWorld is the parent owner of the Busch Gardens theme parks and has locations in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. Guy Harvey, the world-renowned marine artist and conservationist, painted a mural in the theme park’s new realm Shark Wreck Reef.

What do you think of this incident on Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando? Let us know in the comments!