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Time to break the ice: SeaWorld debuts new roller coaster

ORLANDO, Fla. — Guests at SeaWorld will get to start riding the park’s brand-new roller coaster on Friday.

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It’s called Ice Breaker and it’s nothing like anything else SeaWorld has done before.

Crews were putting the final touches on the ride on Thursday, getting it ready for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Ice Breaker is unlike any other roller coaster in Central Florida.

READ: SeaWorld set to open new Ice Breaker coaster

The ride doesn’t have a steep climb to get the attraction going: instead, it launches its riders four times, both backward and forward.

It features the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida and stands 93-feet tall, with a 100 degree angle.

Extreme? Yes. But SeaWorld officials said the ride is not over the top.

PHOTOS: SeaWorld Orlando announces new rollercoaster for 2022

“The best thing about this ride is that it has a 48-inch height requirement. So it is perfect for a first-time rider. It is perfect for a coaster enthusiast. Because I tell you, it exceeds your expectations,” said Rob McNicholas, vice president of operations at SeaWorld.

Ice Breaker is a little over a minute long and has close to 3,000 feet of track, including an 80-foot tall, near-vertical top hat section.

READ: SeaWorld: ‘Our offer to acquire Cedar Fair was rejected’

SeaWorld held what it called an Ice Breaker ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday to kick things off.

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Q Mccray

Q McCray, WFTV.com

Q McCray is an award-winning general assignment reporter.