Manta at SeaWorld Orlando is one of Florida’s most intense roller coasters — a Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster that flips riders into a face-down, arms-out position before sending them through a 113-foot dive, four inversions, and a low pass over a lagoon that sprays the queue below. Since opening in May 2009, Manta has become one of SeaWorld Orlando’s signature attractions, prized as much for its stats as for the strange, weightless sensation of soaring like the ray it’s named after.
This guide answers every practical question about the ride: exact height and drop, top speed, how long it lasts, whether it goes upside down, the height requirement, and how it differs from the very different (and much smaller) Manta at SeaWorld San Diego.
Quick Answer
Manta at SeaWorld Orlando is a Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster that stands 140 feet tall, drops 113 feet, and reaches a top speed of 56 mph across 3,359 feet of track. Yes, it goes upside down — riders invert four times (a pretzel loop, two inline twists, and a corkscrew) while lying face-down in the prone flying position. The full ride lasts about two and a half minutes, and riders must be at least 54 inches tall to board.
How Tall Is Manta? Height, Drop & Layout
Manta’s lift hill climbs to 140 feet before the flying train rolls over the top and dives into its signature drop: a 113-foot plunge that pulls riders face-down toward the ground below. That drop feeds directly into the ride’s first inversion, and the layout keeps unfolding from there — banked turns low over SeaWorld’s aquarium habitat, a sweeping pass over a lagoon that sprays the queue, and a final run through all four inversions before the brake run.
The full circuit runs 3,359 feet of steel track, making Manta one of the longer flying coasters in the world. Bolliger & Mabillard built it at a reported cost of around $50 million. Manta was SeaWorld Orlando’s tallest and fastest coaster when it opened in 2009, but it lost both titles in 2016 to Mako, a B&M hypercoaster that stands 200 feet tall and reaches 73 mph.
How Long Is the Manta Ride at SeaWorld?
From the moment the train leaves the station to the final brake run, Manta’s ride time is roughly two and a half minutes — long for a roller coaster, thanks to its extended layout, four inversions, and a slow, dramatic low pass over the ride’s on-board water feature near the end. That’s a longer-than-average coaster experience, not a quick 60-second blast.
That runtime doesn’t include the queue, which winds through a real aquarium habitat stocked with rays and other sea life — worth a look even if you’re only there for the coaster. Budget extra time to walk through it slowly rather than treating it as just a line.
Does Manta Go Upside Down?
Yes. Manta has four inversions: a pretzel loop, two inline twists, and a corkscrew, all experienced while riders are locked face-down in the flying position rather than seated. The pretzel loop comes first and is the ride’s signature moment — a massive, sustained inversion that presses riders into the restraints while the ground rushes past inches from their face. The two inline twists follow in quick succession, and the corkscrew closes out the inversions before the train banks into its final turns.
Because the inversions happen in the prone position, they feel noticeably more intense than the same elements would on a seated coaster. There’s no seat beneath you and no floor in front of you — just the harness and the sky, which is why riders often describe Manta’s inversions as feeling more like actual flight than a typical coaster loop.
Manta’s Top Speed
Manta reaches a top speed of 56 mph, hit during the descent from the 113-foot drop and carried through the pretzel loop. That’s noticeably slower than Mako’s 73 mph, but Manta doesn’t rely on raw speed for its intensity — the combination of the prone flying position, four inversions, and low-to-the-ground turns over water makes it feel faster than the number suggests. Having nothing but open air below your face and outstretched arms amplifies the sensation of speed well beyond what the mph figure implies.
Manta Height Requirement
Riders must be at least 54 inches (4 feet 6 inches) tall to ride Manta, and there’s no maximum height limit. The requirement is strictly enforced at the boarding gate, not just at the queue entrance, because the flying restraint system needs enough clearance to lock riders securely in the face-down position. Guests using wheelchairs can enter through the main ride entrance rather than a separate accessible queue, and team members at the loading platform can answer specific questions about restraint fit before you commit to the wait.
Manta at SeaWorld Orlando vs. Manta at SeaWorld San Diego
If you’re searching for Manta at SeaWorld, it’s worth knowing there are two completely different rides with the same name. Manta at SeaWorld Orlando is the 140-foot Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster covered in this guide — tall, fast, and inverted. Manta at SeaWorld San Diego is a different ride entirely: a MACK Rides launch coaster that stands about 30 feet tall, reaches roughly 43 mph, and has zero inversions, built for a broader family audience rather than thrill-seekers.
The two parks simply reused the manta ray theming and name for very different ride experiences. If height, drop, speed, and inversions are what you’re after, Orlando’s version is the one built to deliver them.
SeaWorld Orlando’s Only Flying Coaster
Manta is SeaWorld Orlando’s flying coaster and the only ride of its type in the park. Flying coasters rotate riders from a seated boarding position to face-down as the train leaves the station, and Manta executes that transition smoothly before the climb up the lift hill.
Once in the flying position, everything about the ride changes. Drops feel like diving, turns feel like banking through open air, and even straight sections feel faster because there’s nothing blocking your view of the ground. It’s a fundamentally different sensation from any seated coaster at SeaWorld, Universal, or Disney.
Tips for Riding Manta
All loose items — phones, bags, hats, sunglasses — must go in a locker before you ride; small lockers near the entrance rent for a few dollars, or a multi-use locker covers several rides across the park for the day. Manta also runs a single rider line that can be dramatically shorter than the standby wait, though it sometimes closes during the busiest stretches of the day — ask a team member at the entrance if it’s currently open.
Ride Manta early, right after the park opens, since waits build quickly through the afternoon and are typically shortest in the first hour. For current park hours, ticket prices, and any Quick Queue or ride-access options, check the official Manta page on SeaWorld’s website before you visit, since hours and offerings change seasonally.
Manta in Motion
Watching Manta from the ground is almost as entertaining as riding it. The trains glide silently overhead with riders stretched out in the flying position, and the low pass over the water creates a dramatic spray that spectators love to photograph. The layout weaves through the park’s aquarium and landscaping, making it one of the most visually striking coasters in Central Florida even for guests who never board.
Manta Stats at a Glance
Park: SeaWorld Orlando. Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard (flying coaster). Opened: May 22, 2009. Height: 140 feet. Drop: 113 feet. Top speed: 56 mph. Track length: 3,359 feet. Ride duration: about 2 minutes 30 seconds. Inversions: 4 (pretzel loop, two inline twists, corkscrew). Riding position: face-down prone flying. Minimum height: 54 inches. Flying coasters are just one style of coaster — explore the rest in our types of roller coasters guide.
Manta at SeaWorld Orlando ride stats FAQs
How tall is Manta at SeaWorld Orlando?
Manta stands 140 feet tall at the top of its lift hill, with a 113-foot first drop.
How long is the Manta ride at SeaWorld?
The ride itself lasts about two and a half minutes from launch to the final brake run, not counting the queue.
Does Manta go upside down?
Yes. Manta has four inversions — a pretzel loop, two inline twists, and a corkscrew — all ridden face-down in the flying position.
How fast does Manta go?
Manta reaches a top speed of 56 mph, hit during the first drop and carried through the pretzel loop.
What is the height requirement for Manta?
Riders must be at least 54 inches (4 feet 6 inches) tall. There is no maximum height limit.
What kind of coaster is Manta?
Manta is a Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster, meaning riders lie face-down in a prone position as if flying over the park, rather than sitting upright.
Is the Manta at SeaWorld Orlando the same ride as Manta at SeaWorld San Diego?
No. Orlando’s Manta is a 140-foot B&M flying coaster with four inversions, while San Diego’s Manta is an unrelated MACK Rides launch coaster about 30 feet tall with no inversions.
Is Manta the only flying coaster at SeaWorld Orlando?
Yes, Manta is currently the only flying coaster in the park, and one of only a handful of B&M flying coasters in the world.
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