SeaWorld Orlando Changes Up Popular Kraken Roller Coaster With Virtual Reality Upgrade
SeaWorld Orlando has been working on a huge upgrade to their very popular Kraken roller coaster, and it just reopened today with a whole new look and style. The oldest coaster in the park’s history is now called “Kraken Unleashed” and it takes visitors on a brand new type of thrill ride with a virtual reality aspect that is unlike anything else SeaWorld has ever done.
Not only do passengers get the thrill of riding an awesome roller coaster, but now, they put on special virtual reality headsets to make the ride “unleashed.” Don’t worry, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel, the headsets are attached to the safety harness to make sure no-one ends up hit by one or injured.
In the meantime, the guests at SeaWorld are no longer just watching the track and sky fly at them as they travel around the Kraken route. This time, they’re venturing deep into the ocean to see a mythical beast with tentacles, volcanic eruptions, trench journeys, and even a lost city coming back from the dead.
The track of “Kraken Unleashed” is not changed from the original ride, which opened 17 years ago, but seeing these new virtual reality sights at 65 miles-per-hour is a brand new experience.
Team member ride testing taking place at Kraken Unleashed today in SeaWorld Orlando! pic.twitter.com/itti3vIb87
— Park Journey (@Park_Journey) June 9, 2017
Brian Morrow, the vice president of theme-park experience design for SeaWorld, commented after passholders tried the updated attraction earlier this week. He let it be known that the seven inversions seem like so many more with the virtual reality upgrade.
“It’s all 3-D steroscopic content as far as you can see that’s perfectly synchronized with the movements of the ride itself. We take advantage of the real inversions, but sometimes we disguise them as other maneuvers, which makes it really unusual,” he said. “So you can’t count the seven inversions anymore.”
If you’re looking to ride Kraken Unleashed soon, be prepared for some long wait times as it is going to generate some crowd upswings.
In order to try and get past some of the long wait times, SeaWorld Orlando has confirmed that “Spot Saver” will be used with Kraken Unleashed. By visiting the official website of Spot Saver, guests can make a reservation online and receive a time to head back to ride the attraction with minimal wait.
SeaWorld Orlando has dealt with a big-time drop in attendance over the last couple of years and it was down 7.9 percent in 2016. The new virtual reality upgrade to its iconic roller coaster is definitely a great way to try and bring in more visitors for this year. There are so many fans who already loved the coaster as it was, but the change to make it “Kraken Unleashed” should really only help its popularity and park attendance.
[Featured Image by SeaWorld Orlando]
