Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

P. 276: Penguin Trek construction update!

Recommended Posts

^You can have all the reserved seating you want, but it won't be useful if you're stuck in a long queue line for something or reservation for a ride on Kraken Unleashed. Also on busy days, the shows can fill sometimes 20-30 minutes before showtime which puts a snag into any planning you may have done. Basically if you're wanting to see all the shows (since it's a show heavy park), sometimes it's hard to schedule it out just right to be able to mix everything. This is different from parks like Busch Gardens Tampa, SFOG, Cedar Point, ect. (that are ride heavy) where you can just literally go left or right and just ride as you get to them. Even after 10 years of going to the park I find it hard to hit all the shows in one day and still get to ride everything I want with all the crisscrossing you have to do to accomplish it. Timing truly is everything, especially without quick queue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today Theme Park Review was invited to preview Kraken Unleashed, the new virtual reality experience taking over the classic Kraken B&M floorless coaster at SeaWorld Orlando. This new offering brings an added level of story to the otherwise straightforward coaster and manages to retcon the presence of Journey to Atlantis in the park to form a thematic corner in which the two attractions are now more closely connected. The coaster's queue structures have been lightly refreshed to take on a new theming; gone are the Mediterranean architectural influences and in their place are metal and futuristic design elements that indicate that this is a scientific research facility.

 

 

Once inside of the coaster station, the loading and dispatch process has been updated to reflect the updated restraints and most importantly, the securing of the VR headsets. Kraken Unleashed is not a mandatory experience, allowing riders to opt out of the virtual reality in favor of the more traditional coaster experience. At the end of each ride, ride attendants will clean each headset with a sanitation wipe before putting it in the secure box attached to the coaster restraints. It is one of the few VR coaster experiences around the world that does not have an age restriction, rather relying purely on the guest's height to determine if they are eligible to ride based on a 54 inches height restriction. The over the shoulder restraints have been modified to feature a new grip as well as metal bars that hold up the resting container for the VR headsets. At the beginning of each ride, the ride attendants assist riders with securing their headsets and adjusting the lens to ensure that riders get the most visual clarity out of their virtual reality experience. At the end of each ride, ride attendants will clean each headset with a sanitation wipe before putting it in the secure box attached to the coaster restraints.

 

Looking at these processes and the added work required to load, unload and dispatch trains certainly impacts the operation. Kraken has traditionally had multiple trains in operation and has had a solid hourly capacity, but now with the above-mentioned causes for delays, the dispatch times are significantly higher than what most past riders will remember. This will likely present a challenge for SeaWorld, especially during the busy Summer ahead. It has yet to be confirmed if the other trains used by Kraken previous have been/will be updated for this new experience but SeaWorld will be launching a new virtual queueing option with the grand opening of Kraken Unleashed, which will hopefully help the park in reducing wait time for this coaster.

 

From a detail and story standpoint, Kraken Unleashed succeeds in some unexpected ways. It was fitting that my first VR coaster would also be the first major roller coaster I rode as a child growing up. Kraken Unleashed brings a compelling and fast-paced story that synchronizes audio, motion and the maneuvers of the floorless coaster's track layout to bring together an immersive experience that caught me by surprise. There were few moments where the VR shown didn't pair perfectly with the train's movements (those moments came most towards the end of the coaster) but aside from that, the VR film managed to integrate a good number of the coaster's more uniquely-felt moments.

 

Kraken Unleashed ties together two of the park's thrill attractions, built in the heyday of SeaWorld Adventure Park when the focus was on thrill rides and not on theming. With this update, there's a slight increase in theming throughout the queue to help ground the new story. It manages to tell a new and exciting story that explains why Journey to Atlantis is present in the park. With the only other VR coaster experience currently offered in Orlando being Freedom Flyer VR at Fun Spot America, this new experience stands out as a quality plussing of a classic but in some ways tired coaster. If SeaWorld Orlando can nail down their operating procedures to focus on reducing dispatch times, I believe that this could be a big draw for the park, providing an influx of new and repeat guests eager to see the changes to this notable coaster.

IMG_9744.thumb.JPG.89cc7ffb10d765197c245c585d3165c0.JPG

About to head in!

IMG_9745.thumb.JPG.ea0ca84eaa0074be53f50b0176bf1cbb.JPG

We visited SeaWorld Orlando this morning to check out Kraken Unleashed!

IMG_9746.thumb.JPG.3c3e9390784c6c61e780ddc6d0eb3d02.JPG

We're in the right place!

IMG_9748.thumb.JPG.68f75919671caed5b3426cc070a804ea.JPG

The park signage has been updated to highlight Kraken Unleashed!

IMG_9755.thumb.JPG.2be01e6a2c01228e6c3705e19986f418.JPG

The entrance and queue for the attraction have been refreshed to reflect the new story as seen within the VR experience.

IMG_9763.thumb.JPG.3dec1e7a4c26babc3d259d7b711a9bb4.JPG

The inside of the station has been given some new tech upgrades as well to help keep the dispatch times down.

IMG_9767.thumb.JPG.d30051b588af69430c6c3898c36299ab.JPG

We were pleasantly surprised! Kraken Unleashed is a really good VR experience! And it ties into Journey to Atlantis in a really neat way!

IMG_9770.thumb.JPG.cbac092749ffe83be4a120bebc5da0c8.JPG

A look at the side profile of the modified seats on Kraken Unleashed.

IMG_9773.thumb.JPG.f502d21a01b0798556e7757ce2952158.JPG

The story of Kraken Unleashed retcons the presence of Journey to Atlantis in SeaWorld by explaining how the city came to the surface during your Kraken Unleashed ride experience.

IMG_9799.thumb.JPG.64461f1eb22679af0689b17c451361c6.JPG

Guests have the option to ride Kraken Unleashed without the VR headsets for a more traditional coaster experience.

IMG_9837.thumb.JPG.6e1e17ee339feb5d68008d8e29cc8ef6.JPG

The Kraken Unleashed VR experience synchronizes the visuals with the coaster's maneuvers to provide an immersive ride.

IMG_9842.thumb.JPG.056ff32760bc65f78bd9c164cf8cffa7.JPG

The Kraken Unleashed queue has been updated to feel more like the scientific research facility seen at the start of the VR experience.

IMG_9844.thumb.JPG.ca265f22ced50bf6faed7f7217cbf3c5.JPG

The KRKN Launch Station is where your submarine will depart Launch Bay Alpha to begin your Kraken Unleashed experience.

IMG_9847.thumb.JPG.ee95faf45a776193bd951c11f1dd1e82.JPG

The former Mediterranean architectural elements have been covered with research facility design elements to help set the setting for the ride's new story.

IMG_9849.thumb.JPG.aec6c615d2ad7c37f89dbd11511326c8.JPG

The company behind this expedition appears to have several tours available for guests to enjoy.

IMG_9850.thumb.JPG.82ea20b5c9e91b6c5b2f7e42fc8bf7ec.JPG

IMG_9853.thumb.JPG.621cf01a3b29939b8b788d0ec58a6481.JPG

Subtle changes for those that knew the former queue design, but they do make a little bit of difference.

IMG_9854.thumb.JPG.173b5216867036f9bc657cd556394d96.JPG

Noted!

IMG_9856.thumb.JPG.dd968bfa5a86f635215608a7da92d177.JPG

Also noted!

IMG_9859.thumb.JPG.7b4bbd3ad60ccdf60ed164d22c2fe5a8.JPG

Another look at the updated Kraken Unleashed entrance.

IMG_9863.thumb.JPG.7ea9f59191b1490cdf8bab16f9d9d3d7.JPG

A full rundown of notes for potential riders of Kraken Unleashed...

IMG_9882.thumb.JPG.1d91efdf9d2df7d83848164141356fe7.JPG

This is still the Kraken you know and love, but with even more fun thanks to the new VR experience!

IMG_9893.thumb.JPG.51bede383f2f5ac3cabb665ecc724184.JPG

The old Kraken cave has been updated with the removal of the old eggs but the addition of the Kraken's tentacle.

IMG_0852.thumb.JPG.0b531cc64b9061e14e4802b503165ffc.JPG

The addition of the VR headsets adds a significant amount of effort in getting guests ready for dispatch and as a result, the dispatch times for Kraken will inevitably increase.

IMG_0853.thumb.JPG.dca50b45692d433745190a52cfc5ee1c.JPG

The Kraken Unleashed station has been given some tech upgrades including the same kind of dispatch monitor as found in Mako's station.

IMG_0854.thumb.JPG.dc6ef95818b8768ebb29daa62f0b7d5d.JPG

Do you see our Rider Cam POV video? If not, stop what you're doing, scroll to the top of this post and watch it all the way through!

IMG_0860.thumb.JPG.9c9deed9c38916c566416343b4b0a251.JPG

Signage throughout the park reminds guests that the new experience is now available to enjoy at SeaWorld Orlando.

IMG_9899.thumb.JPG.0e2d45b501db7958653553de21be6ed4.JPG

Journey to Atlantis and Kraken Unleashed are now more closely tied in story thanks to the new VR experience!

1395303361_KrakenKelpForest.thumb.png.b4f31601364f302cfe34350911514d9f.png

When Kraken Unleashed was first announced, this image was shared from the ride experience and many assumed that this was the namesake Kraken... But they were wrong.

788963808_KrakenLavaField.thumb.png.5374d4f0960f1206fffb01af5860477b.png

Without spoiling anything, this scene is a significant part of the story of how Journey to Atlantis ends up above water.

1374522092_KrakenSubBase.thumb.png.1f6057cdae7399ba7621a4bb7b06beee.png

Dive! Dive! Dive!

2139846290_KrakenUnleashedLogo.thumb.jpg.b76d553786e5658f98f2ab9eb1ce16b7.jpg

Special thanks to SeaWorld Orlando for inviting us to try out Kraken Unleashed. With ability to enjoy the classic coaster experience with or without the new VR headsets, this refreshed offering plusses Kraken in many way.

1674316780_KrakenUnleashedRPOVInverted.thumb.jpg.a07502965b9ff8d06db79dd37b2f37a8.jpg

The Kraken dispatch team manages to ensure that the VR headsets are snug and secure at all times.

46745720_KrakenUnleashedVoyage.thumb.jpg.0a1f51b4c2dad907d35bbb11ba031dbb.jpg

162212557_KrakenVolcanoClimb1.thumb.png.c2d4f0a49195f6171fc88db5cc93a940.png

You explore the ocean waters alongside these submarines along your journey.

87162793_KrakenVolcanoClimb2.thumb.png.edd0785c16fd517a5df98c9f6a73f56d.png

A dark and ominous drop off is never a good thing for a story to have... And here it is no different.

Edited by jedimaster1227
Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the beginning of each ride, the ride attendants assist riders with securing their headsets and adjusting the lens to ensure that riders get the most visual clarity out of their virtual reality experience. At the end of each ride, ride attendants will clean each headset with a sanitation wipe before putting it in the secure box attached to the coaster restraints.

This right here is the part that I sort of question...

 

Based on what I've been told, all this happens WHILE YOU'RE SITTING IN YOUR SEAT, correct? On the Six Flags and Europa Park version of VR, all of the "adjustment" and "cleaning" process is done BEFORE and AFTER the guests board the train, which cuts down on the operational part of it significantly. So you can already adjust your VR headset to fit your head BEFORE the airgates even open, and you hand your headset to someone OFF of the ride to clean, so that the next group of people can start boarding without waiting.

 

It would seem to me that having the adjustment and cleaning as part of the actual boarding process of the ride would significantly impact dispatches and I wonder why they didn't try to move this process to being outside of the actual "boarding the train" process as to not slow things down even further. The dispatches are bad enough at Six Flags, I can't image what they would be like there if they had these additional processes on top of that.

Edited by robbalvey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The new night time show that premiered last night looks really nice for a SeaWorld Production. I approve. They are really trying and stepping up their game in so many ways, unfortunately I don't think it will ever be good enough at this point for the park to really succeed... which is a shame [emoji17]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would seem to me that having the adjustment and cleaning as part of the actual boarding process of the ride would significantly impact dispatches and I wonder why they didn't try to move this process to being outside of the actual "boarding the train" process as to not slow things down even further. The dispatches are bad enough at Six Flags, I can't image what they would be like there if they had these additional processes on top of that.

I'll take a shot at it for the sake of discussion -

 

Perhaps they want to eliminate any possibility of the VR animation getting out of sync based on changing seats? With the Kraken setup the correct headset is always in the correct seat. If you had 128 headsets (enough for 3 trains' worth plus another full load being set up before boarding), I'd bet that it would be a chore to keep them all in the correct order, especially if the team on the platform needs to keep moving fast and just plug whichever headset in the nearest charger. If a guest decides at the last minute, "I want to do the VR experience now" the operator would probably have to spend more time setting up the experience for their specific seat, and then spend the time adjusting the lenses anyway. Keeping everything restricted to individual seats that never change eliminates that and the operators only have to focus (ba dum tss) their efforts on focusing the headsets so guests can see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would seem to me that having the adjustment and cleaning as part of the actual boarding process of the ride would significantly impact dispatches and I wonder why they didn't try to move this process to being outside of the actual "boarding the train" process as to not slow things down even further. The dispatches are bad enough at Six Flags, I can't image what they would be like there if they had these additional processes on top of that.

I'll take a shot at it for the sake of discussion -

 

Perhaps they want to eliminate any possibility of the VR animation getting out of sync based on changing seats? With the Kraken setup the correct headset is always in the correct seat. If you had 128 headsets (enough for 3 trains' worth plus another full load being set up before boarding), I'd bet that it would be a chore to keep them all in the correct order, especially if the team on the platform needs to keep moving fast and just plug whichever headset in the nearest charger. If a guest decides at the last minute, "I want to do the VR experience now" the operator would probably have to spend more time setting up the experience for their specific seat, and then spend the time adjusting the lenses anyway. Keeping everything restricted to individual seats that never change eliminates that and the operators only have to focus (ba dum tss) their efforts on focusing the headsets so guests can see.

 

Is this even how this works? I was under the impression with all the other VR coasters I've done that something triggers the VR to start when the ride ops sends the train, and that is what starts the animation and syncs it all up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let me preface by saying I have never done a VR coaster experience and I can't say for sure this is how it works. This is based on what I believe I remember reading about the technology.

 

I have no idea how the Kraken headsets work as they appear to be a completely different system, but for the Six Flags coasters with the Samsung VR headsets, I believe I remember reading that the headsets sync to a 'black box' on the train via Bluetooth, and the box itself knows where it is on the track due to various Sync Points on the track itself which tells the black box controller 'I just passed X point on the track'. This accounts for variations in speed due to weight of the train, weather conditions, or if the train were to say stop on the lift hill, the video could resume when it passes over the next sync point.

 

I'd imagine there is a similar system in place on Kraken with some sort of sync on the track itself to account for variations, and that it wouldn't be a static video length / it would slightly speed up or slow down the video at various points, or jump cut occasionally without the rider really noticing.

 

I could be way off, but having operated Kraken myself on cold windy days vs warm full trains without wind, there is a pretty hefty variation in runtimes, so I'm curious how the system accounts for that, if at all, or if they would get more out of sync (but not enough for the rider to notice) as the ride goes on.

 

Does anyone have more information about the setup of Kraken's VR or can confirm my understanding of the Six Flags VR coasters?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Kraken Unleashed station has been given some tech upgrades including the same kind of dispatch monitor as found in Mako's station.

 

The coasters at Busch Gardens Williamsburg have similar monitors now, as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is this even how this works? I was under the impression with all the other VR coasters I've done that something triggers the VR to start when the ride ops sends the train, and that is what starts the animation and syncs it all up.

The whole "specific seat" thing would probably have to happen because the ride motion is different depending on whether you're in the front or back of the train. I personally am not familiar with how these work. However, based on my own experiences, I would suspect that it functions in a similar manner to NoLimits in that there are 32 (in the case of Kraken) different "viewing points" for the ride, and each seat assigned to its corresponding viewing point. Though, you could argue that you could reduce it to 8, one per row, for the sake of simplicity.

 

I just think that viewing an animation where you're sort of hung over the edge, but in actuality are being yanked over because you're in the back seat, would probably cause a bit of motion sickness. After all, what causes motion sickness is when what you're seeing doesn't match up with what you're feeling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've made my feelings clear on my dislike for reservation only rides when discussing Everland and Volcano Bay, but I've seen some tweets saying Kraken Unleashed is full by noon. Granted, it's new and popular but if it's a case of the VR making capacity that low surely that's not going to go down to well with guests.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess I will see for myself later today. I won't be wearing the VR however if I ride at all. Even with the Spot Saver I don't think it's worth waiting for, at least until they get things more together. I've seen others post elsewhere having to wait an hour or more after their scheduled return time. I'll just get some rides on Manta & Mako and catch the night time shows most likely.

 

UPDATE:

Um..yeah...not happening today as expected...lol Mind you everything outdoors has been shut down at least the last 30 minutes with storms in the area.

Screenshot_20170619-135210.thumb.png.69cf4dc4c43c1a31e41a847bf0baaeff.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Better get there early!

 

When the park opens for the day, Kraken Unleashed will operate with a standard standby line. Once the wait builds to about 20 minutes, the standby queue will be cut off and Spot Saver will become available. If no more Spot Saver time slots are available for the day, you will be allowed to join a standby queue shortly before park closing

Source: http://attractionsmagazine.com/seaworld-orlando-introduces-spot-saver-virtual-queue-kraken-unleashed/

 

Back when I worked the park, the entire Kraken / JTA area is COMPLETELY dead by 8pm on 10p close days. I would guess that still holds true as the other side of the park is where the action is at night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^Thanks for the info! I'm used to going there, and having there be virtually no wait for my beloved Kraken, so this VR thing is definitely bad news for those days... I guess I'll have to make it my first stop in the park, assuming I end up going in November as presently planned!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^Thanks for the info! I'm used to going there, and having there be virtually no wait for my beloved Kraken, so this VR thing is definitely bad news for those days... I guess I'll have to make it my first stop in the park, assuming I end up going in November as presently planned!

Hopefully by then they will have it operationally better. You can see my post up there with a 6.5 hour virtual wait time. I didn't bother especially since that was right before Shamu Celebration show. I walked by Kraken once around 2:30 and it had a 400 minute wait listed. I'm sure it was more than that considering everything shut down for about an hour prior to that due to lightning.

 

I would just recommend getting to the park before opening and head straight there. At least with spot saver, you have to be in the park to reserve from your phone.

 

In other news, I walked onto Manta when I got to the park at 12:30 and rode twice without getting off. I also rode Mako 3 times with a 1 train wait. I didn't even need my free one time wuick queue. I used it anyway since I went through the trouble of reserving. I would have ridden more but with all the on and off rain and catching shows that's all I got coaster wise. Surprisingly the Skytower was open all day and got a ride on it with one cycke wait. Even Wild Arctic was a walk on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rode it this past Sunday around 6:30-7pm,the wait time sign said 180 minutes,knowing that it had rained earlier and the park was emptying out I knew there was no way so I asked how long it actually was,they said around 40 minutes,knowing that might be as good as it gets I strolled in and was shocked to find that I would only have to wait two trains to get on,a train was leaving when I got there,the next group was already in their rows for the next one and I would be on the following one.I told myself I went from seeing the 180 min wait sign to then being told 40 minutes and then seeing how close I was to the front I thought there was no way it would even be close to the 40 minutes.However the whole loading/unloading is slow, having to clean the headsets and making sure everyone has it on correctly just takes time.There were plenty of attendants and they were very efficient but the process is still slow,nothing anyone can do about it,the wait that I thought would be 10-15 minutes was more like 25-30,I was still very happy I could get on in that time but I could imagine the wait wouldn't be very enjoyable on a busy day.I really enjoyed the experience,it truly put me in that environment and I almost forgot I was on a coaster I had probably ridden a couple hundred times.Having moved from south Florida a year ago and now being a local who frequents Sea World I have the luxury of trying to ride it at times I know the park will be dead,with the park staying open until like 10pm during the summer I'm assuming once the sun goes down the waits will be best at night.I think its a good addition to Sea World,it was a good coaster without the VR and low wait times but the park needed something unique to bring in the people to try it.Mako is still the best coaster in Florida in my opinion and the waits are never bad,and with it being such a rerideable coaster you can usually ride it multiple times in a short time,Kraken won't be that coaster you can get a bunch of rides in a row again but its now a fun, unique experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Um..yeah...not happening today as expected...lol Mind you everything outdoors has been shut down at least the last 30 minutes with storms in the area.

I just don't get it. How is this acceptable at all? Between Volcano Bay's disastrous system and this, are the Orlando parks just TRYING to piss off guests and send them to Disney?!?!?

 

I really do not understand how either of these parks think this is "OK" to operate attractions like this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^

 

Volcano Bay I'm just going to avoid for the foreseeable future (not a big water park goer anyway), but I love Sea World, love Kraken, and am planning on going this year, so this is definitely a disappointing turn of events, and a little hard to understand as well...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kraken I can deal with as I understand how long the loading takes,Volcano Bay my preferred AP expires in 2 weeks and I had every intention of adding Volcano Bay to the pass but with the craziness of you can only have one reservation at a time and until that time comes all you can do is the lazy river or the wave pool or spending money eating or at the multiple bars(I think this was their original idea ) and that unless I upgrade my preferred pass to the premier I can't even get into Volcano bay in July I'm off that water park.Maybe if next year they add a standalone Volcano bay AP for the whole year so I dont even have to include it in my pass.Also the price for their AP passes has increased a staggering amount in the last 2-3 years(even the renewal price)even more if you add that waterpark,Orlando gets plenty chilly for a lot of months and now you tell me I can't even get in during one of the hottest months,Its like throwing money away for several months,I'm passing,Disney has an awesome deal on their 2 park water park AP.Over in the Universal park I've also had issues getting into Jimmy Fallon,I'm also hearing you can use an app but I've yet to try that,I was able to ride it several times when it opened but lately every time I go they tell me all the tickets the machine gives out are gone and that standby is closed and that they'll open it up again near closing time.What's the point of the cool virtual queue,maybe people don't have a problem making long waits inside,it is one of the best experiences in a ride queue,look at Flight of Passage,super long waits but at least you can do it if you want to,they're not telling you to try coming back before closing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got to be honest, we're going back in September and we'll probably just skip Kraken entirely. It's a shame, it would be cool to check it out but it's not worth the aggravation for a ride that, in my opinion, is the weakest major coaster in the park (though it's still a lot of fun).

 

On a related note, when we were at Universal last week we had Express passes and rode every major ride that we wanted to ride in both parks with time for re-rides and just skipped Fallon entirely because we didn't want to deal with it and didn't care enough about the IP to justify the aggravation. The queueless system is noble in theory but it's stupid in practice.

 

As I mentioned earlier this is even more annoying at Sea World because your day is already so structured around showtimes (generally we always try to do Dine with Shamu and see One Ocean, Clyde and Seamore and Dolphin Days and that's really not an easy thing to do in one day) that having Kraken spit out a random return time that could screw all of that up is just too much of a pain in the ass to justify riding it IMO.

 

I wish they would at least designate non-VR hours where you can ride Kraken with it's typical 5 minute wait and not have to deal with any of this crap. Cedar Point does this really well with Iron Dragon, Six Flags has finally picked up on the idea too. Hopefully Sea World eventually follows suit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just visited SeaWorld Orlando yesterday for a couple hours. Manta was a 30 minute wait, Mako was a 5-10 minute wait, and then Kraken… had a wait time between 300-400 minutes. It's such a shame they aren't running it a couple hours without VR like the Six Flags chain has been doing, as I'm certain a large amount of people want to ride without it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to Sea World today around 11:30,when I entered the park I opened the spotsaver site which gave me a 1:58 ride time on my phone,around 12-13:30 walked by Kraken where they had a booth where you could get a physical spotsaver ticket,at that time the tickets were giving return times of 3:34pm,I would say its not too bad overall but it was a Tuesday and not a weekend day,as long as you're not waiting too long once you actually get in line it's a pretty okay system,especially since I enjoyed the ride using the VR headset.Also did head over to Universal and was able to snag a return time for Fallon for about an hour later,Volcano Bay must be siphoning people from the theme parks as the waits were overall shorter than expected,so the park is doing some good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...As I mentioned earlier this is even more annoying at Sea World because your day is already so structured around showtimes (generally we always try to do Dine with Shamu and see One Ocean, Clyde and Seamore and Dolphin Days and that's really not an easy thing to do in one day) that having Kraken spit out a random return time that could screw all of that up is just too much of a pain in the A$$ to justify riding it IMO.

This is so very true. While I had no intention of even riding Kraken, I checked to see when I could get on it for s&$%s & giggles (knowing it would be outrageous). As I showed earlier, the first available was about 6.5 hours later and 20 minutes before the only night time Shamu show. Even if I had wanted to ride it I would have had to pass that one and try again a little later to reserve. The show was among the priority to do list for this visit since I may not be back until September either.

 

 

Trip Report:

We arrived about 12:15 and was in the park by 12:30. We ate lunch before since we were staying until close. Rain was definitely in the forecast and it came through not long after arrival. Even with the rain that was on and off between 1 & 6pm, I was able to accomplish most of what I wanted to do yesterday. Because of the coming rain, we decided to go extra bare minimum and only carry a bottled water into the park (outside of keys, wallets & phones). So no camera (until later when I did get it).

 

I first headed to Manta to ride since I had skipped it the last couple times I've been. To my surprise, it was a walk-on. I only had to wait for the 2 trains in the station to do (they were running both sides). I was even able to re-ride. I rode 2nd row the first ride and last row for the 2nd where no one was waiting. I think that was the first time I've ridden the back and was by far much more intense in the pretzel loop than I have ever experienced. It may be the most intense moment I've ever had on a B&M coaster. I was close to graying out. Crazy since I've been on it many times since it opened. I think I went to the front more since it's one where it makes a difference visually at least.

 

O001.jpg

Next we went to the 1:30 showing of Dolphin Days. We got in there right at 1 when they opened it up to get a great seat since it was our first time seeing it. The last time we came to the park they cancelled the first showing at 10 and we were leaving by lunch for other engagements outside the park. Storms started coming through shortly after and they kept delaying. At 2pm they finally cancelled so people could go on with their day and invited us all to try again for the 3pm showing. Had it not been raining we would have moved on well before the cancellation. We left our umbrellas in the car since we didn't feel like carrying anything extra.

 

Once the rain let up we walked over to see what kind of line Empire Of The Penguin had since it was still lightly raining and to kill time. The sign said a 5 minute wait. Looking at said line, it had not updated and was more like 45. I figured it would be like that since it's an indoor attraction. Not a loss anyway since we didn't plan originally to ride it.

 

O002.jpg

Then we walked back to see what they have done to Kraken. It wasn't running at the moment because of the weather. Posted wait time? 405 minutes....with a virtual queue...laughable...lol I honestly really don't care for the new look overall. I do like the tentacles, but that's about it. I know many thought the old head was cheesy, but it completed the entrance plaza to me. I wish they would have made a new head to go with the tentacles. They also had the area closed off where the eggs used to be and where you could view the corkscrew at the ride exit. Hopefully they will open it back up a little more once things get smooth with all this.

 

O003.jpg

We then walked over to the JTA aquarium before going back to see the 3pm Dolphin Days.

 

Dolphin Days...what can I say? I liked the show and there was definitely more interaction with the dolphins. However because Blue Horizons was the first show I ever saw at SeaWorld, it will always be tops for me. I first saw it the first year it was performed so it was great in the earlier years. I have the DVD and my own recordings so it will live on for me. Because of the rain and 90 minute delay to watch it, we ended up not viewing the manatees, dolphins (in DC), Stingrays or Manta Aquarium like normal and decided to make our way to the skytower, which surprisingly ran all day until the park closed. That's almost unheard of for when we visit...lol The windows had too much condensation to even bother getting any pics. Oh well.

 

O004.jpg

O005.jpg

O006.jpg

After Skytower, we headed over so I could ride Mako. In that short of time the rain started coming down again. While I'm sure some people like riding 73mph on a coaster in the stinging rain; I'm not one of them and went through the Shark Encounter.

 

O007.jpg

As the rain got lighter made it over to Wild Arctic to do that and see the Beluga, Walrus & Seals. In the gift shop on the way out I found a nice plate and matching spoon rest that were on clearance. I was surprised they were on clearance and was happy I waited since I was last there in April and wanted them. Since we had made purchases we decided to take it out to the car and get our umbrellas. Of course, once we got back in the park we never opened them again...go figure. I did decide to grab my camera to get some pics and video of the nighttime shows.

 

It was just before 6pm when we got back in the park and were planning to see Sea Lions tonight which started at 6:30. Since Mako was so close and the rain stopped, I went and rode Mako while my partner got a seat at the show. I had a free quick queue as a June pass member perk and used it, even though there was a 2 train wait. Well I took the time to reserve, print and redeem so why not? Plus I had no way of knowing how long the line actually was, even with the 5 minute posted wait. It was a great ride as always. I only had time for the one ride for now and headed over to see the show.

 

O008.jpg

O009.jpg

O010.jpg

O011.jpg

O012.jpg

O013.jpg

O014.jpg

I always enjoy the Clyde and Seamore shows, and the latest version of Sea Lions Tonight does not disappoint. It's definitely the best show in the park currently; even better than their daytime show. They do a great job at keeping the script revised with the attractions they parody in the park. The segments parodying Dolphins Days & Kraken Unleashed had me in tears....cause they were so true...lol

 

O015.jpg

O016.jpg

O017.jpg

After the show I took another quick spin on Mako before heading over to Mango Joe's for dinner. Then we caught some of the Club Sea Glow dance party at Bayside Stadium before heading back to Shamu Stadium to see Shamu's Celebration: Light Up The Night.

 

O018.jpg

O019.jpg

I've always enjoyed the night time Shamu shows over One Ocean. However, while this one was ok, it just doesn't have the same effect on me as Shamu Rocks did. Part of it may have been the orcas weren't all performing on queue at times. It was still better than One Ocean to me, which has just honestly been boring to me since it was introduced and why we normally skip it. The next (and last time) we'll see it (One Ocean) will be September when my sister brings my nephew down for his 10th birthday. I guess like the dolphin shows, it's just a change I'll have to either learn to like...or skip altogether when I visit. Fortunately I have the Believe DVD and my own video of it for memories as well.

 

After the show I went and got my first night ride on Mako. I must say it's even better in the dark! One guy on my row was not feeling the nighttime rush. He was ready to go...lol I wanted to ride again and went to an empty row (half the rows were empty) and was asked to go back through the line. I didn't argue and just didn't ride again. They let me on Manta earlier in the day, but hey...whatever. Different ops, different ride...just got lucky before. That's too long to walk around for me when you've been there most of the day on 2 hours of sleep.

 

To end the night we went through some shops on our way over towards Bayside Stadium to watch Ignite. We chose to sit by the water next to the vendor spots used during the events instead of from the stadium. Plus it was a shorter walk to the exit. I also was able to record without an obstructed view. Well...besides this guy who insisted on walking in front of us to go stand in the grass for 2 minutes and then back to where he was. I must say I was very impressed with Ignite and feel it one of the better night time closing shows I've seen. I did video of it, so no pics. I will say the heat coming from the fire blasting pyrotechnics was crazy. I think they should try and incorporate some of that into the New Years Eve celebration. I'm glad we ended up staying because after Shamu I was pretty much ready to go. It was worth seeing it live, especially since I may not be back before it ends.

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

 

O020.jpg

O021.jpg

O022.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/