Texas Stingray

Hurtling through the air, have you ever felt the thrill of a wooden coaster? Right here at Texas Stingray in SeaWorld San Antonio, you’ll experience that and more. Texas Stingray isn’t just any wooden coaster. It’s a record-breaker, the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden coaster in all of Texas. Opened in February 2020, this marvel of engineering from Great Coasters International and Skyline Attractions had a bumpy start. It operated for mere weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the park’s closure. Thankfully, Texas Stingray roared back to life when SeaWorld reopened. This coaster sits on a plot of land nestled between the Shamu Theater and the Rio Loco river rapids ride. You’ll notice the steel supports bolstering the wooden track, a technique previously used on other GCI coasters like InvadR at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The coaster’s design cleverly incorporates the natural dips and valleys of the terrain. As you climb the 96-foot lift hill, anticipate the 100-foot drop that follows. Hold on tight as you reach speeds of 55 miles per hour along the 3,379 feet of track. Texas Stingray is built with ipe wood, a super strong and durable material that makes the ride even more thrilling. But Texas Stingray isn’t just about thrills. It also aims to educate. SeaWorld partnered with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies to incorporate signage about stingrays and ocean conservation throughout the queue and ride area. Five percent of Texas Stingray merchandise sales even goes to the institute. The ride experience itself is a masterpiece. After leaving the station, you’ll ascend the lift hill, take a sharp right, and plunge down the first drop into a valley. Then, a climb and a diving curve to the right set the stage for the signature GCI layout. The curves are designed to mimic the movement of a stingray gliding through the ocean. You’ll experience airtime pops and dips as you race over a section of the Rio Loco river rapids channel. On the way back to the station, Texas Stingray slices through the lift hill’s support structure before diving into a hidden tunnel. A few more twists, turns, and airtime hills bring you back to the station after an unforgettable ride lasting between 1 minute 40 seconds and 1 minute 50 seconds. Texas Stingray is a must-do for any thrill-seeker and a testament to the power of combining exhilarating fun with environmental awareness.