SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[HAZE]

I am declaring September 27th International Anti-VR Coaster Day.

What the F%@# are they doing to my darling Kraken?

[laqueefa]

I don't want VR when I am riding a coaster

 

That's why you don't have to use the VR to ride.

 

Having the VR attached to the ride, and cleaning before each use will add some time to dispatching. They should rethink their approach, in my opinion. Cycling them like SFMM does would negate that.

[Ed Farmer]

sucks

[jedimaster1227]

^I don't think it is fair to call it so early... No one has seen any of the content, seen the impact to the operation or most importantly ridden the ride. The park deserves the benefit of the doubt until guests have begun riding with the VR experience enabled.

[coasterer]

Yeah, I don't get this. I just can't figure out how a competent management team takes a look at the mixed experiences, mixed reviews, and logistical nightmares that have come from every other VR coaster conversion and says "YES we want THAT", even despite VR being such a relatively cheap "upgrade". What am I missing from a management perspective that makes it worthwhile to drop $20+ million on a B&M, then completely throw efficiency and guest experience out the window for a cheap arcade thrill? Am I overstating the ability of the GP to see through coaster VR as nothing more than a cheap gimmick? Am I undervaluing the actual desire for GP to have VR on coasters? Maybe I haven't talked to enough people, but I still haven't met a single person that has said "Yep, that was well worth the trouble, I wish all coasters were this way". I just don't get it.

[Living_Dead]

i just feel VR is a bit lazy - if you want a VR ride, create a VR ride like Spiderman or Darkastle. If you can't afford that, go with a dark ride with practical effects. Find something in the price range. If you want to update an old ride, you don't need cheap gimmicks. Kraken doesn't even feel tired yet. Subtle details make a big difference with rides. I just don't like the VR concept, at least in Florida where it seems the theme is at a different league than the other places that use VR headsets. I mean Kraken has a theme with an environment, like you go through a cave for crying out loud, it doesn't need something interrupting it's setting.

 

For those who are like "you don't have to wear VR to ride"

 

I mean, true, but i DO have to wait in the elongated queue because of it.

[Hilltopper39]

^I don't think it is fair to call it so early... No one has seen any of the content, seen the impact to the operation or most importantly ridden the ride. The park deserves the benefit of the doubt until guests have begun riding with the VR experience enabled.

 

That's pretty much how I feel, and honestly I can't remember the last time Kraken had a past maybe the the first ramp outside of the station, so an 10 minute wait turns into a 20 minute wait, no big deal. I'll give the park the benefit of the doubt to actually open the thing before labeling it a dumb failure.

 

My biggest issue is that on a B&M coaster with the old school OTSR's you can't really move your head that much so take advantage of the VR environment as much as you could on something with a lap bar. I would have almost preferred VR on Manta since dispatches are already kinda slow because of the double station and there isn't really anything to see on that thing anyways. Flyers are already kind of a "gimmick" in themselves, why not add another.

[Hilltopper39]

No I honestly haven't been on a VR ride yet, this will probably be my first one when it opens. 10 to 20 minutes was just kind of an uneducated guess, 10 to 40 might be a problem, but again we'll see how it goes. In the past Seaworld has been pretty good with managing crowds on new attractions and having decent operations so I'm sure they will do everything they can to speed the process along.

 

But with the OTSr's didn't Discovery Kingdom add VR to their SLC this year? I haven't heard any reviews from that but I can't imagine being able to see anything with those things around your head.

[SharkTums]

But with the OTSr's didn't Discovery Kingdom add VR to their SLC this year? I haven't heard any reviews from that but I can't imagine being able to see anything with those things around your head.

 

I don't think it's fair to compare an SLC to Kraken just because they both have OTSR's. The reviews I've heard of putting the VR on the SLC are that it's basically against the Geneva Convention and should be classified as a war crime.

[Hilltopper39]

I don't think it's fair to compare an SLC to Kraken just because they both have OTSR's. The reviews I've heard of putting the VR on the SLC are that it's basically against the Geneva Convention and should be classified as a war crime.

 

Fair point, and that's pretty much the outcome I expected.

[Satans Hockey]

I've only been on VR at six flags over Texas and thought it was meh because the graphics look so dated. I haven't been on skull mountain yet with VR but it looks like the same experience except it's gargoyles instead of aliens.

 

Im going to SeaWorld next year but I'll be there before this starts. I'm more curious on what the real numbers are when it comes to people who actually decide to go to a park just because or partly because VR was put on a ride.

[robbalvey]

sucks

Wow. What a stupid post. Can you please try not to do this ever again or you'll find it your last post on the forum? Thanks.

[robbalvey]

Yeah, I don't get this. I just can't figure out how a competent management team takes a look at the mixed experiences, mixed reviews, and logistical nightmares that have come from every other VR coaster conversion and says "YES we want THAT", even despite VR being such a relatively cheap "upgrade". What am I missing from a management perspective that makes it worthwhile to drop $20+ million on a B&M, then completely throw efficiency and guest experience out the window for a cheap arcade thrill? Am I overstating the ability of the GP to see through coaster VR as nothing more than a cheap gimmick? Am I undervaluing the actual desire for GP to have VR on coasters? Maybe I haven't talked to enough people, but I still haven't met a single person that has said "Yep, that was well worth the trouble, I wish all coasters were this way". I just don't get it.

My thoughts exactly. I didn't "dislike" any of the VR stuff I've done, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do it again. And still, so far, Europa Park is the ONLY place I've seen it implemented where it didn't really impact anyone else. That Alton Towers set up seems like total crap. I can't imagine why anyone would want to mimic what they are doing.

[DoinItForTheFame]

Dear God. . . Another VR coaster? And on Kraken? Why? I can kind of understand putting in on a coaster like Iron Dragon. . . But more "major" attractions like Kraken. . . I just. . . Why??

 

I'm sorry, I just can't get excited for this.

[Texascoaster89]

To me, having to wait in a longer line for VR that I don't care about and won't use is like if everyone had to wait longer in the front seat line, but didn't care if they rode in another row. Have the VR system be an "upcharge" in the form of additional queuing time, like waiting for the front. But don't make me wait extra if I'm not going to be a customer of said service. That will just make me avoid the ride completely.

 

I agree with this, my home park SFOT did the right thing I believe by bringing it to Shockwave. A ride that more and more people skip; but what VR has done is ensure I don't go for a ride now even when I would like to because the line is over 2 hours long. I'm all for upcharge this system. I've never been to SeaWorld Orlando, but it was on a trip I have planned next year to Florida to hit some Florida parks. I'm hoping to not have to wait forever to ride Kraken for the first time in my life just because of the VR system. I don't dislike the VR stuff, I just felt it was a "one and done" and I was happy to not use it anymore.

[HAZE]

I don't think it's fair to compare an SLC to Kraken just because they both have OTSR's. The reviews I've heard of putting the VR on the SLC are that it's basically against the Geneva Convention and should be classified as a war crime.

 

Who would even dare to put a Vekoma invert in the same league as a B&M Floorless?

[xVicesAndVirtues]

To quote Will Ferrell in Talladega Nights, "Why do you want to listen to the TV with the stereo on?!"

 

In June, I went to Six Flags Fiesta Texas on a weekday and crowds were very light. 5 minute wait for Iron Rattler, walk-ons for Goliath and Poltergeist, 10-15 minute max for the 4D Free Fly. I go to Superman Krypton Coaster to find an hour and 15 minute wait. Totally floored, I asked the attendant if this was a mistake, if they'd recently gone down and just re-opened, etc. She tells me that they're doing VR right now, which is the cause of the long line. I go back two hours later and found that they weren't doing VR anymore at that time and that the wait was 5 minutes. There was some kind of complicated on-again, off-again VR schedule that even the line attendant didn't seem to get.

 

SeaWorld, please do not let this be the case here. I agree with others that I shouldn't have to stand in an unnecessarily long line to ride an otherwise high-capacity ride for an experience I don't wish to participate in.

 

I honestly have my doubts because just about every time I've visited the park in the past year or two, Kraken has run one train with four slow ride operators, waiting until everyone leaves then slowly meandering to open each closed restraint before opening the air gates. When I went a few months ago to ride Mako, operations were good at that attraction but I didn't even bother going to Kraken that day, expecting business as usual.

Edited September 30, 2016 by xVicesAndVirtues

[Rollercoaster Rider]

I wonder if this will give the park a good boost in attendance. I think especially with the crowded Florida market that they needed to do more besides just VR. A Few Flats for families or a major thrill ride in addition to VR would be awesome.

 

 

I wish them the best of luck.

[BlahBlahson]

^Lol No. Any attendance increase at Seaworld will be related to Universal adding a new ride and a new waterpark, or Animal Kingdom getting Avatar World. I'm down for VR on Kraken since I've been on it a lot and the gimmick could be fun once or twice, but it's not a big addition.

[Philrad71]

^^ I agree that it would be nice to see some thrilling flat rides & more family rides round out the park.

 

A seemingly fitting place would be the Shamu side of the park. Other than Happy Harbor, Wild Arctic, an empty Bayside stadium & pavilions, the area just seems somewhat desolate and in need of something fun over there.

 

And if they get rid of the Shamu show like in SD, they will REALLY need something to bring more people to that side of the park.

[ragingnitro]

Well if sea world can't do it right, no one can.

[DoinItForTheFame]

Well if sea world can't do it right, no one can.

 

 

Well if Disney can't do it right, no one can.

 

Fixed that for you.

 

Well if Cedar Point can't do it right, no one can.

 

Fixed that for you again.

 

Well if Busch Gardens can't do it right, no one can.

 

Still fixing that for you.

 

Well if Universal can't do it right, no one can.

 

I could keep going. . . But, I think you get the point.

[dwfan42]

Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed about this. Kraken is an awesome ride, and eliminating the visuals like the headchoppers after the MCBR, the lake next to the ride, the tunnels, and Mako right next to it really isn't smart. Maybe give it new trains and an updated theme and call it "Kraken the Revenge" or something like that if you just want to increase attendance. Normally, you have to wait 5 to 10 minutes to ride Kraken, and with VR it might take a lot longer. Anyway, I wouldn't want to put on a used and dirty headset with crappy graphics. Coasters are about experiencing everything around you while you ride, feeling the wind on your face, and sharing with the other riders next to you- not about focusing on a silly video-game that will probably look crappy. VR limits your coaster experience and increases wait times, aside from just looking stupid from an off-ride POV.

 

Maybe this will be a hit. I'm gonna try it out at least once, but I just don't think this is necessary.

[xVicesAndVirtues]

^Maybe they can take Vortex's out-going stand-up trains and make it the first Floorless to Stand-Up conversion.

[kickflipbacktail]

Just glad I rode Kraken as without VR and with no wait when I visited a few weeks ago. Walk on on a Saturday beats 2 hour wait on a Tuesday morning.