I really wanted to take my son on this ride but the seat belt has to lock a certain way and it would click the final click. The offered to let my son ride it by himself or with someone else but he has autism and I didn't trust it. We needed up getting off the right and I wasn't upset about it. Safety regulations are set in place for a reason. This is a small coaster and perfect for a newbie thrill rider or a thrill rider who doesn't want anything extreme. Definitely try it out. read more

The Manta Ride Rollercoaster! This coaster is the more tame one for SeaWorld. It's a good "warm-up" coaster before you hit the big leagues coasters like the Emperor. This one is smooth and enjoyable. It starts over by the Manta Pizza and goes all around, swooping over by the pink flamingos, and near by the bat ray shallows. It zooms all around the area and is lots of fun. This is a nice roller coaster! :) read more

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Such a fun ride! Begins with a little immersive experience as if you're underwater in an aquarium dome and then you shoot out but it's not scary at all. Height requirement is 48" (122 cm). Would definitely consider family friendly for older kids, no crazy loops just fast. Wait time for this one was actually quite awhile, about 50 minutes as it is very popular. First row also has an extra line you have to wait in but overall ride was a great experience! read more

This ride has a VERY LONG wait. The waiting is all u covered so beware of seagulls that will poop on you during the wait. It is also in the direct sunlight (no shade sails or canopies) so wear hats or sunscreen. The ride is pretty intense but enjoyable. Lots of twists and turns. No upside down turns which is great. I saw kids as young as 8 years old getting on. Picture place afterwards is in the gift shop. read more

Touch Manta Rays. They feel like soft wet velvet, and glide gently in the water like a fabric. Review is during Covid when the fun rollercoaster is shut down but you can touch the Manta Rays. Staff is A+, they will direct you to a station that is open, each separated by clear partitions fo Covid safety and they are informative and interesting even though they are repeating the same thing over and over. These are not stingrays and are harmless. Being filter feeders, their standard diet consists of crustaceans, plankton and small fish. The tail is non-functional and unlike the one that pierced Steve Irwin's heart. read more

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Once you pull down the Mack restraints and go through an insanely quick line (Btw thanks Sea World San Diego for being the godlike park that you are), we go into a tunnel and prepare for the launch. Some cool effects go off such as a screen showcasing some Manta Rays flying over us. Eventually, the door opens and we launch. The launch isn't anything too special, but this ride is just getting warmed up. We then hit an overbanked turn which surprisingly gives us a GREAT whip as well as some sick airtime. After saying "HOLY CRAP" We then get some nice laterals from another banked turn. We then head into an airtime hill which provides a NICE moment of ejector airtime. We then drop down and turn, getting some more laterals before heading straight for another airtime hill which again provides good airtime. We then go through some more twisty bits before we come to an abrupt stop. We give a moment to breathe before we hit the 2nd launch. The 2nd launch is even better than the first and it's immediately followed with a banked turn which is AWESOME! We then hit another airtime hill which doesn't slow down at all what so ever provide some NICE laterals and airtime. We get SLAMMED to the side as we get popped up! After that, this ride starts to get VERY aggressive as we hit some more banked turns while flying through the course which provides even more good laterals. But sadly, we head up one last hill and then the ride comes to an end as we hit the brake run. Overall, Manta is a very enjoyable and re-ridable coaster. And it's so freaking good! There are so many good airtime moments and the laterals are NUTS. My last 5 rides on this have been truly amazing, especially after riding this during the Electric Ocean Event. HOLY CRAP, THAT MIGHT JUST BE MY FAVORITE OVERLAY ON ANY RIDE EVER! Basically, that is a limited time event where the ride's launch tunnel turns into some sort of dance party with neon lights and stuff. But yeah, Manta was running so freaking good those rides that I had to ADJUST the score from an 80 to a freaking 98 (Well, back in 2019, I'm honestly not sure where I'd rank it now, it's been so long since I've ridden Manta and I have ridden so many good coasters since then). That's just amazing!!!! Really my only issue with Manta is that it's a family coaster. But honestly, I don't give a crap if it's a family coaster. If it's an awesome ride it's being compared to other awesome coasters. Yeah.... this coaster is that amazing. It just makes me wonder how good the European Mack Multi Launches and Copperhead Strike are because if Manta is just a FAMILY coaster and those rides are on a full scale! OH BOY, THEY MUST BE GOOD (Well, I did get to ride Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City, and yeah, that ride is incredible. Currently sits in my top 10)! Anyways, Manta is great. Going to Sea World and not riding Manta is a SIN (Unless you're too short to ride it). The line never gets long because the park ALWAYS runs 3 trains on it with stupidly fast dispatch times. It's an awesome ride! Final Score: 80/100 Opened: May 23, 2012 Manufacturer: Mack Rides Last Ridden: December 2019 read more

So I was really looking forward to this coaster for many years and after once riding it I was hit with a great disappointment as it really didn't live up to what I expected. This ride is a Mack Double Launch Coaster and from what I've heard from others is that it's one of the best wile I highly disagree with this at the same time I can see why others might enjoy it mostly because of its tame speed and quick turns wile this coaster might not be for me I certainly can't knock it all the way down to nothing as it had a few okay elements to it. The beginning started in a dome type area with a Christmas theme to it as my visit took place in December to be totally honest I thought this was super cheesy and all around boring and from what I was told by others in my group the original theme is much better! The coaster took off with a quick launch and a few sharp twists and inversions to go with the launches were basically all this coaster threw at you this is one of the few coasters in the park wile I didn't super enjoy it I'm sure others do because of it's mellow kinda layout. One thing I do wanna say though is the ride ops were really bad at dealing with line jumpers as they kinda just let them do it which was super not cool I know at other parks that will get you kicked out of the park! Overall mediocre but I'll give it another ride whenever that is that I make it back to Seaworld SD! read more

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Probably the best "classic" rollercoaster at SeaWorld, offering high-speed thrills, twists and turns, without any gravity-defying loops, drops or twists. If you're not into the more extreme rides (such as the Electric Eel), this is the sort of experience you're looking for. Manta has everything going for it: lengthy enough to justify the wait in line, not too bumpy, as fast as hell! read more

Manta Ride - Amusement Parks Near Me - San Diego, California

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This ride is always a MUST DO! The line a bit long for how long the ride is, but the speed and scenery makes up for it! This ride is fun and really fast. After you're done with the ride, you can walk down the stairs and touch manta rays too. read more

We were waiting in line for about 10 minutes when the ride broke down and everyone was told to leave the line. I know things break down so I'm not giving a 1-Star review. When this happens they should issue everyone in line a one-use VIP pass because now we have to wait in line all over again and potentially longer the next time. To top things off, you can't carry a bag on this ride so we had to rent a locker to store our bag which amounted to $3.00 for 2 hours. No big loss, I'm not claiming a refund, it's just an inconvenience and waste of time that is more important. read more

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Fast and full of surprises. My first ride was at night during their Halloween themed rides. For Halloween, the Manta was a "Lights off" ride which made this experience even more intense being in complete darkness. San Diego Manta is gelded compared to Sea World's Orlando version. It didn't seem to matter tho, it was quick and fun, albeit pretty short. - Keep your head back ( against the sticky headrest) because there's a lot of aggressive back and forth. - Worth the wait, keep in mind that the line length changes throughout the day. Try going while a large show is going on in this part of the park. - Ride closes an hour before park closes. read more

Manta Ride - Halloween version.. so fun at night - Amusement Parks Near Me - San Diego, California

WOW really fun roller coaster. we went on this one about a dozen times. the lines were short ( off season ) so we just kept going on it. maybe our best ride we liked there. its deceptively fast, and has some 0 gravity drops and turns. really cool. even if the line is long, you gotta hit this one. so much fun, even my 7 year old girl liked it. read more

Manta Ride - Amusement Parks Near Me - San Diego, California

The inception of the Manta roller coaster concept for SeaWorld San Diego originated from mid-October 2007. Manta was manufactured by MACK Rides and opened to the public on May 26, 2012. It's a fun ride, which spends much of its time rolling from side to side. The height restriction for this ride is 4 feet and 6 inches. The ride including exhibits and shows are all covered with the park admission. read more

Let me begin by stating that I cannot handle extreme roller coasters too often. I push my limits on coasters once every 10 years so that I have enough time to forget about the twists and turns that my stomach goes through. I'm used to riding Space Mountain and feeling comfortable about the ride. However, I have found the perfect coaster for someone that is in between easy coasters without any drops and those that are a bit more intense. Manta is truly my favorite roller coaster because it's so much fun to ride. In a way, it reminds me of the launch on California Screaming at Disney's California Adventure. It blasts you off at a high rate of speed. I love how the anticipation builds at the beginning of the ride when you are in a tunnel and the music becomes more intense while manta rays are projected onto the walls of the tunnel. Then, once you are pulled further back and the doors open, you just take off for a fun ride. I cannot handle drops on roller coasters but this one is about 54 feet and you do feel it but it's not that bad. In fact, I rode this thing 6 times in a row because I arrived at the park right when it opened. The line was relatively short for the first 2 hours or so. I wish the duration of the ride on Manta was longer but it's still a lot of fun! I actually stopped riding Manta so that I could enjoy some of the shows that Sea World has to offer. I have seen footage of Manta in Orlando and that ride would probably destroy me. Ha! I'm working up to riding extreme coasters again but for now, I'll enjoy Manta in San Diego and maybe, just maybe I'll ride Manta in Orlando when I finally plan my trip to Disney World. read more

Manta Ride - The beginning of the queue for Manta - Amusement Parks Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm no roller coaster nut, but this is a pretty great ride. The lines can be a bit long, but they do move you through efficiently. It starts out a little cheesy with the multimedia stuff (similar to the Atlantis ride), but after that, it's all coaster. The double-launch is interesting and gets you back up to speed about halfway through the ride; you really whip around the turns. Pack your stuff (anything that doesn't fit into your pocket) into the provided lockers prior to getting into the main line -- lockers at the gift shop are free for the first hour, but that's a whole different line. If you've got someone in your party that doesn't like roller coasters or is waiting with the shorter children, have them hold your stuff. read more

Manta Ride - Good ride. Smooth and pretty fast. - Amusement Parks Near Me - San Diego, California

This place JUST opened todayyyyy!!! Can't wait to go here again! I love it and went on it like 1000 times lol! Epic!! read more

Manta Ride - 500 SeaWorld Drive San Diego, CA 92109 United States - Amusement Parks Near Me - San Diego, California

This ride was so fun!! Being slightly afraid of roller coasters, I actually opted to not go during the first round. Instead, I waited until my group came back and went with a member who wanted to go again. The line is not too long around 11-12 but once we were at the top waiting to get on the ride, the line was much much longer and the attendant said the wait time was almost 20 minutes for those folks. Overall, I had a great time! This ride is extremely fast with some stop and go sections. At some points you feel like you're floating almost. It was great and I would have definitely gone again if the line was a little shorter! read more

I hate roller coasters. I REALLY HATE ROLLER COASTERS. Like seriously, I'd take sky diving over roller coasters any day - I just hate the feeling of being strapped down and flung at unnaturally high speeds. And yet I always get dragged onto them through peer pressure, begging, and guilt trips. But Manta is bearable... the drops aren't that high because Seaworld San Diego has county restrictions on how high their roller coasters can be, but they make up for it by flinging you at high speeds. It's a bit more thrilling than the Disneyland roller coasters... but SUPER tame compared to Six Flags. A decent ride for the thrill seeker. I screamed and cursed at the drops and twists because I'm pathetic like that. I just because I hate that upward feeling in your stomach, but they were short lived unlike those at Six Flags. The beginning is interesting because it's supposed to make you feel like - you guessed it - a manta ray where they shift you back and forth before they fling forward. I dunno Seaworld, I'm pretty sure manta rays don't go that fast. The twists are bearable and it's a bit interesting being so close to the ground (due to the height restriction). There are lockers that are free for 1 hr that you can use. I was there on a Sunday and the wait time to get on the ride mid day was only 15 minutes. I imagine since people go to Seaworld to see the animals and not necessarily for the rides, it's great for people who want to get their weekend thrill out of the way. In fact, it's probably the kind of roller coaster you can go on over and over again. But for me, I'll only stick to one ride a visit. read more

Manta the roller coaster ride here at Sea World is a fun and fast coaster ride. Lots of twists and turns. The beginning of the ride teases you by slowly moving back and forth like it's gonna take off like a rocket after a few times of that it finally takes off and your on your way. If you are a roller coaster lover you'll like the twists on this one. The only downside in my opinion was the safety bar digs into your lower tummy and lower regions so when the ride twists and turn the padding digs into you but it's not that bad overall a really fun coaster. read more

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Manta is such a great ride at seaworld. Probably the second biggest after Atlantis. This roller coaster grabs you by your stomach throughout the whole ride you'll find your self scared and then laughing at the same time. The ride was over and I wanted to go on again. Manta was a great investment read more

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Great ride! The end. Great ride indeed. Still a great ride. Hopefully if I keep repeating myself I'll make Yelp happy enough to post my review. read more

9/10. This ride is amazing for SeaWorld. The ride starts off by entering you into a tunnel. You see some manta rays, and then you blast off to 48 miles per hour. The first part of the ride is intense. You slow down after a good minute, getting a breath to breath, before shooting off again. It is a great ride. Here are my complaints, though. The mantas at the start are very low quality and don't feel real. The first launch takes a good 15 seconds before you launch. It isn't that tall, compared to electric eel and emperor. Here are some tips: Don't bring small children on this ride. It is very intense and my 7yo sister cried and screamed the entire ride. Make sure to keep your head back, as the first launch is intense. Overall, I give it a 94/100. It is a great ride with short lines. read more

!) They don't allow ANYthing on board the ride. No bags, purses,m or other loose items and they will direct you tot he lockers across fro the entrance. They will select larger riders to sit in the scale seat at the entrance as well to ensure everyone can safely ride, but I'm sure its super embarrassing for overweight patrons. The ride itself is really fun and unlike any I've been on before. No loops, just twists and turns and you really feel like a Manta shooting and zipping through the ocean. Lots of fun but a little shorter than I expected. read more

Pissed off they don't allow you to bring a purse or bag on the ride. Not even a backback! Also no hats, even if you have a strap, but they'll let you wear your glasses Unless you have grandma waiting in the wings, you have to rent a locker for $1.25, that's non refundable. Come on.. that ride didn't flip or loop.. why can't you spend the money and add baskets or a net to hold our stuff?? Or.. offer us lockers which you key in a PIN like the train station, and we can rent it for 1 hours, and get a refund? !!! 2 stars because of that inconvenience, and for a ride that took 2 minutes. read more

What a great ride! I've had a pass for almost a year and each time I come have a little one too small to ride with me, so I skip it. Today my hubby and I came just to ride Manta and were not disappointed. The line moved quick, a shocker for a holiday and were were sitting in our seats in no time. Your legs dangle freely, so hold onto your flip flops! It's fast, thrilling and there are lots of twists and turns to keep you excited. It is over quick, but ride it again and again! *the camera is just as you exit the dark tunnel at the very beginning. read more

Wow. This ride really caught me by surprise. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did. It's excellent at throwing you around and giving you plenty of moments of weightlessness. My only real complaint is how short it is. It's just around 1:45 long so it's over just as you're really getting into it. I understand that they had space limitations, but boy do I wish they had made this longer. Had they and this could've become one of my favorite roller coasters of all time. read more

My son rode it while I sat and relaxed at the Mantas enclosure. Here's what he said. 1. There was no line for the ride. 2. It was epic. It was so fun. 3. I rode it about seven times. There you go, what's not to like about that? read more

Basically you're paying $1.25 in addition to your entrance fee to ride Manta (unless you have someone hold your stuff or you're not carrying anything). You cannot have any loose articles on the ride (i.e. bags, purses, phones, hats, sunglasses, etc.) and if you do, they will direct you to rent a locker. The line goes quickly (we were quoted an hour). We probably got thru it within 45 mins. I was wearing flip flops and they recommended for me to hold them in my hand as I rode the ride. AWKWARD and no I didn't do it, although I was scared they would come off! The ride attendant indicated that if we wanted more air then we should sit in the back. You sit with one other person in the car and the ride is a rush! You start off in dark tunnel with manta rays swimming around and all of a sudden - VROOOMMMMMMM!!!! What the!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tons of corkscrews - I even got a headache at the end of the ride. Worth to ride it at least once. read more

Great ride that kids loved. Long line but ride is very fast with many twists. Remember to secure your items before you get on. Photo taken on ride too so you check out at end. read more

A great ride for an amusement park focused on animals. My absolute favorite part of seaworthy is feeding the manta rays. When they removed the exhibit to build the coaster, I was heartbroken and never went back to the park. I returned as a VIP for the grand opening of Manta, and even though I couldn't feed the rays, I experienced the ride and got to see the rays again. The new exhibit is beautiful and the ride is surprisingly thrilling! You're launched twice from 0 to something like 65 in just 2 seconds. The seats are really comfy.And the design is focused on the marine life like sea world should. Expect long lines in these first few months of opening. read more

Manta Ride - Amusement Parks Near Me - San Diego, California

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A very fun and entertaining ride that jolts you through the loops and twists as a Manta. It doesn't feel jerky and is very quiet compared to coasters at six flags. Give it a try and be surprised! read more

Quick and efficient line for a surprisingly long roller coaster ride- the only coaster at this park, fairly tame for youngsters but still fairly thrilling for teenagers on up to adults. Track is surprisingly long and loops around a spacious area- making it hard to find the line entrance at times. Ride is worth the short line, unlike the Journey to Atlantis ride. read more

I am one of those Six Flag roller coaster adrenaline junkie & this was a MUST ride to those that seek that adrenaline and adventure. And the fact that the ride is right above the Manta Rays touch area is even better. Surprisingly, there were no lines, so we ran all the way to the top, waited 2 minutes and go right on the ride. It doesn't seem that bad right when you get in, but boy does it go fast. All the loops & turns. It slows, zooms through and it was over pretty quick. It's a great stress reliever because you get to scream all the stress out, but because it's a pretty quick ride, you'll finish screaming before your voice even goes out. Overall, HIGHLY recommend this ride! I wore my glasses and it didn't fall but I wouldn't wear any hats and make sure to put your phone away (pockets might not do the trick) because of the twists & turns, and you don't want the possibility of your phone falling into the Manta Ray pool. read more

Be the first one in your row to sit no matter which row you're in (left side) and you will insure yourself a thrilling ride on that twisty blue rail from hell! I call it hell because it can make you scream stuff out of your mouth that you would never say in church. Some of the warp like speed turns will cause your inner sensation and senses to blur together that can terrify the faint of heart who were expecting a tamed ride like the Wild Arctic one that's been at this SeaWorld for ages. And yes, I rode that one too afterwards - retro but lame :) Now if you hold anything on your hands like sandals or what not during the ride which the person in front was holding, you will likely lose them by the time it ends (didn't see it in his hands after the ride and notice something threw out during one of the speed dips) LOL Two disappointments are people with pot bellies such as myself, the locking bar device that secure oneself in place will put pressure on the stomach area where I had to hold it in somewhat but really felt the pressure during the sonic speed turn and twist. If only there where some form of adjustment, this would easily be a 4 star ride reaching close to 5. And if this was a year ago, I would've been too big and not be able to ride it ;( Secondly, it could have lasted another minute because once I got into it, the ride was all but over...man! However, the line does move rather briskly so the wait is not as long to get back on so that is a plus ++ The seat on the right side is not as thrilling but still pack a punch. Not recommended on a full stomach unless you want it to come out of your pie hole during the ride. 3 1/2 stars overall for me as I'm going to blame this on my Totoro belly for the rather uncomfortable fit ^.^ read more

This ride must be the funnest ride in Sea World right now because this is the only roller coaster they offer. The ride is fun because it has a lot of twists and turns. It goes fast so you don't really have the time to think about anything but scream. I like how in the beginning of the ride, you get to watch like a short clip of stingray swimming and that intrigues the mind to ease a little. Then it goes super fast and pulls you out to the open and next thing you know you're dropping. The safety bar was what I held on to the whole time since there was nothing covered on the feet area, I was a bit afraid my shoes might fall off. The ride might be short but the long can be long. I waited about 20 minutes to ride this for 2-3 minutes. If you have a backpack or a big purse, they will ask you to use the locker or you can't line up! The locker is free for the first time (and hour) so I'm not complaining. read more

Manta Ride! So Fun! The Manta Ride is a nice addition to Sea World. The ride is super fun and luckily the line for the ride was not long at all, simply because the weather was not the best (sprinkling on and off through the day). A weird thing about this ride, is that you have to stand in line for lockers to put ALL your belongings in before you go into the line ride. The lockers are free 1st hour, and charge a fee after that. read more

Manta is hands-down the best ride at SeaWorld. It's also the newest. When it first opened, lines were crazy long. You could and still can buy "head of the line" passes for Manta (they also work on the other rides too) but during the off-season I find the lines are non-existent. You can just jump on the ride pretty much whenever you want to. Remember to drop your stuff off at one of the free lockers. They won't let you carry purses, backpacks and bags on-board and even stuff like hats and flip-flops may fly off as this ride is like flying a jet. It's FAST and takes hard banks left and right. Don't ride if you have anxiety or heart problems, that's for sure! A lot of people like to line up to sit up front, but I find the LAST section to be the most thrilling. Oh, and don't worry about the photo (which is taken during the beginning of the ride). They don't look that great and you can't even take a pic of it with your phone or camera since it's covered in watermarks (not even Disneyland does that). Have fun and hold on tight! read more

One of the newest additions to sea world this roller coaster promises to thrill, great "twists and turns". Definitely the kind of coaster where you should wait a little and get the front seats (that's where all the action is). They also offer free lockers for an hour to store your bags,purses,wallets,phones etc (they are not allowed on the ride). Overall a Fun Ride and a day well spent. Cheers! read more

Great ride! Short wait even on long lines. One thing you will notice is that they do pre-screen riders to make sure they fit in the seat. Not to sound terrible, or anything like that. This is due to the seats being more like racing Recaro seats. High support for your shoulders and hips, as well as the bars coming down quite snugly over them. In any case, the ride is apparently one of the few Start-Stop roller coasters. Not sure how true that is, but it's quite a treat to be on one. The slogan "Feel the Rush" is quite appropriate. I will say, however, that it doesn't actually stop the for the second time. It's more Californian than that...it slows down to nearly 0 then shoots you back to the back of the seat. read more

I'll be honest. When a SeaWorld trip was proposed, I pretty much said yes just so I could ride Manta. I had last visited SeaWorld in the early 90s, way before they added thrill rides. We don't have a lot of Mack coasters in the US and most of them seem to be wild mice. Long story short, Manta is a fun little double-launched roller coaster. Though the ride tops out at only 30 feet tall, it has some nice pops of airtime and a fun twisty layout. The theming is well done, with manta-shaped lead cars and a pre-launch video tunnel where you encounter the manta. I love how the coaster train rolls back and forth, mimicking the ebb and flow of the water. I also appreciated how efficiently the ride operates. With a separate loading and unloading platform and simple easy-to-use restraints, Manta is a people eater. read more