For the second part of our series looking at some of the new 2012 rides, we will continue to look at some new ride styles, and new manufacturers that will try their luck at the big name parks this season. While Six Flags is experimenting with the wing rider coaster and an all-new ride from Premier Rides, some other parks in the U.S. have tricks of their own up their sleeves.

Let’s head out west to southern California, where Sea World San Diego will debut their own Manta, a completely different version than the one in Orlando. Finally, the U.S. will have a launched coaster from Mack similar to their Blue Fire Megacoaster that earns rave reviews over in Europe. Like the Orlando Manta, this one will feature trains with manta ray fins, as well as what is expected to be extensive theming, more so than the Orlando version.

Track work was completed in early March, and this passed week videos have slowly started to surface of the ride beginning preliminary testing. It has also been reported that theme elements are beginning to take shape and should be reminiscent of a Disney ride. The family launched ride is currently on pace to open up on May 26, now less than a month away.

We head back to the east coast for the next ride, where we visit Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, where Verbolten, the long awaited multi-launched coaster from Zierer is in the final stages of testing before a May 17 media day followed by its grand opening the following day. Despite the talks of a possible testing incident, the ride has continued to test and complete successful circuits, as well as giving park representatives a few rides as well.

From reports, it seems as though the trains will be in the show building for somewhere between 45 seconds to a minute before being launched out of the building towards the big drop towards the end of the ride that mimics that of the late Big Bad Wolf. Barring any last minute set backs, expect Verbolten to take riders through the Black Forest starting in just over week.

Just the other day when I was asked to do this series, I was worried that I would not have much news to write about regarding Skyrush at Hersheypark, as I recently wrote a blog just a few weeks ago, and testing had yet to begin. Well, what a difference a few days makes. On Wednesday, we finally got to see the Skyrush train fully assembled and making full circuit run-throughs. Last week a few videos and pictures surfaced of one and two car assemblies being pulled through, but we had yet to see a full train make a circuit.

Now it seems as though this is the ride everyone is talking about, and judging by the speed we see from this ride throughout its course, I’d still be willing to bet that this could in fact be the best new ride of this season, and dare I say it, perhaps one of the best rides ever built by Intamin, which is saying a lot, not to mention a ride that is using an all new train type. The opening date has been debated among many, and at Dorney two weekends ago I spoke to a gentleman who had friends flying from Houston, Texas to Hershey on Memorial Day weekend to ride Skyrush. Now that testing has started, I think that may be right around when we see the ride debut, but the flooding from the fall may happen to push this ride’s debut back until early June. For all of those folks making long trips to the park for Memorial Day, let’s keep our fingers crossed for a Memorial Day weekend debut.

As I said in part 1, Six Flags has some great new rides for this year, but I personally think that some other rides may happen to be just a bit better. Manta will most certainly be a great family experience. Verbolten has been hyped up since before it was announced and so far, by all accounts could be one incredible experience. I am also looking forward to heading home in a few weeks after my California trip to experience Skyrush in particular.

Stay tuned for the third and final part of our blog series, where we will head outside of the U.S. taking a look at a coaster north of the border as well as two coasters debuting overseas.