Mako is now Open at SeaWorld Orlando

Thursday, Jordan and I spent the day at Mako Media Day at SeaWorld Orlando. While the day didn’t go as planned thanks to the Florida weather and event disorganization, overall we had a good time. Media check-in was at 8:45am and our (Jordan’s) scheduled ride time was 2:56pm! We had a lot of down time. We spent most of that time checking out other shows and attractions since it had been about 2 years since our last time in the park.

At about 11:00am we went back to the shark realm. Jordan got in line to ride Mako as an extra, media could ride as often as they wanted in the 2nd-last row to fill up the car for other media outlet’s videos. I had his phone so he couldn’t tell me what was going on. After waiting quite a while without seeing the coaster run at all, I asked the worker at the ride entrance and she said they were just in a rain delay but should be running again soon. I went and found a seat in the shade. About 20 minutes later there was a different person at the ride entrance. They said the crew was on lunch break and things should be running again soon! About 10 minutes later the coaster came by overhead and I heard Jordan yell, “Hi! Mom!” as they headed to the station.

Jordan is a man of few words but he did say that Mako is the best roller coaster he has ever ridden. He says is is fast (73 mph), long (4,760 feet-almost a mile), high (200 ft) and smooth. He said the worst park is the lift hill because you just keep going up and up and up! He loved all the air time that you get on Mako, there are 9 air time hills!

After his first ride we caught some other attractions and spent time in the shark realm. At 2:30 we headed back to Mako to check-in for Jordan’s video ride. He was in the queue for his ride when he was asked to fill a seat for another ride. They told him he wouldn’t lose his spot in the video line for helping out, so he rode again.

Jordan got back in his place in the video line and the tech crew was putting on his mic when it started to rain! This wasn’t just a passing sprinkle. It was a long lasting soaking rain. He waited on the platform for a while but then the call was made to un-mic Jordan, cover the cameras and call it a day. I was so unhappy. The whole reason we made this trip on this day was to get this video. Jordan even had to take the day off of work. By 3:30pm we were heading out of the park in the rain for the long, rainy drive home.

Thankfully Jordan got to do that extra ride because at least we got this ride photo-he is the one in the black shirt with his fists in the air.

That evening Jordan search YouTube for videos of the 2 rides he was on. He found this video of MouseSteps.com’s ride. Jordan is in the 2nd from the back row on the far side (black t-shirt). It isn’t what we had hoped for but it is the only video we have. Enjoy this ride on Mako.