What is it?

The Mako ride at SeaWorld Orlando is, as of this writing, the tallest, fastest and longest coaster in the entire city of Orlando. You never go upside down, but the coaster’s steep hills, bunny hops and tight angles make it one of the rare hypercoasters in Orlando and a really unique ride experience.

Even though you never go upside down, the Mako ride excels at keeping things interesting by putting its eggs into another coaster basket: weightlessness. There are plenty of bunny hops scattered throughout the ride which give riders the feeling of pure weightlessness and that coming-out-of-your-seat feeling. Mako doesn’t need to rely on gimmicks or crazy tricks to be one of the smoothest and most fun rides in Orlando.

What Can I Expect?

The best way to describe Mako is that it’s just pure fun.

Rides like The Hulk and Rip Ride Rock-it over at Universal, or even SeaWorld’s two other coasters could be described as “intense” or “wild”, but the best way to describe Mako is that it’s simply fun.

One of the most underrated aspects of the Mako ride is just how smooth it is. Because there aren’t any loops, corkscrews or sharp turns, Mako is able to provide a fun riding experience without giving its riders whiplash or an abdominal strain.

The ride is entirely outdoors and because of its height, it is one of the first rides to close down during exceptionally windy or rainy days.

The Queue

Seaworld has never been known for their amazing queues, and Mako is no exception.

Mako’s queue is split half and half between being completely outdoors and being outside but covered. There is some light theming around the ride’s namesake shark, but they’re mostly light touches rather than a full experience. Mostly what you’ll get are signs posted around the line providing future riders some educational facts about sharks.

The outdoor portion of the ride is completely exposed to the elements, but there are plenty of misting fans around. You’ll be in the sun, but the air will constantly be moving and you’ll feel a nice mist in the bargain.

Once you get under cover you’ll have a bit more to look at. There are more shark facts posted around and also a TV screen playing some video about Mako sharks. The video feed is pretty short and is on a loop, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to watch the whole thing.

Just past the video screen is a small staircase which takes you up to the ride loading dock. Mako sits four across and has eight cars. There is a separate line for front row that’ll add about 10 or so minutes to your wait.

The Ride

Like most hypercoasters, Mako begins by taking you to the top of a large hill and falling over it. This is where you experience the 200 feet and 70 mph the ride boasts about, but it’s what comes next that’s the best part.

Following the next hill begins a series of bunny hops which give an awesome sense of weightlessness. From the time your car gets to the top of the hill until your heading up the next hill, you’re almost completely off your seat. It’s a blast.

Last but not least, you end the ride by going over some pedestrian walkways at such a wicked angle it feels like you’re going to fall right out!

What’s the Verdict?

Mako is Tyler’s favorite pure roller coaster in Orlando. He’s never had a bad ride on it and constantly remarks about how just plain fun it is.

Helping the sense of fun is the fact that the Mako ride is the smoothest roller coaster in all of Orlando. The cars glide over the rails effortlessly, freeing up your mind to pay attention to the ride itself and not how many vibrations are going through your seat.

But even though it’s super smooth and easy to ride, it’s still a hypercoaster at the end of the day. You’re going to be 200 ft. in the air, you’re going to hit 70 mph on the first drop and you’re going to feel the intensity of a ride of this nature.

If you’re a roller coaster person then this ride is an absolute must for its smooth ride and feeling of weightlessness throughout. Not a coaster fan? You’re probably better off skipping this one.