Virtual reality check: Kraken coaster reboots at SeaWorld

SeaWorld Orlando didn’t build a new roller coaster this year, but it felt like it to Alex Moreno.

“I’ve been on Kraken tons and tons of times, and that didn’t feel like Kraken,” he said Friday. “It’s better — much better.”

Moreno and his friend Chloe Spencer of Orlando were among the first to ride the rebooted coaster — now rechristened Kraken Unleashed — with its new virtual reality component in place. Riders have the option of wearing headset that present a movie that makes it look like they’re going underwater and encountering sea life, both real and mythological. In reality, they’re on the same rail that’s been in place since the ride opened 17 years ago.

“When you first go into the water … it’s so crazy,” Moreno said.

Friday also marked the debut of SeaWorld’s Spot Saver system, which allows visitors in the park to reserve ride times on the new coaster. A Spot Saver kiosk was set up near the Kraken Unleashed entrance, and the service could also be accessed via mobile devices at spotsaver.com.

By noon, all reservation slots had been taken. The park closed at 7 p.m.

Spot Saver was established, in part, because the turnaround time between rides has increased. There’s a learning curve for folks donning the virtual-reality headsets for the first time, plus the equipment is cleaned between runs.

Rudi Stern, who lives near Munich, Germany, said he liked the ride but was frustrated by the wait time in the station. “It was a great ride, but it all took too long,” he said. “When we put on the glasses and then the riding time and the waiting time and the time when you are sitting, it was about 7 minutes, which is very long.”

But, once they got rolling, he said the virtual-reality aspect was a winner and superior to stationary simulators.

“It’s not like the virtual reality where you only sit,” Stern said.

The ride’s film is synchronized with the movement of the coaster, which still goes 65 mph and turns upside-down seven times, said Brian Morrow, vice president of theme-park experience design.