ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld Orlando’s long-awaited coaster, Ice Breaker, is ready to make its debut next month.


What You Need To Know

  •  SeaWorld to open new Ice Breaker coaster on Feb. 18

  •  The theme park held media previews on Thursday

  • The coaster, dubbed a "family thrill" ride, will feature Florida's steepest beyond vertical drop

  • RELATED: SeaWorld shares POV video of Ice Breaker coaster

​On Thursday, the theme park invited members of the media to preview the ride ahead of its official opening.

Ice Breaker is SeaWorld’s first launch coaster and features four launch moments—two that send riders forward and two that send riders backward.

One of those reverse launches sends riders up a 93-foot-tall spike with a 100 angle—the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida—before launching forward into the rest of the ride.

Ice Breaker, with a 48-inch height requirement, is designed to be what SeaWorld calls a “family thrill” ride. But even so, it offers plenty of airtime moments and enough twists and turns to satisfy thrill seekers.

The coaster reaches a top speed of 52 mph.

Ice Breaker is located in the park’s revamped Wild Arctic area, which also includes the Glacier Bar and Altitude Burger.

The attraction will officially open to the public on Feb. 18 but SeaWorld pass members can get a sneak peek of the ride beginning Jan. 30.

Ice Breaker comes at the start of what’s expected to be a big year for Central Florida theme parks. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, SeaWorld’s sister park, will open its Iron Gwazi coaster on March 11. Peppa Pig Theme Park, the new park next to Legoland Florida, will debut Feb. 24. And at Disney World, Epcot will get its first-ever coaster when Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opens in the summer.

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