It seems that Orlando theme parks are joining in on the iPhone app craze. There are plenty of jokes going around on the internet which interject the phrase “There’s an app for that” as the Apple commercial loves to say. But now we can say the same about the newest ride at Universal Studios Orlando Resort, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit! Yes coaster enthusiasts, there’s an app for that. The Pocket Rockit app, just 99 cents at the iTunes app store, is your personal sidekick to this great ride at Universal Studios.

The Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a rock and roll-themed rollercoaster that features all new thrill ride technology and lets you choose a song that will serve as the soundtrack. They have everything from hip hop to disco. The five available genres each have six songs, making a total of 30 songs in the setlist. However, once people began to ride the new coaster it was soon discovered there were more than 30 songs. Somehow, someone tinkering around with the system discovered there were (as of now) 999 song possibilities on the Rockit. The internet blogs went wild posting lists and techniques on how to select the hidden songs which feature everything from Kermit the Frog to U2 and Megadeth.

The purpose of the Pocket Rockit app is to archive and confirm those song choices. With live update technology, you will be able to upload any songs you discover to the app’s list. On the other hand you can also see what other people with the app have uploaded and confirm or deny the accuracy of their song numbers. The Pocket Rockit has all of the confirmed songs, both the 30 original releases and any other songs that people have uploaded. All of the song listings can be organized by band or song like on your iPod’s regular system in case you want to ride the Rockit multiple times and want to experience a different song each time. The Pocket Rockit is constantly receiving updates, so if you’re an iPhone owner and want to go to Universal Studios soon, definitely download this beforehand.

After months of suspicion and rumor over Universal Studios Orlando newest thrill ride, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit finally opened for guests this week. Great reviews have been coming in from riders who got to test the Rockit before it finally opened up. “More thrilling than Manta” and “Better than the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster” have been a few of the phrases thrown around about this new ride, so you have to check it out!

The Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is located in Production Central, but it’s hard to miss. You will instantly see the 17 story high lift as soon as you enter the park. At night, with its “concert lights” on, you can see it before you even enter Universal Studios Orlando. The Rockit was made to give riders a concert-like atmosphere and experience. It’s a ride with many “firsts” for the Universal Orlando franchise. Featuring a series of thrilling turns, corkscrews and even a loop inspired by the treble clef, this ride will have you holding on tight!

Our favorite aspect is the fact that you will get to select a song to be the soundtrack to your thrill ride experience. Choose from a list of 30 songs featuring everyone from Evanescence to MC Hammer. The music is apparently timed to coincide with the various twists and turns this incredible ride will put you through at speeds of over 65 mph. “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys seems to be a popular choice with riders of the Rockit. This coaster takes the usual souvenir photo a bit further by filming your entire ride experience and editing it into your very own music video you can purchase at the end of your Rip Ride Rockit journey.

You have to be 51” and taller to ride the Rockit and it is not recommended for people with health conditions. Make sure you read the restrictions posted outside of every thrill ride for your own safety. But once you’re in the clear get ready for the ride of your life. This is one ride you can’t miss and it’s opening up just in time for the holiday season. Halloween Horror Nights is right around the corner! Imagine zooming through the Rockit while the rest of the park is converted into a haunted land. It’s going to be great for everyone visiting the Orlando theme parks this season!

When Islands of Adventure opened up in 1999 it stole some of the thunder from its predecessor Universal Studios. For the first time, huge roller coasters became part of the Universal family and started making headlines in the thrill-ride community for the record-breaking feats achieved by the Hulk and Dueling Dragons attractions. But this summer, Universal Studios is ready to start a sibling rivalry of sorts with its brand new coaster: the Rip Ride Rockit.

The Rockit is an X-Car Coaster and the largest of its kind in the world. The track is 3,800 feet long with video cameras situated along the track to capture the rider’s every scream and expression. The lift hill that takes you on your first ascent on the ride is a vertical climb 167 feet high. You are not strapped in with an overhead restraint! Despite the loops and twists, you are held in by a lap bar system.

Another feature that makes the Rockit unique is the passenger’s ability to select their own song to listen to while they are riding. Each seat is outfitted with speakers that will play the music at a loud enough level so that your own song selection is the only thing you hear. There are five genres and 30 songs available for you to choose featuring artists of all kinds, from Donna Summer to the Beastie Boys.

Already having gone through its soft opening, many are guessing the Rockit will be officially opening in the next few weeks. Others suspect it will open closer to Halloween Horror Nights in order to promote the horror-themed event. If you’re curious as to what the song selection will be, OrlandoFunTickets.com has the list below. Try to think of your selection in advance, as it has been said you will only have about 45 seconds to decide before you are sent off at 65 mph on your Rip Ride Rockit adventure. Stay tuned for news on the official opening of the ride.

Classic Rock/Metal
• “Gimme All Your Lovin’” - ZZ Top
• “Kickstart My Heart” - Motley Crue
• “Born to Be Wild” - Hinder
• “Paralyzer” - Finger Eleven
• “Rollin’” - Limp Bizkit
• “Bring Me to Life” - Evanescence

Pop/Disco
• “I Will Survive” - Gloria Gaynor
• “Bad Girls” - Donna Summer
• “That’s the Way (I Like It)” - KC and the Sunshine Band
• “U Can’t Touch This” - MC Hammer
• “Glamorous” - Fergie
• “Hella Good” - No Doubt

Country
• “Midnight Rider” - The Allman Brothers
• “All Night Long” - Montgomery Gentry
• “Guitars, Cadillacs” - Dwight Yoakam
• “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead” - Jason Michael Carroll
• “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” - The Charlie Daniels Band
• “Living in Fast Forward” - Kenny Chesney

Rap/Hip-Hop
• “Sabotage” - Beastie Boys
• “Don’t Phunk With My Heart” - Black Eyed Peas
• “Insane in the Brain” - Cypress Hill
• “Rock Star” - N.E.R.D.
• “Stronger” - Kanye West
• “Pump It” - Black Eyed Peas

Club/Electronica
• “Pump Up the Volume” - MARRS
• “Busy Child” - The Crystal Method
• “Keep Hope Alive” - The Crystal Method
• “Le Disko” - Shiny Toy Guns
• “Intergalactic” - Beastie Boys
• “Harder Better Faster Stronger” - Daft Punk

It is tough to wait for the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit to debut at Universal Studios, except when it seems like the progress on the ride is actually going backwards and not forwards - they recently dismantled part of the track to install some new systems, for example. However, we’ve got some new details on the HRRR, as we like to call it, to tide you over until July 4, which is when the ride is expected to debut.

For the first time ever, pictures of the coaster’s vehicle have been released, in addition to information about how the ride’s technological elements come together. To refresh your memory, the Rockit will be a high-tech, high-speed combination of first-ever maneuvers, hit music, and specially created take-home videos starring each rider.

“This is where high-speed coaster meets outdoor mega-concert meets user-generated content – all shot on production-quality video,” said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative. “No one has ever created such a sophisticated ride experience. And no one has ever used technology the way we have to pull it all together.”

Most of that technology is evident on the Rockit’s vehicle, which features a revolutionary new restraint system, industrial-grade touchpads, all-weather speakers, and a network of cameras designed to capture every second of the HRRR’s high-speed ride.

The fun begins when guests slide into the bucket seat of the Rockit’s X-Car, which features stadium-style seating so that everyone has an unobstructed view of the drops and turns ahead. Unlike many other coasters, there’s no over-head/pull-down restraint system. Rather, riders pull across a lap bar allowing for unprecedented freedom of movement and thrills.

Once guests are snug and secure, they’ll proceed to pick out their ride soundtrack on the car’s personal touchpad, which is mounted on the lap bar. Military-grade durable, waterproof, and connected to wireless servers, the touchpads allow guests to pick from songs representing five genres of music. And thanks to Polk Audio marine-grade stereo speakers, guests will be able to hear their musical choice at 90 decibels while never hearing the songs playing for other riders.

While coaster junkies rock out and scream to the tune of their favorite musical styles, their entire journey will be captured by 14 cameras – six on board each car and eight along the track. Smile real big, because these cameras are designed to provide production-quality footage under intense conditions. After the ride, each guest video is transmitted from the ride vehicle to a viewing kiosk, where guests can purchase a specially edited take-home version to share with family and friends.

From the ground, the HRRR is also ultra-cool; 36 different LED color-changing lights make it an ever-changing show for onlookers. And boarding the coaster is a snap, too; the Rockit is the only coaster in the country that keeps guests moving through the queue on a conveyer belt, ensuring that the lines keep flowing and the wait is never longer than it needs to be.

With all these intricate details and fun, high-tech elements, the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit just might give SeaWorld’s Manta a run for its money! Find out for yourself whether or not it stands up to all the hype when the ride opens this summer; get your Universal Studios tickets on OrlandoFunTickets.com to be ready for your first ride on the Rockit.

Only one roller coaster in Orlando allows you to spin, glide, skim, and fly like a manta ray - face down! And that is Manta, the sick (we mean that in a good way) new attraction at SeaWorld Orlando. Though the official opening of the coaster is May 22, Manta has been open in sneak preview form all week to riders, and the reviews are in - Manta is one of the most exciting, unique, and fun experiences to come to Orlando in a long time.

Though not all the sea life is in place and final tweaks still have yet to be made to the ride before it’s officially unveiled at the end of the month, guests who have ridden Manta so far say it’s an intense but fun experience. From the ground, the ride looks smooth and tame, even, but riding the ray is a completely different experience.

Upon first getting onto the ride, everything seems normal - at first. Riders sit down in the vehicle normally (four across) and get strapped in snugly across the chest and legs. But as the ride begins its machinations, the entire vehicle swings forward, placing riders at a horizontal, face-down position. But still, so far so good as the ride gets off to a slow climb.

At that point, riders will have a chance to enjoy a unique perspective of Orlando - face down, with no obstructions in the way. It’s the kind of moment where you can say, “Hey, I can see my house from here,” and it’s actually quite nice until the ride jolts into high gear - and then, we’ll just say that the ‘slow’ part of the ride is definitely over.

From the front row, Manta can be a genuinely scary experience, since no other vehicle is in front, making the whole face-down aspect even more thrilling. But from the back rows, riders report that Manta is genuinely intense and almost jarring, with G forces being felt much more significantly than on the other rows. The consensus is that the back rows are best reserved for the hardcore roller coaster rider, while those looking for a less rocky thrill will be happy with the front row – if they can handle the more psychologically scary view! No matter what row you’re in though, you’ll definitely feel like you’re flying like a manta while riding the coaster.

Meanwhile, the experience of waiting to ride Manta is almost as entertaining as the ride itself – the queue area has been beautifully designed with waterfalls and several aquariums filled with tropical fish, sea dragons, and manta rays. Guests will wait comfortably inside the mostly covered and climate controlled area while they watch rays soaring mesmerizingly overhead. In these early weeks, all the tanks’ inhabitants haven’t yet been added – but keep an eye out for the home-grown coral, the giant 12-pound pacific octopus, who can reportedly put together puzzles, and plenty of weedy and leafy sea dragons.

For those who don’t think they can handle Manta’s exhilarating flight, the attraction also offers a separate aquarium especially for non-riders. So if you’re traveling with a group of friends slightly braver than you, you won’t be bored while you wait for them to get off the ride.

If you can’t wait until May 22 to experience Manta, head on down to SeaWorld and join the others who decided they couldn’t wait either – just get ready to wait on line, since this is one thrill that’s already very popular. Check out discount SeaWorld tickets on OrlandoFunTickets.com to begin your Manta flight.

The days are narrowing down to the moment when Orlando roller coaster fans will be able to soar over sea and water in one exhilarating, face-down ride. Manta, the newest attraction coming soon to SeaWorld Orlando, is officially opening May 22, and we’re here with the latest details on how the coolest ride of the summer is coming along.

Though the ride is still barricaded from the rest of the park, fans can’t help but sneak a peek through the cracks at Manta. Nevertheless, the most interesting sights are already visible; Manta’s rails are all completely in place, a collection of bright blue tubes gently curving and twisting over the park. The ride is so far along that Manta recently experienced its first test flights, an exciting moment that had park guests whipping out their cameras and rushing home to post the moment on YouTube. As a matter of fact, SeaWorld has a YouTube account, and they have video of the first test ride up and available for viewing now.

The video, though short, is a great first look at the ride. From what can be seen of it, Manta is surprisingly smooth and quiet, and the way it glides up and down and twirls through the air really does resemble the movements of a Manta ray swimming through the water. In the video, it doesn’t look as though Manta will be too intense, but seeing the ride and actually experiencing it are two entirely different things.

In addition to fine tuning the ride – sources say the first few test runs had some issues of stopping and starting – Manta engineers are still working on the ride’s queue and aquarium areas to get it ready for its big debut in May. They’re also still working on the pond, which is why glimpses past the barricades will yield views of big piles of dirt and construction equipment. With the rails completed and the ride in testing, it’s likely that more of the work will focus on aesthetics now, such as landscaping.

Here are a few Manta facts: when completed, the ride will seat four people who board it seated normally and then are switched into a horizontal, face-down position. The ride will fly through the sky and over a lagoon, reaching a height of 140 feet and dropping down a maximum of 113 feet. All this soaring happens at speeds of up to 56 miles per hour, with four inversions thrown into its 3,359 feet of track.

One of the coolest elements about Manta will be its trains, which are shaped like Mantas with wings spanning 12 feet. At some point in the ride, it’s said there’ll be a splash effect where one of the wings touches the water. Interestingly, when Manta’s fully operational, there’ll be three trains on the track with 32 people on each train, meaning the ride will have 1,500 people soaring over SeaWorld every hour.

And for those who wouldn’t dare brave Manta’s rays but like to wait on line with their friends, Manta’s queue area will boast amazing floor-to-ceiling views into an 184,000 gallon aquarium. There’ll even be a 220 square-foot overhead viewing panel through which guests can see schools of rays swimming above.

With Manta just two months away from its big debut, you might want to go ahead and get your discount SeaWorld tickets now from OrlandoFunTickets.com now so you can be first in line when the ride opens. Manta is set to become the biggest attraction at SeaWorld, and a thrilling experience that any park lover will just have to try.

Orlandos Best Roller Coasters and Where to Find Cheap Cypress Gardens Tickets to Ride Them

We have finally reached the last installment in our Orlando roller coaster series and it has been a wild and exciting ride

We glide today into Cypress Gardens, Florida’s oldest theme park and home to the Starliner, “Florida’s original scream machine.” Besides that, this gem of a park offers some other great thrills for your coaster crazy Orlando theme park tour.

The Starliner is the kind of old-time wooden roller coaster that most coaster enthusiasts drool over. It was rescued by Cypress Gardens last year from its original home in Panama City Beach.

This classic “woodie” has it all: big hills, small hills, little bunny hops and plenty of air time. It’s about 70-feet tall and races out and back at 70 mph, for a pleasingly perfect coaster experience.

The Triple Hurricane outlasted the three-hurricane-punch that hit Orlando a few years back and became the signature thrill ride at Cypress Gardens. This classic wooden coaster careens riders through a storm of speedy hills and negative g-forces.

The Okeechobee Rampage is one of two steel coasters at Cypress Gardens. This one swoops, swerves and speeds its passengers over camel backs and daring drops. It is a park favorite.

The other steely swamper is tagged the Swamp Thing. You will definitely feel like you’ve been dragged through something after wading into over 1000-feet of twisting, turning track – all while suspended mid-air, feet flying, legs kicking.

The Galaxy Spin takes adventurers on a ride of “cosmic proportions.” In your individual, mouse-style spinning car, you will swerve, curve, dip and dive your way through this swirling, twirling tumble of track.

The Fiesta Express is like a wild-mouse coaster with single cars that zip riders in and out of hairpin turns and mini hills. A great starter coaster, this one is great for the roller coaster virgins in the group.

Cypress Gardens may not be as high profile as some other Orlando attractions, but it has just as much to offer – and often times with a lighter crowd so you can ride these cool coasters over and over again.

OrlandoFunTickets.com has a lot to offer too: cheap Cypress Gardens tickets and discount theme park tickets to all of your favorite Orlando attractions. Get yours now!